Beneath the morning light, the Sandaime stood on a makeshift podium, his gaze sweeping over the children below who were brimming with curiosity.
An unconsciously warm smile spread across his face.
This scene of vibrant vitality and flourishing life, no matter how many times he witnessed it, filled his heart with joy.
He could never tire of it.
When his gaze fell upon the group of four that included Naruto, his expression naturally softened as he gave a slight nod toward Itachi.
Regarding the matter of allowing Uchiha Sasuke to approach Little Sora and facilitating his acquaintance with Naruto, the Third had harbored clear intentions from the very beginning.
The first point was his hope that little Naruto and Little Sora could make new friends through this, forging more warm bonds within the land of Konoha.
The second point was to use this opportunity to probe the movements of the Uchiha Clan.
Although he genuinely wished to avoid taking action against this clan—in his eyes, all Ninja clans were integral parts of Konoha, and infighting was akin to one hand attacking the other—necessary precautions and probing were indispensable.
This operation had evidently yielded decent results.
A few days prior, intelligence from the Anbu had weighed heavily on his heart: some members of the Uchiha Clan were gathering frequently.
The Anbu operatives had vaguely overheard them complaining about various shortcomings of the Village.
While more specific details weren’t uncovered, the frequency of these gatherings was several times higher than usual.
This was no simple gathering of colleagues; it clearly indicated that some harbored dissent, with undercurrents stirring beneath the surface.
Just as the Third was racking his brains, pondering how to gracefully resolve this potential crisis, an unexpected shift occurred—those previously clamorous Uchiha clansmen who had voiced many grievances against the Village suddenly fell silent.
They hadn’t met with misfortune; rather, their temperaments had abruptly transformed.
They began to cease their complaints about the Village’s various shortcomings, instead becoming exceptionally diligent and responsible in their duties for the Police Force.
Though unclear about what exactly had transpired, connecting it to Itachi’s sudden visit yesterday to request withdrawal from the Anbu, the Third gradually formed a conjecture.
The thoughts of those radical factions had likely been rewritten by some force, and the one who acted was most probably from within the Uchiha Clan itself.
An existence capable of arbitrarily altering others’ will, even if currently aligned with the Village, remained a latent danger, causing the Third an unavoidable headache.
“Hokage-sama, the time is almost up.
Shall we begin now?” At that moment, a teacher stepped forward quietly, lowering their voice to inquire.
“Are all the students present?” The Third nodded, his gaze sweeping over the children below once more as he asked casually.
“All are present!
The children of this year’s cohort are very punctual.
After all, many come from clan backgrounds with strict upbringing.” The teacher promptly responded.
Hearing this, a wave of emotion washed over the Third’s heart.
He peered intently into the crowd—these vibrant, energetic children were precisely Konoha’s future.
As the time arrived, several teachers retreated to the back, leaving the entire podium solely to the Third.
He cleared his throat lightly, a kindly smile reappearing on his face as he spoke in a gentle yet firm voice, “The children standing here are all little ones who successfully passed the entrance exam.
Barring any unforeseen circumstances, you will spend six years in this Ninja Academy.” “During these six years, you may learn a wealth of knowledge, make close friends, and master powerful Ninjutsu.
“But now, I’d like to ask everyone—do you know what kind of person can truly be called a Ninja?” As soon as his words fell, a wave of hushed discussions immediately rose from below.
Hearing the Hokage’s question, the children’s eyes shone with excitement, each eager to be the first to show off.
“I know!
Someone with extensive knowledge, powerful Ninjutsu, and the ability to successfully complete missions is a Ninja!” a boy shouted excitedly towards the stage, raising his hand high.
This answer caused many disappointed little faces to appear in the crowd—in their view, this was the most perfect answer, but unfortunately, someone had beaten them to it.
Watching the children’s reactions, the Third smiled and nodded, then gently shook his head, “What you’ve said are indeed important abilities for a Ninja, but they are not the most core aspects.” “Beyond these fundamental elements, a Ninja needs even more to possess the will ‘to endure what ordinary people cannot endure.’ “When you can achieve this, when you possess firm conviction and will, only then can you be considered a true Ninja in the fullest sense.” “This is the first lesson I, as the Third Hokage and also the principal of this Ninja Academy, give to you new students.” …
After who knows how long, listening to the Third’s lengthy speech, Little Sora gradually grew drowsy.
He struggled to keep his eyes open, nodding dazedly, forcing himself not to actually fall asleep.
“Little Sora, hold on a little longer.
Hokage-sama should be finishing up soon.” Itachi gently shook Little Sora’s body, trying to rouse him.
But this clearly had little effect.
Not just Little Sora, many children below were already rubbing their eyes and beginning to doze off.
The Third quickly noticed the children’s state.
The corner of his mouth twitched slightly, and he hurriedly cleared his throat twice, raising his volume, “Finally, I’d like to say one more thing to everyone—about the power of a Ninja.” “When you have someone you want to protect, someone you cherish, the true power of a Ninja erupts in that moment.” As his words fell, the school teachers led the applause.
Seeing this, the parents standing further back also began to clap, and soon applause resounded throughout the campus.
Little Sora secretly breathed a sigh of relief, muttering to himself, *No matter which world it is, once a school teacher or leader starts a speech, it just goes on and on.* However, he was also a bit surprised.
The Third Hokage hadn’t delivered his signature ‘Will of Fire’ lecture.
Had he accidentally missed it while he was dozing off earlier?
“It seems the entrance ceremony is over.
Little Sora, would you like to come back to the Uchiha Clan Compound with me for a visit?” Itachi looked at Little Sora, who was still rubbing his eyes beside him, and proactively extended an invitation.
He thought that after Sasuke and Naruto started school, there wouldn’t be anyone constantly keeping Little Sora company on weekdays.
He might as well take him home for a visit.
Moreover, unlike Naruto who was a Jinchuriki, bringing Little Sora back to the clan compound shouldn’t pose any problems.
“Sure!
I’ve wanted to see the Uchiha Clan Compound for a long time.
Sasuke-niisan told me before that there’s a Grandpa Teiyaki who makes really delicious baked cakes.
I want to try them!” Just thinking about how vividly Sasuke had described the deliciousness of those baked cakes made Little Sora unconsciously swallow.
He wished he could instantly appear at the shop entrance and stuff his face with a few freshly baked cakes.
For some reason, his appetite was exceptionally large, and as he grew older, the amount of food he needed also increased.
*If this were my previous life, once I grew a few more years older, I might even have been able to become a mukbang streamer, earning fans and money just by eating.* Seeing Little Sora’s expectant look, Itachi smiled and nodded, “I’m very familiar with that shop.
It’s run by a very kind elderly couple.
Their baked cakes are indeed very authentic.” To avoid unnecessary trouble, Itachi took Little Sora’s hand and quickly walked towards the Third Hokage, who was about to leave.
He softly explained his intention to take Little Sora back to the clan compound.
As expected, after listening, the Third readily agreed.
Before leaving, he casually patted Sora’s head.
Seeing Sora’s wide-eyed, slightly flushed face, he chuckled a few times before departing.