The Hidden Leaf Village buzzed with life under the late morning sun, its streets a patchwork of color and sound as vendors hawked their wares and villagers bustled about, eager to rebuild normalcy after the Nine-Tails' attack. For seven-year-old Ren Kisaragi, though, the market felt like a battlefield—one he was woefully unprepared for. He trailed behind his Academy class, his small hands fidgeting with the hem of his tunic, the Kisaragi flame emblem catching the light as he darted nervous glances at the crowd. Too many people, he thought, his heart racing. What if I spark again? What if I set the whole market on fire? His isekai memories—a car crash, flashes of Naruto battles—offered no comfort, just a vague sense of dread that he was in way over his head.
A quiet voice piped up beside him, barely audible over the market's din. "It's… a lot, huh?" Ren turned to see Hiro Takumi, a small boy with messy black hair and shy blue eyes, clutching a notebook to his chest. Hiro was one of the few kids in their class who didn't laugh at Ren's mishaps, and Ren felt a flicker of relief at his presence. "Yeah," Ren mumbled, managing a small smile. "It's kind of… overwhelming." Hiro nodded, his gaze dropping to the ground. "I get nervous too. But… I think we'll be okay." Ren wasn't so sure, but Hiro's words eased the knot in his chest, just a little.
Mika Yuzuka, on the other hand, strode ahead with the confidence of a seasoned shinobi, her chestnut ponytail with its red streak bouncing as she weaved through the crowd. She turned back to Ren, her green eyes sparkling with mischief, and called out, "Hurry up, spark boy! You're slower than a slug!" Ren's face flushed, his hazel eyes narrowing as he quickened his pace to catch up, Hiro trailing behind him. "I'm coming, okay?" Ren muttered, though his voice lacked conviction. Mika had been relentless with her teasing since their first day at the Academy a week ago, and while part of him wanted to snap back, another part—a quieter, more honest part—was grateful for her presence. She made the chaos feel… manageable.
Their instructor, Mizuki Tōji, led the group with a practiced smile, his silver hair gleaming in the sunlight. He was young, barely 16, but carried himself with the air of someone who thought he knew more than everyone else. "Stay together, class," he called over his shoulder, his tone smooth but with that subtle edge that made Ren uneasy. "This field trip is to teach you about the village's economy—and to keep you from burning down the Academy again, Kisaragi." A few kids snickered, and Ren's cheeks burned hotter than his Spark Release. Not funny, he thought, glaring at the ground. Mizuki had been quick to single him out after the leaf incident last week, and Ren was starting to think his teacher enjoyed watching him squirm.
The class stopped at a bustling stall piled high with fresh vegetables, the vendor—a stout woman with a kind smile—explaining how trade worked in Konoha. Ren tried to listen, but his attention drifted to a nearby dango stall, the sweet scent of grilled dumplings making his stomach growl. I haven't had dango since… well, ever, I guess, he thought, his past life offering only vague memories of convenience store snacks. He reached into his pocket, feeling the few coins his mother had given him that morning, and glanced at Mika, who was already eyeing the same stall with a grin.
"Let's get some," she whispered, nudging him with her elbow. "Mizuki-sensei won't notice if we're quick." Ren hesitated, his eyes flicking to Mizuki, who was now distracted by a student asking about carrots. "I don't know… what if—" Mika cut him off with a dramatic eye roll. "You're such a worrywart, spark boy. Live a little!" Before he could protest, she grabbed his wrist and tugged him toward the dango stall, her grip as unyielding as ever. Hiro watched them go, hesitating before staying with the group, his notebook clutched tighter.
The dango vendor, an elderly man with a wiry beard, smiled warmly as they approached. "Two sticks, please!" Mika said, holding up her coins with a flourish. Ren fumbled with his own coins, his fingers trembling slightly as he handed them over. The vendor chuckled, passing them each a stick of dango, the dumplings glazed with a sticky sweet syrup. "Enjoy, kids," he said, his voice gravelly but kind. Mika took a big bite, her eyes lighting up. "Mmm, so good! Try it, spark boy!" Ren nodded, lifting the stick to his mouth, but as he bit into the dango, a wave of nerves hit him—What if I mess this up somehow? What if there's danger and I can't get away?—and his Spark Release flared uninvited.
Tiny sparks crackled around his hand, jumping to the dango stick with a soft pop! The dumplings caught fire instantly, the flames licking up the stick as Ren yelped, dropping it in a panic. The fire didn't stop there—it leapt to the stall's banner, a cheerful yellow cloth that had "Best Dango in the World!" written on it in bold letters. The banner went up in flames with a dramatic whoosh!, and the vendor's smile vanished, replaced by a look of pure horror. "My stall!" he shouted, grabbing a bucket of water and dousing the flames, but not before the banner turned to ash, leaving a charred pole behind.
The commotion drew the crowd's attention, including Mizuki's. He turned, his smile tightening as he saw Ren standing there, wide-eyed and frozen in shock, his hands still sparking faintly. "Kisaragi," Mizuki said, his voice dripping with sarcasm, "are you trying to start a new festival? Because burning down the market isn't on today's lesson plan." The class burst into laughter, and Mika doubled over, clutching her sides so hard her dango nearly fell off its stick. "Oh my gosh, spark boy, you're banned from snacks forever!" she gasped, tears of laughter in her eyes. Ren's face turned crimson, his hands flailing as he tried to explain. "I-I didn't mean to! It just… happened!" The vendor, now soaked from his own water bucket, glared at Ren, muttering, "Who let this kid near my stall?"
Mika, still giggling, handed Ren half of her dango stick, her laughter finally subsiding. "Here, you disaster. Try not to set this one on fire, okay?" Ren took it gingerly, his cheeks still burning, but the gesture made him feel a little less like the world was ending. She's not mad, he thought, taking a cautious bite. The dango was sweet, warm, and perfect, but his mind lingered on his earlier thought—What if there was danger? If I could just… teleport away, I'd be safe. It was a fleeting idea, but it planted a seed, one that would grow in the years to come.
As the class moved on, Ren noticed a small commotion near a fruit stall—a young woman with short black hair was juggling apples while a baby with spiky blond hair and whisker marks giggled in a sling on her back. Naruto, Ren realized, his isekai memories kicking in with a jolt. The woman must be a caretaker, maybe an orphanage worker, since Naruto's parents were gone. The baby's bright blue eyes met Ren's, and Naruto let out a happy squeal, waving a tiny fist. Ren couldn't help but smile, waving back awkwardly. He's so small… but he's gonna be huge someday. The thought was both comforting and terrifying—Naruto's future strength meant Ren had to get stronger, if he wanted to survive this world.
Mika nudged him, following his gaze. "Who're you staring at, spark boy? Got a crush on the babysitter?" Ren sputtered, his face heating up again. "N-no! That's… that's Naruto!" Mika raised an eyebrow, unimpressed. "The baby? You're weird, you know that?" Ren groaned, shaking his head, but before he could explain, Mizuki's voice cut through the crowd. "Yuzuka, Kisaragi, keep up! Unless you'd rather spend the afternoon cleaning the Academy floors." Mika stuck her tongue at Mizuki's back, whispering to Ren, "He's such a buzzkill," before dragging him along again.
The rest of the field trip passed without further disaster—mostly. Ren managed to avoid setting anything else on fire, though he did accidentally knock over a basket of oranges, earning another sarcastic quip from Mizuki: "Careful, Kisaragi, or the fruit sellers will start a riot." By the time they returned to the Academy, Ren was exhausted, his nerves frayed but his spirits a little lighter. Mika had stuck by him through every mishap with her teasing, her presence steady. As they parted ways at the gates, she flashed him a grin. "Not bad for your first market trip, spark boy. Next time, maybe don't burn anything down, yeah?" Ren nodded, a small smile tugging at his lips. "I'll try," he said, and for the first time, he felt like he could.
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Please provide a single power stone per reader as it replenish everyday it will let me know that people are actually reading not just seeing the cover of the story.
Thank you.
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