Naruto: Becoming a master taijutsu using martial arts.

The branches and leaves swayed as we jumped through the trees. It was a masterful display of skill—if you didn't count Jimei, who was tripping over his own feet every five seconds.

"Oof! Crap!" Jimei almost ate dirt, but somehow managed to save himself.

Yeah, he wasn't exactly a pro at this yet, even after six months of tree-jumping classes at the academy. And yes, the class was literally called Tree Jumping.

Anyway, aside from a few awkward stumbles, we were doing pretty well. The wind was rushing past as we zipped through the forest. Tokuma was up ahead, his Byakugan scanning for any poor souls to snatch the flag from.

"Group ahead, 300 meters to the right!" Tokuma suddenly shouted, stopping mid-jump and pointing dramatically. "Five people, all from the other team."

I nodded, quickly adapting for the situation.

"Alright, we're gonna have to hit them fast. We're outnumbered, so the plan is to take down at least three of them before they even know what happened. That'll give us the advantage."

The others nodded, and without another word, we picked up speed, jumping between trees at lightning speed (well, almost lightning speed—Jimei was still tripping like every ten seconds).

We were moving so fast, the enemy wouldn't even know what hit them—well, unless they were experienced shinobis, but luckily they weren't. And in a few seconds, we were in the perfect position to attack.

I jumped from the tree, crouched low, and rushed one of the enemies, landing a flurry of quick kicks. They didn't stand a chance.

Every move was precise, and in a split second, I nailed him with a solid sidekick to the chest, sending him crashing to the ground with a satisfying thud. Without wasting a second, I followed up with an axe kick to the head, knocking him out cold.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Tokuma in action. His gentle fist style was like lightning—fast, hard, and super effective. His opponent was out in no time.

I'd almost forgotten how good he was, but then again, I usually beat him in sparring, so I don't always realize how fast he is compared to the other academy students.

Too bad his ego is bigger than the Hokage's office.

Meanwhile, Jimei... well, let's just say he was struggling. I mean, it's cute that he was finally throwing punches after I taught him some boxing techniques, but he just didn't have the instinct for taijutsu.

In a flash, the enemy was about to land a punch, and I was about to jump in to help, but Tokuma was closer and got there first. With a look of pure disdain, he striked Jimei's opponent in the stomach, sending him flying. 

"I knew you were bad, but not this bad." Ouch, Tokuma can be really mean when he wants it.

Jimei was still trying to catch his breath, his face red and sweaty. He shot Tokuma with an embarrassed look and stood up, ready to fight again. I could tell he was uncomfortable, but we didn't have time for that—we had to finish this before they regrouped.

With three enemies knocked out, the remaining two started regrouping for a counterattack, jumping down to the clearing below. Naturally, we followed them.

I stared at the last two enemies, trying to recognize them. Honestly, I don't pay attention to most people in class—most of them are boring.

I knew Tokuma's name because he can't go five minutes without reminding everyone he's the best. If Hiyomi wasn't from the Nara clan, I probably wouldn't even know who she was.

But the guy in front of me? He definitely knew my name. And he was pissed. Like, really pissed.

"Hoshino Kenshin! Of course it's you!!!" he yelled, his face as red as a tomato after too much sun. Seriously, this guy was about to have a meltdown.

What the heck?

Why was this guy looking at me like I was the villain in a bad anime? Sure, I reincarnated into an anime world, but I'm pretty sure I haven't started my villain arc yet.

I glanced at Jimei and Tokuma for help, but they were just as confused as I was.

"You took everything from me…" The guy glared at me with so much rage, I almost took a step back.

"I don't even know who you are." I said, trying to figure out what the heck I'd done to him.

"You don't know who I am? YOU DON'T KNOW WHO I AM?!" He was practically frothing at the mouth. "After everything you've done to me, you don't know my name?!"

"Err... No?" I said, all sorts of confused, looking at Jimei like he had the answers. "Jimei, who is this guy?"

"Dude… that's Akimichi Daichi, and the guy next to him is Yamanaka Inomatsu." Jimei explained, but honestly, that didn't help much. I still had zero clue what I'd done to make Daichi want to turn me into his personal villain arc. Jimei, clearly just as lost, shot me a look and asked, "Ken-kun, what the heck did you do to piss him off this much?"

"I've got no idea, man. I've never even talked to this guy." I said, shrugging like I was trying to shrug off the whole drama.

Okay, sure, I was planning on snatching the flag from his team, but come on—it was a survival exercise, not a vendetta. I wasn't expecting him to go full revenge mode over it.

"YOU STOLE THE LAST BAG OF WASABI CHIPS FROM THE STORE!!!" he shouted, face turning even redder

Wait, what?

"Oh… So are you pissed just because of that." I scratched my head, finally getting it.

"Just because of that? JUST BECAUSE OF THAT?" Daichi started flailing his arms like he was about to launch into a 20-minute monologue. "It was a limited edition pack! There was only ONE left, and I saw it first! But no, you swooped in like some chip-snatching ninja and took it like you were entitled to it! Do you even like wasabi chips?!"

It was dead silent for a second. Like, I could literally hear crickets chirping in the background. I thought his rant was rhetorical, but when I realized he actually wanted an answer, I was completely stumped.

Everyone was looking at me, waiting for my response. So, I did the only thing I could: stall.

"Uh…" I scratched my head awkwardly. "Actually, I got them because I'd never seen wasabi chips before. I was like, 'Whoa, this is gonna be wild!'"

Before I could finish, Jimei, who had been watching this whole thing like someone watching a bomb about to explode, jumped in like it was a matter of life and death.

"He LOVED them! He can't stop talking about how amazing those chips were, right, Kenshin?"

I blinked.

"What? No, I—"

Jimei elbowed me so hard I nearly choked. 

"RIGHT, Kenshin?"

I realized what he was doing. Daichi was already on the verge of a breakdown, and if I told him the truth—that those chips tasted like seaweed-flavored cardboard with a side of foot odor—he would probably throw a literal tantrum.

"Ah… Yeah! That's right!" I forced a smile. "Best chips I've ever had in my life! I can't stop thinking about them, Daichi. What an unforgettable flavor."

Daichi stopped flailing for a second and squinted at me like he was a detective trying to solve a case.

"Really?"

"Yep! Totally! So crispy and… wasabi-tastic, right?" I laughed nervously, but he kept staring.

"I see… Well, I guess I can't blame you. They are amazing." He seemed to calm down, and I could finally breathe again.

I was ready for a full-out battle, but somehow, we ended up fighting over chips. Gotta love the ninja life.

Inomatsu, who had been silently watching the whole thing unfold like it was a reality TV show, stepped forward.

"Daichi, my friend, it's obvious. Kenshin is a genius strategist."

"I am?" I asked, genuinely confused.

"Of course you are," Inomatsu said with a creepy grin. "He bought the last pack to monopolize the chip market. While you're here having a meltdown, he's sitting back, savoring his victory. He's cold, calculating… a mastermind."

"Uh… Sure!" I said, not sure if I should be flattered or terrified.

"You didn't see it, Daichi?" Inomatsu continued. "This isn't just about chips. This is a battle of wits. And frankly, you lost the moment you hesitated. A true Akimichi never hesitates when it comes to food."

Daichi turned even redder—if that was even possible—and pointed at me like he was about to set me on fire.

"YOU'RE CALLING ME A HESITATOR?!"

"Hey, don't blame me!" I raised my hands in defense. "It was his idea!" I pointed at Inomatsu, who was smiling like a maniac.

"But you agreed!"

Jimei, realizing things were about to get out of hand again, jumped in to play the peacekeeper.

"Okay, okay, guys, let's just remember this is just an academy exercise, alright? We're here for flags, not fighting over a bag of chips..."

Well, Jimei meant well, and he did remind me that we had to grab their group's flag, but that did not sit well with Daichi.

"It's easy for you to say that!" Daichi bellowed. "You didn't lose anything!"

"Man, it's just food..." I started, but immediately regretted it as the words left my mouth.

"JUST FOOD?!" Daichi went full beast mode. "I'm gonna make you regret this, Hoshino Kenshin! Multi-size technique! Human bullet tank!"

With a few hand seals, Daichi expanded like a human balloon. Seriously, he grew so big he looked like a float in a parade. The dude even reminded me of a soap opera character from my past life (don't ask, it's a long story).

If that was it, fine—he looked like an overinflated beach ball—but oh no, he didn't stop there. He started spinning like a deranged Beyblade and charged at us like he was the star of Fast & Furious 10: Human Wrecking Ball.

Look, when a giant human-sized wrecking ball is charging at you, the first thing you do is dodge. So, that's exactly what we did: me, Tokuma, and Jimei scrambled like chickens in a hurricane.

"Finally! I thought you two idiots were gonna argue about chips till next summer!" Tokuma said, clearly loving this whole mess.

Inomatsu, that weird Yamanaka, smiled like he was prepping for a Broadway show. 

"Well, Tokuma, if you're so bored, why not spice things up a bit? After all, this is a survival exercise, right? Let's make it... interesting."

Before I could even process what he meant,Inomatsu whipped out a bunch of kunai like he was auditioning for Ninja Warrior.. The blades sparkled in the sunlight, and the way he gripped them made it clear: Yeah, this wasn't for show.

Before I could even blink, The blades gleamed in the sun, and the way he held them? 

"Let's see if the 'genius strategist' can dodge these." He taunted, launching the kunai with terrifying accuracy.

One of those kunai came so close to my ear I swear I felt it ruffle my hair. I barely had time to roll to the side before another one lodged into the ground where I had been standing.

"Yo, what kind of psycho are you?!" I yelled, diving behind a tree to avoid the next deadly metal projectile.

Inomatsu didn't slow down. Another kunai slammed into the tree next to me with a thunk. Was that thing sharpened? Was this psycho actually trying to kill me?!

"A Yamanaka never does anything halfway, Kenshin! You should know that!"

"Is this your version of fun?!" I yelled back, narrowly avoiding another kunai. "Hey! That shirt cost me money!!!"

Tokuma, of course, was acting like he was at a day spa. He nonchalantly deflected a kunai with the swiftness of someone brushing off lint.

"Seriously, Kenshin, if you're gonna steal food, at least make it worth it."

"I didn't steal anything! It was a public market!" I complained, getting increasingly fed up.

Right then, Daichi came back for round two, spinning like a Tasmanian Devil on a rampage. He ricocheted off a tree and headed straight for me.

"Come on, man?!" I screamed, diving to the side just as he whizzed past, leaving a trail of destruction behind him.

"Stay still, you coward!" Daichi shouted, slamming into another tree and changing course.

This was getting old. Every time Daichi attacked, we had to dodge his human pinball act while Inomatsu the psycho took shots at us like it was open season on human targets.

But there was one thing we all knew now: teamwork was the only way out of this mess. And frankly, I wasn't sure how that was gonna work, considering our "teamwork" so far had been a beautiful disaster.

"Jimei, distract Mr. Knife-Throwing Maniac over there!" I yelled at Jimei.

"What???" Jimei looked at me like I'd lost my mind. "How the hell do you want me to do that?"

My answer was to dodge another attack from Daichi and ignore Jimei's complaints. Seriously, does this guy ever get dizzy from spinning?

"Tokuma, I'll get his attention. When he turns, you do your thing with the chakra points and stop this insane ball of destruction!" I said, looking at the Hyuuga and praying he'd actually listen.

Tokuma didn't seem that interested in following my plan, but he gave a quick nod like, "Yeah, whatever."

I moved away from Tokuma into a narrow space with trees around.

"Hey, Daichi! I lied! Those chips were gross!" I yelled, hoping to get his attention.

Not sure if he heard me, but apparently, he did, because that bloated wrecking ball was charging straight at me.

I could almost hear that song, how was it? I came like a wrecking ball…

I waited until the last second, and when Daichi was about to hit me, I focused my chakra into my feet and shot up the tree behind me at full speed.

I climbed about two meters before I felt the impact of Daichi's body slamming into the tree, nearly throwing me off balance.

"Tokuma! Now!" I screamed, desperately trying to stay on the tree.

Luckily, Tokuma heard me and ran toward Daichi. With a precise movement, he struck the pressure point that blocked Akimichi's chakra flow, halting his expansion technique.

With Daichi kneeling on the ground and his technique stopped, I saw my chance. I jumped out of the tree, using the momentum to flipping mid-air and hit the top of Daichi's head with a Webster axe kick.

"Time to nap, buddy!" I said, grinning, as Akimichi collapsed to the ground.

Inomatsu, who'd been having an intense game of cat and mouse with Jimei, realized that his big buddy was down.

"Daichi! Wake up!" Inomatsu screamed, but his voice didn't sound so confident anymore. He was starting to realize things were going south.

"Sorry, buddy, Daichi's having a nice nap." I joked before running to join Jimei.

As I got closer, I saw Jimei had several shallow cuts from the weapons Inomatsu threw at him.

"Alright, he's not gonna be able to keep us three off him. Let's attack from different directions!" I said with confidence before charging toward Inomatsu.

We were in full formation. Tokuma, Jimei, and I—ready for the final assault. With a nod, we split up and surrounded Inomatsu. I could see it in his eyes—he was panicking. He had no idea who to attack first.

In the end, it seemed he decided Tokuma was the biggest threat and threw weapons at the Hyuuga. With a quick move, he threw several kunai in Tokuma's direction, who immediately positioned himself to dodge. That was the opening we needed.

Jimei, seizing the distraction, charged and landed a perfect uppercut to Inomatsu's stomach. The impact was so strong that it lifted him slightly off the ground, the air rushing out of his lungs.

That's when it was my turn. I dashed forward and nailed Inomatsu with a sidekick directly to the nose. The sound was almost cartoonish—thwack—followed by a sickening crack.

Inomatsu staggered backward, eyes wide, clearly dazed. Before he could recover, he fell to the ground, out cold.

"Yeeeah! Hell yeah! What was that? Why were those weapons so sharp? What kind of psycho is this guy?!" Jimei started ranting as he poked Inomatsu's unconscious body.

At that moment, I almost regretted helping him out. He'd been so quiet for so long I'd forgotten how annoying he could be.

I dropped to the ground, catching my breath, and saw Tokuma approaching. Besides some cuts and scrapes, he seemed pretty chill.

At that moment, I almost regretted helping the guy. He'd been quiet for so long I'd forgotten how annoying he could be.

I sat on the ground, breathing heavily, and noticed Tokuma approaching. After shaking off some superficial cuts and scratches, he seemed fine.

"Looks like we did it, huh?" Jimei said, grabbing the yellow flag off Inomatsu and holding it up like a victory trophy.

The battle was over, and victory was ours—luck, teamwork, and a little bit of dumb luck.

"Let's get outta here before more people show up." Tokuma suggested, glancing at the fallen duo. "That took way too long."

"Yeah, and it was way weirder..." I laughed. "But hey, who cares? We've got the flag, and that's all that matters!"

I got up, and we started walking off, leaving the two losers behind. The only thing that could've made this moment better was if we had a badass soundtrack playing. But hey, one thing's for sure: I was never looking at wasabi chips the same way again.

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This chapter is huge, wow! I hope it keeps you excited until the next chapters, probably on Wednesday or Thursday. Inomatsu and Daichi are a couple more of my OCs. Soon, we'll transition into the genin days at the end of this arc, and all these characters—Daichi, Inomatsu, Hiyomi, Natori, Tokuma, and Jimei—will play important roles during the Chuunin Exams arc. But of course, we'll also have some more significant canon characters showing up soon.