Konoha’s White Fang Shines

Chapter 5: Innocence

In the days that followed, Genma diligently honed his swordsmanship, boxing, and medical arts every single day.

In his spare time, he also reinforced his training in the Sanshinjutsu (Three Bodies Technique) and Shuriken Throwing Technique.

Day by day, his abilities began to reach a level of proficiency.

The time for school started again, and as Genma walked to school, he felt exceptionally happy.

Unlike before, this time he wouldn't have to repeat a grade; he was finally able to level up.

He would still attend the first year, but he planned to complete all his studies in three years, advancing to Genin (Lower Ninja).

This was a plan he had set for himself long ago. Though it seemed insignificant compared to a prodigy, he was still very satisfied with his performance over the past few years.

However, amidst his happiness, there was a faint excitement because he was about to meet several people destined to be part of his fate: Nohara Rin, Kurenai, Kakashi, Asuma, Might Guy, and Ebisu.

These were all familiar characters from the original series, and now he would finally get to meet them.

With this thought in mind, his steps became even more lighthearted, and before long, he arrived at the school.

As a first-year student, he was about to undergo three generations of training.

Regarding that sharp-nosed, mischievous old man, Genma didn't have much goodwill.

Even though the old man now appeared sturdy and relatively kind, Genma knew very well that behind that façade, he was quite wicked.

Alone, Genma entered the classroom with a carefree stride, only to be stunned by what he saw.

A little girl in a red ribbon skirt was already there, seemingly arriving even earlier than him.

The girl had been there for an unknown amount of time. Her delicate little hands held a pink stuffed toy, her eyelids fluttering as if she was about to fall asleep.

Despite her lack of energy and unkempt hair, her sleek black locks framed a pair of deep red eyes and a finely sculpted face that looked like a natural gem—utterly stunning.

However, those lifeless red eyes suddenly focused, scanning Genma's direction accurately.

"Are you a student in this class too?"

"Uh, yes," Genma replied, quickly stepping outside to check the doorplate, then walked back in with a goofy smile.

"The doorplate is correct—I'm a student here."

Having faced countless girls in his previous life, although he was never calm, in front of this little girl, he lost his composure entirely, making his face darken.

Silently, he moved to the desk next to the girl, set down his books, and picked up his backpack, preparing to leave.

"Hey, wait, there's nobody else here. Can you accompany me outside for a stroll?"

The girl's soft voice reached Genma, causing him to halt his steps.

Such encounters weren't uncommon for him before. After all, Genma's looks were top-tier, easily earning the favor of girls.

But what he hadn't expected was that not only would he gain a girl's favor, but his own heart would start pounding uncontrollably.

Unconsciously, he squeezed his backpack tighter, the hard objects inside helping him calm down.

Now wasn't the time—not until he became a Jonin (High-Level Ninja)—to be thinking about love and romance.

In such a dangerous world, falling in love too early might sap his fighting spirit. If he lost his lover, he would undoubtedly be devastated. To avoid future pain, it was better to focus on his training now.

After sorting out his thoughts, Genma took a step forward. "Sorry, I have something to do right now. I can't take you for a walk around the school."

"Something to do?" the girl looked puzzled, but Genma had already left the classroom.

He was seen jogging slowly on the playground, setting down his backpack and beginning his morning training.

Meanwhile, the red-skirted girl had wandered through various parts of the school and was now heading towards an area surrounded by trees, where exercise equipment was visible.

This was the playground where Genma was training, practicing his swordsmanship after his boxing session.

"Hmm~ Coming here so early to train, this person is really something special," the girl mused.

Seeing Genma intensely focusing on his sword swings, the girl, unlike most girls who might be shy, approached him slowly.

Each step was deliberately quiet, but she still moved closer at a leisurely pace.

When they were about fifty meters apart, Genma's sword suddenly paused. His gaze swept over to the girl.

Due to his intense concentration while wielding the sword, Genma's expression was serious, his eyes sharp with a hint of fierceness.

Caught by that sharp gaze, the girl froze like a rabbit caught in a trap, her cheeks flushed pink.

Recognizing the girl as the one he had met earlier that morning, Genma sheathed his sword, pinching his now stiff face, overwhelmed by how flustered he was in front of her.

"It's you. Did I scare you earlier?"

"Pfft," the girl could hardly contain her laughter at Genma's comically stiff face, quickly covering her mouth. "No, no."

"I just wandered around the campus a bit."

The girl nodded obediently. "This is the playground and our future training ground. Of course, many people also come here to have fun."

"You must already know all this. Do you come here often?"

The girl blinked her ruby-like eyes, staring blankly at Genma.

Perhaps it was because he had broken many girls' hearts in the past, but seeing this cute, innocent girl now, Genma felt a pang of reluctance and calmly said, "Yeah, I'm a repeat student. I've repeated twice, meaning I've been in first year for three years now."

"Pfft, you're a repeat student—going to first year three times! Hahaha, I can't help but laugh~"

The girl covered her stomach, giggling uncontrollably.

Genma found this strange.

Shouldn't the girl have scorned him and turned away?

Was it because her thought process was different?

Recalling those famous characters from his memories, he felt somewhat relieved.

In this world, it seemed many people found it strange that this girl, though odd, was genuinely adorable.

"Cough, cough." The girl finally stopped laughing and walked over to Genma, sitting beside him on a tree root.

"You're pretty funny, but you seem a bit too honest. Why are you telling me your embarrassing stories, pfft."

Seeing the girl couldn't help but laugh again, Genma shook his head helplessly. "I've had a lot of girls like me before, and I never cherished them. Do you believe me?"

"Cough, I believe you're pretty honest."

"And then when they found out I was a repeat student, they kept chasing me to fight. Huh, being good-looking is a crime, and what's wrong with having bad grades?"

Genma placed his hands on his cheeks, sitting melancholically on the exposed root of the large tree.

Seeing Genma's gloomy expression, the girl seemed to catch his mood, but her beautiful red eyes twinkled as she suddenly thought of something, her expression gradually darkening.

"Hey, don't tell me you think I'd fall for you. You're overestimating yourself~"

"Uh, maybe a bit. But with all the experiences I've had, I'm just being cautious. What if, just what if you do like me? With my bad grades, you might come after me to fight. Isn't that just a mutual reminder?"

"Why would liking someone have anything to do with grades?" the girl pouted her little mouth and chose to sit next to Genma on the tree root.

"That's a pretty mature way of thinking. People generally believe in matching backgrounds when it comes to relationships. Plus, if your child likes a boy whose grades aren't good, what would you think?"

"But that doesn't explain everything. Everyone has their strengths and weaknesses. Maybe that boy is great in other ways~"

"Haha, you're quite enlightened and cheerful. Nice to meet you, I'm Shiranui Genma," the girl's cheerful demeanor made Genma feel much more at ease, so he took the initiative to introduce himself.

"You're not just being honest on the surface—you're secretly mischievous, right? You seem like you want to pursue me~"

"Uh, no, I…"

"Alright, I'm Kurenai. We're classmates now, so take care of me~" Seeing Genma suddenly acting nervous, Kurenai burst into a happy smile.

Their eyes met for a fleeting moment before they quickly looked away in embarrassment.

"This guy is cute and handsome. I wonder what he's really like."

Kurenai thought to herself, a smile appearing on her face without her even realizing it.

"So this is Kurenai. She's actually Asuma's future wife, but she looks so cute~"

Genma pushed thoughts of Asuma's wife out of his mind, a silly smile unwittingly appearing on his face.

Meanwhile, another boy searching for the two arrived at the edge of the playground, looking inside.

"This is the last spot at school. They should be here. A boy and a girl, looking at each other like a romance story from a book~"

This rather precocious boy felt like he had taken a thousand critical hits, gnawing on his dog food (a slang for being fed up), then looking away before walking off alone.

"I think I just felt someone watching us~"

Shiranui Genma glanced in the direction the boy had left, casually saying, "I don't think so."

"No way, if someone saw us, wouldn't they misunderstand~"

The girl's voice grew quieter, and she didn't even realize whether it was a misunderstanding or not.

End of chapter 5