8:30 in the morning, outside Konoha's western wall, at the heart of the primeval forest designated for the expansion project.
At this moment, an open space large enough to accommodate nearly five hundred people had been cleared. The edges were piled with massive primeval trees that had been cut in half, forming walls around the clearing like an enclosure.
The clearing buzzed with whispers. More than three hundred half-grown children wore practical clothes carefully prepared by their parents, gathering in small groups of three or five to whisper among themselves. A few diligent ones hung upside down from the branches of the primeval trees beyond the wooden wall, practicing Chakra control.
Every child wore a faintly excited expression, as if something they had long been anticipating was about to happen.
Of course, a small number of children wore sour expressions, as though they were unwilling participants. Most of those with unhappy faces gathered together, while those who were excited gathered separately. There was no mixing between the two groups.
On the side of the clearing nearest the village wall, some distance from where the children had gathered, around ten ninja who looked like teachers were discussing something. Their faces were stern, carrying a considerable air of gravity.
That was only natural. The children might be relaxed, but the teachers could not afford to be. Clearing such a vast primeval forest to create a residential area was an enormous undertaking. Setting aside the scale of the project and its deadline, just coordinating and ensuring the safety of more than three hundred people was enough to wear them out.
How could they possibly relax?
After all, while this matter had been initiated by the Hokage Assistant, it was impossible for the Hokage Assistant to personally worry over every detail. Moreover, their purpose