Reactions from All Sides

Time flies.

Under the clear Natsuhi sky, Konoha resembles a finely tuned machine, with each gear turning on its predetermined track, yet subtly revealing a rhythm unlike any other.

Pedestrians came and went as usual on the streets, shops remained open for business, and the shouts of young ninjas as they sweated on the Training Ground still echoed.

However, if someone observes carefully, they will notice some subtle changes taking place.

These changes are like pebbles thrown into a calm lake; the ripples may be small, but they spread outwards in concentric circles.

The afternoon sun shone through the windows of the Ninja Academy classrooms, casting diamond-shaped patches of light on the wooden floor.

In the classroom of Class A, Grade 1, instead of practicing Shuriken throwing, the twenty-odd students were still having class.

Standing on the podium was no longer the usual Taijutsu teacher, but a middle-aged man with round-framed glasses and meticulously combed hair— Aoba Yamashiro, Konoha Special Jonin.

This is truly rare, considering that the usual teachers at the Ninja Academy are only Chunin, but now a Special Jonin has arrived.

"Starting today, the practical training sessions every Wednesday afternoon will be replaced with Chakra Control training----"

Aoba Yamashiro's voice was steady and clear. He pushed up his glasses and glanced at the children below the stage, who were no more than six or seven years old and still had childish faces.

"By order of the Hokage-sama, the Ninja Academy will add courses on Chakra Control and Ninjutsu theory starting with your class. You are the first batch of pilot classes."

A slight commotion arose in the classroom. The children all liked the cool Ninjutsu, but few of them were interested in the hard-earned basic skill of Chakra Control.

Sitting in the third row, Uchiha Itachi's eyes lit up. That's right, Itachi was going to school too. Under Taiichi's interference, Uchiha Itachi started school in the same year as Jiangtai and Yami, and they were even in the same class.

Some students from the Ninja Clan in the classroom frowned slightly, seemingly lost in thought.

Meanwhile, several children from Civilian backgrounds in the back row exchanged excited glances.

In the past, systematic instruction in Ninjutsu was often delayed until after graduation when students were divided into classes, where instructors Jonin teach according to individual aptitude, or the techniques would be passed down within a family.

This caused these Civilian ninjas to miss out on countless valuable opportunities.

"I know that many of you have already been exposed to the Ninjutsu through your families."

Aoba Yamashiro's tone shifted, becoming more serious, "But what I'm going to teach is the most orthodox, most basic, and most harmless method of cultivation. You must listen carefully—"

As Aoba Yamashiro spoke, the whispers below never ceased.

"Itachi, do you know what's going on? Why did you suddenly change the teaching plan?"

Jiangtai asked quietly from the side, seemingly unconcerned about what the teacher was saying.

"Yes, yes, I've heard that it's not just us, even the courses for older students have changed."

Hearing their conversation, Yami immediately turned to join in, her face full of curiosity.

Unfortunately, they asked the wrong person. Although the Uchiha were a top clan in Konoha, they were not at the center of power in Konoha and knew nothing about the changes in the Ninja Academy.

The Hokage's Office.

Hiruzen Sarutobi, dressed in casual clothes with a pipe dangling from his mouth, quietly stared at the crystal ball on the table, which contained the image of Uchiha Itachi's class from the Ninja Academy.

Hiruzen.

A deep voice came from his side; Utatane Koharu had appeared beside him without him noticing.

"Those three must be Taichi Matsushita's disciples, right? Uchiha Itachi, he's only 5 years old this year, isn't he?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi took a drag of his cigarette and nodded. "Yes, a very interesting kid, a kid with the mindset of Hokage."

Utatane Koharu looked up in surprise; she hadn't expected Hiruzen Sarutobi have such a high opinion of this child.

However, she quickly dismissed these thoughts; that wasn't why she had come.

"Hiruzen, do you really think this is a wise move? Exposing these children to offensive Ninjutsu so early—"

"It's not an offensive Ninjutsu, it's about basic principles." Hiruzen Sarutobi didn't turn around, his gaze still fixed on the crystal ball. "The Land of Fire's location is too good; its vast plains and fertile land naturally attract covetous eyes from all sides."

"We don't have the power to subdue the entire Ninja World like the First Hokage. In the First Shinobi World War, Second Shinobi World War, and Third Shinobi World War, we have become increasingly struggling to cope."

Traditional ninja training is increasingly inadequate for the pace of modern warfare; graduates of the Ninja Academy are often relegated to cannon fodder on the battlefield. This must be changed.

He finally turned his head, and wisps of smoke rose from his pipe.

"We can no longer postpone all practical training until after graduation, as we have done before. The battlefield won't wait for them to mature."

"But this will disrupt the balance between the clans and the Civilian!" Utatane Koharu lowered her voice, "The clans' Ninjutsu are their foundation, and now that the school is openly teaching them, the significance of those secret techniques—"

"What the school teaches is the most basic of the basics," Hiruzen Sarutobi interrupted her, "Common sense that every ninja should master."

As for the secret techniques and unique Nature Transformation methods of each family, if they can be so easily surpassed by basic teaching, it can only mean that those families have stagnated and should disappear.

95

For these words to come from the mouth of a Hokage, the nature of the statement is quite serious.

Hiruzen Sarutobi a deep breath, his tone softening slightly but remaining firm. "I've made up my mind about this. I've already spoken to the school. Opposition is welcome, but the reform must proceed."

Looking at her old friend in front of her, Utatane Koharu suddenly felt a little unfamiliar.

In her memory, Hiruzen Sarutobi hadn't pushed through a change that might cause internal controversy in a long time.

At the same time, behind the Hokage Rock in Konoha, in a secret warehouse, which was originally a storage point for Konoha's war supplies.

The atmosphere here is completely different from that of the Ninja Academy.

Two layers of Barrier were temporarily added around the warehouse, and four members of the Anbu wearing animal masks guarded the entrance, vigilantly patrolling the surroundings.

The interior of the warehouse has been completely renovated: the heavy shelves have been removed and replaced with neatly arranged laboratory benches.

Various types of instruments, and rows of culture jars placed against the wall.

Orochimaru stood in the center of the warehouse, his long, golden pupils slowly sweeping across this new territory that had just become his.

He was dressed in a simple white lab coat, his long black hair casually draped over his shoulders, but his pale face bore a rare, almost childlike, joyful expression, as if he had just received a new toy.

"That's quite unexpected, Teacher Sarutobi ----"

He spoke to himself in a low, husky, and magnetic voice.

Three days ago, in the Hokage's Office.

When Hiruzen Sarutobi proposed to integrate the village's scattered research resources into a dedicated "Konoha Research Department," with Orochimaru in full charge, Orochimaru's first reaction was, "Has this old guy fallen under some kind of sophisticated Genjutsu?"

After all, just a few months ago, he received a secret letter from his teacher, telling him to be more discreet recently.

Are you sure, teacher?

Orochimaru, unusually, did not use his usual subtly sarcastic tone, but instead genuinely raised a question.

Hiruzen Sarutobi sat behind his desk, the smoke from his pipe blurring his expression.

Have you seen the mission report for Rōran?

Orochimaru nodded.

As a disciple of the Hokage, he was one of the very few people allowed to know the details of the Taiichi Rōran mission; even the two Advisor were not among them.

The contents of the book amazed Orochimaru: he realized that there were so many interesting things in this world, and that he had truly been a frog in a well.

"Beyond the Ninja World, there are threats we are unaware of." Hiruzen Sarutobi's voice was deep. "And Konoha's current strength is too weak. Scientific research is one way to improve our strength."

Currently, Konoha's research capabilities are too fragmented. The Medical Team researches Medical Ninjutsu, the Sealing Team researches Sealing Jutsu, and the research teams of the Anbu and Root are all operating independently, resulting in low efficiency.

He raised his eyes and looked directly at Orochimaru.

"I need someone, someone capable, visionary, and not bound by tradition, to integrate these resources."

The research can be broader and deeper, not just limited to Ninjutsu applied in warfare, but also including basic theories, energy utilization, biotechnology—any field that can potentially enhance Konoha's strength.

Orochimaru laughed; it was a genuinely amusing laugh.

Aren't you afraid I'll develop something—"dangerous"?

"I was afraid," Hiruzen Sarutobi readily admitted. "That's why I set up a monitoring mechanism. All projects in the Scientific Research Department must submit progress reports to the Hokage's Office regularly. The use of funds requires double review. And—"

He paused, his tone becoming complicated.

"I believe in you, Orochimaru. I believe in your pursuit of truth, which surpasses your thirst for power or destruction. I simply hope that your pursuit can find a point of convergence with the interests of the village."

Recalling this moment, Orochimaru stuck out his tongue and licked his lips.

"The intersection, huh? --- Heh, Teacher Sarutobi, you're still as naive and cunning as ever."

He knew, of course, that Hiruzen Sarutobi must have been under immense pressure to make this decision.

The various departments would never sit idly by and allow him to gain so much resources and autonomy, and the families would also be wary that the Scientific Research Department might encroach on their secret domains.

But that's precisely what makes it interesting.

"Lord Orochimaru."

A young ninja in a research suit strode over, carrying a thick folder in his hands. He was a researcher transferred from the Medical Team, and his face still showed the nervousness of someone new to the job.

"These are the documents transferred from the Sealing Team. Please take a look."

Orochimaru took the folder and quickly flipped through it. The dense data and runes on the pages looked to him like a beautiful melody.

"It's about to begin," Orochimaru said softly, whether to the researchers or himself, "Let's see together how many secrets are hidden in the truth of this world."

Change is never smooth sailing.

That night, at Mitokado Homura's residence.

In the conference room, the glow of the oil lamp cast flickering shadows on the walls.

Mitokado Homura sat in the main seat, the light reflected from his glasses obscuring the view of others.

"Hiruzen is too impatient."

His voice was deep and resonant, echoing in the enclosed space.

Inside the room, Utatane Koharu sat on the other side. She had come to discuss the recent policy changes of the Hokage with Mitokado Homura.

"The reforms at the Ninja Academy have already raised concerns among the various clans," Utatane Koharu said, frowning. "This afternoon, several clan leaders from smaller clans approached me to gauge my opinion. They're worried that the widespread adoption of basic education will weaken the ninja clans' power."

"Weaken?" Mitokado Homura sneered. "What they're really worried about is that with a systematic entry point for Civilian ninjas, more figures like Minato Namikaze will emerge, rising to the top without family background, relying solely on talent and hard work."

Utatane Koharu rubbed her temples and continued, "The Scientific Research Department is even more troublesome. Orochimaru has gained too much authority, and that oversight mechanism—to be honest, I don't think those written reports can really restrain him. If he's secretly conducting forbidden jutsu research—"

"He definitely will." Mitokado Homura said decisively, "Root has cooperated with Orochimaru before, and his obsession with the essence of life has long surpassed the ethical boundaries of a ninja. Hiruzen is playing with fire."

"We still need to talk to Hiruzen. As Advisor, we should at least find out why he suddenly issued these orders."

Utatane Koharu was also a little angry; the Hokage's orders came out of nowhere, leaving them all feeling bewildered.

"Think about it, this all started after Taichi Matsushita completed that Rōran mission, right? That report also had problems; too much was cut out."

Mitokado Homura pushed up his glasses, looking thoughtful.

"Unfortunately, a gag order has been issued for this mission. The three people involved— Taiichi, Kakashi, and Rin—are people we cannot easily touch."

"Oh, what about Rōran? Sending people there to investigate should yield some results," Utatane Koharu, who also showed interest.

"I've already sent someone; we'll have to wait for news—"

Two days later, at Konoha Hospital.

Taiichi sat in the vice Dean's Office, where he now held the position, but no one raised any objections.

He completed all the work Tsunade had left him in just two days, which was only possible because he had enough Shadow Clone; otherwise, he wouldn't have been so efficient.

"Taiichi- kun, are you still at work?"

Lin pushed open the door and came in, carrying two cups of hot tea. She was wearing a green vest typical of Medical Ninja, and a Konoha Headband on her forehead, making her look more capable than before.

"Soon." Taiichi took the teacup, thanked him, and said, "But you, your training course must be quite demanding, right?"

Lin sat down opposite her, nodded, and said with a serious expression, "But it was very fulfilling. I knew so little before."

She paused, then lowered her voice. "I've never received systematic training before, and this is a good opportunity to make up for that."

Taiichi looked at her and suddenly asked, "Where's Kakashi? How's he doing lately?"

"He's undergoing special training." Lin smiled wryly. "Senior Sakumo has started instructing him in swordsmanship again; the training is said to be very intense. And—he's submitted his application to join the Anbu; we should have a result soon."

The room was quiet for a moment.

Taiichi looked out the window. From this angle, he could see the Ninja Academy's Training Ground, where several students who stayed behind for extra practice were practicing Shuriken throwing.

Further away, the Hokage Rock appeared particularly majestic in the setting sun, but Taiichi knew that engineering renovations were also underway there.

"Konoha is changing," he said softly.

Lin followed his gaze and nodded. "The school has started teaching basic Ninjutsu. Also, I heard that the village has set up some kind of the Scientific Research Department, Lord Orochimaru is in charge—"

She suddenly stopped and looked at Taiichi: "Are these changes related to the mission in Rōran?"

Taiichi didn't answer directly, only saying, "The Hokage-sama also feels the pressure; he's clearing obstacles for the Fourth Hokage."

He recalled the complete report classified as top secret, the eerie Rinnegan of Urashiki Otsutsuki, and the enemy that could arrive from beyond the heavens at any moment.

This world is bigger and more dangerous than most people imagine.

"Oh, right," Rin suddenly remembered something, "Where's Lady Tsunade? She's rarely come to the hospital since she came back."

Taiichi's lips twitched. "Enjoying life at an izakaya. She said she lost weight from being so tired these past two weeks and needs to regain it."

The two looked at each other and couldn't help but laugh. The laughter eased the heavy atmosphere in the room.

As the sun completely sank below the horizon, the sky gradually changed from orange-red to deep blue, and the first star began to twinkle.

Taiichi put away the documents, stood up, and said, "Let's go, it's time to go home. There's still a lot to do tomorrow."

Lin nodded, and the two walked out of the office together.