Winter gave way to spring, and nearly two years passed in the blink of an eye.
Naruto and the other children had reached the age of nine and a half to ten.
Konoha.
Outside the Ninja Academy.
Zhengye leaned against the entrance, chatting with Kushina.
"Recently, the Third Hokage has been coming to our house more and more often. He always wants to take Naruto fishing."
"But Naruto has plenty of friends around him now. He's completely lost interest in fishing."
Kushina curled her lip, seemingly dismissive of the Third Hokage.
"The Ninja Academy has started teaching Will of Fire classes now. They tell Naruto every day that he has to dedicate himself to the village. I have to repeat myself several times a day to make Naruto treat those Will of Fire lessons like bullshit."
Zhengye snickered at that.
"It's all a political necessity. These kids are nine or ten now, old enough to remember things. They have to brainwash them eventually. Besides, if a lie is repeated often enough, someone will believe it."
Kushina crossed her arms, her face full of disdain.
"When I attended the Ninja Academy, we didn't have classes like that. And I have no idea who rated that old bastard as the strongest Hokage."
"It's hilarious. That old bastard even accepted the title. His skin is thicker than the frying pan in my house."
Zhengye burst out laughing. Kushina might have become more mature in her thinking, but her temper was still the same.
"Ding-dong..."
The dismissal bell rang, and all the students emerged in groups of two or three.
Naruto's class had the largest crowd gathered together.
Gaara, Karin, Naruto, Sasuke, Kimimaro, and Haku were all walking together.
Meanwhile, Jugo, Suigetsu, and Yakumo from Orochimaru's side were walking together.
Children grew quickly. All