The Path to Establishing an Organization

As time passed, the number of students in the classroom grew. Some followed the instructions on the blackboard and studied diligently, while others were playful and lively, chatting with those around them. For a moment, the classroom was filled with a joyful atmosphere.

Whenever Zi Xu thought about how these innocent and adorable children would eventually have their hands stained with blood, or even lose their lives on the battlefield, he felt an increasing sense of indignation toward this irrational Ninja system.

"Creeeak~" Zi Xu's indignation didn't last long. A tall man walked in clutching a stack of textbooks, and the noisy classroom instantly fell silent.

He cleared his throat, clearly accustomed to such scenes, and walked to the podium in the center to begin his self-introduction:

"First of all, congratulations to everyone for becoming students at the Ninja Academy. This shows that you all have the talent to become Ninjas. Becoming a Ninja is a very glorious thing, but you must also shoulder the responsibilities of a Ninja..."

"I am Takeshi Goda, 25 years old, a Chunin, and your homeroom teacher. My hobby is physical training, and my dream is to cultivate a future Hokage. I have great confidence in you all, and I hope my dream can be realized through you..."

"Now, please introduce yourselves."

"My name is Uchiha Gen. I like dango, I dislike crows, and my dream is to become a Ninja who surpasses my older sister..." A girl with a single ponytail was the first to introduce herself...

Since Zi Xu and his group were seated toward the back, they were among the last to introduce themselves. Because of this, Zi Xu witnessed many dreams unique to children and also gathered quite a bit of intelligence regarding various clans in Konoha.

For example, the Uchiha Clan, who possessed the Sharingan, and the Hyuga Clan, who possessed the Byakugan and mastered the Gentle Fist. Although Zi Xu recalled hearing that the Uchiha Clan had been wiped out, it seemed that this tragic event had not yet occurred during this period.

"My name is Nohara. I like birds, I dislike bugs, and my dream is to become the strongest person."...

The students in front finished their introductions quickly, and it was finally time for Zi Xu's group to take the stage.

"Hello everyone, my... my name is Aburame Hatsumi. I am a member of the Aburame Clan. My hobby is collecting all kinds of bugs, I dislike birds, and my dream is to breed the strongest bug!" Hatsumi's voice was extremely soft at first, but when she spoke of her hobby and dream, her tone was incredibly firm. The pupils behind her light red lenses seemed to glow.

After Aburame Hatsumi finished, it was Zi Xu's turn. He walked to the podium with composure and spoke fluently.

"Hello everyone, my name is Uzumaki Zi Xu. My hobby is reading, I don't have anything I dislike, and my dream is world peace."

The System required him to change the state of the Ninja world to earn points, and those points were tied to his path to becoming stronger in the future. Therefore, he needed to read books to acquire all kinds of knowledge, allowing him to prescribe the right medicine for the current Ninja situation. As the saying goes, "Knowledge changes destiny."

The biggest difference between him and the people here was that Zi Xu had not yet been too deeply influenced by concepts like the Will of Fire. Thus, he could view problems from outside the box. Once he grasped the crux of a problem, he could quickly find a way to change the status quo.

Moreover, a harmless hobby like "reading" would not only allow him to openly examine Konoha's archives in the future but also reduce the probability of being drafted onto the battlefield later—though, given his identity as a member of the Uzumaki Clan, it would be difficult to avoid the battlefield entirely.

As for world peace, that was his ultimate goal. Everyone has an ideal, after all, and he didn't want to live in an era where war could break out at any moment.

Zi Xu's self-introduction was quite ordinary overall; it didn't cause any stir, and some even subconsciously ignored him.

"My name is Hyuga Chino. I don't have anything I like, I dislike many things, and my dream is... to kill that person..." Hyuga Chino spoke coldly from her seat. Her tone was indifferent and laced with disgust, and those crystalline, white pupils seemed to burn with the flames of hatred.

"Someone from the Hyuga Clan, huh? She looks so cute, but why is she speaking so fiercely..."

"Looks like she's not easy to get along with... I'd better stay away from her in the future."

"Well, she is from a major clan, after all..."

"Isn't Uchiha Gen also from a major clan? She isn't as arrogant as that..."

Low murmurs spread through the room. Takeshi Goda tapped the blackboard, cutting off the discussion.

"Alright, that's enough for everyone to get to know each other today. I hope you can all get along well in the future and make some friends."

"Today, we are going to study some cultural lessons. Please open your copies of Inheritance of the Will of Fire."

The day of study ended quickly. The entire day had been spent talking about how great the Will of Fire was, how correct the First Hokage's policies were, and so on. The other students felt bored and weary; they had heard these things until they were sick of them from their elders at home. They had come to the Ninja Academy to learn flashy ninjutsu techniques, not to listen to a teacher preach.

But Zi Xu listened with great interest. Every generation of Hokage had their own interpretation of the Will of Fire. The Will of Fire established by the First Hokage was "to let Konohagakure be passed down through generations and better protect the next generation." The Second Hokage's Will of Fire was "to fight only for those who follow you, and to use any means necessary to protect the village." The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, held a Will of Fire that stated, "Everyone must have the will to sacrifice for the village; even if an individual must be sacrificed, it is of no consequence for the sake of the village."

As for the Fourth Hokage, who died young, the book contained very little record. However, based on his sacrifice during the night of the Nine-Tails to protect the village, the Fourth's Will of Fire was likely "to bet one's life to protect what one wishes to protect."

Looking at the evolution of the Will of Fire, Hiruzen Sarutobi's version seemed to have become more biased. The First Hokage's vision was good, but he hadn't formulated a strategy that could be consistently implemented; he had merely proposed a Will of Fire that he hoped everyone would abide by.

The result of this was that it became very easy for one-sided or even distorted interpretations of the Will of Fire to emerge during its transmission, with people justifying all their actions as practicing the Will of Fire.

Returning home, Zi Xu lay on his bed, exhausted—it was a mental fatigue. Listening to Takeshi Goda talk about the Will of Fire all day, combined with his own analysis of the true Will of Fire, left his head feeling swollen.

Almost forgot the main thing. He rolled over, sat up on the bed, and pulled the small iron disc out of his jacket pocket.

System, can you display my physical status? He called out to the System in his mind, and a line of text immediately appeared in his consciousness.

[Host: Uzumaki Zi Xu]

[Number of Bound Templates: 1]

[Character Template: Beast Kaido]

[Template Fusion Progress is as follows]

Physique: 5%, Advanced Ability Unlocked: Tough Physique

Devil Fruit Ability: Not fused, subsequent advanced abilities not unlocked

Haki: Not fused, subsequent advanced abilities not unlocked

"5%, huh? How do I increase the fusion rate?"

[The host can increase the fusion rate through practice or by using points to strengthen it.]

[The host can obtain points by changing the situation of the Ninja World. Points can be used to unlock template abilities, draw templates, obtain items, or increase fusion rates. Please use them wisely.]

[The host can also obtain points by completing tasks issued by the System. Shall I issue a task?]

"Issue a task." After glancing at his fusion progress, Zi Xu immediately chose to accept the task.

[This is the first time the host has accepted a task, so it has been drawn for you for free.]

[Drawing complete. Please choose one of the following tasks to accept.]

[Assassinate the Hokage: Successfully kill Hiruzen Sarutobi]

[First Signs of Brilliance: Become the top student among the same year at the Ninja Academy]

[Founding an Organization (Faction Quest): Establish an organization with no fewer than 3 members]

The first quest was clearly out of the question. He was currently avoiding Hiruzen Sarutobi as much as possible, and he hadn't even learned a single ninjutsu yet. The man was the Third Hokage, known as the "Professor of Ninjutsu." Attempting to assassinate him was undoubtedly like throwing an egg against a rock. Furthermore, the other villages would love nothing more than to kill Hiruzen Sarutobi, yet none had succeeded to this day. This showed that the guards surrounding the Third Hokage were not to be underestimated.

Zi Xu didn't intend to accept the second quest either, as it was far too conspicuous. If he, a war orphan of the Uzumaki Clan, were to prove stronger than the descendants of all the ninja clans in Konohagakure, it would undoubtedly be a slap in the face to every major clan in the village. The village would also keep a tight grip on him to ensure he was used for Konohagakure's benefit, and the surveillance on him would only become more stringent. As someone determined to leave this terrifying organization, he should live the life of a spy; it was best to remain as inconspicuous as possible.

"In that case... I have no choice but to accept the third quest."

[Quest Accepted: Founding an Organization]

[Quest Details: Form an organization before the end of this semester with no fewer than 3 members. The members must be loyal to the organization and share its philosophy.]

[Quest Rewards: Unlock Faction Module, 10,000 Reward Points, Random Item Draw ×3]

"10,000 Reward Points? That many? System, how many Reward Points are needed to increase the Fusion Rate?"

[Each 1% of Fusion Rate requires 500 Reward Points]

[Current Reward Points held by Host: 0]

"Hiss~" Zi Xu immediately felt that his Reward Points were far from enough. This was just for increasing the Fusion Rate, not even counting other draws.

After understanding some of the System's mechanics, Zi Xu set the System aside and began to examine his own body.

He first took a kitchen knife and gently poked his arm. Feeling no pain, he continued to press harder. Finally, when he had nearly dulled the blade, he saw a faint scratch on his palm.

"So tough..." Zi Xu sighed with emotion. He had never experienced anything like this in his previous life, so naturally, he had to test it thoroughly. After some research, he also discovered that his dynamic vision and reaction speed seemed to have improved to a certain degree.

"Gurgle~~" An untimely sound came from his stomach. Zi Xu rubbed his belly, feeling the emptiness within, and rummaged through the cupboards again and again. Aside from a few carrots he had bought earlier, there was no other food to fill his stomach.

"It's this late already..." Zi Xu looked at the stars filling the night sky outside the window, surprised by how quickly time had passed.

"Going out this late might arouse suspicion. I'll just have to go hungry for the night and eat tomorrow morning. I must stock up on more food..." Zi Xu tossed and turned on his bed, hypnotizing himself by saying, "Not eating now is so I can eat more tomorrow. I must have a full meal tomorrow morning..."

And so, Zi Xu drifted off to sleep while tossing and turning.