Konoha, early morning.
Shin'un walked down the street toward the Ninja Academy, frowning as he surveyed everything around him.
This shopping street had always bustled with people. Shops selling all kinds of goods lined both sides, and every morning, after finishing his training, Shin'un would hear vendors calling out all along his route to the Ninja Academy.
But now things had changed.
The street was utterly deserted. The crowds that used to walk along it had vanished. Even the mere two or three Konoha residents still on the street wore uneasy expressions as they hurried away.
Most of the shops on either side were closed, too. Those still open kept their doors barely ajar, looking less like they were doing business than conducting some shady transaction.
The Anbu Ninja, usually so elusive, had also changed their usual ways. Every so often, a team of two or three masked Anbu could be seen rushing across the surrounding rooftops.
Even the heavens seemed affected by the atmosphere. Thick clouds had hung overhead for days without a single ray of sunshine, leaving the whole world gloomy.
Gloom, tension, panic, alarm...
Waves of negative emotions spread like an invisible tide, enveloping all of Konoha and leaving everyone in low spirits.
Shin'un knew why Konoha had changed like this.
Two months earlier, on a dark, windy night fit for murder, the Sand Ninja had joined forces with the Stone Ninja to attack Konoha's camp in the Land of Rain. They had wiped out most of the nearly one hundred Konoha Ninja stationed there, then pushed their offensive toward the Land of Fire's border overnight.
After the surviving Konoha Ninja from the garrison camp in the Land of Rain escaped to the Land of Fire's border defenses, they immediately sent the news to Konoha by Ninja Hawk.
The moment Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi received the report from the front, he immediately ordered the already prepared ninja army in Konoha to assemble and head to the Land of Fire's border. Vast quantities of supplies, including food, ninja tools, and medical supplies, followed behind the army.
To minimize the battlefield's impact on their country's people and economy, these ninja troops had to repel the combined Sand and Stone ninja army as quickly as possible and move the battlefield outside the Land of Fire. Anywhere else would do.
Under the respective leadership of the future Sannin and Konoha White Fang, Hatake Sakumo, Konoha's ninja troops raced to the front, arriving just as the enemy was about to break through the Land of Fire's defenses.
Only after three days of fierce fighting and devastating casualties did Konoha's ninja army force the battlefield back into the Land of Rain.
Only then did the Second Shinobi World War officially begin!
For the moment, however, none of that had anything to do with Shin'un, a student at the Konoha Ninja Academy.
After all, Konoha still had considerable resources. Even with two great ninja villages, the Sand Ninja and Stone Ninja, joining forces against it, Konoha's reserves could easily sustain it for some time.
Shin'un estimated that at least another month or two, or perhaps half a year, would pass before the situation on Konoha's front lines grew increasingly strained. Only then would Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi consider promoting students like Shin'un directly to Genin and sending them to the battlefield as cannon fodder, or having them take over some experienced ninja's duties to free up more fighting strength.
"What? The graduation exam is tomorrow?"
Shin'un had barely entered the classroom when Kushina ran over to tell him the news.
Shin'un looked bewildered when he heard it. He truly hadn't expected Hiruzen Sarutobi to decide so quickly to draw prematurely on Konoha's future potential by sending Ninja Academy students to the battlefield.
Was the situation on the battlefield in the Land of Rain that dire already?
"That's right. Mr. Mizukawa Masaru just came over to announce it himself. Everyone already knows."
Seeing Shin'un's doubtful expression, Kushina added that explanation.
At Kushina's words, Shin'un immediately looked at the students in the classroom.
Sure enough, everyone already knew the news, but their reactions varied.
Some seemed resigned, as though they had long expected this outcome. They carried on as usual, sleeping, eating, or playing with bugs.
Some looked panicked, frightened by the prospect of graduating early and very likely heading to the battlefield. Unable to sit still, they wandered around the classroom.
Others were excited about going to the battlefield, boasting to those around them that they would slaughter countless enemies and spread their fame throughout the Shinobi World.
Shin'un didn't want to bother with any of that troublesome business. He went straight to his seat, sat down, and began getting his books ready for the day.
"Why aren't you surprised at all?"
Seeing Shin'un's calm reaction, Kushina came over and asked curiously.
"Surprised?"
"Why would I be surprised by something I already knew?"
Shin'un answered Kushina's question calmly.
Looking at Shin'un, who seemed completely unaware of what a show-off he was being, Kushina took a deep breath, turned away, and stopped paying attention to him.
"Clack."
Shin'un put the shoulder bag that had accompanied him for ten years into the compartment beneath his desk. He figured today would be its last day of use. Once he passed tomorrow's graduation exam, a ninja tool pouch would take its place.
After putting his shoulder bag neatly away, Shin'un stared blankly at the desktop before him.
Of course, Shin'un wasn't really spacing out. He was simply thinking a few things over.
Barring any surprises, Shin'un would soon receive his own Forehead Protector after tomorrow's graduation exam. He would probably be assigned some sort of mission immediately, too: either heading straight to the front or taking over for some experienced ninja.
Shin'un didn't care where he ended up. Even going to the front would be fine.
After all, despite having trained in Ninjutsu all this time, Shin'un had yet to experience actual combat.
Besides.
Shin'un wasn't weak now. As long as he wasn't unlucky enough to encounter a powerful enemy at the elite Jonin level or above, he believed he could at least protect himself, or even kill his attacker instead!
"Bzzzt~"
At that thought, without Shin'un visibly forming any hand seals, a flash of blue-violet electricity suddenly wreathed his hand where it lay flat on the desktop. It was a kind of muscle memory, the result of his training over the past two days.
That wasn't the most important thing. What Shin'un really wanted to know now was which Jonin he would be assigned to after graduation.
That would determine whether Konoha treated Shin'un as cannon fodder over the next few years or as a promising prospect, assigning him safe missions to nurture his potential.
After all, there were many reasons why Minato Namikaze would become the Fourth Hokage in the future. One of them was his status as part of the Hokage's direct lineage.
As everyone knew, Konoha championed freedom and equality. Perhaps that really was the case among the lower-ranking ninja, but it wasn't true of the position of Hokage, Konoha's leader.
Starting with the First Hokage, the position of Hokage had remained firmly in the hands of the Hokage's own line.
The Second Hokage was the First Hokage's younger brother.
The Third Hokage was the Second Hokage's student.
The Fourth Hokage was the student of the Third Hokage's student.
The Fifth Hokage was the First Hokage's granddaughter.
The Sixth Hokage was the Fourth Hokage's student.
The Seventh Hokage was none other than the Fourth Hokage's son.
If all the successive Hokage had lived in the same era, they would practically have been one family.