What limited Chiba's chakra was his physical energy.
Did that mean...
Once Chiba completed the mission and received the reward that doubled his chakra...
Would his physical abilities also increase by the same amount?
That kind of reward...
Chiba was looking forward to it.
However, the Battle of Kannabi Bridge was over, which meant the Third Shinobi World War was nearing its end.
Iwagakure and Konoha would probably sign a ceasefire agreement soon.
And with Iwagakure's forces already withdrawing...
There was even less chance that the Mist Ninja would rashly attack a front line guarded by the Uchiha Clan.
All that remained was to focus on dealing with Kumogakure, the most aggressive of the villages.
The Third Shinobi World War was about to end.
To complete his mission, Chiba had to catch the last train before the war ended.
And even so...
Killing three hundred enemies would not be easy.
Not because Chiba couldn't do it.
But because he wouldn't have the opportunity.
He was only six.
Even if he graduated and became a ninja, there was a good chance he wouldn't be sent to the front lines.
The period when Konoha most desperately needed manpower had already passed.
But whatever the case...
Chiba had a reason to go to the battlefield.
If the opportunity came, he wouldn't let it slip away.
Neither Chiba nor Itachi really cared about the Ninja Academy.
With their current abilities, the Ninja Academy was merely one way to become a ninja.
In Konoha, anyone who wanted to operate on the battlefield had to have a ninja identity.
Otherwise, given Sarutobi Hiruzen's degree of control over the Uchiha, he could pin any number of crimes on them.
The reason becoming a ninja required attending the Ninja Academy was to gather the village's talents in one place.
Especially the Uchiha prodigies.
That was precisely why Konoha High Command knew nearly everything about the Uchiha Clan's talented young ninjas.
Whenever a prodigy emerged...
The first thing Konoha High Command did was [snatch] that Uchiha prodigy away.
Whether they were recruited into Anbu or the Root Division, they considered it far more reassuring than leaving them with the Uchiha.
So Chiba knew...
This time, graduating from the Ninja Academy probably wouldn't go smoothly.
But for the mission, and to grow stronger, Chiba had to go through with it.
And then—
Two applications for early graduation, submitted by Chiba and Itachi, were delivered to the Hokage's office.
Sarutobi Hiruzen calmly read through them, his expression unchanged.
"So, these are applications for early graduation from Chiba and Itachi...?"
Though he'd clashed with the Uchiha just a few days ago...
That didn't change Sarutobi Hiruzen's desire to win over these two prodigies.
No matter how strained relations between Konoha and the Uchiha became...
Itachi and Chiba were only five years old, after all.
At five, a child's values and worldview were far from fully formed.
As long as he could bring them over to his side, these prodigies would eventually become Sarutobi Hiruzen's subordinates.
It might be difficult to win Itachi over at this point, but Chiba would be easy to handle.
"Someone, come here!"
As soon as he spoke...
An Anbu Ninja appeared and knelt on one knee.
"Lord Hokage!"
Sarutobi Hiruzen handed the two graduation applications to the Anbu Ninja.
"These are applications for graduation from two Uchiha children. Notify them and arrange the graduation ceremony for tomorrow."
"Yes!"
Sarutobi Hiruzen took great care with both enrollment and graduation.
No matter how busy he was, he had to attend occasions like this.
After all, these children were the fresh blood of Konoha's future.
Anbu delivered the summons very quickly.
Chiba and Itachi soon received the response.
So, early the next morning...
Chiba and Itachi arrived together in front of the Hokage Administration Building.
"Itachi... if the Hokage invites you to join his Anbu, how will you answer?"
At that, Itachi tilted his head.
"Chiba, do you want me to join?"
"This is your life, after all."
"I can't make that decision for you."
Itachi thought for a moment, hesitated, then spoke.
"I really want to understand the Hokage. Joining Anbu would probably be a good way to do that... but I don't think I'll accept."
"Why?"
"Because, Chiba... I believe in you."
Itachi understood Chiba's wariness.
He was thoughtful, and could grasp most things left unsaid.
That was why...
He had gradually realized that if he truly joined Anbu, his future might become very dark.
The village wasn't as simple as he'd imagined.
Even though he really did want to understand the Hokage and the village as a whole.
"Is that so? In that case... let's go meet them."
"Who?"
"Konoha's Four Heavenly Kings. They're the ones at the heart of the conflict between Konoha and our Uchiha Clan."
With that, Chiba leaned on his cane and calmly pushed open the door.
A long table stood in the spacious room.
Four figures sat before it.
They were Konoha's darkness, the Uchiha's true enemies.
Sarutobi Hiruzen, Shimura Danzō, Utatane Koharu, and Mitokado Homura.
Chapter 52
Konoha had always been a place blessed with outstanding people and fertile land.
A region's land nurtured its people.
And Konoha occupied what was arguably the most fertile land in the entire Shinobi World.
A great many talented clans had gathered on this land.
When the village was founded, it was home to the twin gods, Senju Hashirama and Uchiha Madara.
During that era, it was no exaggeration to say that Konoha was invincible.
If Senju Hashirama had possessed even a little ambition, he and Uchiha Madara could have swept through the entire Shinobi World on their own, and there would have been far fewer problems afterward.
Unfortunately, the conflict between Hashirama and Madara had been inevitable.
It was only after the twin gods died that the Shinobi World Wars could break out.
And even after the wars began...
Konoha's position as the strongest village remained unshakable.
Until... Konoha's Heavenly Group officially appeared.
Sometimes, Chiba wondered...
Were Konoha's Heavenly Group actually spies sent by the other four villages?
Any time a prodigy appeared in Konoha, they were snuffed out.
Some died by suicide, some left the village, and some defected.
Now, the only top-tier fighting force Konoha could rely on was Namikaze Minato.
The strongest village of the past had fallen to the bottom of the rankings.
Neither Orochimaru nor the Uchiha Clan had the High Command's trust.
A village never declined without a reason.
The corruption of its leaders was the root of the problem.
Chiba and Itachi's arrival immediately drew the attention of all four men.
"Are these two the greatest prodigies of this generation of the Uchiha Clan?"
"Uchiha Fugaku's son, and that blind Uchiha."
Even though matters of education didn't fall under Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu's jurisdiction...
They still knew everything about Chiba and Itachi.
They had been among the four who discussed using Chiba's blindness as an excuse to make an issue of it and put pressure on the Uchiha Clan.
They knew full well how strong Chiba and Itachi were.
There was no doubt they could graduate from the Ninja Academy.
The question was where their loyalties lay.