Opening Intimidates the Three Sannin, the First Hokage's Personal Guarantee!

The classroom was a noisy mess.

More than a dozen three- and four-year-old brats chased and roughhoused with each other, chirping and shouting without pause.

Uchiha Linhai sat in a window-side corner, propping his cheek on one hand as he stared blankly at the scenery outside.

Making an adult soul weathered by life play house with little kids?

It was simply torture. Being a quiet, expressionless face was pretty nice.

Whoosh—

An eraser fell from above, shooting straight at Linhai's forehead.

Without even turning around, Linhai raised his hand and caught the eraser between two fingers. With a slight squeeze, he instantly crushed it into fragments.

Not far away, the white-haired brat who had been waiting to enjoy the show swallowed hard and immediately behaved himself.

Soon, a man wearing a chunin flak jacket entered the classroom.

Looking at the classroom that was as chaotic as a pot of porridge, he coughed heavily.

"Quiet! Class is starting!"

No one paid him any attention.

Bang! Bang!

The chunin pulled out a kunai and repeatedly slammed its hilt against the blackboard.

After ten minutes of armed intimidation, the little troublemakers finally obediently returned to their seats.

"Let me introduce myself." The chunin teacher nodded. "My name is Sato Ueno, a chunin. I enjoy reading and love the village. My goal is to train all of you into qualified ninja who can contribute to Konoha."

"Now it's your turn."

The moment he finished speaking, the white-haired brat planted one foot on his desk and shouted loudly:

"I'm Jiraiya! I'm three years old! I like Lady Tsunade the most! What I hate most is..."

He pointed at Linhai, then at a long-haired boy in the corner.

"What I hate most are these two cold blocks of wood! My dream is to become Hokage!"

The children in the class joined in, jeering and shouting nonsense.

Linhai raised an eyebrow. Konoha was fairly peaceful. All the darkness was hidden beneath the surface.

The blonde little girl stood up and shoved Jiraiya aside.

"Tsunade Senju, three years old. I like rolling dice, winning money, and looking at handsome guys. I hate Jiraiya the most, and my dream is to win all the money in the world!"

It was Linhai's turn.

He stood and spoke calmly. "Uchiha Linhai, six years old.

"There are quite a few things I like and quite a few things I dislike. For now, I don't have a dream."

With that, he simply sat back down.

The long-haired boy rose right after him.

"Orochimaru, three years old. I like the food my mother makes and the stories my father tells. My dream is to become a great ninja and protect my parents from harm. What I hate most is Jiraiya."

Life at the Ninja Academy had officially begun.

Konoha Year 13, March.

Land of Earth, atop a perilous mountain peak.

Mu, the Second Tsuchikage, gazed into the distance and said to his disciple, Ōnoki, beside him:

"Ōnoki, the ninja world's balance has changed.

"With Madara Uchiha dead, Konoha is destined to decline.

"Takigakure Village has proposed using tailed beasts as weapons, and the Land of Earth's daimyo fully supports our military expansion.

"As long as we obtain more than two tailed beasts, we can wash away the humiliation Konoha inflicted upon us back then!"

Ōnoki lowered his head without speaking, sighing inwardly.

His teacher had been wounded too deeply by Madara Uchiha. Sooner or later, this hatred would spark a great ninja war.

At the same time, in the Land of Wind.

The First Kazekage stood atop a sand dune and issued a death order. "Capture the Five-Tails at any cost!"

Land of Lightning.

The Second Raikage sat behind his desk, his expression grave.

"Iwagakure and Kirigakure are both frantically purchasing ninja tools. Pass down the order: reinforce the border defenses, keep a close watch on the jinchuriki, and stockpile supplies!"

Land of Fire, Konoha Village.

Hashirama Senju, the First Hokage, stood atop the stone monument, looking down upon the bustling streets.

A figure arrived in an instant. With gray hair and red eyes, it was Tobirama Senju, the Second Hokage.

"Brother, something is wrong with the situation. Iwagakure is expanding its armaments, and war could break out at any moment, but the Fire Daimyo refuses to prepare for it." Tobirama frowned deeply.

Hashirama laughed heartily. "What are you panicking for? As long as the two of us are still around, who would dare act rashly? If someone really comes looking for trouble, I wouldn't mind taking a walk along the border. More importantly, the clans within the village have been getting restless, haven't they?"

"With me here, they won't be able to cause any real trouble. Hiruzen Sarutobi and Shimura Danzo are both on my key training list. In the future, they'll be more than capable of carrying Konoha's banner. I'm more worried about your health, Brother."

"Don't worry. I can hold on for a while longer."

"If we had killed Madara Uchiha with one strike back then, you wouldn't have had to squander so much of your life force!" Tobirama ground his teeth.

Hashirama waved a hand. "Let the past stay in the past. What's troublesome now is choosing a jinchuriki for the Nine-Tails, and... that child Lin Hai from the Uchiha clan."

At that name, Tobirama's eyes turned icy. "He's at the Ninja Academy. Brother, killing a brat early would be easier than crushing an ant. The Uchiha Clan wouldn't dare utter a word."

"Tobirama!" Hashirama shouted sternly. "He's only six years old! He is Konoha's hope for the future!"

Tobirama refused to yield. "The Uchiha's power comes from hatred! That brat Lin Hai has greater talent than either you or me. At six years old, he can cast two B-rank ninjutsu in a row within a minute! And his behavior is arrogant and aloof—he's practically an enhanced Madara Uchiha! If we keep him alive, he will become a calamity!"

"Enough!" Hashirama glared furiously. "Your prejudice against the Uchiha runs too deep! The Police Force has already pushed them to the edge of a cliff, and you still want to wipe them out completely? Starting tomorrow, I will personally teach Lin Hai ninjutsu. He isn't Madara Uchiha. He shouldn't have to atone for the sins of his predecessors!"

Tobirama took a deep breath and relented. "Fine, I'll listen to you. But I'll keep an eye on him. If he shows even the slightest sign of rebellion, I'll clean house immediately! ...As for the Nine-Tails, Sister-in-law Mito's health is worsening, and we can't find a suitable candidate for the time being."

Hashirama sighed. "After Mito passes, send the Nine-Tails to the Land of Whirlpools for sealing first. Konoha doesn't need tailed beasts to intimidate others. We ourselves are the strongest shield."

The two fell silent.

After a long while, Tobirama softly asked, "Brother, after we die, will Konoha still be as powerful as it is now?"

"Who knows?" Hashirama looked toward the horizon, his smile gentle. "Wherever leaves dance, fire will burn. The fire's shadow will illuminate the village and make new leaves sprout. That saying... Madara Uchiha was the one who told it to me back then."

Then Hashirama stretched lazily. "All right, I'm off to play dice with my adorable granddaughter! She's been on quite a winning streak lately!"

Veins bulged on Tobirama's forehead. "Tsunade is only three years old! You've already led her astray! You shameless old fool!"

"Then go have one yourself, you old bachelor! Hahaha!"

Laughing loudly, Hashirama leaped down from the stone monument.

Tobirama's teeth itched with anger. With a dark expression, he flew toward the Hokage Tower to handle official business.

The setting sun cast its lingering glow over the village, making everything appear peaceful and beautiful.