The Ninja Academy's Preliminary Trial!

Several months later.

The massive war machine that was Konoha had begun to churn, and in September of the 31st year of Konoha, the Ninja Academy welcomed a new round of admissions.

However, this year's enrollment was somewhat different from previous years; the minimum age for entry had been lowered, allowing children as young as five to qualify for the Ninja Academy, provided they passed a few entrance exams.

Furthermore, due to the current instability of the ninja world, the various great clans within Konoha had begun preparing for war. Even those clan heirs who were not originally intended for the Ninja Academy were now being enrolled under the deliberate arrangements of their families.

The logic of the clan leaders was simple: if war truly broke out, the older generation of ninjas would be the first to the front lines, followed by the younger genin. Since the Ninja Academy was the primary source of genin, if the war effort faltered, these children would inevitably become a reserve force.

It was therefore necessary for the clan children to enter the academy early to familiarize themselves with their peers, as ninja operations were, after all, team-based.

"Big sister~ can I not go to this school?" On a sunny morning, Jiuming was led out the door by Tsunade and Kushina. Today was the registration day for the Ninja Academy, and the two of them were taking him to sign up.

Accompanying the three of them were two young boys: one was Minato Namikaze, with his bright golden hair, and the other was a spirited lad with brownish hair named Kotaro Sarutobi, the son of the Third Hokage. These two were the teammates currently grouped with Kushina Uzumaki.

Hearing that Kushina was taking her younger brother to register at the Ninja Academy today, her two teammates had come along as well.

Although the age requirement for the Ninja Academy had been lowered, Jiuming was technically not yet five, though he was only a few months shy of the mark.

Having Jiuming attend the academy was the wish of Mito Uzumaki, who felt that the boy was becoming too withdrawn and that it was necessary for him to interact with children his own age. Mito had no intention of using Jiuming as cannon fodder; he was her own kin, and she would protect him as much as she could.

Mito simply hoped that Jiuming would make some friends his own age.

Upon arriving at the gates of the Ninja Academy, Jiuming whined in a spoiled tone—a performance so cringeworthy that even he felt like vomiting, yet he forced himself to keep it up.

"Whoa~~~ this little brat isn't very obedient, is he? He doesn't want to go to school?"

"Kushina, you really need to discipline your brother!"

It was Kotaro Sarutobi's first time meeting Jiuming. Seeing him acting so spoiled, he dismissed Jiuming as an ignorant little brat and immediately adopted the posture of an older brother to lecture him.

Minato, however, had black lines running down his forehead. Some time had passed since the incident where Kushina was kidnapped, and Minato had been visiting her home frequently since they were grouped as genin. He had occasionally caught glimpses of Jiuming sparring with Mito in the dojo.

Minato knew full well that the boy's ability and intellect were far beyond what he was currently displaying.

Where did this jerk come from? Daring to meddle in this master's business. Jiuming pouted, maintaining an innocent expression toward Kushina, while internally he was already plotting how to teach Kotaro a lesson.

"Jiuming, you can't be like that. There are many children at the academy, you can—" Kushina, who had been speaking in a cutesy, babying tone, suddenly realized she was talking to her brother and abruptly swallowed the words "play with them."

How could her brother possibly want to play with those little brats? Other people's children might be cute and naive, but her brother certainly wasn't!

"Kid, entering the academy is your grandmother's wish. Staying cooped up at home won't help your strength grow. Here, at the academy, you will encounter opponents of your own age."

"This is the most beneficial path for your growth. Besides, being a ninja is a team-based profession; you need to learn how to handle relationships with your teammates."

Tsunade glanced at the posturing Jiuming and spoke.

"Really? If everyone at the academy is as weak as this guy, then it's truly disappointing~"

Jiuming reverted to his natural demeanor, casually stuffing his left hand into his pocket while pointing his right thumb at Kotaro with a look of disdain. Seeing the sudden shift in Jiuming's attitude, Kotaro froze, only to realize a moment later that he had been played.

The way he spoke, the tone he used—this was no ignorant child!

"You brat, just now..." Kotaro leaned down to peer closely at Jiuming's face, still unable to believe it. Jiuming's way of speaking was far too mature for a child.

"Arey-arey~ can't I act cute for a bit?"

Jiuming blinked at Kotaro, deliberately trying to look adorable. However, Kotaro saw nothing cute in Jiuming's gaze.

"Unlikable brat..." Kotaro turned his head away, his eyes scanning the students and parents gathered at the academy gate, where he spotted several familiar faces.

"Oh, Kotaro, what are you doing here?"

In the distance, a middle-aged man with a pineapple-style haircut waved at them. Beside him stood a teenager and a child of about eight. All three wore the same signature hairstyle, a look that allowed Jiuming to immediately identify their clan.

The brains of the Ino-Shika-Cho trio? The Nara Clan! I haven't seen them before, they look a bit unfamiliar. Jiuming watched from afar, while Kotaro had already trotted over to them.

"Shikaku, Uncle Nara, and little Shika, why are you all here today?"

Seeing acquaintances, Kotaro was somewhat excited and greeted them with a smile.

Shikaku? Is that teenager Shikamaru's father?

The middle-aged man must be Shikaku's father, Shikamaru's grandfather?

Then who is that kid? Uncle Shikamaru? Little brother Shikaku?

I've never heard of Shikamaru having an uncle~

Jiuming looked at the three members of the Nara clan with curiosity. His knowledge of people in Konoha was very limited; aside from those in his immediate circle, he had to rely on his memories from watching the anime.

But clearly, the relationships Jiuming was familiar with were quite different from what he remembered. After all, the main plot was still decades away, and after the Second and Third Great Ninja Wars, many people would be gone forever.

The Ninja Academy. I wonder how many of these future classmates will die on the battlefield.

For children without a clan background, they are mostly just cannon fodder.

Jiuming stood silently at the academy gate with Tsunade and the others, looking at the newly renovated school and falling into deep thought. It wasn't that he was being sentimental; he had simply come from a peaceful environment and was struggling to adapt to this reality.

Jiuming had been too well-protected by Mito, and his mindset had not yet fully shifted.

"Jiuming, we'll leave you here. The academy has a test for the early admissions, so you'll have to go in by yourself."

While Jiuming was lost in thought, Tsunade gently patted his shoulder and gave him an encouraging look.

"Snap!"

"Jiuming, good luck!"

Kushina slammed a heavy palm onto Jiuming's back, making him wince and hiss in pain.

"That hurts!" Jiuming muttered in protest, glancing back at Kushina while rubbing the spot where he had been struck. Steadying his resolve, he stepped forward and headed toward the academy.

He knew that after today, he would truly be embarking on the path of a ninja. Blood, death, war, conspiracies, and more would surround him; from here on out, the only thing he could rely on was his own strength.

There were many other children walking into the Ninja Academy alongside Jiuming, but compared to the smiles and excitement on their faces, Jiuming's expression appeared somewhat somber.

It couldn't be helped; children of this age were simply happy to become cool ninjas, completely unaware of how cruel this path would truly be. Moreover, many of them could never imagine that Konoha, which had remained relatively peaceful, was about to face the two most brutal Great Ninja Wars.