Enrollment

April 1, the Ninja Academy officially opened for the year.

But Higashino Makoto didn't interrupt his early-morning training routine just because of that.

Higashino Megumi had taken the day off. After her son finished his workout and had breakfast, she took him to the school.

The training ground of the Ninja Academy was packed with people—adults and children crammed together, acquaintances chatting among themselves.

Most were accompanied by a single parent, and some were completely alone, clearly orphans.

Few had both parents present. This was wartime, and this was Konoha, the military base of the Land of Fire.

Higashino Megumi took her son to line up for registration, filled out the complete paperwork, received a number, and then stood off to the side chatting with Uzuki Sakura.

"There are a lot more people than in previous years," Uzuki Sakura remarked, gazing at the sea of people.

"It must be because of the war. They expanded enrollment."

Uzuki Sakura looked at her daughter Yugao and Higashino Makoto, her eyes unfocused. "I hope the war ends soon. Otherwise, even they might be forced onto the battlefield one day."

Higashino Megumi could only sigh helplessly. "Maybe that's the fate of being a ninja."

Uzuki Yuwa and Higashino Jiro had always been in the same squad. This time was no different—they were sent to the Land of Grass, facing Iwagakure head-on.

Just then, a teacher at the school started shouting something through a megaphone.

Uzuki Yugao, who had grown a bit taller and was already showing signs of becoming a beautiful young girl, stared at the number tag in Higashino Makoto's hand. "Hey hey, Makoto, what's your number?"

Higashino Makoto showed her the number. "We're not in the same exam venue."

"Hmph, seriously, why do they have to separate us?"

"Don't worry. Do your best. With your skills, we'll end up in the same class anyway."

Hearing that they wouldn't be separated, Uzuki Yugao finally dropped her pout and broke into a smile.

The two said goodbye to their mothers and headed toward different classrooms.

Enrollment included a written exam. The questions were varied but not difficult—just a small test to check the students' basic knowledge and make class assignments easier.

The test was over in less than an hour. Then, led by their respective teachers, everyone started running laps on the training ground. Recorders nearby noted down scores based on the numbers on the students' tags.

The school would combine the average scores from the written exam and physical fitness test to place students into different classes.

After all, people couldn't all be judged the same way. Their abilities before enrollment varied wildly. It wouldn't work to put poor students and top students in the same class—the top students would lack a competitive environment, and the poor students would be crushed into self-doubt. Neither was good for a child's growth.

This physical fitness test was naturally a breeze for Higashino Makoto and Uzuki Yugao. Along with Uchiha Shisui, the three of them ran side by side at the front, breathing steadily, chatting and laughing as they ran.

Shisui talked the most. He wasn't a chatterbox, but ever since he turned five, he'd been locked up in the clan for special training most of the time, with few chances to get out. Now that he'd met his only friends, he seemed to have endless things to say.

Higashino Makoto caught an important piece of information in his words.

Last June, the patriarch of their clan, Fugaku Uchiha, had a son and named him Itachi.

In his previous life, the timeline of the Naruto World was a complete mess—there were at least three different chronological systems, each with its own source. Since arriving in this world, Higashino Makoto had also noticed that while everyone knew how many years had passed since Konoha's founding and often said things like "in such-and-such year of Konoha, this happened," there was no official Konoha calendar. Each country, especially the Five Great Nations, had its own unique cultural festivals and official calendar systems.

But above all that, the entire world did share a universally recognized standard calendar, called the Shinobi Calendar, year such-and-such.

Because the history of the shinobi world had severe gaps, almost no one knew where this calendar originated.

Higashino Makoto guessed it started from when the Sage of Six Paths founded the Ninja Sect.

Unfortunately, people in the shinobi world now considered the Sage of Six Paths a legend, a mythical figure. No one could produce solid evidence that he ever really existed.

The ages of many famous ninjas before the end of the Third Shinobi War were also vague and hotly debated. But at least one person was certain: Uchiha Itachi.

During the Nine-Tails' Rampage, he was five years old.

From that, Higashino Makoto could infer many things.

For example, the high-intensity phase of this war would probably last only three to four years, then gradually calm down. After the Nine-Tails' Rampage in Konoha, there would be a backlash—friction between Konoha and Kumogakure would intensify, Kirigakure would make small moves in the east, but it wouldn't escalate into another shinobi world war.

For example, he was five years older than Itachi, and Itachi would be five years older than the future Nine-Tails' jinchuriki. That meant Higashino Makoto was ten years older than that kid.

He could infer a lot more like that, but Higashino Makoto didn't really care.

What he needed to do now was keep getting stronger and survive this war.

His goal had never changed: to live an exciting life. Training to become stronger was the guarantee of that goal. As for changing the world or anything like that—it depended on his mood and how high he could climb.

The physical fitness test continued. The originally chaotic group, after more than ten laps, stretched into a long line due to the individual differences among students, coiling around the school's training ground like a snake.

Those like Higashino Makoto, Yugao, and Shisui ran at the front, always at ease. Some behind them tried to overtake, only to find the distance between them remained constant. When they sped up, the three in front seemed to sense it instantly and sped up too.

Uzuki Yugao was struggling a bit, but to stay in the same class as Higashino Makoto and Shisui, she gritted her teeth and pushed through.

Behind them were mostly children from various clans, big and small. Many could be identified by their clothing or certain features. Those without distinguishing traits might be from ninja clans or commoner ninjas who had received training from their families beforehand—like Higashino Makoto.

As for those who hadn't trained in advance or even refined their chakra yet, they all lagged at the back. Some were already panting heavily, unable to keep going.

Slowly, the entire group split into three sections: a small cluster at the front, a small cluster at the back, and a large mass in the middle.

Ninjas worked efficiently. Not long after the physical fitness test ended, the class assignment list was posted on the bulletin board.

As it turned out, Higashino Makoto's guess was right. His name and Uzuki Yugao's appeared in the same class, along with Uchiha Shisui, on the very first list.

In simple terms, this was an elite class.

Beyond that, he also spotted two somewhat familiar names on this roster: Hyuga Tokuma and Aburame Muta. He had some recollection of these two.

As for the rest, even if their surnames rang a bell, he really couldn't recognize the individuals themselves.

However, while quickly skimming through the other class assignment lists, he came across an extremely familiar name in one of the later classes. This person would one day change, even save, the shinobi world.

There was a saying that summed him up well: every ninja in the shinobi world would have to kowtow to him.

That person was Umino Iruka.

So he was the same age as Higashino Shinichi.

Mentioning him made Higashino Shinichi think of another person, Mizuki, but that guy was actually two years older than Iruka and hadn't graduated yet.

After the class assignment lists were posted, the children who saw their names on them cheered and celebrated, but there were also some standing apart from the crowd, faces full of sorrow, and many even broke down crying loudly.

Their parents comforted them on the side.

These were the students who had been weeded out, kids who lacked basic knowledge and had failed the physical fitness test. Not everyone could become a ninja.

Even if they were admitted, it was uncertain whether they could graduate in six years. And even if they did, they'd only be barely able to use chakra, stepping into ninja battles with no purpose other than to be a liability.

Soon, the successfully enrolled children lined up in formation on the training ground, with their parents standing behind the ranks.

Up ahead, a simple podium had been set up. Before long, the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, arrived in his iconic Kage Attire and began his customary speech.

As everyone knew, the Third Hokage's height was a bit regrettable. Without a platform to stand on, it would undermine his authority as an elder.

The speech wasn't long. This was the shinobi world, not some bureaucratic meeting.

The content was the usual Will of Fire.

Beneath the podium, Higashino Shinichi listened with a blank expression. To his left, Uzuki Yugao seemed a bit confused, while to his right, Uchiha Shisui looked visibly stirred, as if he had heard the guiding principle of his life.

When the speech ended and everyone applauded, Shisui asked curiously, "Shinichi, if it were you, you should be able to deeply understand what the Hokage meant. Don't you have any thoughts?"

"Thoughts?" Higashino Shinichi turned to look at him. "My thought is: let the kunai fly for a few years."

Uchiha Shisui, Uzuki Yugao: "???"