Kaito woke up early.
The orphanage was quiet, the sky outside still tinged with gray. He sat up, rubbed the sleep from his eyes, and reached for the textbook beside his bed. He'd spent the early morning reviewing chakra theory: basic molding exercises and the structure of chakra pathways.
He opened his progression panel.
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[Chakra Basics +3]
Knowledge:
— Chakra Basics Textbook (17/100)
— Japanese Textbook (85/100)
— Math Textbook (63/100)
— Physics Textbook (32/100)
— History Textbook (56/100)
— Science Textbook (33/100)
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Satisfied, he dressed quickly and made his way to the academy.
The classroom was quiet when he arrived. Students filtered in slowly, some chatting, others yawning. Daiki waved lazily when he saw him walk in. Reina nodded without looking up from her book. Kaito took his usual seat near the window, watching the breeze stir the leaves outside.
Then Takeshi-sensei entered.
He didn't carry his usual clipboard.
He didn't bark instructions.
He stood at the front of the room, hands behind his back, posture straight.
"We're going to the Grand Hall," he said.
The room fell silent.
"All eighteen classes will be there. The Third Hokage is giving a speech."
His voice was calm, but there was something else in it, something Kaito hadn't heard before.
Respect.
Awe.
Takeshi-sensei, a top chunin, the strictest instructor in the academy, known for his sharp tongue and unyielding standards, looked... reverent.
Kaito blinked.
They stood and followed him out, joining the other classes in the corridor. Hundreds of students, all in uniform, all quiet. The Grand Hall loomed ahead, carved into the academy's heart like a monument. Its doors were tall, its interior vast and solemn.
They entered.
And waited.
The Grand Hall was filled with silence and ceremony.
Rows of students sat in perfect formation, backs straight, eyes forward. The banners of the Hidden Leaf hung from the pillars, casting long shadows across the polished floor.
Then the doors opened.
The Third Hokage entered.
Hiruzen Sarutobi.
He walked slowly, robes trailing behind him, the Hokage hat perched atop his head. His face was lined with age, but his eyes were clear. He smiled as he approached the podium, softly, like a grandfather greeting children.
To most of the students, he was a legend.
To Kaito...well, he was a politician.
The room held its breath for the man.
Sarutobi began.
"Congratulations to all of you for passing the entrance exams."
The students straightened. Some smiled. Others whispered in awe.
Kaito was also excited, but for a different reason. This was the first person of the cast that he had seen!
He'd heard of this man. The Professor. The one who taught legends. The one who led the village through 3 great ninja wars. But here, he was playing a different role. The kind old man. The benevolent leader.
Sarutobi continued.
"Now that you have entered the academy, we will teach you the ways of a Konoha shinobi. This academy was created by the Second Hokage. He taught here himself. Including me."
He paused.
"I still remember the battles. The friendships. The lessons. The ninjas who graduate from this academy protect our village. They preserve peace. They carry forward the Will of Fire."
Kaito watched the students around him.
Most were already caught in the rhythm of the speech. Eyes wide. Hearts stirred.
Sarutobi's voice deepened.
"Love your village. Endure hardship. Be strong in mind and body. Carry the Will of Fire brighter than anyone else. Let every other village know that our flame still burns."
He smiled again.
"And with that, I welcome you future shinobi to our academy."
The students erupted in applause.
Kaito clapped too.
He didn't hesitate. He matched the rhythm, the expression, the posture. He even let his eyes widen slightly, just enough to look impressed.
Because not clapping would be stupid.
It would draw attention.
And Kaito had no interest in being noticed in that way.
The students were dismissed.
They returned to their classrooms, filing in with quiet chatter and uncertain energy. Some were inspired.
Kaito, on the other hand, was more interested in studying the textbook about chakra. Kaito sat at his desk, flipping through the pages.
[Chakra Basics Textbook +1]
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-Chakra Basics Textbook(18/100)
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He felt knowledge flow into his brain, and he had a better understanding of chakra, the chakra points in his body, and how to create chakra from his spiritual energy and physical energy. In a few days, he will start to unlock his chakra. Even though Kaito was over 20 years old in his past life, he still felt a sense of excitement.
The room was half full. The others trickled in slowly.
But elsewhere, in a chamber inside the Academy, another speech was occurring, but this one was different.
The room was quiet.
Sarutobi set his Hokage hat aside, revealing his slightly aged, but powerful face. His movements were slow, deliberate. No chakra flared. No theatrics. Just silence.
But something was different.
He hadn't changed clothes. It was the same robe, deep red, trimmed with gold, worn countless times before. But now, it looked different. Not because the fabric had changed, but because he had.
The way he stood. The way he looked at them.
It was like the years peeled back, revealing the man who had once stood alone atop the battlefield, surrounded by corpses and silence. The robe clung to him differently now, as if recognizing the weight it had to carry. The gold trim caught the light like it had been forged from something older than metal.
He didn't need to raise his voice.
The instructors felt it anyway. That quiet pressure. That shift in gravity.
This wasn't the administrator they'd grown used to. This was the man who had ruled through fire and blood. The one who had buried enemies and allies alike, and carried the village on his back without complaint.
This was their Hokage.
"We need to accelerate the process," he said.
Takeshi-sensei stepped forward. "The curriculum is already compressed."
"Compress it further," Sarutobi said. "Push them harder. Earlier. The ones who break will be reassigned. The ones who endure will be shaped."
He looked each instructor in the eye.
"The Nine-Tails took too many. We lost genin, chunin, jonin, and even the 4th Hokage. We are exposed. Border tensions are rising. The Land of Earth is mobilizing. The Land of Lightning is watching."
He paused.
"This is not a time for comfort. It is a time for replacement and action."
The instructors nodded and bowed.
Sarutobi turned and left.
Back in the classroom, the students waited.
A few minutes later, the door slid open.
Takeshi-sensei entered.
His expression was unreadable.
"Quiet," he said.
The room fell silent.
"The lecture is about to begin."