The first thing I saw when consciousness snapped back was a kunai stabbed into a desk.
Not exactly the kind of welcome you get in a normal school.
A heartbeat ago, I had walked into my new civil service job. The next heartbeat, I was standing inside Konoha's Ninja Academy, wearing a Chunin vest… and carrying memories that weren't mine.
My former identity — Hanyū Yuuma — was gone. My new one:
Hanyu Hanyū Yuuma. Age eighteen. Academy instructor. Root operative.
A role that translated roughly to: "Disposable."
I exhaled quietly.
Of all worlds to land in… it had to be this one. A village full of smiling liars, walking weapons, and lunatics with trauma for breakfast. Fantastic.
The office around me looked deceptively ordinary — like the teacher lounges I used to see back on Earth — except this one had shuriken lying around like paperclips.
Worse: I wasn't just a teacher. I was Root-raised. Picked up as an orphan. Conditioned. Assigned by Danzo himself to "observe potential assets among the children."
A schoolteacher with a leash around his throat.
If I don't find a way to survive… I'll die in this world fast.
And then—
A synthetic chime cut through my head like a blade.
[System Notice: Teacher Protocol Activated][All teaching actions will generate Rewards][High-performing students increase Reward quality][Eligible students may be registered as Apprentices — mutual consent required]
A translucent blue UI slid into my vision. Cold. Clean. No mysticism. No warmth.
Exactly the kind of interface survival demanded.
I opened my Status Panel.
[Name: Hanyū Yuuma][Age: 18][Chakra Stat: 4300][Skill Loadout: Clone Technique / Substitution Technique / Transformation Technique / Fireball Jutsu / Phoenix Fire Jutsu / Body Flicker / Konoha Fluid Fighting Style][Assessment: Elite Chunin. Slight upgrade over standard cannon fodder.]
"…Wow," I muttered inside. Even the system calls me trash politely.
The Apprentice tab was empty. No disciples. No extra bonuses.
The bell rang. First class of the day.
If I wanted to survive Root… and this world… I needed students strong enough to shake history.
I rounded up my materials and headed to my classroom.
The roster hit me with familiar names:
Mitarashi Anko
Hagane Kotetsu
Kamizuki Hayato
But the one that made my pulse sharpen—
Uchiha Shisui.
A prodigy with a future drenched in blood. If I could redirect that future… the ripple effects would be massive.
I steadied my expression, pulled a warm smile onto my face, and slid open the classroom door.
Silence fell like a dropped kunai.
Rows of five- and six-year-olds stared at me with round eyes. Some curious. Some scared. All quiet.
Except one.
A purple-haired girl in the first row leaned forward, grinning.
"Big brother, you're handsome! Are you our teacher?"
I chuckled softly.
"That's right, my little classmate. Starting today, I'll be in your care."
Instant approval. Good. A relaxed class meant higher engagement — and higher Reward yield.
I stepped up to the board and wrote neatly:
Hanyū Yuuma
"My name is Hanyū Yuuma. From today on, I'll be your homeroom teacher."
Anko introduced herself first. Others followed. Shisui bowed politely.
The System stayed silent. No recognition trigger.
Tch. Not that easy, huh?
I raised a hand.
"Before we start… Who knows how Konoha was created?"
Confusion swept the room.
Shisui knew — I could see it — but didn't volunteer.
Anko raised her hand.
"People built it!"
"Correct," I nodded. "But the real question is who, and why."
Their attention fixed on me.
Perfect.
"Before ninja villages existed, there was the Warring States Era. A time when even children your age fought and died. When clans burned overnight and peace didn't exist."
The mood in the room shifted. Miniature faces hardened.
"In that endless killing, two clans rose above the rest — the Senju and the Uchiha."
Kids perked up at "Senju." They always did. Shisui flinched — just barely — when they ignored his clan again.
Good. He noticed the bias. He needed to.
"These two clans united to protect their children. To end the bloodshed. To build a village where the next generation could survive. That unity created Konoha."
I let my voice drop into something deeper.
"Where the leaves dance, the fire burns. And through the fire… new leaves rise."
The kids stared at me like I'd peeled open the world.
Shisui's eyes gleamed with interest he hadn't shown before.
Good.
The future was shifting.
We moved on. Chakra attributes. Basic theory. Corrections. Light jokes. Their young voices echoed with curiosity, and the class passed faster than they could process.
"Alright," I announced, "class dismissed. Tomorrow, we learn how to generate chakra."
Explosions of excitement.
"Generating chakra! I can't wait!" Anko cheered.
Kotetsu and Hayato were already scheming about snacks.
Shisui lingered. Watching me. Thinking.
Then he stepped forward to follow.
The System responded with icy clarity:
[System Notice: Lecture Complete][Rating: A][Reward Calculation In Progress]
A pulse of cold light flickered behind my eyes.
A high rating… on day one.
Good.
Very good.