The Elementary School Life That Couldn't Be Avoided

A crowd gathered before the gates of the newly constructed Ninja Academy, where the circular emblem of Konoha hung high, watching them silently like an eye. Posted on the bulletin board was a large list containing the names of the first class of students.

One could distinguish which clan they belonged to by the family crests printed on their clothing.

The crowd surged, and the sound of hushed whispers was incessant.

Standing at the back, a ninja with pure white pupils, surrounded by his personal guards, moved slightly closer to the bustling throng.

The Hyuga Clan had arrived late after all.

He turned his head to look at the branch family members wrapped in headbands, his thoughts drifting as he mused to himself, Those stubborn old fools in the clan who think so highly of themselves would never agree to send the main family's children to this newly built school.

His gaze swept over the list, and familiar clan names came into view.

Sarutobi, Shimura, Ino-Shika-Cho, as well as the Uchiha and commoners from within the village.

The branch family members whispered in his ear; it turned out they had already investigated everything.

Sarutobi Hiruzen was the son of Sasuke, Shimura Danzō was the son of an elder, and the three most talented members of the Uchiha Clan were also among them—not to mention the disciple of that man.

"Hmph."

The man from the Hyuga Clan let out a cold snort and slowly walked away; those short-sighted old fossils were truly a nuisance.

Avoiding the morning glow, Rikusei waited quietly in the shade in front of a two-story building for Naori.

It was his first day of school, and not knowing what to bring, he stood empty-handed, though his ninja tool pouch was packed to the brim.

Kunai, Shuriken, and Explosive Tags—it was stuffed so full that anyone who didn't know better would think he was going to blow up the school.

He had quietly altered history to the best of his ability.

While Uchiha Madara was still in the village, he had brought up the subsequent plans for the village's construction.

This allowed Madara, who had not yet been seduced by Black Zetsu, to spend less time lost in wild thoughts and more time worrying about the village while sitting in the position of Hokage, as determined by Hashirama.

With the addition of various ninja clans from the Land of Fire, he knew very well that, given Madara's personality, he would eventually leave Konoha.

All Rikusei wanted was for Madara to be able to realize his vision of the ideal village while in the position of Hokage before he left.

Even if it were only as a temporary Hokage, tentatively decided by his partner.

In front of the open door, Naori's mother smiled warmly, greeting Rikusei and chatting with him.

The scope of the questions gradually expanded from family matters to his views on a future partner.

Rikusei's answers made the lady squint her eyes, the smile curling at the corners of her lips growing increasingly satisfied.

"Mother, we are only five years old!"

Naori rushed down the stairs, smoothed her hair, put on her shoes, and hurriedly turned to push her mother back into the room, closing the door behind her while catching her breath against the wooden frame.

As Naori prepared to step down, a gentle voice calling out "Take care on your way" drifted from inside the house.

A rosy flush stained Naori's small cheeks as she whispered an apology to Rikusei.

The girl's shy appearance made Rikusei's heart skip a beat; he hurriedly shifted his gaze to the distance and comforted her, "If you ever met my grandmother, I'm afraid she would be even worse."

Naori recalled the day of the clan meeting, thinking of the grandmother who possessed so many fans on the wooden platform, her bright pupils filled with disbelief: "Would Chiri-sama really be like that?"

Rikusei nodded slightly, and after a moment of thought, decided not to expose his grandmother's hidden mask; he had to let Naori experience the harshness of the world for herself.

Accompanied by the morning sun, the two walked slowly through the clan grounds. Since it was still early before class, they strolled along, unhurriedly observing the lively scenes within the district.

A rich fragrance wafted from the Dango Shop, which was surrounded by quite a few people. Having had his appetite whetted, Rikusei pulled Naori along to join the crowd.

Taking the packaged Hanami Dango and Tricolor Dango from the shop owner, the feeling of the soft, chewy dango melting in his mouth was truly pleasant.

On their way forward, he casually dragged along Kagami, who was standing on tiptoes with his neck stretched out, watching the crowd in front of the bulletin board.

Rikusei glanced at the missions posted on the board.

Above, the B-rank and higher missions only had brief descriptions; the specific details had to be understood and claimed at the central building currently under construction in the village.

Simple missions like C and D-rank were hung lower, within easy reach.

Most were various odd jobs around the village: weeding, finding lost items, helping build houses, or leveling roads.

The slightly more difficult ones involved hunting animals in the vicinity of the village that posed a threat to civilians.

Although the village was still in its infancy, such uncomplicated missions were generally delegated directly to the bulletin boards of the various ninja clans.

As the village gradually got on the right track, these things would be gradually replaced.

The area in front of the Ninja Academy was packed with people; one would think it was a school for parents.

Rikusei and the others clearly sensed the gazes scanning them, and they stepped into the school amidst the sound of whispering.

"That was the Uchiha Clan just now, wasn't it?"

Seeing their figures enter the school, low whispers erupted in the crowd.

"That's right, the Ino-Shika-Cho people have already gone in too. Why haven't I seen anyone from the Senju Clan?"

After the clamor, a dull, curious voice came from the crowd.

"Look at the list carefully; there isn't a single person with the surname Senju on it."

To the question, someone immediately responded.

"Whew~"

Naori pressed her hands against her chest and let out a sigh of relief, smiling as she said, "This is even more nerve-wracking than training."

"I'm doing just fine."

Rikusei, looking lighthearted and indifferent, indicated it was a small matter.

Leaning against the wall, Kagami Uchiha glanced sideways at the two chatting and laughing, then turned his eyes to survey the school's interior landscape.

Passing through the main gate, the courtyard featured neatly leveled ground and the greenery commonly seen in spring beside the teaching buildings.

A series of footsteps echoed from the corridor of the Mathematics Building, and the three of them silently walked up to meet them.

"Elder Kaku, why are you here!" Kagami Uchiha said in disbelief.

"Why shouldn't I be here?" Kaku stood with his hands on his hips, eyeing him askance as he tapped the name tag on his chest and said, "I am your taijutsu teacher now!"

"I apologize, Teacher Kaku."

Kagami immediately chose to apologize, following the flow of the situation.

Kaku winked at Rikusei and Naori, who were in on the secret, then turned and signaled for them to follow.

"Teacher Kaku, how many people were recruited for our class?" Rikusei asked as they walked through the corridor.

"Not many, fewer than twenty. Nineteen, to be precise." Kaku's voice echoed through the long hallway.

"What about the director?"

"You'll know in a moment," Kaku said mysteriously, pointing toward the classroom.

Once everyone had arrived, the mystery was revealed.

It was the man who had targeted the Uchiha generation.

Tobirama Senju.

Dressed in white casual clothes that complemented his silver hair, he stood at the podium. His red pupils scanned the students in the classroom, and he nodded with satisfaction, saying, "Everyone here comes from different ninja clans. Let's begin with self-introductions, starting with the teacher."

Tobirama gathered his thoughts and said in a clear voice, "Tobirama Senju. I am your homeroom teacher. I like grilled fish, and my dream is to protect the village well."

"Hiruzen Sarutobi! I like hijiki, and my dream is to become a strong person loved by my clansmen, just like my father!"

"Very good, next!"

"Kagami Uchiha. I like bonito rice balls, and my dream is to become a strong person for the Uchiha Clan."

Tobirama raised his eyelids without a change in expression. Now that the village had just been formed, the children in the classroom all looked to their clan elders as role models; it was no surprise that someone from the Uchiha Clan would have such thoughts.

"Danzō Shimura. I like hot sauce, and my dream is to become a strong person for the Shimura Clan."

Tobirama's mouth twitched, and he nodded, saying, "Next!"

The main event had arrived.

Tobirama stared intently at the boy who was slowly rising; this was, after all, that man's disciple.

"Rikusei Uchiha. I like tricolor dango, and my dream is to contribute to the village alongside my teacher."

Teacher.

Those present who were not of the Uchiha Clan would assume he was referring to him, but Tobirama knew very well who he meant.

It was Madara, the man who, like his Elder Brother, shook the ninja world with his might.

If they knew that Madara could not become Hokage, what kind of shift would his thinking undergo?

Would it be for the better or the worse?

Tobirama could not say for sure, so he said calmly, "Next!"

"Naori Uchiha. I like tricolor dango." The purple-haired girl rolled her lively eyes, looked toward the boy who had just sat down in front of her, and continued, "My dream is to eat every type of dango across the ninja world."

"Very good!"

These little interactions could not escape Tobirama's eyes, and in his heart, he defined this girl, who was quite famous as a genius within the Uchiha Clan.

A foodie.