Chương 19: Enrollment at the Academy

April 1st, the Ninja Academy officially opened. Dongye Zhen did not allow the start of school to interrupt his long-standing routine of early morning cultivation. Today, Dongye Hui had taken the day off. Once her son returned from his training and finished breakfast, she escorted him to the school. The Academy training ground was a sea of people. Adults and children were packed together, with familiar faces exchanging greetings. Most were led by a parent, though some stood solitary and forlorn—clearly orphans.

Pairs of parents were rare; this was wartime, and Konoha served as the primary military base for the Land of Fire. Dongye Hui queued with her son to register, filling out the necessary forms and receiving a numbered badge before stepping aside to converse with Sakura Uzuki.

"There are significantly more applicants than in previous years," Sakura Uzuki remarked, looking over the crowd.

"It's likely due to the war; they must be expanding enrollment." Sakura Uzuki looked at her daughter, Yugao, and then at Dongye Zhen, her gaze losing focus.

"I hope the war ends quickly. Otherwise, eventually, even they might be forced onto the battlefield." Dongye Hui could only offer a helpless nod.

"Perhaps that is simply the fate of being a shinobi." Yuhe Uzuki and Jiro Dongye had always been in the same company; this time was no different. They had been deployed toward the Land of Grass to face the Iwa forces. At that moment, an Academy instructor began making announcements through a megaphone. Uzuki Yugao, who had grown taller and begun to show the grace of a young girl, stared at the badge in Zhen's hand.

"Hey, Zhen-niisan, what's your number?" Zhen showed her the badge.

"We aren't in the same testing area."

"Hmph, typical. Why do they have to separate us?"

"Don't worry. Just focus. With your strength, we'll end up in the same class eventually." Hearing that they wouldn't be separated later, Yugao's puffed-out cheeks softened into a smile. The two bid their mothers a brief farewell and headed toward their respective classrooms. Entrance involved a written exam. The questions covered a broad range of topics but weren't difficult; it was merely a placement test to check the students' foundational knowledge. In less than an hour, the testing concluded.

Under the guidance of their instructors, the students moved to the training ground for timed laps. Proctors recorded scores based on the ID numbers worn by the students. The Academy would combine the written scores and physical performance to sort them into different classes. After all, potential varies wildly, and pre-enrollment skill levels are poles apart.

Placing struggling students with top-tier ones would deprive the elite of competition and crush the confidence of the laggards—neither of which is conducive to growth. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. For Dongye Zhen and Uzuki Yugao, the physical test was trivial. Along with Uchiha Shisui, the three ran at the front of the pack, their breathing steady as they chatted and laughed.

Shisui did most of the talking; he wasn't naturally talkative, but since turning five, he had been frequently confined within his clan for special training. Having few opportunities to get out, he seemed to have endless topics to discuss with his only friends. From Shisui's chatter, Zhen captured a vital piece of information. In June of the previous year, the head of the Uchiha clan, Fugaku Uchiha, had been blessed with a son named Itachi.

In his previous life, the chronology of the Naruto world was a complete mess with at least three conflicting timelines. Since arriving here, Zhen had realized that while everyone knew how many years it had been since Konoha's founding, there was no legally mandated "Konoha Calendar." Each nation had its own cultural festivals and official dating methods. However, there was a universally recognized standard known as the "Shinobi Era" (SE).

Due to the severe fragmentation of history, almost no one knew where this era originated. Zhen suspected it started from the founding of the Ninshu by the Sage of the Six Paths. Unfortunately, people now regarded the Sage as a myth—a legendary figure with no concrete proof of existence. While the ages of many famous shinobi before the end of the Third War were blurry and debated, one person's age was certain: Uchiha Itachi. During the Nine-Tails' attack, he was five years old.

From this, Zhen could deduce many things. For instance, the high-intensity phase of this war would likely last another three to four years before slowly subsiding. Following the Nine-Tails incident, there would be a resurgence of friction between Konoha and Kumo, with the Mist constantly causing trouble in the east, though it wouldn't escalate into a full-scale world war again. He also realized he was five years older than Itachi, and Itachi was five years older than the future "Rookie Nine."

Thus, Zhen was ten years older than that generation. He could infer much more, but he didn't truly care. His current priority was to keep growing stronger and survive this war. His goal remained unchanged: to live a spectacular life. Cultivation was merely the insurance for that goal. As for changing the world? That depended on his mood and how high he ultimately climbed. The physical test continued.

The initially chaotic crowd stretched into a long line after a dozen laps, winding around the training ground like a snake. Those like Zhen, Yugao, and Shisui stayed at the very front, moving with total ease. Some tried to overtake them, only to find the distance remained constant; as the pursuers accelerated, the trio ahead seemed to perceive it instantly and matched the pace. Though Yugao was feeling the strain, she gritted her teeth and pushed through so she could stay in the same class as Zhen and Shisui.

Behind them were mostly children from various clans, identifiable by their clothing or specific traits. Those without distinct markers were either from smaller clans or commoners who had received early training, like Zhen. Those who had never trained—or hadn't even refined chakra—fell to the very back, panting and struggling to keep up. Gradually, the procession split into three distinct segments: a small vanguard, a large middle group, and a struggling tail. Shinobi efficiency is high.

Shortly after the physical test ended, the class lists were posted on the bulletin board. Zhen's intuition proved correct; his name and Uzuki Yugao's appeared on the same list. Uchiha Shisui was there as well. Put simply, this was the elite class. He also noticed two other familiar names: Tokuma Hyuga and Muta Aburame. He had some memory of them. As for the others, even if their surnames were famous, he couldn't put faces to the names.

However, while scanning the other lists, he saw an extremely familiar name toward the bottom. This person would eventually change, and perhaps even save, the Shinobi World. There was a saying that described him perfectly: Every shinobi in the world owes him a bow. It was Iruka Umino. It turned out he was the same age as Zhen. Seeing his name reminded Zhen of someone else—Mizuki—though that fellow was two years older and had yet to graduate. Once the lists were posted, the children who saw their names cheered.

Others stood outside the crowd with expressions of grief, some even breaking into tears. Their parents stood by, offering comfort. These were the students who had been cut—those whose foundational knowledge and physical performance were insufficient. Not everyone is meant to be a ninja. Even if they were allowed to enroll, it was doubtful they could graduate in six years. Even if they did, they would barely be able to use chakra; in a real battle, they would be nothing more than fodder.

Soon, the successful applicants lined up on the training ground, with parents standing behind the ranks. A simple podium had been erected at the front. Before long, the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, arrived in his iconic Kage attire and began the ceremonial speech. It was well known that the Third's height was somewhat underwhelming; without a podium to stand on, his dignity might suffer. The speech wasn't long—this was the Shinobi World, not a civil service meeting.

The content followed the traditional theme of the Will of Fire. In the ranks below, Dongye Zhen listened with an expressionless face. To his left, Uzuki Yugao looked somewhat confused, while to his right, Uchiha Shisui was visibly moved, as if he were hearing the ultimate truths of life. As the speech ended and the crowd began to applaud, Shisui asked curiously, "Zhen, you should be able to deeply understand the meaning the Hokage-sama was conveying, right? Do you have any thoughts?"

"Thoughts?" Zhen turned to look at him.

"My thought is... let the kunai fly for a few years." Uchiha Shisui, Uzuki Yugao: "???"