Late March, Konoha Year 42.
The Ninja Academy was about to begin its term, and the list of passing applicants for the entrance test was posted that day. Youths and their parents crowded around the bulletin board, discussing it excitedly.
At the very front of the crowd, however, a father and son wearing green full-body tight suits provoked some discontent.
The heavily bearded Might Duy lifted his son, ignoring the ridicule all around, and continued to encourage him in a loud voice. Might Guy, searching constantly for his own name, twisted his body left and right, and after a fruitless and bitter search, he could not help but mutter in a low voice:
"None! None! Still none..."
Although he had anticipated this the moment the test ended, seeing the results actually appear still brought a look of disappointment to Might Guy's face, and the surrounding voices made him feel even more distressed.
"Ah! I found it!"
"I passed!"
"As expected of my son..."
"That's great, congratulations!"
A group of youths around six years old and their parents let out happy laughter. Although being a ninja came with danger, it was ultimately a decent, high-income profession and the top choice for commoners to change their social stratum.
"Son, search carefully..."
Might Duy, his expression growing increasingly solemn, continued to encourage him loudly. Yet halfway through his words, a sudden coolness hit his face. He instinctively looked up, only to find that his son was already crying in disappointment:
"No, my name isn't on the bulletin board, Dad."
"Guy, you've done your absolute best, and your hard work will surely be rewarded."
Looking up at his son, Might Duy gradually raised his volume. Sensing that his son's tears were multiplying, he shouted with full momentum, completely drowning out the surrounding ridicule:
"On the road soaked in tears, you will eventually find your own name! Keep searching!"
"Yes!"
Receiving his father's encouragement, Might Guy forcefully suppressed his disappointment and responded quickly. The youth stopped shedding tears and continued to sway left and right, searching for a name that wasn't there.
"Might Guy..."
At the front, Genma Shiranui, who had been listening to the constant sounds coming from right above his head, wore a helpless expression. At six years old, he was already considered a big kid in the village, and he put on a mature air at the moment to complain in a low voice:
"This guy really doesn't know how to let things go, names aren't just going to fill themselves in."
Ebisu beside him pushed the sunglasses on the bridge of his nose, sympathy welling up on his face as he followed up with a sigh:
I can't bear to watch this anymore...
Hearing his little companion's murmur, Shu Furukawa noticed that the father and son's emotions were gradually growing depressed, forcing him to raise his volume and offer a reminder:
"Don't forget there's still a supplementary admission list. Rest assured, he'll successfully enroll."
Might Duy and his son turned around abruptly, as if they had just heard an incredible event. They widened their eyes in unison, their thick black eyebrows beginning to arch.
Under the gaze of those burning eyes, the somewhat awkward Shu Furukawa instinctively looked down at his black high-necked short-sleeved T-shirt and black trousers, then rubbed his slightly curly black hair.
Just as he was about to add more, the father and son interrupted him:
"Thank you for the support!!"
Crying out loudly, the two of them simultaneously gave a thumbs-up. Looking at those exceptionally bright smiles, Shu Furukawa had the illusion that the teeth the other party was flashing were actually sparkling...
The people gathered around instinctively took a step back, and the scene suddenly grew quiet, until a shout suddenly emerged from behind to break the somewhat awkward atmosphere:
"Shu, let's go, the orientation meeting is about to start."
Hatake Kakashi, wearing a patterned scarf and covering half his face, kept his hands in his pockets and calmly called out to Shu Furukawa.
In an instant, the crowd returned to its noisy state, and the sounds of ridicule reappeared.
Before he had time to dish out any more "chicken soup," Genma Shiranui and Ebisu hurriedly grabbed Shu Furukawa and pulled him out toward the edge of the crowd. At that moment, Might Duy and his son began to encourage themselves once more:
"If I can finish running five hundred laps around the playground, I'll definitely be admitted as a supplementary student!"
"Guy!"
Turning his head to look at the passionate, fist-clenching, weeping father and son behind him, Shu Furukawa could only sigh inwardly:
That's some truly "anime-tier" volume of tears!
The near-abduction of the Jinchuriki candidate made Konoha catch the scent of war, and under the instructions of the higher-ups, the Ninja Academy relaxed its enrollment age even further.
Although Konoha would not directly throw Genin onto the frontline battlefield, the village still needed to reserve Genin early on to handle certain harmless, low-level missions.
In the Class A tier-seated classroom on the first year level, Chunin teacher Ryosuke Kimura, who bore a scar on his left cheek and had an ordinary appearance, continuously answered various questions from parents without the slightest trace of impatience on his face.
Once the orientation meeting concluded, Ryosuke Kimura lowered his head to look at the two youths beside Hatake Sakumo, a gentle smile appearing on his face as he sighed:
"Teaching geniuses is high-pressure work!"
"I was still playing ninja games at this age, yet Kakashi has already mastered the Three Body Technique with proficiency. He truly lives up to being Sakumo's son."
The parents and youths remaining inside the classroom all looked toward the masked Hatake Kakashi, while Hatake Sakumo, dressed in casual clothes, instead rubbed the head of Shu Furukawa and said with a smile:
"Shu's talent in ninjutsu is even better than Kakashi's."
"Please strictly teach them in the coming years; entering the Ninja Academy is just the beginning."
Hearing the praise of the White Fang of the Leaf, Ryosuke Kimura was somewhat surprised, and recalling the entrance test, he subconsciously nodded.
Like Kakashi, Shu Furukawa would only turn five years old in September.
"Lord Sakumo, Teacher Ryosuke, I'll work twice as hard in the coming years."
Responding immediately, Shu Furukawa's little face also appropriately showed an excited and sincere expression, while Kakashi at the side quickly turned his head and then muttered in a low voice:
"Father, I'll be able to master C-rank ninjutsu soon too."
Seeing this scene, Ryosuke Kimura chuckled, increasingly satisfied with his ability to teach two geniuses, and immediately encouraged:
"Haha, this is the competition between geniuses! Work hard, Kakashi, Shu!"
Kakashi and Shu Furukawa slightly bowed, and noticing quite a few girls staring at the two of them, the boys all let out a "tsk"—guys who looked good and had talent were the most annoying.
"Shu, Kakashi, do you want to come play kick the can?"
At the doorway, Genma Shiranui bit the bamboo stick of his Three-Color Pills and shouted in greeting, with quite a few classmates gathered behind him. Shu Furukawa felt helpless inside, but on the surface, he responded full of energy:
"You be It, I'm coming right now!"
Kakashi, who wanted to follow along and play, didn't move his feet, looked up at his father, and then muttered to himself:
"I just want to train as soon as possible..."
Hatake Sakumo patted his unexpressive son, saw Kakashi follow him out with a reluctant look, and only then slightly nodded.
Ninja teachers from the school continually came to visit, and the White Fang of the Leaf, without any airs, exchanged pleasantries with each one. Thinking of the Furukawa couple who chose to sacrifice themselves for a mission not long ago, he whispered in his heart:
"Shu will become an outstanding ninja."
At the Ninja Academy's training ground, climbing over the wooden fence, Shu Furukawa had both feet sucked onto a tree branch and hung upside down, extending his right hand toward the tree trunk to use his Harvesting Technique.
Looking at the "essence" prompt that appeared in his field of vision once again, Shu Furukawa couldn't help pondering secretly:
What would I get if I could harvest a complete God Tree?