Chapter 2: Maruboshi Kazama Arrives

Chapter 2: Maruboshi Kazama Arrives

A grayish-white rabbit cautiously raised its head, scanning its surroundings for any threats. After confirming there were none, it lowered its head again, biting off a stalk of grass, chewing and slurping it into its mouth like a strand of noodles, all while keeping a vigilant eye on its surroundings.

A sudden whoosh broke through the silence. Instinctively, the rabbit flinched, but it was too late. A sharp arrow, its source unknown, pierced through its small body and pinned it to the ground. The rabbit struggled weakly for a few moments before its legs stiffened, and its life came to an end.

Ten meters away, hidden beneath the dense foliage of a large tree, a young boy observed the scene with only his eyes visible. After confirming his prey was dead, he gracefully leaped from the treetop and walked over to inspect the rabbit.

"Ah, I was a little off... I rushed the shot. I should've aimed better before firing. What a waste of a good rabbit pelt—now it's got two holes in it. Guess I'll have to catch another one," the boy muttered, slapping his knee in frustration at his missed opportunity.

He retrieved the arrow and casually slung the bloodied rabbit over his shoulder, completely unfazed by the smell of blood or the messiness of it. Moving with the ease of a seasoned hunter, he made his way through the forest.

Looking up at the sky, he noticed the sun had already risen high—it was getting late. It was time for school.

The forests outside Konoha stretched endlessly, an untouched sea of trees. Despite this vast resource, the village had little intention of exploiting it. Instead, they had built wire fences and training grounds along its borders to prevent wild animals from wandering into the village.

Walking leisurely, the boy navigated the dense woodland trails as if strolling through his backyard. The terrain was complex, with some paths barely distinguishable from the surrounding undergrowth, yet he moved effortlessly, never missing a step.

Eventually, he arrived at a towering ancient tree, something almost impossible to find in modern society. The massive trunk, nearly as wide as a dozen people standing hand in hand, reached heights equivalent to a ten-story building. Around its base, signs of human activity were evident. Stepping around to the back of the tree, the boy revealed a wooden ladder hidden in the shadows. The sturdy, arm-thick rungs led up into the canopy. With agile and powerful movements, he climbed swiftly.

Reaching the top, he pushed open a concealed door hidden among the branches and entered.

This was no ordinary tree—it was a treehouse.

Nestled within the dense foliage, the treehouse was almost impossible to spot unless one knew where to look. The natural camouflage provided perfect concealment.

Inside, the boy swiftly changed out of his hunting gear, setting aside his bow, dagger, and freshly caught rabbit. He emerged moments later in a simpler outfit, ready for the day ahead. Nimbly bounding down the tree with practiced ease, he landed smoothly on the ground.

Blending into the flow of people, he walked into the village, navigating through the bustling main street until he arrived at the Ninja Academy.

"Kazama, hurry up! We're going to be late!"

A panting boy sprinted past him, calling out as he ran ahead.

"Got it, I'm almost there. No need to panic."

True to his words, Kazama stepped into the classroom just as the bell rang. The school day had officially begun.

The boy's full name was Maruboshi Kazama. Years ago, he had been taken in by Kosuke Maruboshi as a baby. Six years had since passed, and he was now a student at the Ninja Academy.

"Kazama, you always manage to walk in at the last second. How do you do it? Can you teach me?"

The familiar, fawning voice came from the same boy who had rushed past him earlier.

"You sure you want to learn? Right now, you're barely making it on time by sprinting. If you try to time it like I do, are you sure you won't end up late instead?" Kazama rolled his eyes. This guy was too impulsive.

Between his two lives, Kazama had spent nearly twenty years in school. His ability to time things precisely wasn't something that could be taught so easily.

That's right—Kazama wasn't originally from this world.

In his previous life, he had been an ordinary man named Xifeng, who had lived until the age of thirty before suddenly waking up in a new world—the world of Naruto.

As someone who had grown up watching Naruto, Kazama was more than familiar with this universe. The anime had been a major part of his childhood, even though it wasn't officially broadcasted in his country. Once he got to college, he had binge-watched it countless times on his laptop.

Under normal circumstances, someone with knowledge of the storyline would be thrilled to be reincarnated into Naruto. But in reality? It was frustrating.

All those novels about isekai protagonists coming equipped with overpowered cheats? Not him.

A natural-born genius with a bloodline limit? Nope.

Superhuman parents who left him an inheritance of divine power? Not even close. His background was a mystery—no known parents, no known clan, no known birthplace. He was a complete nobody.

The only saving grace was that he hadn't died as an orphan in the wild and had instead been adopted by Kosuke Maruboshi.

As for knowing the plot? Who cares?

Would knowing the future really change anything? If he altered the story, he'd lose his advantage as a "foreteller." If he didn't, then he was just another Naruto fan experiencing the world firsthand.

After accepting his situation, Kazama vented his frustration daily, but reality remained unchanged. He had no choice but to go along with it.

Like every other child, he ate, slept, and grew up. Once he started attending the Ninja Academy, Kosuke's babysitting duties ended, and he resumed his own life as a shinobi. Most of the time, Kazama was alone again.

To outsiders, Kazama was just another quiet kid—decent grades in theory, below average in practical combat. He had some ninja talent, but nothing impressive. He was basically an Iruka-tier student, too unremarkable to stand out.

Was he hiding his true strength? No.

He had considered doing so, but reality hit hard. Even if he wanted to hold back, he was already overshadowed by others.

Every year, the Academy had its share of genius-level prodigies. Konoha wasn't called a "cradle of talent" for nothing.

With those monsters occupying the spotlight, Kazama had no choice but to abandon his nonexistent hiding-my-strength strategy before he even got the chance to use it.

It was undeniable—the shinobi world was a brutal, war-torn place. Even in the relative safety of Konoha's Academy, kids were like little wolves, full of aggression. Sparring matches were full-contact, no-holds-barred fights. Anyone accepted into the Academy was already a wolf pup in terms of physical capability.

Kazama, however, struggled at first. His soul was still stuck in a peaceful era, while his body was now in a world of violence. The Academy's combat classes were his least favorite—he had spent his past life in a world where fighting meant calling the cops. Here, if you lost a fight, you fought back. If you lost an argument, you settled it with fists. If you got bullied, you had to retaliate, or you'd be seen as an easy target.

After getting beaten up one too many times, Kazama snapped.

Grinding his teeth, he endured three days in the infirmary, but in return, he left one of his tormentors bloody and crying for his mother.

From then on, he was no longer an easy target.

Now, while people still considered him weak in combat, no one dared to provoke him unnecessarily. His ferocity had earned him a certain level of respect.

However, it also left him with few friends.

Kazama didn't mind. He preferred spending time with his grandfather, Kosuke, who always had interesting stories to tell. He also enjoyed hunting in the forest, sometimes keeping the meat for himself, sometimes donating it to the orphanage. The kids there were sweet and well-behaved, always calling him "big brother" in their cutest voices.

Six years had passed. He had accepted reality. He had accepted his ordinary nature.

And now, if anyone asked him who he was, he could finally answer with ease:

"Konoha's Ninja Academy student—Maruboshi Kazama has arrived."