The Strongest Genjutsu

September, Year 54 of Konoha.

Half a month had passed since the explosion in Konoha Forest. Although Konoha was still under martial law, with ninja squads patrolling the Streets everywhere, the villagers' panic had mostly faded away.

And so came Konoha's annual grand occasion—the opening of the Ninja Academy.

It was a day filled with hope. Countless parents sent their children to the Ninja Academy with great expectations, hoping their sons would become dragons and their daughters phoenixes. It was like planting a seed in spring and waiting for it to bloom and bear fruit six years later.

But not every student had the chance to become a ninja. Likewise, even among those who did become ninja, many would probably only receive the title of Chūnin on the day they died. This was, after all, a world where bloodlines reigned supreme.

"Yawn~"

Inside Naruto's bedroom, Naruto let out a long yawn and groggily woke up.

He pulled back the curtains and glanced outside. The sun was already high in the sky, and through his lingering haze, he seemed to see a white-haired figure flash past atop a tree.

In the blink of an eye, it appeared before his window.

"Yo, One-Eyed Uncle. Long time no see."

Naruto greeted Kakashi with a smile.

Kakashi wore his signature Dead Fish Eyes and replied listlessly, "Today is the Ninja Academy entrance day. You're already late..."

"Uh, I was too tired yesterday, so I slept a little longer."

There was not the slightest trace of embarrassment on Naruto's face. His routine had been a complete mess lately. Every day, he studied the Flying Thunder God with Minato Namikaze in the Sealing Space, only sleeping whenever he got tired. He had practically lost track of time.

It had to be said that the Flying Thunder God was indeed far more difficult than Sealing Technique. Two weeks were nowhere near enough for him to fully master it.

Kakashi fell silent. The three eyes stared at each other for a while before Kakashi took out a small yellow booklet from his Ninja Tool Pouch and handed it to Naruto.

"What's this?"

Naruto accepted it curiously and discovered that the cover showed a man and woman chasing each other with their arms spread wide. The red title at the top read: "Make-Out Paradise."

Naruto's mouth twitched. He handed it back and said, "I don't read this stuff."

Kakashi gave him a look that plainly said, As if I'd believe that. He had personally seen Naruto use the Transformation Technique to enter the adult section of a bookstore, and his target had been this very book. At first, he had worried that this book might be too mature for a child, since much of its content was unsuitable for minors.

But after giving it some thought, aside from a small number of inappropriate scenes, this book was also quite a great work. The pressure the village had placed on Naruto was probably too much, which was why he had become interested in this sort of thing.

Better to guide than to block. Rather than stop Naruto's curiosity about such matters and risk him going down the wrong path in the end, it would be better to offer him proper guidance. At the very least, Make-Out Paradise was still a decent read and did not contain anything too outrageous.

"If you want to read it in the future, I can buy it for you. Don't use the Transformation Technique anymore. A lot of things are still too early for you."

"Hurry up and get to school."

After saying that, Kakashi left the book on the windowsill and vanished again.

Naruto looked at the book and felt as though ten thousand alpacas were stampeding through his heart.

Nine-Tails, you really deserve to die!

Naruto took the book into the room, shoved it straight into the Sealing Space, and hurled it at the Nine-Tails' head.

That was right. The Nine-Tails had specifically asked for this book. It had probably developed an interest after seeing Kakashi reading it anytime and anywhere, but Naruto had not expected it to become completely hooked. Sometimes, he truly could not understand the thought process of a Tailed Beast.

"Hehehe, I didn't expect it to be the newest volume. That white-haired guy treats you pretty well."

The Nine-Tails caught the book flying through the air with Chakra. After a strange laugh, it placed the book on the ground and began reading it with relish.

The other three had also been drawn over by the Nine-Tails' commotion, and all of them could not help twitching at the corners of their mouths. Was this Nine-Tails even genuine?

"Naruto, the Ninja Academy is actually pretty good. You might make quite a few good friends there."

Minato Namikaze had also graduated from the Ninja Academy. It was there that he had met Kushina, so he had always held the Ninja Academy in high regard.

"Yeah, I'll wash up and head over."

Naruto gave a perfunctory reply. He did not object to attending the Ninja Academy. After all, all his training took place in the Sealing Space, so he could train anywhere. By the time he had gotten the Flying Thunder God down, it would probably be close to the Uchiha clan massacre.

Naruto quickly finished getting ready and dressed neatly.

He wore a white hooded sweatshirt, with a black pattern running from the sleeves to the shoulders. Below that were loose knee-length cropped pants, and on his feet were black ninja shoes that revealed two rows of small toes.

Minato Namikaze had helped pick out this outfit. According to him, he had dressed like this when he was young, so he wanted Naruto to wear it too, like matching father-and-son outfits.

Naruto did not have any objections. He was casual about clothes and could wear anything. Even the orange-and-yellow outfit from the original story would have been fine with him.

Looking at himself in the mirror, Naruto felt that he was rather handsome. Mainly because he no longer had the inferiority complex he had at this age in the original story. Naruto himself was not bad-looking to begin with. With Kushina Uzumaki's facial features, Minato Namikaze's slightly golden hair, and sky-blue eyes, he was already quite the cute little boy. Combined with the confidence that now radiated from within him, he looked exceptionally good overall.

"You really do look a lot like the Fourth Hokage back then."

Yakushi Nonō spoke up. Within the Sealing Space, they could all see the scene outside.

Minato Namikaze, who had been looking at his son with pride and satisfaction, was distracted. He asked curiously, "Did Director Nonō know me before?"

He did not remember meeting her when he was young. When they first met, Yakushi Nonō had already been the director of the orphanage.

Yakushi Nonō shook her head and said with a smile, "Fourth Hokage, I was a ninja from Root."

Only then did Minato Namikaze understand. He then continued examining his son, thinking that if Kushina came out, she would probably be very happy. He just did not know when Naruto would completely undo the seal.

--

"...Wherever Konoha's leaves dance, fire lives on. The firelight will continue to illuminate this village and cause new leaves to sprout. In this village, you young people are the hope of the future, while we of the older generation must trust in and protect you, allowing you to grow up healthy. Our sacrifices are not meaningless. They will always protect you, and you will become the pillars who carry this village's future."

By the time Naruto arrived at the Ninja Academy, Sarutobi Hiruzen's speech had already reached its conclusion.

As Sarutobi Hiruzen finished speaking, the tender young faces below the podium all showed fervent expressions. Some shouted loudly, some wept bitterly, and some loudly declared their dreams—to shed every last drop of blood for Konoha.

"The strongest genjutsu. Truly terrifying."

Watching the crowd of children and parents dance about like a pack of demons, Naruto could not help mocking them inwardly before heading straight toward the classrooms.

He knew which class he had been assigned to. Just like in the original story, it was a true elite class. Aside from the outstanding younger generation of each ninja clan, even the civilians were exceptionally talented.

But just then, a voice called out to him.

"Naruto, you're late!"