New Generation Enrollment

Hatake Sakumo was very happy now, because his son would be starting at the Ninja Academy tomorrow.

Sakumo believed Kakashi's talent surpassed his own. Thus, while other children were playing ninja games, Kakashi was undergoing real ninja training.

The next day, dawn had only just begun to break.

Just as Sakumo took Kakashi's hand and prepared to set out.

At the Mitarashi residence.

"Knock, knock, knock! Anko, open the door already!"

It was Kushina's voice.

Worried that his daughter Anko would have no one to look after her while he was away on campaign, Mito Uzumaki had entrusted her to Kushina.

Anko Mitarashi: zzz...

She was sprawled across her bed, sleeping soundly with drool hanging from her mouth.

"Anko, open the door! Today is the first day of the Ninja Academy! If you don't get up, you'll be late!"

Standing outside, Kushina shouted upstairs.

Anko:

w(?Д?)w!!!

"I'm getting up right now!"

Very soon, Anko came downstairs, opened the door, and prepared to leave.

"Don't rush, Anko. No matter what, eat breakfast first."

Kushina said to Anko with a smile.

Anko froze, then gave an awkward laugh, hoping to muddle through somehow.

"Ahahaha, Sister Kushina, look at the time—we should hurry up and leave!"

"No. I already said that no matter what, you have to finish breakfast first. Only then will you have the energy to deal with the entrance exam."

Kushina had already opened the lunchbox, revealing a lump of green mush inside.

"Although it doesn't look very appetizing, I got up early to make this mung bean porridge! Other than simmering it for too long and making it look a little bad, I followed the recipe exactly!"

Kushina said with a beaming smile.

Anko stiffly turned her head and asked:

"Do I really have to eat it?"

She was still making her final struggle.

"Nope~ If you don't eat it now, it'll get cold."

Kushina said, wagging a finger at Anko.

Anko Mitarashi:

〒▽〒.

Clearly, Kushina was not taking very good care of her.

On this day, most of Konohagakure's elite golden generation enrolled.

Might Duy came running over on his hands, bringing Might Guy to register.

Kurenai Yūhi was also brought over by Yūhi Shinku, who held her hand.

As the Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi had been far too busy lately, so Biwako brought Asuma to enroll.

The moment Asuma saw Kurenai, he fell for her.

There was also Kushina with Anko, Hatake Sakumo with Kakashi, Rin Nohara, brought by her parents and relatives, and Obito Uchiha, who was late because he helped an old lady cross the street, among others.

Of these people, everyone except Might Guy successfully passed the assessment.

However, in order to pass the entrance exam, six-year-old Might Guy ran five hundred laps around the training field before finally collapsing.

A taijutsu prospect like that was still worth nurturing. Making an exception for him was not out of the question.

Kakashi followed his father out of the Ninja Academy.

Hatake Shōsō looked ahead.

There stood the green-clad father and son, who had not been discouraged by failure, but instead demanded that they train harder and succeed in the next selection.

Hatake Shōsō's Sword Heart told him that Might Duy was very strong.

It was the instinct of the strong.

Every strongest samurai possessed a Sword Heart. Once that Sword Heart was affected, the person's strength would be affected as well.

When Hanzo of the Salamander faced the Three Ninja, he too possessed an unwavering conviction: making the Land of Rain great again was his Sword Heart.

"Kakashi."

"Hmm?"

"Don't get cocky just because you got into the Ninja Academy."

"Huh?"

"At the rate you're working now, that kid will become stronger than you."

Hatake Shōsō looked at Guy. From him, he sensed the same unshakable conviction as that of his father.

With such conviction, there was a high chance he would become one of the Shinobi World's greatest powerhouses in the future.

"Him?"

Kakashi was somewhat puzzled. That green-skinned brat looked pretty ordinary to him.

"The supplementary admissions list hasn't been announced yet, has it?"

Shōsō crouched down until his eyes were level with Kakashi's.

"The Ninja Academy isn't foolish either. The ones in charge of selection are all powerful Jōnin; they won't overlook a prospect like him."

This was to prevent cases of misjudgment.

No one who became a Jōnin was an idiot. They could tell who had the potential to become strong, which made it easier to distribute the academy's resources later on and prevented hidden gems from being overlooked.

"Go ask him his name. He'll become a good rival for you."

Shōsō patted Kakashi on the shoulder and gestured for him to go over.

Kakashi did as he was told.

"Hey, kid."

Might Guy turned around.

"What's your name?"

"Might Guy!"

His dazzling teeth flashed alongside his impassioned voice.

"I'm going to become a man stronger than anyone else!"

Kakashi did not take it to heart. What he did not know was that Guy would become his greatest rival and friend in the future.

The battle between Konoha and Sunagakure had been deadlocked for nearly a year.

Orochimaru truly had not taken even the slightest advantage, because they had now been beaten into holding their ground inside Kikyo Castle.

Relying on Kikyo Castle's defensive fortifications, the Konoha Ninja barely managed to hold back Sunagakure.

Kumogakure had already declared war on Konoha.

Jiraiya had already set out with his troops.

Ōnoki certainly would not pass up this opportunity either.

It was likely only a matter of time before Iwagakure entered the war, and Konoha could no longer spare any more reinforcements.

Meanwhile, Sunagakure's reinforcements continued to arrive in an endless stream.

If this stalemate continued, Konoha's strength would be steadily whittled away, and defeat would be inevitable.

Orochimaru was considering launching the decisive battle ahead of schedule. Though their odds of victory were lower than the enemy's, they at least had some chance.

But if they allowed the situation to continue as it was, they would have no chance at all.

Orochimaru understood this, and Konoha's upper ranks knew it just as well.

The spies Shimura Danzō had planted in Iwagakure had already discovered the large-scale mobilization of their shinobi forces.

There were only two places Iwagakure could attack: the Land of Lightning and the Land of Fire.

The Land of Water lay isolated overseas. It had always been the one invading others; no one had yet fought their way onto the Land of Water's homeland.

"Hiruzen, with the situation already like this, what are you still hesitating over?!"

"Let me think it over a little longer..."

"Think over what?! Orochimaru can't hold on any longer! Didn't you see the intelligence reports? Even Orochimaru himself said that at the Western Border, they kept losing battles, then fighting again after every defeat. Sunagakure's reinforcements keep arriving, while Orochimaru's forces are being constantly weakened. Their odds of victory are getting lower and lower!"

"At a time like this, you, the Hokage, need to show enough resolve! As long as the Kazekage is eliminated, the blow of losing two Kazekage in succession is something Sunagakure absolutely cannot endure!"

"The covert operatives I stationed in Sunagakure have already found a viable route. If we send our most elite assassination team, there is a considerable chance of success."

Shimura Danzō spoke with utter certainty, as though everything were already in his grasp.

"Covert operatives? The Wandering Miko, perhaps..."

"If the intelligence came from her, then it is indeed highly credible."

Hiruzen Sarutobi hesitated no longer. He immediately selected a group of the most elite Anbu ninja to form a squad and carry out the Kazekage Assassination Plan.

His Eldest Son and Hatake Sakumo were among them.

In his view, if the intelligence could be confirmed as accurate, then given Sakumo's strength, there was indeed a considerable chance of success. Moreover, the White Fang's reputation was simply too great, and his enmity with Sunagakure ran even deeper. He would inevitably be one of Sunagakure's primary targets.

If they succeeded, he would push the bulk of the credit onto his own son.

If they failed, with the White Fang drawing attention, his son, as an Elite Jonin, would still have a strong chance of escaping with his life.

That night, Hatake Sakumo bid Kakashi farewell and prepared to depart for battle.