Before long, the Ninja Academy came into view.
Its iron gates towered over the street, faintly gleaming under the sunlight. Obito paused in his steps, watching students stream inside, then followed along.
"Obito!"
A sharp voice called out from behind him.
He turned and saw a brown-haired girl with purple markings on her cheeks staring at him with wide eyes, one hand clapped over her mouth.
'Rin Nohara?' the name immediately surfaced in his mind.
She ran up to him, studying his face before letting out a relieved sigh. "It really is you, Obito. I was starting to think you'd never come back!"
Obito grinned in return. "What, Rin? Did you miss me that much?"
She puffed out her cheeks, half-laughing. "Of course I did! You disappeared for a whole month. No one knew what was going on. I even went to your house so many times, but your grandmother kept saying you needed rest." Her voice softened as she continued, "I wanted to see you, but… I didn't want to make things worse."
"Sorry about that," he said, scratching his head. "Guess I worried you for nothing. I just wasn't feeling good for a while. But I'm fine now. Better than fine, actually."
She tilted her head, studying him. "You sure? You don't have to pretend with me, you know."
For a second, his chest tightened.
"Did she notice something?" Obito's eyes narrowed for an instant but returned to normal immediately.
Even if she had, it didn't matter.
He knew she had visited—quite a few times, actually—and it was he who told his grandmother to turn her away. He was still digesting his memories then and didn't want anyone to notice anything unusual about him.
He later realized he had been worrying for nothing. Even if someone thought he had changed a bit, they wouldn't link it to something as ridiculous as reincarnation.
He was just seven after all. A slight change at his age was quite normal. His personality hadn't even fully formed yet.
Even his grandma, who had the most contact with him, didn't find anything unusual about his behavior. But it could also be that she did notice and simply didn't care, as long as her grandson was alright.
So he had decided not to deliberately act like the old Obito. He'd just boast a little from time to time, and that would be enough.
"Really, Rin. I promise. I wouldn't be here if I wasn't ready," he said reassuringly.
Rin searched his face for a moment, then smiled again. "Alright. But if you push yourself too hard, don't expect me not to scold you."
He laughed. "Deal."
As they walked toward the classroom, Rin filled him in on everything he'd missed.
"You should've seen everyone! Kakashi's been improving like crazy. The instructors say he's already as good as a genin. Everyone talks about him all the time." She glanced at Obito. "But it's really good that you're back. Things felt… quieter without you around."
"Thanks, Rin. I'll show you I'm a changed person now. I'll catch up to Kakashi in no time," Obito boasted shamelessly.
Rin smiled, though she kept asking about his health all the way to the classroom. She even offered to lend him her notes and help him catch up after class. She was really a kind girl. Obito even felt a bit guilty for turning her away.
By the time they reached the classroom, the hallway buzzed with noise. Obito slid the door open—and dozens of eyes immediately turned toward him.
"Obito?" a boy called out in surprise.
"Who else?" Obito replied casually as he stepped in. Rin followed behind him, smiling.
Whispers immediately spread through the group.
"He's back…"
"He looks a bit different."
"How is he on time?"
Near the back of the classroom, Might Gai jumped to his feet the moment he saw him. Dressed in his usual green jumpsuit, he waved excitedly.
"Obito! I knew you wouldn't stay down for long! Hardships only make the flames of youth burn brighter!"
At the front row, Kakashi lifted his head slightly from beneath his silver hair. His expression didn't change, but his eyes lingered on Obito for a brief moment before turning back to the blackboard.
Obito nodded once toward Gai and Rin, then made his way to his seat.
As he walked, his eyes swept over several familiar names from the original series.
There was Asuma Sarutobi, who kept stealing glances at a cute red-eyed girl sitting a few seats away from him.
Genma Shiranui leaned back with a senbon between his lips. Ibiki Morino sat nearby. Ebisu stood out with his round sunglasses, while Izumo Kamizuki and Kotetsu Hagane chatted quietly near the side.
There might be others he didn't immediately recognize. It had been a long time since he last watched Naruto, after all, and not everyone left a strong impression.
Still, with this group, the time in the academy was definitely going to be interesting.
Once he sat down, the noise slowly faded as the class lost interest in him and returned to their usual chatter.
This was to be expected. The old Obito had always been background noise in the academy. Most people only remembered him as the dead last in their first assessment and still having the audacity to loudly declare he would become Hokage.
In a single month, the idiot had managed to secure his place as the class clown.
Soon, the seats in the classroom were completely filled, and the bell rang with a clear chime. A few moments later, the door slid open again, and their homeroom teacher entered.
Mitsuka Kaminari was a middle-aged man with a short beard and graying hair at the temples. He was in charge of all of their theoretical subjects.
From Obito's memories, he was one of the better instructors in the academy. Patient, fair, and generally well-liked.
"Good morning," Mitsuka said as he placed a stack of scrolls on the podium.
His gaze swept across the classroom and paused briefly when it landed on Obito. A flicker of surprise crossed his face. He nodded at him before continuing as usual.
"Today, we'll once again continue with field survival and tactics."
He picked up a piece of chalk and began writing.
"I've said this before, and I'll say it again. A shinobi needs more than strength. You must learn how to move as a team, read terrain, cover your comrades, and endure under pressure."
"This subject covers all of that. I might overlook you slacking off in other classes, but not in this one. So pay attention."
Obito sat straighter, opening his notebook, and began taking notes.
The academy curriculum mainly covered six main subjects—field survival tactics, general studies, shinobi history, Will of Fire, practical arts, and chakra theory.
It had been three months since the academy started. He had only attended the first month before transmigrating, and even then, he had slept through most of the lectures.
Even in ninja tools utilization and taijutsu—areas the Uchiha usually excelled in—he somehow managed to be one of the worst in the class.
Now, after one and a half months of absence, leaving aside ninjutsu, he didn't know how far he had been left behind from the rest of the class.
Although the monthly assessment for this month was still a bit far off, he didn't know if he'd be able to catch up in time.
Theory was the easy part. With his mature mind and previous life's education, it would be easy to catch up. But taijutsu and ninja tools utilization were completely another story.
He had to quickly grind them like ninjutsu; otherwise, the gap would only widen.
As the lecture went on, Mitsuka glanced at him several times. Each time, his gaze lingered a bit longer.
He couldn't help it.
Obito paying attention in class and seriously taking notes? He wondered if the sun had risen from the west today.
When the lesson shifted from field survival tactics to chakra theory, Obito found himself genuinely engrossed in the lecture. Mitsuka explained things clearly and in order, making them easy to understand.
No wonder he had such a good reputation among students.
Eventually, the chalk tapped against the board one final time.
"That will be all for now," Mitsuka said, brushing his hands clean. "Everyone, gather your ninja tools pouch. You'll be heading outside for your practical arts lesson."
The students seemed to be energized at his words, and the classroom instantly burst into noise as students hurried to pack up.
Obito smiled faintly, slipping his notebook into his bag. "Some things never change. No matter the world, kids love the outdoor classes the most."
"Obito," came Mitsuka's voice again from the front. "Come here for a moment."
As Obito walked over to the podium, he continued in a soft tone. "I spoke with your grandmother about your condition," the teacher said quietly. "If you're not fully recovered, you can sit out today's sparring. I'll talk to your practical lessons instructor. No one will think less of you."
Obito shook his head without hesitation. A hint of determination crossed his features.
"That won't be necessary, Sensei. As a man who aims to become Hokage, I can't afford to slack off!"
Mitsuka blinked, then smiled faintly. "Very well. Just don't overdo it."
Obito bowed slightly and turned to follow the others.