Konoha Year Ten, spring.
The Toyotomi Clan Grounds, in Konoha's northeastern corner.
The Clan Compound was laid out in straight, orderly lines, like a miniature military camp. At the center stood the clan head's residence and the Meeting Hall, surrounded by the homes of Citizens and Freemen, with workshops, warehouses, and training grounds farther out. Most conspicuous was a newly built row of large wooden buildings in the southeastern corner. A freshly planed board hung at the entrance, bearing four large characters in thick black ink-Toyotomi School.
The school had been bustling since the start of spring. Before dawn, children were hauled out of bed by their parents and ran toward school, rubbing their eyes. The oldest were around ten, the youngest five or six, a crowd several dozen strong, all children of the Toyotomi Clan. Not one had been sent to the Konoha Ninja Academy.
Inside, the school was divided into classes. The younger children sat cross-legged on cushions, reciting the "Toyotomi House Rules" after an old man with graying hair but clear, bright eyes, learning to read and do arithmetic. The old man occasionally coughed twice. His voice was quiet, but not a single child dared let their attention wander. This was the honorary elder, Uchiha Gen. Though he bore the Uchiha name, everyone knew that he was now the Toyotomi School's "headmaster," with a standing above the rest.
The older children were split into two groups. One practiced Taijutsu in the courtyard with shouts and grunts, toughening their muscles and bones. Their instructor was a middle-aged man with a scarred face and a ruthless air named Toyotomi Ken. He had been among Yinglang's earliest followers at the old East District branch. His strength was solid, and he was merciless with his hands. A wrong movement earned a