Naruto : The Return of Senju

The quiet crackling of the hearth filled the room, mixing with the soft clinking of chopsticks against bowls. Dinner, as always, was a peaceful affair. I ate with my usual focus, lost in my own thoughts.

Grandfather set his bowl down with a soft clink, his sharp eyes watching me. Not judging—just waiting. He was never one to push, but his words always carried weight.

Grandmother reached over, brushing a stray strand of hair from my forehead, the way she always did when she was worried but didn't want to say it outright.

But I wasn't the only one thinking.

From the corner of my eye, I caught them—Grandfather and Grandmother exchanging glances. It wasn't the first time I had noticed it. For the past few months, those silent conversations had been happening more often. Concern. Hesitation. Like there was something on their minds they hadn't told me.

I didn't bring it up. If they wanted to tell me, they would.

The silence stretched on until Grandmother finally spoke, her voice warm but carrying a certain weight.

"Arashi, we've been talking, and we think it's time you started attending the Academy."

I blinked, momentarily caught off guard. "The Academy?"

Grandfather nodded, his deep voice steady. "Yes. You've made remarkable progress here with us. Your training has been impressive, but there is more to being a shinobi than just strength and skill. The Academy will teach you teamwork, discipline... and you'll make friends. That's important too."

I lowered my chopsticks, considering his words.

I had actually been thinking about how to bring up the topic of the Academy myself. I knew I would eventually have to attend, become a genin, and join a team. I had prepared myself for it. But still, hearing them say it first caught me off guard.

Grandmother smiled gently. "We want you to enjoy your childhood, Arashi. Training is important, but so is laughter and companionship. You've been so focused these past few months… you haven't had a chance to simply play or explore."

I hadn't really thought about it like that.

Training had become my world. Day in, day out, I had been pushing myself, refining my skills, testing my limits. But outside of Grandfather and Grandmother, I hadn't spoken to anyone else, hadn't connected with anyone my age.

Was that… a bad thing?

Sensing my hesitation, Grandmother spoke again. "Tomorrow, we'll take a break from training. We'll go into the village—get you some proper clothes for the Academy, maybe a haircut. What do you think? The Academy starts next week, after all. You should be prepared."

I looked between them, their expressions filled with both encouragement and concern.

I could see that this mattered to them. They weren't just sending me to the Academy for my training—they wanted me to experience more than just battle drills and chakra exercises.

They wanted me to have something beyond training.

A part of me hesitated. Would this slow me down? Would it be a waste of time?

But another part of me… felt relieved.

A small part of me, one I had nearly forgotten, wondered what it would be like to step into the Academy—to sit in a classroom filled with future shinobi, to train alongside others, to truly experience what it meant to grow up in this world. I had spent a few months here, yet in many ways, I still felt like an outsider looking in. Maybe this was my chance to change that.

Maybe… This was a chance to change that.

I took a slow breath and nodded.

"Alright… I'll give it a try."

Grandmother's smile softened, the tension in her shoulders easing. Grandfather exhaled, a slow, measured breath—approval, but also something else. Relief.

It wasn't just about me becoming stronger. They wanted me to be happy.

I glanced down at my meal, my thoughts shifting. The Academy, huh?