My First Day in Konoha

The Land of Fire lay at the heart of the continent. Its soil was the richest and most fertile, and Konoha Ninja Village, the symbol of the Land of Fire's military might, had been built in its most prosperous region.

Konoha was arguably the most peaceful and powerful of all the villages across the continent. It had the greatest number of ninja and strong fighters, and its people enjoyed the best quality of life.

Konoha was a symbol of strength, wealth, and peace. When Ueno Kei arrived, he saw the statues of the four Hokage atop Kage Rock looming over the village gate. They were Konoha's most iconic landmark.

At that moment, Ueno Kei stood at Konoha's gate, registering to enter the village. Thanks to Sarutobi Hiruzen's guarantee, he was spared many tedious formalities. All he had to do was provide his name, age, and the country he had come from. As he entered, the ninja on duty at the gate, dressed in a flak jacket, bowed to Sarutobi Hiruzen.

When the ninja addressed him as "Lord Hokage," Ueno Kei realized that the old man who had brought him here was actually the highest authority in Konoha. He had suspected as much, but the realization still made his heart lurch.

Once the registration was complete, Sarutobi Hiruzen turned and patted Ueno Kei on the head. "Qi, settle in and make yourself at home in Konoha. You're already over five, aren't you? Next year, once you turn six, I'll send you to the Academy. If you have any problems, you can come straight to me."

Ueno Kei nodded and answered, "Yes." He was quite interested in going to school. He was curious about ninjutsu, something he had never even heard of in his previous life. Besides, this was the age of the ninja. They represented both power and authority. If he had the potential to become one, Ueno Kei would be delighted to do so.

He chose to ignore the latter part of Sarutobi Hiruzen's promise—that he could come to him with any problems. Other children might have taken it seriously, but Ueno Kei certainly wouldn't. What was the Hokage? The leader of an entire village. How could he have time to deal with a mere child like him? It was obviously just a polite remark.

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

After giving the ninja a few instructions, Sarutobi Hiruzen left.

Once he was gone, one of the ninja, a man named Izumo, led Ueno Kei to a house and handed him a key. He told him it would be his home from now on. Since the Hokage himself had brought Ueno Kei back, Izumo was especially warm and considerate toward him.

"Qi, this is your new home from now on," Izumo said with a friendly smile.

After telling Ueno Kei a few of Konoha's rules, Izumo left. Ueno Kei stood before the place that, from that moment on, belonged to him—the so-called "home."

His gaze grew unfocused. For a moment, he seemed to see the wooden house where he had eaten and rested with his parents. Gradually, his eyes grew wet. Men did not cry easily; it was only when their hearts were truly wounded that tears came.

Looking back on the twenty years of his previous life—not a particularly long one—Ueno Kei had never thought of himself as an emotional person. His father had been distant, his mother timid, and his relatives as cold as strangers. He had lived like a machine, and even when death came, he had felt no sorrow or grief. He simply hadn't had those feelings.

Even in this life, for those few years, he had lived much as he had before: mechanically, treating his parents with polite distance.

Why did people only learn to cherish what they had at the moment they lost it? Ueno Kei had learned that lesson firsthand.

He had experienced the deep love between his parents and himself, and he would never forget the pain of losing them. Perhaps because his thoughts were unlike those of an ordinary child, he didn't feel too lost or too overcome by grief.

Or perhaps, ten or twenty years from now, the pain would gradually fade.

But Ueno Kei felt that the sorrow would always remain as a scar in his heart. No matter how much it healed, the scar would still be there.

Ueno Kei gently wiped his eyes, his expression gradually settling. He murmured, "Father, Mother, I'll live well. I promise I'll live well."

The boy clenched his fist, determination showing on his face.

Then Ueno Kei opened the door and went inside. The furnishings were simple. There were two small rooms, a table, two chairs, and a basic kitchen.

He walked in slowly and opened the door to the inner room. It was a simple bedroom with nothing but a hard wooden bed. Of course, basic bedding and a pillow had been provided.

He opened the door to the other room and found a cramped bathroom. Ueno Kei let out a long breath. The house wasn't good, but it was enough for everyday life, and he was already quite satisfied. As a young outsider, he had nothing to offer Konoha, so these accommodations were more than decent.

Besides, he would receive a regular living allowance each month. He had nothing to complain about.

He composed himself, washed up in the bathroom, and changed into the clothes Konoha had prepared for him. After eating the boxed meal left in the house, he stood before the simple mirror and straightened his clothes. Reflected in the mirror was a pale-faced boy with long purple hair that fell past his shoulders. He wore a black top and a pair of well-fitting brown ninja shorts.

Ueno Kei patted his cheeks, trying to make himself look a little more alert.

Then he opened the door, took out his key, and locked up. Since he had decided to make a life here, Ueno Kei felt he needed to learn his way around Konoha and at least get a general idea of its layout.

Otherwise, not knowing his way around would be a real problem. He would naturally get familiar with the village after living here for a while, but Ueno Kei still felt it was better to be prepared.

After lunch, at around one in the afternoon, people streamed along Konoha's roads, and the various shops were filled with an array of goods.

Ueno Kei strolled along, curiously taking in the village's facilities.

To Ueno Kei, even though Konoha was said to be the most prosperous village and bustled with activity, its trade seemed to be thriving, it still fell far short of the great cities of his previous life.

But he sensed something very different from the people here: goodwill. Wherever he went, people's faces were bright with smiles. He could feel their kindness.

With its peaceful surroundings and the deterrent of its powerful military, Konoha truly lived up to its reputation as the world's largest ninja village, Ueno Kei thought to himself.

"If only I could live in the Land of Fire—or better yet, be a citizen of Konoha itself."

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