The next day, at noon.
Bai Lin stood atop the enormous stone cliff behind Konoha, where the faces of the Hokage through the generations had been carved, lost in a moment of quiet reflection.
He had taken care of everything the day before. Both the handover of the Everything Shop and revealing his strength to Hiruzen Sarutobi had gone according to plan.
But Hiruzen Sarutobi still hadn't given him any assignments, and Bai Lin, who couldn't sit still, was growing restless.
"My strength is at the Elite Jonin level now. There's no point in using the beginner draws (Genin) or intermediate draws (Chunin) anymore."
"Why does this system feel so poorly designed? I got this much power from my first purchase. There's no point in having the earlier draws at all!"
"Snake Sasuke's strength is already enough. The advanced draw (Jonin level) costs ten million ryō. I'd need to complete at most ten S-rank missions to reach that goal. Rather than fussing over the useless rewards from low-level draws, I should hurry up and save money to aim for the Kage-level draw."
Bai Lin knew that if he wanted to make a major leap in strength, he had no choice but to keep saving up for higher-level draws.
He had considered going into business again, but the timing wasn't great. Unless he sold things like ninja tools, which might let him profit from the war, other kinds of businesses were better suited to peacetime.
The main problem was that the system had restricted his ways of earning money. Otherwise, he really would have liked to rob a daimyo. He might have been able to exchange the money for a ten-pull Super Kage draw in one go. He wouldn't have cared even if it meant defecting from the village.
"Forget it. I'll just take it one step at a time!"
"First, I'll become a ninja. Whether it's the mission pay from Konoha or the enemies I kill on the battlefield, the Second Shinobi World War should be enough to raise my strength to Kage level."
"I'm so bored. Other than making money, I can't find anything to work toward."
"That makes sense. Other people improve through training, so their strength is unstable and takes a tremendous amount of effort."
"But my foundations are solid. I reached this level in a single leap thanks to the system. The difference is clear!"
Ninja Academy.
In Minato Namikaze and Kushina Uzumaki's classroom.
"Sensei, I'd like to apply for early graduation." Minato Namikaze addressed his instructor, Mizuno Takahashi, with a serious expression.
"No way, Minato's actually applying to take the graduation exam early!"
"Minato Namikaze is only first in the class. He's just a little better than the rest of us. If he can apply, why can't we?"
"If we had the same talent as Lord Hokage's three students, maybe they'd take us on as disciples after we graduated."
Minato Namikaze wasn't considered a genius in class. During practical training, he always fought his opponents to a standstill and had never shown any outstanding talent.
He was first in the class, yet seemed perfectly ordinary.
The students who believed they were only a little weaker than Minato Namikaze thought that if he could graduate early, they should be able to as well.
"Sensei, I want to graduate early too!"
"Exactly! We keep going over the same things at school. I learned it all ages ago. I want to become a ninja!"
"What if Lord Hokage notices my talent and takes me on as a disciple? It won't be long before I'm as famous as Lord Jiraiya!"
"Get real. You're even weaker than me, and you think Lord Hokage will take you on? Lord Orochimaru is the one I look up to. After I graduate, I'm definitely going to serve under him."
The students around them grew even louder. Mizuno Takahashi pushed up his glasses, already sweating.
There weren't any real prodigies in this class, just ordinary, well-behaved students.
He hadn't expected Minato Namikaze's simple request to graduate early to inspire so many others.
Mizuno Takahashi addressed the class sternly. "Class, becoming a ninja is no game. In the world of ninjas, one failure means death! Do you think graduating early will make you special? That it'll turn you into a strong shinobi like the Sannin? Without a solid foundation and enough practical experience, death will be your fate."
When Mizuno Takahashi spoke of death, his voice turned extremely grave, as if he were trying to make everyone think clearly.
But he hadn't anticipated that once people gained some strength, they'd grow blindly confident. One after another, they showed their displeasure.
Seeing this, he could only sigh helplessly. "If that's how you feel, then after class, anyone who wants to apply for early graduation can come to my office and sign up. I'll still have to ask Lord Hokage whether you can take the exam."
"But I sincerely want you all to understand that becoming a ninja isn't child's play. Any mistake could leave you with regrets for the rest of your life."
Mizuno Takahashi could no longer continue the lesson. The students weren't paying attention to class at all. Their faces were filled with excitement and anticipation.
Become a ninja and inherit the Will of Fire!
They were all discussing who might be lucky enough to become a disciple of Lord Hokage, Tsunade, Jiraiya, or Orochimaru.
For eight-year-old children like them, that would be an incredible honor.
Kushina sat in her seat, dumbfounded.
How come my classmates all want to graduate when this is only my second day at school? Does that mean I'll have to stay home alone from now on?
Pah!
The teacher's only teaching me because I'm the only one in class. What an honor!
Pah again!
What's that girly boy up to? Isn't he Bai Lin's underling? Did he get Bai Lin's permission before applying for early graduation?
Should I apply for early graduation too?
No way. I'm definitely asking him after class.
Kushina had a lot on her mind. At first, she found the whole thing absurd. It was only her second day, and already her classmates were about to leave.
Then she realized that graduating early would mean she wouldn't have to waste every day sitting in class. She'd have more time to spend with her Bai Lin.
Grandma Mito had already started giving her private lessons. With Chakra no weaker than a Jonin's, all she had to do was learn some ninjutsu, and she'd be better than most people.
In the face of talent, bloodline, and tattoos, hard work was nothing.
If Bai Lin had heard that, he would only have said smugly, "What you think matters? In front of the system, it's nothing too!"
Deep Blue, add points!
Hokage's office.
"Urgent news from the border—Hanzo of the Salamander has made his move."
"According to reports, he's carrying out large-scale attacks in the Land of Fire, the Land of Wind, and the Land of Iron at the same time!" Hiruzen Sarutobi's voice darkened. "He even led elite Amegakure forces across the border himself. In three days, they destroyed two of our medium-sized outposts!"
"Has he gone mad?" Mitokado Homura hurriedly adjusted his glasses, eyes wide. "He's provoking three countries at once. Is he trying to start a war?"
Utatane Koharu nodded repeatedly. "It's been almost twenty years since the last war ended! Until now, there've only been minor skirmishes. What does Hanzo of the Salamander think he's doing?"
"Everyone, this is not a good sign." Hiruzen Sarutobi furrowed his brow. "Sunagakure has been acting strangely as well. The Daimyo of the Land of Wind has cut their budget, leaving them desperately short of resources. In recent years, they've been crossing the border to seize supplies more and more often."
"I suspect they'll use this opportunity to launch another war against the Land of Fire. Tell me what you think."
"I think Hanzo's become too ambitious!" Shimura Danzō's eyes were cold. "He wants to take advantage of the years of peace between the countries, while their forces are complacent, to stir up trouble in the Ninja World and fish in troubled waters! As for Sunagakure, they've probably been waiting for this chance to seize resources through war!"
"Besides, the other major ninja villages' intentions are unclear. Who knows which of them might take this opportunity to strike? We must step up surveillance of all the ninja villages and prepare for any possible action."