Ninja Academy

The morning mist had yet to disperse, draping the entire shinobi world like a thin veil.

The layered mountain ranges in the far distance emerged and vanished within the fog, their outlines barely visible.

The eastern horizon gradually turned pale, and a ray of golden sunlight pierced the thin mist, spilling onto the yellowing blades of grass as dewdrops shimmered with crystalline light.

Within the Uchiha Clan District, the leaves on the maple trees scattered among the courtyards had already turned mostly red, appearing especially vibrant in the morning light.

A few mischievous leaves occasionally spun down from the branches, drifting lightly like fiery red butterflies dancing through the air.

The ground had long been covered in a thick layer of fallen leaves. They rustled softly beneath one's feet, soft and damp with a hint of autumn chill.

The air was filled with a fresh scent. A deep breath carried a trace of coolness, yet it left one feeling invigorated.

Several crisp birdcalls came from beyond the clan district, breaking the morning silence and suddenly adding a touch of life to the bleak autumn day.

In the bedroom, Yin Jie climbed out of bed beneath the morning light streaming through the window.

After washing up and making himself a simple breakfast of milk and fried eggs, he put on a black long-sleeved shirt embroidered with the fan-shaped clan crest on its back, picked up the schoolbag Uchiha Fugaku had sent over yesterday, and left the house.

Uchiha Yasashiro had specially ordered this outfit for him before his departure. The pure black long-sleeved shirt fit his body well and also flattered his figure.

The small figure with a schoolbag on his back strode out of the Uchiha Clan District, facing the morning sun and gentle breeze.

Yin Jie was already familiar with the route to the Ninja Academy after spending some time in the Hidden Leaf Village. Incidentally, he had refused Uchiha Fugaku's offer to take him to school yesterday.

After all, he was not really some little child who needed to be picked up and dropped off for school, and Fugaku had his own matters to attend to.

So today, he was reporting to the Ninja Academy alone.

The Uchiha Clan District, still located in the central area of the Hidden Leaf Village, was not far from the Ninja Academy. Before long, Yin Jie arrived at his destination.

By then, most of the children and the parents bringing them to school had already gathered at the entrance to the Ninja Academy, creating a lively, noisy scene.

Weaving through the crowd, Yin Jie quickly found Uchiha Aya, who was also enrolling this year, as well as Uchiha Yakumi, who had brought her to school and was speaking with her nearby.

Uchiha Yakumi was Uchiha Aya's older brother, and Yin Jie was fairly familiar with him as well.

After graduating early from the Ninja Academy last year, he had joined the Konoha Military Police Force. This year, he had been promoted to chunin and become a squad leader.

However, none of that was important.

What mattered was that Uchiha Yakumi came from the same branch as Uchiha Fugaku and was one of Fugaku's most loyal supporters.

He was exceedingly loyal to Uchiha Fugaku, who served as captain of the Konoha Military Police Force and would even succeed as clan head in the near future.

Uchiha Fugaku, in turn, had cultivated him as a confidant, often keeping him by his side to teach and guide him personally. Thus, given Yin Jie's relationship with Fugaku, Yin Jie had gradually become acquainted with him as well.

"Good morning, Senior Yakumi! And Aya!"

Yin Jie greeted them both, his gaze finally settling on Uchiha Aya, who would become his classmate.

This year, the Uchiha Clan had only the two of them attending the Ninja Academy.

"Yin Jie! Morning!"

Uchiha Yakumi said with a smile. At the same time, he patted the somewhat shy Uchiha Aya on the head, signaling for his little sister to return Yin Jie's greeting.

He knew just how highly Captain Fugaku and the clan regarded Yin Jie.

"Y-Yin Jie! Good morning!"

Uchiha Aya's little face flushed red as she secretly glanced at Yin Jie, softly returning his greeting.

Yin Jie could not help but smile at the sight. However, just as he was about to say something else, waves of surprised cries rang out from the surrounding crowd.

"The Third!"

"Lord Hokage!"

"Grandpa Third!"

All those forms of address referred to the same person: the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi.

And his arrival meant that the Ninja Academy's opening ceremony was about to begin.

Yin Jie could only swallow the words he had yet to say, bid Uchiha Yakumi an apologetic farewell, then enter the Ninja Academy with Uchiha Aya to listen to the Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi's speech and "teachings."

On a temporary platform set up on the training ground, Hiruzen Sarutobi was pulling out all the stops to instill his ideology of the "Will of Fire" into the Hidden Leaf Village's new generation of gathered "scallions."

With his impassioned voice, rhythmic intonation, and warm, kindly smile, Hiruzen Sarutobi's speech had the children utterly fired up and completely enthralled.

Yin Jie, of course, was the exception.

With memories of his past life, he knew what Hiruzen Sarutobi would say without even listening.

So he did not listen to a single word of Hiruzen Sarutobi's speech.

From the very beginning, he had already let his mind wander, his thoughts long since flying off to who knew where.

Still, in order not to let Hiruzen Sarutobi notice anything unusual, Yin Jie put on an expression of being "moved." Whenever Hiruzen Sarutobi's gaze swept in his direction, his face would show waves of excitement and admiration.

This was an actor's professional discipline.

And this move was called political correctness!

After all, he was only a six-year-old child. Wasn't such a reaction perfectly normal?

An hour and a half later, the long, tedious "Will of Fire" speech that had nearly put Yin Jie to sleep finally came to an end.

Yin Jie gave his head a slight shake and looked around, only to find that every child nearby wore an expression of fervor, the kind that made them seem eager to graduate from the Ninja Academy immediately and shout "For Konoha!" on the battlefield.

Uchiha Aya beside him was doing fairly well. After all, she was an Uchiha, and Hiruzen Sarutobi's rhetoric did not particularly resonate with her. She had some resistance to it.

But Yin Jie figured that after she spent a few more years at the Ninja Academy and Hiruzen Sarutobi came to give a few more speeches like this, she might be at risk of falling under his spell as well.

She had some resistance, but not much.