Enrollment!

The morning was hazy, with layers of green mist permeating the mountains.

The Ninja Academy of Konoha was situated less than 1,000 meters from the Hokage Rock, and no more than 100 meters from the Hokage Building. However, the residence of Mito Uzumaki was still quite a distance from the academy.

Today was the first day of school at the Ninja Academy, and Kuming Uzumaki, accompanied by Kushina Uzumaki, arrived early. Because they had come so early, the school gates had not yet opened, but the teachers responsible for receiving the new students were already standing at the entrance, beginning to register the children for enrollment.

"Hello, Class 1-A, Kuming Uzumaki!"

It was now autumn, and the weather was gradually turning cool. Kuming wore a white short-sleeved shirt underneath a black long-sleeved jacket. On the back of the jacket was the spiral crest of the Uzumaki Clan. A pair of black cropped trousers made the five-year-old Kuming look rather tall.

"Kuming Uzumaki?" The teacher, who had been looking down at the registration form, looked up in curiosity upon hearing the name. The little boy before him had delicate features, red lips, and white teeth. His face was slightly round, and his long red hair, paired with the light blue diamond-shaped mark on his forehead, gave him an otherworldly, almost bewitching appearance.

"You are Kuming Uzumaki? The only student who reached the finish line?"

Kuming did not recognize the registering teacher, but the man seemed quite excited upon hearing his name, as if he had just met some sort of celebrity.

"Yes, I am Kuming Uzumaki."

Kuming quickly understood why the man had such an attitude. His affairs had already spread within a small circle in the village, and some ninjas familiar with the inside story had even labeled Kuming a genius. For the teachers at the academy, Kuming, with his reputation as a genius, was undoubtedly a hot commodity.

"Very good, sign here. Once the school gates open, you can head to your class. The first-grade classrooms are on the first floor."

The teacher scrutinized Kuming for a moment before pulling a sheet of paper from under his desk and handing it to him, along with a pen.

"Alright, thank you." Kuming took the brush pen and signed his name. Because he had been studying sealing techniques since he was young, he was not only proficient in drawing talismans but also quite skilled at calligraphy. The teacher was clearly stunned when he took back the registration form and saw Kuming's handwriting.

After signing, Kuming walked to the side of the gate with Kushina to wait for the school to open.

"Looking at that teacher's expression, you seem to have quite a reputation in school already, kid." After finishing the registration with Kuming, Kushina was in no rush to leave, so she chatted with him while standing by the gate.

"It's not me bragging, little sister, but my strength was never on the same level as those other brats."

"It won't be long before my reputation as a genius spreads throughout all of Konoha."

Seeing Kushina teasing him, Kuming immediately retorted with a cocky attitude.

"Oh? Is that so?"

"Didn't you just reconstruct your Yin Seal a few days ago? Has it finished storing chakra already?"

"Are you able to use ninjutsu yet?"

"Or do you think there's a genius out there who can't even perform a single jutsu?"

Kushina couldn't stand her little brother's cocky demeanor and couldn't help but strike back.

"..."

Kushina's words clearly hit a sore spot for Kuming. The first time he constructed the Yin Seal, he had taken a shortcut; there were parts of the seal that Mito Uzumaki had helped him with, which allowed him to master it early. At that time, Kuming had left a "backdoor" so he could draw out some chakra without breaking the seal.

But this time was very different. When he constructed the seal this time, Mito hadn't given him the chance to leave a backdoor. If Kuming tried to draw chakra before the seal was fully activated and stored, the Yin Seal would collapse instantly.

In other words, Kuming could not use any chakra until the Yin Seal was fully activated. The timeframe for this was uncertain—it could be one or two years, or perhaps even three, depending on his chakra storage speed and the stability of the Yin Seal.

"It's not a big problem. I'm still young, and this is the time for me to grow. I can take this opportunity to properly train my taijutsu and shurikenjutsu, and I should even practice weapon combat."

"Besides, my research into sealing techniques won't be restricted by chakra. Relying on taijutsu, I can still stand above my peers."

"Once the Yin Seal is fully stabilized in a few years, it won't be too late to learn techniques."

Kuming was quite open-minded about it. There would be plenty of time to practice ninjutsu in the future, but the accumulation of physical strength could not be achieved overnight. After his battle with the blond youth from Iwagakure, Kuming now placed great importance on taijutsu, shurikenjutsu, and weapon combat—all of which were things he urgently needed to practice.

On the battlefield, a ninja's reaction time to an attack determined life or death. Excellent taijutsu could maximize his chances of survival; at the very least, if he couldn't win, he could always run away.

"So you've already thought through your future training direction. I was actually going to give you some pointers, but it seems that won't be necessary?"

Kushina looked at Kuming with a smile and reached out to ruffle his hair.

"No need for pointers. You should take care of yourself, sister. You've been a genin for a while now; I heard the missions you do most are helping clients walk dogs, chase cats, and babysit?"

"If you keep doing those things, I'm afraid your dream of becoming Hokage will never be realized."

Kuming stretched, put his hands behind his head, and said casually.

"You brat, don't you worry about me!"

"I'm leaving! You can go in by yourself later!"

Kushina seemed to have been poked in a sore spot by Kuming. She punched him on the head, stood up angrily, and left without looking back.

"..."

"Ruined my hairstyle."

Watching Kushina's retreating figure, Kuming was speechless. He rubbed his head gently and muttered to himself. However, he didn't really mind and began to observe the other children arriving for enrollment.

The academy gates remained closed, and many students and their parents had gathered at the entrance. In the crowd, Shikaichi Nara spotted Kuming from afar and waved to signal him. Kuming simply nodded in acknowledgment.

Among the crowd, there were only two people Kuming recognized: Shikaichi Nara, whom he had met and chatted with once, and Hizashi Hyuga from the Hyuga Clan.

"There aren't many kids my age. Will there be enough to fill a class?"

Looking at the children gathered at the gate, Kuming scratched his head, feeling a bit worried. If the class size was too small, the teachers would have plenty of energy to "guide" the children. But for Kuming, he would prefer the teachers not to guide him at all. He had his own arrangements and plans and didn't need others to worry about him.

Kuming didn't believe the academy teachers' taijutsu could be better than Mito Uzumaki's, nor did he think any teacher would teach him any impressive ninjutsu. If it weren't for Mito's request, Kuming wouldn't even want to go through the motions at the academy.

However, Kuming didn't want to graduate early like Itachi Uchiha. Graduating from the academy meant becoming a genin, and at a time when war could break out at any moment, Kuming didn't want to become cannon fodder so soon.

Having already been baptized by the brutal baptism of the battlefield, Jiuming had learned to enjoy peace and tranquility.

"Creeeak..."

The iron gate of the school swung open in response, and Jiuming stood up, brushed the dust off his backside, and began to walk inside. Children accompanied by their parents were now starting to bid their families farewell, heading into the school grounds while carrying the expectations of their loved ones.

This place was the starting point for the majority of ninjas; the moment these children stepped inside, that Memorial Stone in Konoha had already prepared a place for them.