The morning sun rose from the distant east, dispersing the faint morning mist. It was another bright and pleasant day.
Early in the morning, a long line had already formed at the gates of Flame Hidden Village. Many parents had brought their still-young children and waited outside from dawn, gazing eagerly into the village.
Today was the day Flame Hidden Village School opened enrollment to outsiders. Children from internal clans could enter the school directly, while children from outside the village had to pass a series of tests before they could enroll.
Even so, many parents had brought their children for interviews. In the Land of Flame, ninjas held a very high status, and joining Flame Hidden Village also came with a considerable monthly subsidy, enough to cover a family's ordinary expenses. For people who had only just emerged from war, that was no small temptation.
"I wonder if my child has a chance of becoming a ninja." A bearded man in the line looked sadly at his son. "We don't understand any of that ninjutsu stuff. I guess there's not much hope."
"Uncle, don't give up. Maybe he'll succeed." A childish voice sounded from behind him. "No matter what, you have to believe in your child."
"You've got a point. Huh?" The man's expression softened slightly, but he suddenly turned around and stared in surprise at the child behind him, who looked only eight or nine years old. "Kid, where are your parents? Why are you here alone?"
The little boy admitted it openly. "They died a long time ago. Only my grandmother and I are left, so only by becoming a ninja can I protect my family better."
"Wow." The man could not help exclaiming. In this era, death was commonplace. The average lifespan was only thirty years,