First Arrival in Konoha

The Land of Fire is located at the center of the entire continent. It could be said that the most prosperous and fertile soil is found within its borders. As the supreme symbol of military power in the Land of Fire, Konoha Ninja Village was established in the most thriving region of the country.

Furthermore, Konoha could be considered the most peaceful and powerful of all the ninja villages on the continent, boasting the highest number of ninjas, the greatest concentration of elite fighters, and the best quality of life.

The entire village of Konoha could be seen as a symbol of strength, wealth, and peace. When Ueno Kei arrived in Konoha, the statues of the four Hokage carved into the towering Hokage Rock, which he saw from the village gate, served as the most iconic landmark of the village.

At this moment, Ueno Kei was standing at the Konoha village gate completing his entry registration. Thanks to Sarutobi Hiruzen's guarantee, Ueno Kei was spared many complicated procedures; he only needed to record his name, age, and former country to enter. As he entered, the ninja on duty at the gate, wearing a flak jacket, saluted Sarutobi Hiruzen.

It was only when they addressed him as "Lord Hokage" that Ueno Kei realized the old man who had brought him back was actually the highest authority in Konoha. Even though he had suspected as much, Ueno Kei's heart still gave a sharp twitch at that moment.

After the registration was complete, Sarutobi Hiruzen turned around, patted Ueno Kei on the head, and said, "Kei-kun, stay well in Konoha. You're over five years old now, right? Next year, once you turn six, I will let you attend the academy to study. If you have any problems, you can come directly to me."

Ueno Kei nodded and replied, "Yes." He was quite interested in attending school. As for becoming a ninja and learning ninjutsu—things he had never heard of in his previous life—Ueno Kei was filled with curiosity. Moreover, this was the era of ninjas; ninjas represented military power and authority. If he had the potential to become one, Ueno Kei would be very happy to do so.

As for the second half of Sarutobi Hiruzen's sentence about coming to him if he had any problems, Ueno Kei chose to ignore it. Other children might take it seriously, but Ueno Kei absolutely would not. Who was the Hokage? He was the leader of a village; how could he possibly have time to concern himself with a mere child like him? That was clearly just a polite gesture.

There was no need to take it seriously, and he couldn't afford to.

Afterward, Sarutobi Hiruzen gave a few instructions to the ninjas and then departed from the spot.

After Sarutobi Hiruzen left, one of the ninjas, named Izumo, led Ueno Kei to a house and handed him a key, telling him that this would be his future residence. Because he had been brought back by the Hokage himself, Izumo's attitude was noticeably very gentle.

"Kei-kun, this will be your new home from now on," Izumo said with a smile.

After informing Ueno Kei of some of the rules of Konoha, Izumo left. Ueno Kei stood before what was, from this moment on, his so-called "home."

His eyes glazed over for a moment. He seemed to see the wooden house where he used to eat and rest with his parents. Gradually, Ueno Kei's eyes grew moist. A man does not easily shed tears, only when he reaches the depths of sorrow.

Looking back on the twenty years of his previous life, Ueno Kei had never considered himself a sentimental person. With a cold father, a timid mother, and relatives as indifferent as strangers, he had lived like a machine. Even at the moment of death, Ueno Kei had felt no sadness or grief, because he lacked those emotions.

Until this life, for those few years, he had continued to live mechanically, maintaining a respectful but distant relationship with his parents.

Why is it that people only learn to cherish things the moment they lose them? Ueno Kei learned that lesson well at that moment.

It was the deep, intimate bond with his parents that he had experienced firsthand, and the piercing pain of losing them was something he would always remember. Perhaps because he possessed thoughts unlike those of a typical child, he was not overly lost or sorrowful.

Or perhaps, in ten or twenty years, this pain would gradually fade.

But Ueno Kei felt that this sorrow would always be a scar in his heart; no matter how much it shrank, the scar would always remain there.

Ueno Kei gently wiped his eyes, and his expression gradually calmed. He murmured to himself, "Father, Mother, Kei will live on well. I will definitely live on well."

The boy clenched his fists tightly, a determined look appearing on his face.

Immediately, Ueno Kei pushed open the door and walked in. He looked at the layout of the room; it was very simple, consisting of two compartments, a table, two chairs, and a small kitchen.

Ueno Kei walked in slowly and pushed open the door to the inner room. Inside was a simple bedroom containing only a hardwood bed, though basic bedding and a pillow had already been prepared.

He pushed open the door to the other compartment to find a narrow bathroom. Ueno Kei let out a long sigh. Although the house wasn't luxurious, it was sufficient for daily life. Ueno Kei was already very satisfied; as a young outsider with no benefit to Konoha, receiving such treatment was already quite good.

Furthermore, there was a fixed monthly living allowance, so Ueno Kei had nothing to complain about.

He composed himself, washed up in the bathroom, and changed into the clothes prepared for him by the village. After eating the bento that had been provided, he stood in front of the simple mirror in the room to tidy his appearance. The reflection showed a pale-faced boy with long purple hair reaching past his shoulders, wearing a black top and well-fitting brown ninja shorts.

Ueno Kei patted his cheeks to make himself look a bit more spirited.

He then pushed open the door and locked it with the key. Since he had decided to live here, Ueno Kei felt it was necessary to get to know Konoha, or at least ensure he had a general understanding of its layout.

Otherwise, it would be a big problem if he didn't know his way around later. Although he would naturally become familiar with it after living here for a while, Ueno Kei still felt it was better to be prepared.

It was around 1:00 PM after lunch, and the streets of Konoha were filled with people coming and going, while various shops were stocked with a dazzling array of goods.

Ueno Kei walked slowly, curiously observing some of the facilities within Konoha.

In Ueno Kei's view, although Konoha, which claimed to be the most prosperous village, was bustling with noise and trade, it still fell far short compared to some of the metropolises from his previous life.

However, Ueno Kei felt something very different from these people: kindness. No matter where he went, people's faces were always filled with smiles, and all of this made Ueno Kei feel that sense of goodwill.

A peaceful environment and the deterrent of powerful military force—Konoha is truly worthy of being the largest ninja village in the world, Ueno Kei muttered to himself.

"If only I could live in the Land of Fire, or even better, be a villager of Konoha itself, how wonderful that would be."

His mother's wistful words surfaced in Ueno Kei's mind once again.