The Will of Fire is Too Heavy!

"Yuichi, why are you reading this book?"

Yuhi Kurenai looked at Yuki Yuichi, blinking her large eyes, and asked curiously while holding a copy of The Will of Fire in her hands.

After they finished their self-introductions, Umino Ikkaku had told them to look over the textbooks and wait an hour before the formal lessons began.

Looking at the copy of The Will of Fire in his own hands, Yuki Yuichi said casually, "The Will of Fire is quite interesting, isn't it?"

There were over a dozen books issued by the school, the most important of which were this Will of Fire and the Chakra Refinement Method.

Beyond those, there were books on assassination, intelligence gathering, Ninja World Encyclopedia, mathematics, and so on.

However, all those books combined were not as thick as this single volume of The Will of Fire.

"There's plenty to read."

This copy of The Will of Fire was not just a simple phrase about where the leaves dance, the fire also burns.

It contained many stories of ninjas who "voluntarily" sacrificed themselves, as well as many famous quotes and maxims from the Third Hokage.

If one wanted to get by in Konoha, one had to thoroughly digest this Will of Fire.

Yuki Yuichi and Yuhi Kurenai curiously flipped through the books in their hands.

Not far from them, a young boy who had been pushed aside earlier looked at the Chakra Refinement Method in his hands with eyes full of longing.

Once he learned the Chakra Refinement Method and possessed chakra, he shouldn't get beaten up anymore!

I will definitely get my revenge!

The boy swore to himself while looking at the Chakra Refinement Method, simultaneously casting a glance in Yuki Yuichi's direction.

"What's so great about him? He's just relying on the fact that he knows how to use chakra. Once I learn it, I'll definitely make you pay!"

His voice was very soft, so soft that the people nearby did not hear him.

Yuki Yuichi naturally did not know that someone had targeted him because of his actions; if he had known, he probably would have laughed his head off.

In this world that emphasized bloodlines, a commoner actually had such thoughts.

Moreover, setting aside the facts, Yuki Yuichi had started refining chakra at the age of five.

He was a full year ahead of them, so how could he possibly be afraid just because they learned to refine chakra?

Amidst the discussions of the crowd, time passed quickly.

The morning lesson was on the Chakra Refinement Method.

Umino Ikkaku explained it very thoroughly, though it was of no use to Yuki Yuichi and Yuhi Kurenai.

Both of them had long since learned how to refine chakra.

Although Yuhi Shinku appeared somewhat irritable and guarded against Yuki Yuichi "kidnapping" his daughter, he was actually quite gentle.

What he displayed was merely a facade.

Yuki Yuichi could clearly feel that Yuhi Shinku truly regarded him as family.

It was just that he was unhappy about him "kidnapping" Yuhi Kurenai.

But he had not been stingy with what he should teach.

Yuhi Shinku was a Jonin of Konoha, but he did not belong to any clan, nor did he possess the secret medicines passed down through the generations of the great clans.

In Konoha, or rather in the ninja world, chakra refinement was best started after the age of six, as children's development was basically set by then.

After all, chakra was a product of combining energy extracted from a person's cells and spirit.

It wasn't that people didn't want to refine chakra before development was complete—after all, there were many illiterate people in the ninja world.

It was mainly because at a young age, they hadn't developed enough to extract it.

However, this was the explanation given to commoners; children of great clans were soaked in secret medicines from a young age to promote their development, which was why many children from ninja clans could refine chakra at age three.

Unfortunately, Yuhi Shinku did not have these resources. The reason Yuki Yuichi and Yuhi Kurenai were able to refine chakra at five was because he had traded for some secret medicines from the Nara Clan.

Every few days, he would have Yuhi Kurenai and Yuki Yuichi soak in them.

However, the great clans guarded these secret medicines closely; even Yuhi Shinku could only occasionally obtain one or two packets, and they were meant for both of them to use together.

That was why they were able to refine chakra at five.

If Yuhi Shinku had only cared about Yuhi Kurenai, then even if she couldn't refine chakra at three, she could have at least done so at four.

A ninja's strength was easiest to improve during their youth; Yuhi Shinku, as a Jonin, could not possibly fail to understand that if Yuhi Kurenai had started extracting chakra a year earlier, her potential would be much higher.

Yet, he still gave the secret medicines he obtained to both of them to use together.

Therefore, even though he was a bit irritable toward him, Yuki Yuichi never said anything.

Ultimately, it was because he was coveting the man's daughter.

He had enough self-awareness to know that much.

It was equivalent to raising a "homewrecker" in one's own home; anyone would be angry.

As Yuki Yuichi thought about these things, Umino Ikkaku on the podium continued to lecture on the Chakra Refinement Method.

He spent the entire morning explaining the content of three or four pages, going back and forth, over and over again.

As for the students below the podium, with the exception of those from civilian backgrounds, the rest were staring blankly in sheer boredom.

Kakashi Hatake was one of them.

I should have sat in the back, Kakashi Hatake thought, turning his head to glance at Yuki Yuichi in the back row, only to see him staring ahead with vacant eyes.

It was obvious at a glance that he was zoning out.

Beside him, Yuhi Kurenai was staring at Umino Ikkaku without blinking, her large eyes wide.

Although she already knew this information, it didn't stop her from wanting to be a good student.

Just as Kakashi Hatake was about to turn back and continue his own daze, he caught sight of a "creep" sitting in the back row out of the corner of his eye.

"Is he an idiot..." Kakashi Hatake muttered under his breath after glancing at Uchiha Obito.

Uchiha Obito was still looking at Nohara Rin, but while the teacher was currently lecturing on Chakra Refinement Techniques, he was holding a book titled Ten Thousand Techniques of Ninja Assassination in his hands.

Although the teacher was lenient toward students who had already learned to refine chakra and didn't mind if they zoned out during class, Uchiha Obito was the first one to be so blatant about it.

There were quite a few people in the classroom who were zoning out.

For instance, the redhead by the window in the back row, a certain guy who looked like a monkey, a girl with black hair wearing the crest of the Kato Clan on her clothes, as well as himself in the front and that girl from the Hyuga Branch Family, and so on.

But there was truly only one person like Uchiha Obito.

Just as Kakashi Hatake was complaining to himself, Umino Ikkaku seemed unable to endure it any longer; he flicked a piece of chalk from his hand, which struck Uchiha Obito directly on the forehead.

"Uchiha Obito!"

Following Umino Ikkaku's roar, everyone in the classroom turned to look at Uchiha Obito.

"Huh?" Uchiha Obito seemed to only just snap back to reality; hearing the teacher's voice, he jumped to his feet. "I'm here!"

"Hahaha, he's so funny!"

"Have the people of the Uchiha Clan really become like this?"

"He's so stupid."

Watching Uchiha Obito spring up in an instant, Umino Ikkaku silently reminded himself that this was the first class of the school year and he couldn't get angry; he had to leave a good impression on the students.

Therefore, suppressing his rage, he forced a smile and asked, "Could you please tell the teacher what this lesson is about?"