My grandpa said, "Have as many kids as you like-we can afford them"

The days flew by. At last, enrollment day arrived. Today, he would start school...

"Hey, Ninja Academy, here I come!"

Because Qing Wu had awakened his Otsutsuki bloodline, his lifespan was much longer than most people's. Though he was five or six years older than the other kids, his height still didn't stand out.

He even looked rather petite. To others, his skin looked "sickly" Haku-pale.

Because of Ōtsutsuki Isshiki's legacy, Qingwu's bloodline had reverted to its ancestral form, leaving his hair somewhat silver-gray. Everyone took that faded Haku-white color as a sign that his premature birth had depleted his vitality, and the parents from the great clans looked at him with traces of pity.

"That's the Hyuga Great Elder's grandson. Poor child, so small and frail..."

"Yes, his parents died young, and his poor health delayed his enrollment by more than three years..."

"Let's see what his personality is like. If he's all right, we could let our children get to know him..."

"True. The Hyuga Great Elder still commands respect, and he has a group of loyal followers. It wouldn't hurt to build a friendly connection."

"..."

"No, I need to keep my child away from him. We're only civilians. What if we hurt him...?"

"Right, right, stay away from him. He looks so sickly..."

"Not a decent soul in any of these great clans..."

The civilians kept a respectful distance. After all, the prestige of the powerful Hyuga Clan was not something they dared challenge.

"Assumptions you never see coming are the deadliest!"

Once Hyuga Qing Wu understood what was going on, he actually felt relieved. He didn't even have to come up with an excuse for his unusual appearance and hair color, and he had gained everyone's sympathy. What a good deal!

Sure enough, people only believed what their eyes showed them.

"Big Brother Qingwu?" Little Hinata was fond of the boy who had brought the Great Elder to save her. If not for them that day, she might have been taken away by the Cloud ninja...

Naruto: Boo-hoo... I'm alone again. Why does everyone else have their mom and dad bringing them here? Grandpa Third, where are you?

Sasuke: Hmph. My big brother brought me.

Kiba: "Akamaru, we're definitely going to be the strongest in the Ninja Academy, right?" (Akamaru: "Woof, woof!")

Shikamaru: Yawn... School. What a drag.

Choji: Crunch, crunch... These chips are so good.

Ino: Wow, wow, wow! So many handsome boys!

Sakura: So many people... (Inner Sakura: Ohoho! Handsome boys... so many... hahaha...)

Shino: ...

Neji: "Young Master Qingwu, I'll protect you with my life. Thank you and the Great Elder for saving my father."

Rock Lee: "Oh, oh! More training! More training!"

Tenten: My, my... What adorable children.

Qing Wu declared, "Hmm, I could take on all twelve little brats in the Konoha Twelve at once! Without even getting winded. Never mind, make that eight. Tenten, Ino, Sakura, and Hinata are at their cutest right now."

If anyone had learned what he was thinking, they would have scorned him. A mighty World Lord, master of the Demon Refining Pot—one of Great Huaxia's ten divine artifacts—and direct heir to the Otsutsuki legacy, and this was the extent of his ambition?

"But if I punched a pretty little girl like that, she'd probably cry for ages! She'd definitely remember me..."

He thought of the adorable little blonde girl from the Yamanaka Clan he had seen two days ago. Still, the grown-up Ino was really something. An amazing figure and a great family background, too. Hmm, top-notch...

Should I give it a try?

Hmm, better not. Qingwu shrank back. Good grief, I only looked at your daughter for a little while! Yamanaka Inoichi, do you really have to glare at me like that...?

Fine, I won't look. What's so special about her anyway?

Hmph! Keep watching her every single day if you can. Otherwise, I'll give you a whole bunch of grandsons and granddaughters to look after and wear you out, you old geezer.

Hehehe... I'm so bad. Qingwu was quite self-aware.

"Ino, stay away from that child from the Hyuga Great Elder's family. He doesn't look like a good person."

Yamanaka Inoichi watched Qingwu warily as he warned his daughter, Yamanaka Ino. That damned little white-haired brat! How dare he look at my daughter with that hungry, burning gaze and smile so lecherously? One look tells you he's a little pervert, a little bastard, up to no good!

"Okay, Daddy!" little Ino replied obediently, but she had already committed Hyuga Qingwu to memory. What was it about this silver-haired boy that had caught her father's attention?

If Yamanaka Inoichi had known his words had aroused his daughter's curiosity, who knew how bitterly he would have regretted them?

Qingwu turned his gaze toward Tenten, Sakura, and Hinata.

Mm-hmm, Tenten's a little rich girl, and she has a talent for space-time techniques. My teeth aren't great; living off a woman sounds nice and easy.

Sakura isn't so lovesick yet. All pink and delicate. Very cute.

Little Hinata is far too shy. I forgot to tell Uncle Hiashi that this girl has quite an appetite. He'd better not let her go hungry.

Oh my... The other little girls seem pretty nice, too.

The air was full of youthful energy.

After the ups and downs of his previous life,

Qingwu had finally figured it out.

Start looking for a wife early. Best to build the relationship from childhood.

Classmates are great.

School is great. I absolutely have to attend.

I love school!!!

Qingwu smiled happily.

"..."

The Third Hokage was speechless. If you didn't have the Byakugan, I'd have thought you were that scoundrel Jiraiya's child.

That behavior... exactly the same.

Yet, for some reason, he felt relieved. Good, no real ambition. Good, he likes girls. What worries me is someone who wants to stir up trouble and is obsessed with getting stronger.

An ambitious member of the Hyuga Main House.

Konoha could not allow one to emerge.

A cold glint flashed through Sarutobi Hiruzen's eyes. Seeing him today was hardly enough to put his mind at ease. He would keep watching...

Good grief.

Toward the great clans,

such undisguised malice.

Sarutobi Hiruzen.

Qingwu was all smiles on the outside, too, but inwardly he was cursing up a storm.

You goddamned Sarutobi Hiruzen, why are you staring at me when you've got nothing better to do? You rotten old bastard!

We've got plenty of time.

Let's take our time playing this game.

Next came the entrance tests.

"As expected of Konoha's foremost clan..."

"Damn it... All the top places belong to children from the great clans. Will us civilians ever have a chance to get ahead?"

"..."

"That damned Demon Fox... How could Lord Hokage let someone like that enroll...?"

"..."

"He is the Uchiha Clan Head's son, after all, isn't he?"

"But compared with the eldest son, he's still a little lacking... That one's already a Jonin, isn't he...?"

"Hmph! I can't stand the way they look down their noses at everyone..." "Keep your voice down! Do you have a death wish? The police force..."

"..."

As expected, Sasuke placed first in the physical tests. Qingwu was somewhere in the middle, with nothing particularly outstanding about him.

No one was surprised.

Qingwu had held back.

What was the point of competing with these children?

"Now, we'll assign classes based on your results. When your name is called, go to your assigned classroom..."

"Longtao... Class C..."

"..."

"Luren Jiro... Class E..."

"Jia Yibing..."

"Sasuke Uchiha, Class A!"

"Hyuga Hinata, Hyuga Qingwu, Class A..."

"..."

"Nara Shikamaru,

Yamanaka Ino,

Akimichi Choji, Class A..."

"..."

"Inuzuka Kiba..."

"Aburame Shino..."

"Haruno Sakura..."

"..."

"And Uzumaki Naruto, Class A..."

Qingwu smiled as he watched. Sure enough, the gears of fate had begun to turn... Interesting...

Year One, Class A, here I come...

Qingwu picked a seat near the back.

The back row by the window—the king's home turf.

"This is your first lesson at the Ninja Academy. Don't be shy. Let's start by introducing ourselves. Unless something unexpected happens, you'll be spending every day together for the next six years."

"You'll form bonds and friendships, find companions of your own, and walk through the long years of life together."

Seeing the students' blank looks, Iruka smiled awkwardly. "Ahem... It's all right if you don't understand. You'll understand later. I'll teach you little by little."

"For your introductions, you can tell us your name, hobbies, dreams, and anything else you like..."

"How about this? I'll give you an example."

"My name is Umino Iruka. I'm a Chunin of the village, and I love Konoha's food."

"There's nothing I particularly dislike. My dream is peace in the Ninja World, and to teach lots and lots of students who carry the will of fire alongside my good friend Mizuki, so we can all work hard for the village."

"Would anyone like to volunteer to introduce themselves first? Everyone is sure to remember the first student!"

Hearing that, Uzumaki Naruto immediately couldn't hold back. He desperately wanted everyone's attention and recognition.

"My name is Uzumaki Naruto. I like Ichiraku Ramen, and I hate waiting three minutes for instant noodles. My dream is to become Hokage and make everyone acknowledge me... Hehe..."

Having finished, Naruto laughed brightly.

"Haha! Look at that idiot..."

"Everyone, be careful. He's that fox demon. He eats children..."

"Ah! That's scary! Mommy, I want to go home! Boo-hoo..."

"Hmph! The Hokage title belongs to the great Kiba! Right, Akamaru?"

"Woof, woof!"

"..." The students' reactions varied wildly, and the room grew noisy with crying, shouting, and whispered conversations.

"Let's all give Uzumaki Naruto a round of applause. His courage is something we should all learn from." Iruka spoke gently as he led the applause.

"Clap, clap..." Applause rang out.

"Sniff..." Naruto nearly sobbed. This moment truly felt like a dream. He had waited so long...

With Naruto and Iruka setting the example, everyone relaxed and stopped being afraid. They enthusiastically began introducing themselves and their dreams. That was one good thing about children.

The introductions then moved along rapidly.

When Qingwu's turn came,

"My name is Hyuga Qingwu. I like making friends, and I hate show-offs. My dream is to give every girl a home... and work together with them to expand our branch of the family..."

"My grandpa said, have as many kids as you like—we can afford them..."

His words stunned everyone.

The corners of Iruka's mouth twitched uncontrollably. Are children this precocious nowadays? I don't even have a girlfriend, and you're already planning a harem?!

Holy shit! His classmates were dumbfounded.

This classmate is seriously bold.

The boys looked at him with outright admiration.

He had voiced everyone's dream.

We bow before you, boss.

The astonishing remarks in Hyuga Qingwu's self-introduction left a deep impression on everyone.

Hyuga Hoze laughed with particular delight.

That's my grandson for you.

Already thinking about expanding the clan. Yes, this child has the makings of a clan head! Hahaha!

And so,

Qingwu's school life began.