Registration

"Hey, is it already this late?"

Naruto glanced up at the high-hanging moon.

"You're new to Konoha. You don't have anywhere to go, do you?"

"Now that you mention it, I don't. I was planning to camp here and go register in Konoha tomorrow."

Jimo smiled.

"How could we let you do that? Enemy-nation ninja often show up around here!"

Naruto remembered how he'd once been tricked into coming here to look for enemy-nation ninja, and how he'd nearly been killed by a kunai. He quickly shook his head.

"How about I take you back to Konoha? You'll have to go through a screening and register, but it's safer than staying here! As long as you aren't a spy sent by another hidden village, you'll have no trouble getting through."

Before Jimo could respond, Naruto grabbed him and ran all the way back to Konoha.

The gate before them was a vibrant green. In the distance, the Hokage Rock Carvings were just barely visible.

"Hey, Naruto, heading out to train again?"

A man with a bandage wrapped around his face greeted Naruto from the gatehouse.

Konoha's gate guardian, Izumo Kamizuki!

And the other man, who only had one eye showing, had to be Kotetsu Hagane.

When the two saw Naruto bringing an unfamiliar boy into the village, they grew wary.

They both knew Naruto's identity very well. They could only hope the boy didn't have some ulterior motive for deliberately getting close to the Nine-Tails...

"Oh, hey, gate guard! This is a new friend of mine. He came from somewhere else to make a living in Konoha!"

Kotetsu smiled warmly as he led Jimo into the gatehouse, while Izumo disappeared into the darkness without a sound.

Jimo could clearly sense dozens of unfamiliar presences gathering around them.

"Anbu? So the Third Hokage really is keeping Naruto under secret surveillance..."

Jimo muttered to himself.

"Name?"

"Jimo."

"Age?"

"Twelve."

Kotetsu froze. Twelve... What kind of enemy-nation spy was twelve years old?

"Where are you from?"

Jimo made up the name of a remote village and gave it to him. The Fire Country was vast, after all, so it was only natural that there would be settlements no one knew about.

Kotetsu asked a few more routine questions, then told Naruto to hurry home. He would take Jimo to Konoha's guesthouse himself.

"Kid, since this is your first time here, you might not know. It'd be better if you kept your distance from Naruto."

As Kotetsu walked down the street with Jimo, Jimo sensed that half of the Anbu had vanished. They had probably gone to watch Naruto.

"What's wrong with him?"

Jimo pretended not to know and asked with an innocent expression.

"Uh... Anyway, it's better to keep your distance."

Kotetsu couldn't tell someone whose identity was still unknown that Naruto had the Nine-Tails sealed inside him. He simply continued walking with Jimo.

When Jimo saw the vermilion building ahead, with a round sign bearing the character for "fire" hanging high above it, he more or less understood that they were taking him to have his identity checked.

"Don't be nervous. Although Konoha has lifted its wartime restrictions, ninja from other villages still try to sneak in from time to time. We're just going to ask you a few questions, so please understand."

Kotetsu spoke gently. In truth, he hated to see such a young child used as a spy.

Jimo was taken to a spacious room. Through the window, he could see the entrance to Konoha.

Konoha was much larger than he'd imagined. In the world he'd come from, it would have been at least the size of a county-level city.

"Konoha's scenery is beautiful, isn't it?"

An old, gruff voice came from behind Jimo.

An old man wearing a hat like a conical straw hat stood behind him, a pipe in his hand and a smile on his face.

Jimo knew this was the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, known as the "Professor of Ninjutsu." In his previous life, the man's reputation among anime fans had gone from highly respected to divisive. He'd gone from being hailed as a hero who sacrificed himself for the village to being seen by some as a schemer. Jimo reserved judgment.

"It's beautiful, just as the stories say."

"Oh ho ho, is that so? I'm glad you like this place."

Hiruzen took a puff of his pipe and blew out a few smoke rings.

For some reason, Jimo's mind went hazy for a moment.

"Old man, smoking is bad for your health..."

"Oh, thank you for your concern." The Third Hokage put away his pipe.

"I heard you came to Konoha to make a living?"

"Yeah. Because of the war, I'm the only one left from my village..." Jimo said sadly. Thankfully, System Bro had come through and found him a place like this. He didn't have to worry about anyone looking into it.

"Is that so... The people below reported that you're good at Taijutsu. Is that true?"

"I guess you could say that. I'm really strong!" As he spoke, Jimo went over to the wall and punched a hole through its sturdy surface.

Hiruzen couldn't help thinking of his own disciple, who had monstrous strength...

"Uh... That's impressive..." Looking at the shattered wall, Hiruzen decided that he couldn't let this child wander freely around Konoha. At the very least, he needed to receive some training and learn how to control his strength. If he couldn't properly control that kind of power, he could easily cause serious trouble.

Tsunade had once punched Jiraiya so hard that she broke six of his ribs and both his arms, and ruptured his internal organs... He'd almost died.

"Well... Since you have nowhere to go and such talent, would you like to become a ninja?"

At those words, Jimo's eyes lit up. The moment he'd been waiting for had finally arrived!

"Of course. I've heard that ninja are really strong. I want to become strong too, so I can protect everything I hold dear."

"Oh ho, is that really what you think?" The Third Hokage was surprised by the boy's outlook. Protecting the people and things he cherished—that was the true source of strength.

"Then how about you start studying at the Ninja Academy tomorrow? Once you pass the exam, you can become a real ninja!"

Like a kind grandfather, the Third Hokage affectionately patted Jimo on the head.

"Wouldn't that be a bother?"

"Not at all, not at all!" Hiruzen smiled, but inwardly he grumbled that it would be far more troublesome to let a boy with strength like Tsunade's wander around the streets... Especially when he had no idea how strong he was...

After getting his answer, Jimo was taken by Kotetsu to the student dormitory at the Ninja Academy. Since most of the children were from the village, the dormitory was usually empty. Jimo was the only one staying in the enormous room.

"If you want hot water, just go out, turn left, and walk to the end. There's a water room there!" Kotetsu helpfully reminded Jimo.

"Thanks, bandage uncle!"

"Don't go giving people random nicknames!"

Meanwhile, Ibiki Morino, his face covered in scars, appeared in the Hokage's office with members of the Torture and Interrogation Division.

"Lord Hokage, what about that child?"

"That child is fine. He's a promising talent. If we teach him well, he might become one of the flames of Konoha's future."

Hiruzen puffed smoke rings as he smiled at the Crystal Ball, where Jimo had already fallen asleep.