The morning classes dragged on with the kind of agonizing slowness that only a room full of hyperactive six-year-olds could generate. Iruka droned on about the history of the hidden villages, the importance of chakra control, and the "Will of Fire."
Kenji spent most of the time staring out the window, occasionally activating his [Anatomy Scan] on the birds outside to test its range.
Pigeon. Male. Muscle density: High. Likely a carrier pigeon.Crow. Female. Wing span: 40cm.
"Boring," Kenji murmured. He glanced at the System interface. His [Dignity] stat was flashing red, currently sitting at a stable "Low." But he had his Max Level Transformation Jutsu, so he considered it a fair trade.
Finally, the bell rang for the lunch break.
"Dismissed!" Iruka announced, looking relieved to escape the chaos.
The classroom instantly erupted. It was like a seal had broken. The girls—Sakura, Ino, and a dozen others—immediately formed a tactical perimeter around Sasuke's desk.
"Sasuke-kun! Do you want to eat lunch with me?" "No, me! I have tomatoes!" "Sasuke-kun, look at my bento!"
Sasuke sat in the middle of the storm, his chin resting on his hands, looking like he wanted to Fireball Jutsu the entire room.
On the other side of the room, Naruto Uzumaki sat alone. He pulled out a slightly squashed cup of instant ramen and a thermos of hot water. He looked around, his blue eyes dimming slightly as he saw the other kids grouping up, leaving a wide berth around his desk. The "demon brat" stigma was already in full effect.
Naruto sighed, peeling back the lid of his ramen. But then, he paused. He looked over at Kenji.
Kenji was currently trying to see if he could balance a pencil on his nose while looking at the ceiling.
Curiosity got the better of the blonde boy. Everyone else ignored Naruto or looked at him with cold eyes. But Kenji? Kenji was the guy who publicly declared he wanted to watch clothes get wet. Kenji was... different.
Naruto stood up and walked over. He moved hesitantly, his shoulders hunched, ready for the usual "Get away from me, loser" or a cold glare.
"Hey," Naruto said, poking Kenji's arm.
Kenji caught the falling pencil and looked down. "Yo. Future Hokage."
Naruto blinked, taken aback by the casual nickname. He scratched the back of his head, looking a bit flushed. "Uh, yeah! That's me! But... hey, Kenji-teme... I mean, Kenji."
"What's up?"
"That thing you said earlier," Naruto lowered his voice, leaning in over Kenji's desk. "About... 'Artistic Integrity.' And the wet clothes. I didn't get it. Why is that art? Isn't it just getting wet?"
The room seemed to quiet down slightly.
To his right, Kiba stopped bragging to Akamaru. Choji paused mid-reach into his bag of chips. Even Shikamaru, who had his head down on his desk feigning sleep, stopped breathing rhythmically to listen.
They were all waiting for Kenji to brush the orphan off. To mock him for being stupid.
Instead, Kenji smiled. It wasn't a mocking smile. It was the smile of a sage finding a worthy disciple.
He stood up and wrapped his arm firmly around Naruto's shoulders, pulling the startled boy into a huddle.
"Naruto, my friend," Kenji whispered, his voice low and husky, vibrating with profound seriousness. "You are thinking too literally. You are thinking about rain. I am thinking about gravity."
"Gravity?" Naruto squeaked, stiffening up at the contact. He wasn't used to people touching him without malice.
"Yes," Kenji said, gesturing vaguely with his free hand. "Imagine, Naruto. A kunoichi is running across the water. She is fast. She is strong. But then... she slips. She falls into the river."
"Okay..." Naruto nodded slowly.
"She emerges," Kenji continued, his voice taking on a poetic cadence. "The water drips. The standard mesh armor... it clings. It tightens. It reveals the truth that the loose fabric was hiding."
Naruto's eyes widened. His face began to heat up. He was six, but he was a boy raised on the streets. He had seen the magazines at the newsstands. He knew what Kenji was getting at.
"And it's not just water, Naruto," Kenji whispered, leaning closer so only the nearby boys could hear. "Think about the wind. A strong gust of wind on a sunny day. A skirt that battles against the breeze. That fleeting moment of struggle... that flash of white... that is not just an accident. That is hope."
Naruto's face turned the color of a tomato. Steam practically erupted from his ears.
"Y-You mean..." Naruto stammered, looking scandalized but unable to look away. "You mean... panties?"
"I mean Art," Kenji corrected him solemnly, patting his shoulder. "I mean the appreciation of the female form in its natural habitat. We don't touch. We don't harass. We simply... observe the miracles of nature."
Thump.
At the next desk, Choji dropped a potato chip. It hit the floor with a tragic crunch. He had forgotten to chew. His mouth hung open, crumbs falling out.
Behind them, Kiba's face was bright red. He frantically clamped his hands over Akamaru's floppy ears. "Don't listen, Akamaru! It's too advanced for you! You're a good boy!"
Shikamaru, head still on the desk, didn't move. But his ear twitched violently. 'Troublesome,' the genius thought, his mind racing against his will. 'If the wind velocity is 15 meters per second, and the fabric resistance is... damn it, stop calculating!'
"So," Kenji released Naruto, looking him in the eye. "Do you understand now? It is a path of loneliness. A path of culture. The villagers look down on me, Naruto. They think I am weird."
Kenji sighed dramatically. "Just like they look down on you."
Naruto's eyes shimmered. The perversion flew over his head for a second, replaced by a sudden sense of camaraderie. Kenji wasn't just talking about skirts. He was talking about being an outcast.
"Kenji..." Naruto sniffled.
"But we don't care, right?" Kenji grinned, giving a thumbs up. "Because while they are busy being normal, we will be busy watching the wind."
"Yeah!" Naruto shouted, pumping his fist, his face still bright red but grinning like a maniac. "I'll watch the wind too! Believe it!"
"Excellent." Kenji sat back down.
[DING!]
[Hidden Achievement Unlocked: The First Disciple] [You have successfully corrupted the Child of Prophecy (1%).] [Reward: +50 Shameless Points.]
Kenji smirked. Too easy.
Suddenly, a shadow loomed over his desk.
Kenji looked up.
Standing there was Shino Aburame. The boy pushed his dark sunglasses up his nose.
"You mentioned wind," Shino said in his monotone voice. "My kikaichu bugs can detect subtle changes in air pressure. Theoretically... they could predict a gust of wind three seconds before it lifts a skirt."
Kenji stared at Shino. Naruto stared at Shino. Kiba stopped covering Akamaru's ears and stared at Shino.
Kenji slowly extended his hand. "Shino. Pull up a chair."