The next day, Hinata Haruki went to the Hokage's office building to register as a ninja.
The photographer stared at the small boy in front of him for a long time, thinking he must have wandered into the wrong place. It wasn't until Haruki explained himself several times that the man finally took his photograph.
What's the big deal? Kakashi graduated at five too. Is it so shocking that I did the same? Haruki thought, a little annoyed.
In truth, this world had no shortage of child prodigies far more naturally gifted than Haruki. The only reason he progressed so quickly was because of the experience he carried from his previous life. Compared to those born with extraordinary talent, he still had a ways to go.
Take Hatake Kakashi, for example — graduated at five, became a chūnin at six. Uchiha Itachi joined the Anbu at eleven. Uzumaki Nagato mastered all five elemental chakra natures at just ten. Deidara left Iwagakure at nine and joined the Akatsuki by twelve. Uchiha Obito released the Nine-Tails at fifteen and nearly destroyed Konoha single-handedly.
Once his photo was done, Haruki signed his name and pressed his fingerprint on the registration form.
Name: Hinata HarukiRegistration Number: 007116Rank: GeninAge: 5
After officially becoming a shinobi, Haruki was called to attend a gathering of the Hyūga clan. That year, aside from Haruki, two other clan members had graduated from the Academy.
Before the assembled clan, the elderly patriarch — grandfather to Hinata Hizashi and Hiashi — offered them a few words of encouragement, urging them to keep working hard.
In Haruki's case, the Hokage had publicly announced that he was now a student of Tsunade, one of the Legendary Sannin. That alone greatly elevated his standing in the clan. Among his fellow genin, most treated him with respect.
Still, Haruki could feel the difference — members of the branch family genuinely celebrated his success, but among the main family, only the clan head, Hizashi, Hiashi, and a few others offered heartfelt congratulations. The rest saw him merely as a lucky kid who'd stumbled into this position.
Haruki didn't mind. Truth be told, he had little affection for the main house.
When it was his turn to speak, Haruki declared to the clan head and assembled members:
"As a member of the Hyūga clan, I will work to bring honor to our family, strengthen our power, and ensure our people live better lives — until we are the foremost clan in Konoha."
Of course, in his heart, he meant the branch family. After all, they were the majority.
Most of the village's jōnin and chūnin were away fighting in the ongoing Shinobi World War. Haruki hadn't yet been assigned a jōnin instructor. Since he wasn't a chūnin, the Third Hokage didn't feel comfortable sending him straight to Tsunade at the front lines. Instead, the Hokage suggested Haruki train in the village for now and join a transport convoy to the front once arrangements were made.
Haruki agreed. He proposed that in the meantime, he'd take on some simple missions alone to gain practical experience. The Hokage supported the idea, hoping Haruki could reach chūnin rank sooner rather than later.
From then on, Haruki became a mission machine.
With the Shadow Clone Technique, D-rank tasks were laughably easy — catching cats, pulling weeds, picking up trash, hauling water, chopping firewood… he accepted them all without complaint.
Since his time at the Academy, his chakra reserves had grown steadily. He could now maintain his Byakugan for twenty minutes and sustain seven or eight shadow clones without strain.
The Senju bloodline really is remarkable — high chakra reserves, fast recovery, physical strength, and speed above the norm. More missions mean more money and experience. Before I leave for the front, I should stock up on supplies.
He took three or four D-rank missions a day. Even the Hokage felt he was overdoing it, but Haruki hardly noticed.
After a little over a month, he'd completed more than a hundred D-rank missions — almost as many as most shinobi did in their entire careers. After deductions for the village's cut and other fees, he earned between 1,000 and 3,000 ryō per mission. By month's end, he'd saved up quite a bit.
One day, Haruki was told to meet his new jōnin instructor. He waited alone in an empty classroom, wondering:
Just me? Who could it be?
The door opened, and in walked a tall, handsome man with long, light-blue hair, wearing a jōnin vest.
Oh? A familiar face. Haruki smiled slightly.
"Hello, I'm your jōnin instructor," the man said warmly. "My name is Katō Dan."
"Good afternoon, sensei. I'm Hinata Haruki." Haruki bowed politely.
"From now on, you're under my command," Dan said. "The Hokage assigned me to guide you through missions. In a while, I'll take you to the front lines, where Lady Tsunade will personally train you in ninjutsu."
At the mention of Tsunade, Dan's face lit up. Seeing his expression, Haruki thought mischievously: Heh… so there really is something going on there.
"I'll work hard, sensei!"
"Then let me introduce myself properly. I'm twenty-seven, a jōnin, and my dream is to become Hokage."
"Hinata Haruki, five years old, genin. My dream is to open a medical clinic."
"Oh? So you share Lady Tsunade's interest in medical techniques?"
"Yes. By the way, sensei… did you just return from the front?"
"I did. Let me tell you about the situation…"
Dan recounted the war: two years ago, all the great nations began mobilizing to their borders. The previous year, Konoha's forces pushed into Amegakure, clashing with Iwagakure and Sunagakure in fierce battles. Konoha emerged victorious after several major engagements.
But then, Amegakure's leader — the "Demi-God" Hanzō the Salamander — launched a surprise attack to drive them out. The Third Hokage's three disciples — Orochimaru, Jiraiya, and Tsunade — held him off while Konoha's main force destroyed Amegakure's army. The country surrendered, and the three gained the title of "Legendary Sannin."
However, the war was far from over. Iwa and Suna were still hostile, while Kumo and Kiri stirred on the sidelines. Suna had massed troops at the border; Kumo seemed poised to strike Iwa. Tsunade was currently with the army preparing to invade the Land of Wind, while Orochimaru and Sakumo Hatake monitored Iwa and Kiri, and Jiraiya remained in Ame.
Haruki pieced together the timeline: the Ame campaign was over, Konoha was about to move on Suna, and Dan had yet to fall in battle. Tsunade likely hadn't developed her hemophobia yet, but Nawaki had probably died one or two years earlier. Jiraiya had likely already met Yahiko, Konan, and Nagato — who would now be around six or seven — and would train them for three years.
"You're a genin, Haruki, so even at the front you'll be doing support work, not fighting. That's for chūnin and jōnin," Dan said.
Haruki couldn't help admiring Konoha's policy. Other villages used genin as cannon fodder, but Konoha protected its youngest, giving them time to grow and ensuring a steady flow of capable shinobi for the future.
"By the way, we need to do a little test," Dan said with a smile. "Let's head to Training Ground 10."
Huh? Don't tell me it's the bell test… how very Konoha.
Training Ground 10 was like most — forest, clearing, and a nearby pond. Dan stood in the open space, dangling two small bells from his vest.
"Snatch these from me, and you pass. Show me your strength!"
It's usually for team-building, but it's also a good way to measure my skills. Let's see where I stand.
Haruki activated his Byakugan. "Then… I won't hold back, sensei!"
The fight played out — nine shuriken thrown in curved arcs, shadow clones hiding underwater, feints within feints. Haruki's strategy lured Dan onto the lake's surface, where a hidden strike disrupted the chakra control in his foot, making him fall into the water.
As the bell floated within reach, Haruki snatched it up. "Sensei, I win!"
Panting slightly, he dispelled his remaining clones. Only a quarter of his chakra was left.
Dan emerged from the water, analyzing Haruki's plan in detail. "You… hid in the water from the start, didn't you?"
Haruki nodded. "It masks my presence well. Once the clones brought you onto the water, I waited for the right moment."
Dan studied him for a long moment, thinking: This kid's no ordinary genin. He's already at chūnin level… and only five years old. No wonder the Hokage wanted me to train him personally. Lady Tsunade is lucky to have him.
Finally, Dan smiled. "Well done, Haruki. You pass."