Among this year's new students, three children from the Shimura Clan besides Kizaru were enrolling. They were all promising young talents, carefully chosen by the clan for their potential.
The three children—two boys and a girl—were Shimura Tanin, Shimura Yoshihiko, and Shimura Yuki. Yoshihiko was the Third Elder's grandson.
In the village, the Shimura Clan was as renowned as the Sarutobi Clan, one of the second-tier ninja clans. At its peak, it had more than eight hundred clan members and nearly two hundred ninja, including close to twenty Jonin and Special Jonin.
After Danzo rose to power, took the position of Hokage Assistant, and established Root, the clan made tremendous sacrifices to support him.
Over the more than ten years since Danzo had established Root, the clan's population had dwindled from more than eight hundred at its peak to just over five hundred. The number of clan ninja had been cut in half, leaving only around a hundred. The clan had suffered a severe blow.
But those tremendous sacrifices had also brought tremendous rewards. With the clan's unstinting support, Danzo had Root firmly under his control, and his influence in the village had made him second only to the Hokage.
As Danzo's power grew, the clan continued to acquire more businesses in the village. Its enterprises flourished, its ties with the nobles of the Land of Fire grew closer, and the lands it owned within the country more than doubled.
At the same time, Danzo used his position in Root to collect a great many mid- and high-level ninja techniques for the clan, even forbidden techniques.
The Shimura Clan was now at its strongest in nearly fifty years—and also at its most vulnerable.
What the clan needed most was time to grow: time to turn the gains it had made over the past few years into strength.
And Kizaru's arrival was a tremendous blessing for the Shimura Clan. As long as he grew up safely, the clan wouldn't need to worry about other clans taking the gains it had made over the past few years.
In fact, with a top-tier powerhouse like Kizaru in the future, the clan could claim even greater rewards.
That was why the clan supported and cared for Kizaru in every way, sparing no expense.
The children of Kizaru's generation heard their parents and elders praise him almost every day, along with reminders about how they were expected to treat him.
"Kizaru will be the clan leader in the future. You must respect him and never offend him!"
Every child in the Shimura Clan had heard those words.
Shimura Kizaru was the perfect child their parents were always telling them about—the kind who belonged to someone else!
Growing up in that environment, coupled with Kizaru's easygoing nature, meant that all the children of his generation in the Shimura Clan admired him. They were proud to be close to him.
Just like Shimura Tanin, Shimura Yoshihiko, and Shimura Yuki now, who were overjoyed to learn they'd be classmates with big brother Kizaru.
When Yoshihiko learned he'd be in the same class as his big brother, his face lit up with pride as he bragged to his friends.
"Hahaha!" Surrounded by his friends' envious looks, Shimura Yoshihiko planted his hands on his hips and threw back his head, laughing.
"Tch!"
Of the three newcomers this year, the only girl besides Kizaru, Shimura Yuki, had a pair of strikingly bold eyebrows. Seeing Yoshihiko laugh so smugly, she let out an indignant scoff.
Yuki admired big brother Kizaru just as much. Like him, she had lost both parents on Root missions, and the clan had taken care of them together when they were young.
Their similar experiences, along with her competitive nature, had made Yuki a passionate admirer of Kizaru.
Because of a mistake in the entrance exam, Yuki had failed to get into the school's Elite Class. She couldn't be classmates with Kizaru, and she deeply regretted it.
"Yuki, are you jealous of me?" Yoshihiko asked, hearing her scoff. He didn't like this girl, who was always hanging around big brother Kizaru. "Hahaha! You never study hard, and you're always bothering big brother Kizaru. You failed to get into the Elite Class because you're lazy!"
"You!" Yuki was furious. She glared at Yoshihiko with her bright eyes. "I'll challenge you at the end-of-year exams and take back my place in the Elite Class from you, you jerk!"
"You?" Yoshihiko lifted his chin haughtily, looking utterly disdainful.
"Come on, stop arguing!" Shimura Tanin, the gentlest and most refined-looking of the three, stood between them, looking anxious as he tried to break up the fight.
"Tanin, move!" Annoyed by Yoshihiko's attitude, Yuki pushed Tanin aside and prepared to teach Yoshihiko a lesson.
"Yuki, I'm not trying to stir things up, but with Yoshihiko acting like that, I wouldn't be able to stand it either," said a little boy nearby with foxlike eyes and glasses.
"Hey, hey!"
Kizaru was on his way over to take his three underlings to the school's opening ceremony. He hadn't even gotten close before he heard his fox-eyed underling stirring up trouble.
"Shintaro, you little troublemaker! At it again?"
Kizaru stamped his foot and used the Body Flicker Technique to appear behind the fox-eyed Shimura Shintaro. He planted his right hand on the little fox's head and ruffled his hair vigorously.
Shintaro blushed at the sudden attack. The little guy admired and liked Kizaru just as much!
After letting Kizaru ruffle his hair for more than ten seconds, Shintaro finally seemed to realize what was happening. He raised a hand and pushed Kizaru's right hand away. "Don't touch my head. I'm all grown up now."
"You little rascal!" Kizaru laughed and shook his head. He bent down, extended his index finger, and gently tapped Shintaro on the forehead.
Kizaru had been the "kids' king" in his previous life. After being reborn in the Naruto World, he'd also been close with all the children of his generation in the clan.
When he was three or four, despite his mature mind, Kizaru would help the adults look after the little ones and play with them.
That was one of the reasons he was so popular among the clan's children.
Kizaru knew Shintaro very well. The Great Elder's grandson had been clever from an early age, but he was a premature orphan and had always been frail. His talent as a ninja was quite average, too.
The Great Elder felt great sympathy and affection for his grandson, who had lost his parents at such a young age. Not wanting his frail, average grandson to suffer, he had no plans to make Shintaro a ninja.
The old man's only hope for his grandson was that he could live a safe and happy life!
That was why Shintaro, who desperately wanted to become a ninja and go to school with big brother Kizaru, envied the three of them so much.
"Big brother Kizaru, you're sure to become the strongest ninja someday!" Shintaro looked up at him, his eyes shining.
"Of course!" Kizaru replied without a hint of modesty.
After speaking, Kizaru straightened up and looked at the three little ones who had gathered around him.
"Yoshihiko, Yuki, Tanin, get ready to go! We'll be late if we wait any longer!"
"I'm ready, big brother Kizaru!"
"Let's go, big brother Kizaru!"
"Okay, big brother Kizaru!"
The three little ones answered in turn. As their friends watched enviously, they puffed out their chests, held their heads high, and proudly followed Kizaru toward the gate.
I woke up this morning to the news that my contract had been approved, and I'm incredibly happy! I didn't expect to get a contract with only 7,000 words. Many thanks to my editor, Wutong!