In just two days, plans to build kindergartens had set all of Konoha buzzing. The Uchiha were not the only ones making plans; Konoha's Great Families were planning kindergartens of their own.
The village was planning public kindergartens too. Konoha would be divided into four districts, each with its own kindergarten. Most mothers in the village would be freed from having to stay home and watch their children every day.
Most of the Uchiha supported the plan. Nor was there any wave of opposition to the policy encouraging families to have more children.
The Uchiha placed greater weight on the family's interests. As long as a demand was not too unreasonable, few opposed anything that could benefit the family. For this proud clan, family honor often mattered more than personal gain or loss.
Konoha Year 32 passed amid that clamor. Looking across the entire Naruto World, Konoha Year 33 would be a crucial year.
That year, nearly all of Konoha's next generation would be born, including Kakashi, Obito Uchiha, and Might Guy.
The new year had barely begun when Orochimaru returned to Konoha after more than a year away. He made his way down a village street, a playful smile never leaving his face.
News from Konoha had reached him in fragments throughout that year, giving him a general idea of what had happened.
Only when he returned to the village did he grasp the scale of the changes. Someone appeared before him: Fugaku Uchiha.
"How things have changed, Fugaku. I never expected you to accomplish so much in just one year.
"Even I wouldn't have been confident of pulling these things off back then."
"I didn't expect you to be gone for over a year, sir. Why don't we find somewhere to talk?"
Orochimaru still wore the same air