A week had passed since Yoko arrived at the Hidden Cloud Village. She spent her days immersed in the medical books her mother had left behind. Thanks to her photographic memory and very good talent rank in medical arts, she absorbed every detail as if she were a sponge. Before long, she had memorized all of her mother's medical books and had begun experimenting with inventing her own medicines.
Today was the day the instructor from the Ninja Academy would visit the orphanage to give a lecture. All the children were buzzing with excitement—especially Yoko and Mabui.
A middle-aged man stepped into the orphanage, greeting the children with a warm smile. He had fair skin, short black hair, and dark eyes. There was nothing striking about his appearance—his height and build were perfectly average, making him seem like any ordinary man.
In the orphanage's living room, all the children — ranging from five to eight years old — had gathered together. Standing before them was the academy instructor, smiling warmly as he addressed them.
"Greetings, children. I'm sure most of you already know who I am, but I'll introduce myself anyway," he said. "My name is Sujiro Akashi, and I'm one of the instructors at the Ninja Academy."
"First, I want to talk to you about what it truly means to be a Hidden Cloud shinobi. When you graduate from the academy and become official Hidden Cloud genin, you'll take on the duty of protecting our village. Because of your hard work and dedication, the people of our village can sleep peacefully at night and smile each day, free from fear of what tomorrow may bring—knowing that the Hidden Cloud shinobi will always stand ready to protect them."
"Now, if you want to become a Hidden Cloud shinobi, you'll need to apply and register at the academy. To do that, you'll have to fill out an application form. Your caretaker will give each of you a form and help you complete it. If you decide not to become a shinobi, you don't need to fill out the form."
The orphanage caretaker began handing out the application and registration forms to all the orphans. Yoko and the others started filling them out carefully. Once they had finished, they returned the completed forms to the caretaker.
After collecting the completed forms from the orphans, the caretaker handed them to the academy instructor, who sealed them away using a storage seal.
Suddenly, Yoko heard the system mechanical voice in her head.
DING
Congratulation, host! You completed one of the quests.
You have joined the Ninja Academy, earning 5 Ninja Points as a reward for completing the quest; your total Ninja Points are 55 Ninja Points.
After sealing all the forms inside the storage scroll, the academy instructor said to the orphans, "Those of you who filled out the forms will begin attending the Ninja Academy on the first Monday of next month. Classes will start at 7 a.m., I'll see you all there."
With a gentle smile, Sujiro waved goodbye to the orphans before leaving the orphanage.
_______
Later At Night
While everyone was asleep, Yoko opened her system's shop, searching for a useful items that could help her prepare for the Ninja Academy.
Her eyebrows twitched in annoyance as she continued browsing the shop's items. She then looked into the clothing section, and while examining the ninja attires, her eyes fell on a half-sleeve red yukata with black lining along the sides. She liked it instantly and felt a small surge of happiness when she saw it cost only five ninja points.
She immediately decided to get the Yukata. Yoko also spotted a fishnet shirt that cost 3 ninja points and chose to buy it, along with black pants and black shinobi sandals.
The black pants cost 4 ninja points, and the sandals were also 4 ninja points. Last but not least, Yoko bought a black sash for 8 ninja points.
Yoko smiled after buying her new clothes and beamed with joy when they suddenly appeared beside her.
Yoko quickly grabbed her clothes and added them to the rest in the cabinet..
________
After One Month
On Monday morning, Yoko and Mabui sat in the orphanage dining hall, sharing breakfast with the other orphans who would soon begin their first day at the Ninja Academy.
After they finished breakfast, everyone left the orphanage together and started making their way toward the Ninja Academy.
______
In Front The Ninja Academy
All the new students gathered in front of the Ninja Academy, the second-largest structure in the Hidden Cloud Village after the Raikage Tower. Overlooking them from the rooftop, the Third Raikage watched in silence. His stern expression softened into a smile when he spotted Yoko among the crowd.
The Third Raikage spoke loudly to the gathered students:
"Welcome to the academy. Today marks the beginning of your path to becoming the defenders of our village. Stand proud—you have shown the courage to begin this journey."
"Never forget—strength is earned through hard work."
"Now, I shall pass on to you the words of our esteemed First Raikage."
"Temper your heart to be as solid as Kumo's mountains. Lift your sight ever upward, toward the boundless sky. And keep your spirit free, unchained and drifting like the clouds."
All the new students looked at the Third Raikage in confusion. He chuckled softly at their puzzled expressions before saying, "What our esteemed First Raikage means is this: to become successful and strong shinobi, you must remember three things. First, your will must be as strong and unshakable as Kumo's mountains. Second, you must always have an ambitious goal. And lastly, you must be creative."
"I assure you, if you hold these words close to your heart and live by them, you will go far as a shinobi. I wish you strength and success on your journey. May the clouds guide your steps and help you reach your fullest potential."
The moment the Third Raikage finished speaking, the new students burst into loud cheers. In the next instant, he disappeared in a brilliant bolt of blue lightning.
_______
Inside The Classroom
Yoko and Mabui sat side by side in the middle of the classroom, surrounded by nearly fifty other students.
Sujiro Akashi, who had visited the orphanage a month ago, entered the classroom and smiled at the students from behind the teacher's desk. "Hello, students. My name is Sujiro Akashi, and I will be your homeroom teacher until you graduate from the academy. If you ever have questions or run into any trouble, don't hesitate to ask me for help."
"Now, before you introduce yourselves to the class and I take attendance, let me explain everything you'll be learning at the academy."
"Your studies in the academy will cover math, geography, history, Taijutsu, chakra theory, Shuriken Jutsu, basic Ninjutsu and Genjutsu theory, Kenjutsu, Shinobi rules, basic of stealth, basic information gathering and tracking, Shinobi ranks, basic strategies, problem-solving, ninja types, mission ranks and types, basic sealing art theory, and the three basic Ninjutsu."
"To graduate from the academy, you'll need to master the three basic Ninjutsu. Clear?"
"Yes, sensei." All the students replied in unison.
Sujiro smiled and nodded. "Alright, now begin introducing yourselves to the rest of the class." One of the students raised his hand, and Sujiro acknowledged him with a nod. The student stood up and asked, "Sensei, what should we say? Just our names?"
Sujiro chuckled and replied, "Yes—your name, your age, and why you decided to join the Ninja Academy."
After nodding in understanding, the students began one by one to introduce themselves to the rest of the class.
When it was Yoko's turn, she stood up confidently and said, "I'm Yoko Ichimaru, five years old, and I joined the academy because I want to grow strong."
Sujiro smiled and nodded. Mabui stood up next. "I'm Mabui, I'm 5, and I joined the academy because it was the best option for me."
Sujiro nodded to Mabui, and more students continued introducing themselves to the class. A blond-haired boy stood up. Slim and fair-skinned, with striking black eyes, he said, "My name is Shee, age 6. I joined the academy because I want to become a Shinobi."
Sujiro nodded, and a tanned boy stood up. His hair was light gray, his eyes black, and his frame slim. "This is boring," he said. "My name is Darui. I'm six years old, and I joined the academy because of my nagging mother."
All the students raised their eyebrows in disbelief. Yoko and Mabui couldn't help but giggle at his unusual reason for joining the academy. Sujiro shook his head, amusement flickering across his face.
Then it was the turn of a raven-haired girl with striking red eyes and fair skin. "My name is Akane, age 6. I joined the academy because I want to be a kunoichi." Sujiro smiled and nodded in response.
The students continued introducing themselves until it was the burly boy's turn. He had red hair, black eyes, and fair skin. "My name is Haruto Hojo, from the Hojo clan, age 5. I joined the academy to follow in my father's footsteps."
Finally, the last three students stood up and began introducing themselves, one by one.
A tall, purple-haired boy rose to introduce himself. His eyes matched the color of his hair, and his slim, fair-skinned frame gave him an elegant appearance. "My name is Kenji Azai, from the Azai clan. I am five years old, and I joined the academy because I want to surpass my father." Sujiro nodded approvingly, a small smile crossing his face.
Next was a short boy with orange hair, orange eyes, and tanned skin. Slim in build, he said, "My name is Arata Honda, from the Honda clan. I joined the academy because it is expected of me." Sujiro smiled and nodded in response.
Lastly, a tall boy with long, dark blue hair, onyx eyes, fair skin, and a slim build stood up. "My name is Riku Amago, fifth-generation heir of the Amago clan, and I joined the academy because of my clan." Sujiro smiled and nodded.
"Alright, you all have your own reasons and ambitions. Let's start today with math. Please open your math books," Sujiro said to his new students.
Each student grabbed their math book and flipped it open.