A Ninja Calamity is a Hufflepuff at Hogwarts

The game of Exploding Snap seemed to stretch on for hours. Despite it being their first night at Hogwarts, no one appeared to tire. The cards snapped and exploded with every flick, creating a chaotic energy that filled the room. Kouchi, however, had lost interest. His mind was elsewhere. He had come to scout the school, but there was no way he would be able to do that tonight. It was best to rest, for tomorrow would bring more time to explore Hogwarts and uncover its secrets.

When the clock struck 5:00 AM, Kouchi quietly woke up and began his morning routine.

Most of the students in his dorm were still asleep, though a few appeared to be barely hanging on. The air in the room was heavy with exhaustion; some of the first years seemed to have stayed up all night.

Kouchi mused to himself, observing the half-dead looks on their faces. "The human ability to push through such exhaustion is impressive. Though I wonder how many will collapse before their first class begins."

He moved quietly, his presence deliberately diminished as he navigated the room. According to the rules, students were not allowed to leave their dormitories before 6:30 AM, but Kouchi didn't see any reason to sit around waiting. His curiosity was far too strong.

What caught his attention most was the fireplace. It looked unassuming at first, but there was something off about it. There was a faint magical signature there—something Kouchi recognized as teleportation magic. It wasn't fully functional yet, but with time, he could study it. It might even be a way to return home quickly if needed.

Most students would find such a thing out of their league, but not Kouchi. With the chakra reserves he possessed, he could handle any technique, no matter how complex.

Before he could delve deeper into his observations, a voice interrupted his thoughts.

"Are you interested in the fireplace?" The student who spoke was a boy with a confident air. "It might seem old-fashioned for someone like you, but it's useful. Professor Sprout once said it works as an emergency Floo network in case we ever need to escape. Not that we'd ever need to… Hogwarts is the safest place in the world."

The boy's confidence in Hogwarts' security made Kouchi raise an eyebrow. From what he had seen so far, the school's defenses seemed lacking. "A few ninjas could take this place down in minutes if the Great Shinobi War happened again," Kouchi thought, but he kept his opinion to himself.

'Best not to share that with these kids. I don't need to get stabbed in my sleep,' he reasoned as he dragged himself away from the fireplace, feeling a little amused by the student's naïveté.

Kouchi found a seat and settled in, watching the others in the dorm. For a house that prided itself on kindness and hospitality, very few people approached him. Most were either intimidated by his silent presence or preferred to stick with their own groups.

The real surprise came when the rest of the first years trickled down to join him in the common room. The moment they saw him, they froze, avoiding him as if he were a plague. Some didn't even look in his direction. When they did, it was with fear in their eyes.

'Wow. I knew they were scared of me last night, but now it's clear just how much.'

Kouchi could easily understand why. Last night, he had flashed his kunai, which was unsettling enough, but it wasn't just that. The glowing tattoos that decorated his body were another thing entirely. He had almost forgotten about them. The tattoos were a permanent part of him, remnants of the experiments he had undergone. In the ninja village, no one had cared about his tattoos. But here, outside the village, they had a different meaning.

The other students were afraid, and that was fine by Kouchi. He had no interest in forming connections.

As he sat there, lost in his thoughts, a prefect passed by. Seeing Kouchi alone, the older student approached with a sympathetic look.

"Wow, the first years look spooked by your presence," the prefect remarked. "What did you do last night to make them so nervous? You want me to help you out?"

Kouchi met the prefect's eyes, his tone dry and unyielding. "I don't need help. I'm fine being alone. Having friends who care only about you brings more trouble than it's worth."

His words were blunt and cold, and he could see how they made the prefect flinch. Even the other students in the room seemed to recoil from the harshness of his voice.

"Yeah," the prefect said, recovering. "I can see why you're not popular with the rest of your yearmates. Man, I can't believe the Sorting Hat put someone like you in Hufflepuff. You sound like you belong in Ravenclaw or something."

The prefect's comment seemed to be a joke, but Kouchi didn't care. He didn't give a damn about which house he was in. Houses meant nothing to him. His mission was all that mattered.

"I see. I'll keep that in mind," Kouchi replied without missing a beat. "By the way, when does the Great Hall open for breakfast?"

The prefect smiled, matching Kouchi's lack of enthusiasm. "Breakfast starts at 7:30 and ends at 8:50. Classes begin at 9:00. You'll get your schedule during breakfast, so be on time."

That was the key information Kouchi needed. It gave him just enough time in the morning to do what he needed before the day's events began. His first priority was to meet with Headmaster Dumbledore. The man had requested assistance from the Hidden Leaf Village, and Kouchi had to clarify exactly what he was supposed to do.

Kouchi was the first to leave the Hufflepuff dorm room. He moved with purpose, heading in the direction outlined in his report. He would have met Dumbledore the night before, but his dormmates had made that impossible. Tonight, however, he was free to pursue his own agenda.

The castle was ancient, filled with spells and enchantments at every turn. Kouchi was cautious not to disturb anything—he had no interest in causing trouble, though the itch to explore and understand the magic around him was hard to ignore.

However, he wasn't the only one with a tendency to cause trouble. He had noticed the Weasley twins earlier, and though they hadn't spotted him yet, he knew it was only a matter of time.

Unfortunately for Kouchi, he let his guard down a little too soon.