Homelander May Not Exist in the Land of Fire, but Konoha Has Its Subject Persons

The entrance to the Ninja Academy was packed with parents seeing their children off and new students preparing to enroll, far more than in previous years.

The situation on the front lines was brutal.

Yet children of Tsunade's generation had been born during the golden age of the Shinobi World, when Hashirama was still alive. Those dying in battle were adult ninja, so it did not affect the number of children from this generation entering school.

The effects of the First Shinobi World War would probably not become apparent until the Second Shinobi World War.

Konoha's ninja population would only truly begin to decline drastically around the time of the Third Shinobi World War.

Starting from that period, the school term would be shortened from six years to three, and graduation requirements would be lowered.

Large numbers of children under ten would graduate from the Ninja Academy and be sent straight to the battlefield. The endless wars would drain the potential of an entire generation in Konoha, creating a severe gap in its population structure.

By Naruto's era, both Konoha's number of active-duty ninja and its number of newborns would reach their lowest point.

Whatever the future held—

The Ninja Academy of today was still brimming with vitality, a scene of flourishing life and boundless growth.

This was the demographic dividend Konoha had won during Hashirama's era.

Toji gave the crowd a rough glance. This year's incoming class would likely surpass five hundred students. The number was not exaggerated; it was within his expectations.

After all, by the time of the final great battle, the Shinobi World had mobilized nearly ninety thousand troops. The Five Great Ninja Villages made up the bulk of them, so Konoha fielding seven or eight thousand people would not be surprising.

Those seven or eight