Naruto: Power in Play

Chapter 15

The exchange shop, the place where the academy students could exchange their hard-earned Academy Points, was located in the ground floor of the school building.

Naturally, Ando knew where it was. He had cast curious glances at the place from time to time. He envied the rich upperclassmen who had amassed enough AP to exchange for some cool jutsu.

Little did he know that his turn would come so soon. And it was actually thanks to the support of his stupid classmates. A smirk unconsciously drew itself on Ando's face as he recalled the event of the previous day. How he wished the kids could see him exchange his points for resources that would make him even more powerful.

"How long do you plan on staring with that stupid smile on your face?" Chika's voice cut through his thoughts; her arms crossed as she eyed him with amusement. "We don't have all day, you know?"

Despite her teasing, Ando's grin only widened. "Let me savor the moment, okay? Do you know how long I've been dreaming of this?"

Chika sighed and shook her head. "You really caught me off guard, though. I didn't think you'd reach this step so soon."

"And this is just the beginning!" Ando declared with pride, drawing curious glances from a few students lingering in the hall. "Next, I'll be hunting down those arrogant bastards."

"Jeez, you beat up a few nobodies and suddenly you're a big shot?" Chika rolled her eyes.

"Haven't I always been?" Ando shot back with confidence.

"You seriously need a lesson in humility. Good thing we have training today."

The pair slowly made their way towards the shop amidst their banter.

The keeper of the exchange shop was a woman who looked to be in her mid-twenties. She had dark blue hair that bounced slightly with each of her movements, her eyes a lively shade of green that sparkled with warmth. Despite her cheerful demeanor, there was a certain seriousness to her. She greeted the pair with a friendly nod.

"Hello and welcome to the exchange shop! I'm Amaya Teruya. What can I do for you today?"

One thing came into Ando's mind at that instant. She was cute. Beautiful even. The kind that would find success in modeling back in his original world. Her friendly attitude was a relief to him. Most ninja he's been interacting with were always either the serious or lazy type. One thing they had in common though was that they all seemed a little cold, detached.

But Amaya was a breath of fresh air. Maybe it was him imagining things but he could have sworn that she seemed to glow.

A small nudge at his side broke him out of his reverie. Making him realize that he has been staring at the woman without saying anything.

"Ah, hello miss Amaya. It's a pleasure to meet you." He returned the greeting with a chuckle. "My name is Ando Yoshio, and I'm here to learn more about the exchange shop."

"My, of course." Amaya didn't seem to mind his staring and handed him a pamphlet with a smile. "The exchange shop is one of the most important aspects of our academy. It's a system designed to reward hard-working students like yourself. Here, you can exchange your academy points for a variety of items and services. We offer basic supplies like food, training weapons, and protective gears. You can also get access to study materials, such as extra textbooks or scrolls that cover basic jutsus and ninja techniques."

"But it's not just about items," she continued with a hint of excitement. "You can request extra tutoring sessions, reserve time in the academy's training grounds for one-on-one practice, or even sign up for workshops on topics like strategy, teamwork, or chakra control."