The classroom was full of chatter, kids whispering, laughing, glancing around nervously or confidently like they already owned the place.
Tap tap tap.
The teacher clapped his hands twice, standing in front of the blackboard with a half-smile.
"Alright, alright, settle down. First day, huh? Let's get to know each other. Just tell us your name and what your dream is. Keep it short—we've got a whole year ahead to hear your life story."
He cleared his throat dramatically.
"I'll go first. Name's Sarutobi Masaru. And my dream? I wanna be a strong ninja like the Third Hokage—my role model."
Masaru pointed to the kid sitting all the way in the corner by the window.
"You're up."
The boy groaned, slouched in his seat like he'd already given up on life.
"What a drag…" he muttered, standing up lazily.
"I'm Nara Sōma. I dunno… I just wanna be strong, I guess. Like, strong enough."
He sat back down before anyone could respond.
Masaru didn't miss a beat.
"Next."
A cheerful blonde girl stood up with a sweet smile.
"I'm Yamanaka Mizuki! I wanna be strong like my big brother
"Next."
A silver-haired boy stood up. Hands in his pockets, face unreadable. Cool kid vibes, maxed out.
"Kakashi Hatake. I want to be a strong ninja like my dad."
Gasps.
"I know him he is white fang son"
"Wait, White Fang's his dad?"
"No way!"
"That explains the hair…"
Masaru raised his hand. "calm down.Next!"
A spiky-haired boy with goofy goggles jumped up.
"I'm Obito Uchiha, and I'm gonna be Hokage! Believe it!"
Someone snorted. A few chuckled. Masaru just raised an eyebrow.
Same dream as half the class, he thought, but an Uchiha.
"Alright, next."
A soft voice followed.
"I'm Rin Nohara. I want to be a kunoichi like Lady Tsunade."
Then came a quiet, serious girl.
"Kurenai Yuhi. I wanna be the best genjutsu user in the village."
Masaru nodded, then looked to the last kid.
Another Uchiha, this one calm as a lake. He stood slowly, hands behind his back. The room went quiet for some reason. Something about him felt… heavy.
Then he spoke.
"When the tree leaves dance,
One shall find flames.
The fire's shadow will light the village,
And the leaves shall bloom again."
He paused, letting the words settle before saying:
"My name is Aizen Uchiha, and I want to become strong enough to protect the village like Hokage sama."
Dead silence.
Even Masaru blinked.
An Uchiha talking about the Will of Fire?
Yeah… this year was definitely going to be something else.
He clapped once, snapping everyone out of the moment.
"Alright, now that we've all introduced ourselves, let's get started with today's lesson!"
---
Elsewhere – Hokage Office, Hidden Leaf Village
Hiruzen Sarutobi stood by the open window, pipe in hand, the scent of tobacco drifting through the room. A folder lay open on his desk—freshly delivered, stamped with the Academy seal.
"Hm... So he said that?" Hiruzen muttered to himself, skimming the report.
An Uchiha talking about the Will of Fire… interesting.
Unusual? Definitely. But not unheard of. After all, one of his closest comrades—Kagami Uchiha—had believed in the village with all his heart.
Still, this one…
"Aizen Uchiha…" he said quietly, his eyes narrowing.
The name brought back memories.
The boy was the grandson of Uchiha Renzō. Someone older than him and a radical Uchiha.
Before he could delve deeper into the thought, a masked ANBU agent suddenly appeared in front of his desk.
Hiruzen raised a brow. "Report."
"Urgent message from the Land of Rain," the ANBU said, placing a scroll on the table.
The Hokage picked it up and began reading. His expression shifted slightly.
"…Iwagakure is moving near the borders," he muttered. "So… Onoki wants to test us."
He closed the scroll with a soft snap.
"Call the elders," he said, voice low but firm. "Now."
The ANBU vanished with a silent nod.
Hiruzen turned back toward the window, gaze resting on the Hokage Monument.
So… the peace after the Second Great Ninja War is finally starting to crack.
He exhaled slowly.
"If we want to protect this fragile peace… we can't afford to fall behind."
His eyes flicked back to the Academy report still lying on the desk—names of children, dreams scribbled beside them. One name in particular stood out.
Later, he thought, shaking his head.
"First… the borders."
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