Konoha, Year 31.
April.
At the Ninja Academy gates, a vast crowd had gathered. Most were parents accompanying their children, though a small number of children had come alone...
Today was the opening day of the Ninja Academy. The children of Konoha's renowned clans and those with ninja potential would all enter the academy for six years of study...
The Ninja Academy gates opened, and the parents each gave their children a slight nod, signaling that they could go in.
Before officially being assigned to classes, these new students needed to attend an opening ceremony.
The so-called opening ceremony was nothing more than standing on the academy grounds in lines arranged by height, then listening to the Third Hokage, dressed in Ceremonial Robes, deliver a speech about the Will of Fire...
The title of "Kage" represented the highest honor in the village. The Third Hokage's willingness to personally explain the Will of Fire to these new students was enough to leave the little ones excited and fired up.
Their immature hearts could easily be filled with the Will of Fire by Hiruzen Sarutobi...
This was why Hiruzen Sarutobi held such an "opening ceremony" whenever a new class entered the Ninja Academy.
At last, the two-hour Will of Fire speech came to an end. Yet Hiruzen Sarutobi still looked completely engrossed; if time had not been limited, he probably could have gone on for half the day...
After the speech, the new students were led away by the academy teachers beneath Hiruzen Sarutobi's kindly gaze.
They then took their seats according to their preassigned classes.
A blue-and-white-haired boy with Byakugan, dressed in a kimono, sat quietly by the window at the back of the classroom. As he looked outside, he carried an air of gentle refinement that made the girls around him unable to stop glancing his way...
"Cough, cough..."
At some point, the instructor had already stepped onto the podium. He coughed, drawing the students' attention, then began introducing himself.
"I am Ootani Yuuto, a Chunin. Starting today, I will be the homeroom teacher of you forty-some students for the next six years..."
The ordinary-looking middle-aged man named Ootani Yuuto spoke with a smile. "My hobbies are reading and soaking in hot springs. My dream is to teach outstanding students..."
"...Now, let us begin introductions with the first student in the first row on the left..."
Ootani Yuuto then motioned for the students to introduce themselves one by one.
"I am Kitamura Yuusuke. I do not have any hobbies for now, but my dream is to become a great ninja like the Hokage!"
The pale-faced student shouted in a low voice, as though that was the only way to demonstrate his resolve.
"What an admirable dream!"
Ootani Yuuto gave Kitamura Yuusuke a long look and offered him some verbal encouragement. Then he gestured for him to sit down and let the student beside him continue with the introductions...
In truth, Ootani Yuuto had already thoroughly reviewed the information of every student present before school began.
For Kitamura Yuusuke, a frail orphan, becoming a Chunin in the future would already be his limit. Of course, Ootani Yuuto would not tell him something like that so bluntly...
Next, the students introduced themselves one after another. Soon, it was the last three students' turn.
"Hello, everyone. I am Hanakei Kaede. I like growing flowers and taking walks. My dream is to become an outstanding kunoichi..."
Hanakei Kaede was a shy and adorable-looking little girl. When she smiled, a pair of dimples appeared on her cheeks, and together with her small canine teeth, they instantly won the affection of many of the boys in class, including their homeroom teacher, Ootani Yuuto.
As the enthusiastic applause died down, Hanakei Kaede quietly sat down. The student beside her immediately stood up and began her introduction.
"I am Uchiha Akari. I like challenging the strong and fighting to my heart's content. I hate cowards and weak people. As for my dream and hobby, it is to defeat him!"
As Uchiha Akari lightly stroked the lock of hair hanging by her ear, she shot a provocative look at the Byakugan boy by the window.
Her black eyes brimmed with a desire for battle. She did not look like a six-year-old girl at all, but rather like a young female tyrannosaur.
"Heh! Now this will be fun..."
As Uchiha Akari's words fell, some of the children from ninja clans immediately felt a gleeful sense of anticipation.
As Konoha's two great clans, the Uchiha and Hyuga both wanted to become Konoha's foremost noble clan. Thus, the members of the two families competed openly and secretly.
Obviously, that unspoken rivalry would continue at the Ninja Academy as well...
The Byakugan boy merely raised his head to glance at the Uchiha girl and did not respond to her.
Uchiha Akari was extremely dissatisfied with the Byakugan boy's reaction. She gave a heavy snort before turning away and sitting down.
"Cough, cough... Mingxi has finished her introduction. Now it is your turn, Yuzuru."
Ootani Yuuto coughed again before speaking to the boy beside Uchiha Akari.
The boy named Hyuga Yuzuru naturally rose to his feet.
"I am Hyuga Yuzuru. There is nothing in particular that I like or dislike. As for dreams, I have not thought of one yet. When I do, I will tell everyone..."
Yuzuru's calm words undoubtedly surprised the students present. Uchiha Akari had clearly provoked him just moments ago, yet he did not seem angry in the slightest.
Having finished his introduction, Yuzuru ignored the reactions of his homeroom teacher and classmates and sat back down.
His pure white eyes once again gazed outside through the window, giving him an aloof and proud air. That temperament drew the attention of most of the girls in the class.
Of course, Uchiha Akari was an exception...
"Yuzuru's temperament is so captivating..."
"I really want to sit next to Yuzuru... Unfortunately, Akari probably would not agree..."
"Kaede has a great seat too. Although Akari is sitting between her and Yuzuru..."
"..."
Ootani Yuuto secretly glanced at Hyuga Yuzuru and Uchiha Akari. With two heirs of Konoha's great clans seated so close together, he immediately felt helpless, and a heavy pressure settled on his shoulders.
He was merely an ordinary Chunin from the village with the qualifications to teach. In the future, he feared he would have a hard time keeping these two little ones under control!
Still, no matter what, he would do his best to teach them...
That was what Ootani Yuuto thought to himself.
Before you continue