It’s Jin’s first day attending the Ninja Academy, the first day orientation was boring and uneventful. The only thing worth noting was that Jin was in the same class as Naruto and Sasuke. Sometime later Iruka took the class outside for Traditional Shinobi Sparring. For the first match, a couple of the girls had suggested that Jin and Sasuke fight.

“You can do this, Jin!” A girl shouts in the background.

“You almost have him on the ropes, Sasuke!!” Says another girl.

“Jin, if you win, I’ll let you hold my hand!!” Another girl yells.

I was never popular with the girls in my past life, I’m not sure if I like the attention I’m getting now. A confused Jin thinks, catching a kick from Sasuke. Jin counters by punching Sasuke in the jaw. It’s been almost ten minutes since the match started. As I am now, I could curb stomp Sasuke easily, but then I would start getting the attention of the ninja world too early. I need to make this look close.

After another minute or so, the taijutsu match devolves into a grappling match. Jin barely manages to win. After Jin and Sasuke make the Seal of Reconciliation, The girls then rush and crowd around the two boys, congratulating them.

“That was awesome, you two!!” A pink haired girl says with sparkles in her eyes.

Nailed it. Jin thinks with quiet relief, ignoring the girls.

“Hey, you, what’s your name?” Sasuke asks in a cool tone.

“Jin Yamanaka” Jin replies, curtly.

“Jin, I’m Sasuke Uchiha.” Sasuke says before turning to walk away. Naruto follows after him, attempting to challenge him, but to no avail.

Did I just get Sasuke’s acknowledgement...? That’s pretty BADASS! A proud Jin thinks as watches Sasuke walk off.

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A little over two years later, it appears to be just another normal day at the Academy. Choji’s stuffing his face full of chips, Kiba is napping, Naruto is pulling pranks as usual (and getting caught and punished as usual), a disinterested Jin is staring out the window, and all the girls are fawning over either Sasuke or Jin. Everything seems the same as usual, but Sasuke looks unusually gloomy today...

“Hey, did you hear what happened the other day?” A classmate next to Jin whispers to his friends.

A curious Jin snaps back to reality, subtly and intently eavesdropping on his classmates’ conversation.

“What?” Whispers another classmate.

“That Uchiha kids' family all got killed the other day.” The initial classmate answers, still whispering. “And get this, the killer was his own big brother.”

“OH, I did hear about that, that’s so messed up...”

What the fuck?! FINALLY!! Jin thinks to himself, now ignoring his classmates. Okay, what happened to Sasuke was a tragedy, yes, but at the same time this event is a clear sign that Sasuke knows Fire Style jutsu now!

Now I can progress in my own goal to get stronger…! Jin thinks as he activates his Mind Probe Jutsu. Let's see… confusion, sadness, intense anger, and… AH, there it is…! So that’s how you perform Fire Style jutsu.

Yes. Yes! YES!! I know how to use Fire Style now! A grinning Jin thinks happily as practices his hand signs, particularly the tiger hand sign.

“What’re you so happy about?” Asks a nearby classmate.

“I leveled up.” Jin answers, continuing his hand signs all the while still smiling.

“Leveled… up?”

“Don’t think about it too much, I can be weird sometimes.” Jin exclaims. Suddenly some flies right at Jin, causing the young boy to instinctively catch it. Jin looks at what he caught and sees that it’s a stick of chalk, he looks to the front of the classroom only to realize that Iruka has turned his attention from Naruto to him.

“Jin, is my class boring you?” Iruka asks in a seemingly calm manor.

“Oh, I’m just practicing my hand seals, nothing really.” A now somewhat scared Jin coyly answers.

“Then you won’t mind practicing them with me after class then.” Iruka tells the young Jin.

“Understood, sir...”

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After class and a subsequent detention, Jin makes the trek back home and decides to take a shortcut down an alleyway. As Jin walks down the alley, he spots a girl. She’s just standing there as if she was waiting for him.

“Your Jin, right?” The girl asks with excitement. “My name is Ayanami Hyuga and we’re in the same class.”

“Yes… that’s me…” Jin reluctantly answers. PLEASE don’t let this girl be a crazy stalker, she is cute though…

“Earlier today, in class, you said the phrase ‘level up,’ right?” Ayanami continues to question. “Are you like me? Someone who came from Earth, the real Earth?”

Huh? Jin thinks. “Yeah, I’m from Earth… America to be exact...”

“No way that’s AWESOME!! I’m from Japan, we should be friends!!” Ayanami Shouts with excitement.

“Uh, okay…?” Jin reluctantly agrees while backing away a bit with caution. While it is nice knowing that I’m not the only person that was reincarnated into Naruto, this girl reminds me too much of Part I Naruto, nauseatingly loud and annoying.

“GREAT!! Let’s become even greater ninja than Kakashi and Itachi ever were, together!!” Ayanami shouts excitedly.

Say what now...?! A flabbergasted Jin thinks to himself, wide eyed. “Say, Ayanami… how far were you into Naruto when you died?”

“Oh, I was at the part where Naruto and Jiraiya left to go and find this Tsunade woman.” Ayanami answers matter-of-factly. “Okay, I have to go now, later!”

“Wait--!” Jin calls out, only to be heard on deaf ears due to Ayanami teleporting away in a puff of smoke. This Ayanami girl has absolutely NO idea what will happen and if I try to tell her, she’ll probably hit me over the head for “spoiling” her…”

Oh, well. It’s really none of my business anyway. Jin thinks, shrugging it off as he continues on his way back home.

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“Jin, you’re up next.” Iruka calls out.

Okay, today’s the day. It’s time to pass this test and become a genin. Jin thinks to himself as he steps forward. Huh, that’s right. Today’s the same day Naruto steals that scroll and learns the Multi-Shadow Clone Jutsu. I’ll probe his mind and copy the technique when we wait to meet our jonin teachers later on… Jin charges up his chakra and performs the basic Clone Jutsu. In a puff of smoke, Jin produces three perfect, life-like duplicates of himself.

“You pass!” Iruka degrees as he hands Jin a ninja headband. "You're a genin now, congratulations!"

Of course I did. Jin thinks to himself, smiling smugly as he wraps the headband around his neck like a bandana.

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Hours after the graduation exam, Jin watches Naruto from a distance. Naruto sits alone on a swing sulking over his failing the exam.

I could go over and cheer him up, but then he might not learn the Multi-Shadow Clone technique and he WILL need that move for the many fights to come. Jin laments in silence with both of his arms folded. DAMN, life can be a real bitch…

Alright, that's enough moping... Jin thinks, trying to perk himself up. I need to focus on the future and myself now, I’m a background genin so that means my teacher will also be a background jonin. I’ll most likely get a shit-ton of D-Rank missions and maybe a few C-Rank, if I put in enough effort and perform well enough I should be able to enter the Chunin Exams. Whether I enter on my own or with my squad, I have to get into those exams.