Chapter 224: The Thirteen Young Guardians of the Ninja Academy
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In the family's training ground, the morning air was crisp, carrying the faint scent of dew-soaked earth.
"Snake → Ram → Monkey → Boar → Horse → Tiger."
Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!
A blazing fireball erupted from Haruto's mouth, its intensity already comparable to the typical standard of a Genin within the clan.
On the other side, Kyōsuke, who had been accompanying his son for morning training, couldn't help but feel a little surprised.
This kid... Kyōsuke thought. He's usually so quiet, yet his progress is impressive.
"To reward you," Kyōsuke said, a faint grin tugging at his lips, "I'll show you something interesting today."
His fingers blurred through a rapid sequence of hand seals.
"Bird → Snake → Monkey → Horse → Dog."
"The Dog seal is the final sign?!"
The Dog seal... that's the final sign?! Haruto's eyes widened in shock. His father's hand seals were so fast that most shinobi without a dōjutsu would struggle to follow — yet Haruto's gaze remained steady.
In his pupils, a faint crimson gleam flickered — the unmistakable glow of the Sharingan.
During a sparring session at the academy, That eerie red glow had appeared not long ago. During a heated sparring session at the academy, Haruto had been cornered. Faced with desperation, his Sharingan had awakened instinctively — an event that left Kyōsuke speechless for quite some time.
Back then... Kyōsuke recalled. I had to merge two souls to awaken my Sharingan at seven. Yet this brat... stumbled into it like it was nothing.
Awakening the Sharingan wasn't easy — not like the Byakugan, which often emerged naturally in Hyūga children. Many Uchiha spent their lives without ever unlocking their clan's famed dōjutsu.
To address this, Yayoi had been diligently working on modifying the Sage Body DNA — weakening its more dominant traits to make it viable for ordinary people to receive transplants.
If successful, this breakthrough would greatly enhance the Uchiha clan's strength, making the Sharingan's awakening far less elusive.
Back on the training field, Haruto suddenly noticed delicate snowflakes swirling around his father.
Snow... in spring? he thought in confusion.
Before he could react, the swirling frost condensed into a monstrous form — a towering ice-crystal tiger cloaked in jagged shards of ice, its glistening fangs bared.
Ice Release: Tearing Dragon Fierce Tiger!
The powerful fireball, once fierce and blazing, crashed against the ice-laden beast — yet it barely left a mark. The frost-cloaked tiger emerged unscathed, its jagged form radiating an icy chill that seemed to gnaw at the air itself.
In an instant, the beast lunged forward. Its massive tail, thick with layers of frozen spikes, swept across the field like a battering ram.
"Wha—?!" Haruto barely had time to react.
The blow struck him hard in the side, sending him sprawling through the dirt. He tumbled end over end before finally skidding to a stop nearly ten meters away. Groaning, Haruto pushed himself up on shaky arms, wincing as pain flared in his ribs.
By the time he managed to stand, Kyōsuke's icy tiger had already faded into a fine mist, vanishing as if it had never existed.
"You crazy old man! What kind of jutsu was that?" Haruto groaned, rubbing his aching side.
"Ice Release," Kyōsuke replied with a smirk. "A rather interesting technique."
"Teach me! Please?" Haruto pleaded, eyes shining with eagerness.
"You're not ready yet," Kyōsuke said, his tone firm but not unkind.
After sending Haruto off to freshen up for school, Kyōsuke stretched lazily and let out a yawn. For a moment, he stood still, reflecting on Haruto's progress — then he turned and headed toward his specially constructed underground base.
In the dimly lit chamber below, over a thousand shadow clones toiled away, tirelessly developing chakra techniques day and night.
Every so often, Kyōsuke would dispel the clones, absorbing their accumulated experience and knowledge. After a brief rest, he would summon the clones again to continue their relentless training.
Against powerful Six Paths-level opponents, Truth-Seeking Orbs remained an invaluable asset. Their versatility made them invaluable, capable of devastating offense, impervious defense, and even granting aerial mobility.
More importantly, they were one of the rare counters to certain forbidden techniques — the Reanimation Jutsu being one prime example.
Even a formidable foe like Jigen had coughed up blood after being struck by one. Just for that, the effort to master them was more than worthwhile.
In addition to Kyōsuke's clones, the underground chamber also housed another unexpected presence — the thousand shadow clones of Uchiha Madara.
Intrigued by Kyōsuke's method, the "Dancing King" himself had eagerly adopted this training routine. After a few brief experiments, Madara was entirely hooked.
Why waste time and energy when clones could multiply progress tenfold?
Honestly... who could resist the temptation of free progress?
"I've already completed the development of Storm Release and Ice Release... Next..."
An unsettling grin crept across Kyōsuke's face as an idea took root in his mind.
---
"Big brother, do your best today!" Nagisa called out cheerfully, waving her hand.
Her smile quickly faded, however, when her eyes shifted to the girl standing beside Haruto.
"Hmm... Well, Eri, you should try hard too," she muttered half-heartedly before dashing back inside the house.
Watching her retreating figure, Anzai Eri sighed, feeling a little disheartened that she couldn't bond with the adorable little girl.
"Don't worry about it," Haruto said with a warm smile, his voice gentle yet firm. "Nagisa may act like that, but trust me — she actually likes you a lot."
Eri's eyes brightened with renewed hope, but a lingering doubt still flickered within her gaze. "Really?"
"Of course," Haruto replied confidently. "I'd never lie to you."
Bathed in the warm morning sunlight, his smile carried a calm strength that made Eri's heart skip a beat.
Perhaps it was the brightness of the sun, but she lowered her head shyly and softly murmured, "I believe you."
Lost in thought, Haruto didn't notice the subtle change in her demeanor.
"Stupid old man... he didn't have to hit me that hard," Haruto muttered to himself, rubbing his still-sore stomach. "I need to figure out how to beat him..."
"I'm still at the one-tomoe stage... At the very least, I'll need to evolve to three tomoe before I stand a chance."
"No... Uncle Izuna once said that without the Mangekyō Sharingan, I wouldn't even qualify to challenge my old man."
"But how do I unlock the Mangekyō...?" Haruto clenched his fists in frustration. "Why won't anyone tell me?"
Lost in thought, Haruto and Eri unknowingly reached the academy gate.
The moment they arrived, a ripple of excitement swept through the crowd. Whispers turned into eager calls as students swarmed toward Haruto.
Being the Hokage's son naturally made him the center of attention — especially with his striking features, a flawless blend of his parents' refined looks.
For the boys, his strength and skill were the main focus. For the girls... well, Haruto's combination of genius and charm was simply impossible to ignore.
"Haruto! Over here~"
"Did you train with the Hokage again today?"
"Hey, Haruto! How's my new skirt? Looks good, right?"
"Haruto, are you free tonight? My family's hosting a—"
The chatter swelled, students crowding around him like bees drawn to honey.
Fortunately, Haruto had long since mastered the art of handling this sort of attention. With a practiced smile and a few polite words, he declined their invitations and continued toward the school entrance.
Just then, a sudden wave of gasps swept through the crowd.
Haruto turned instinctively, his eyes widening slightly — his gaze sharpening as he recognized the figure.
The boy was tall and composed, his cold, angular features framed by jet-black hair. His dark, unwavering eyes carried a quiet authority that seemed to part the crowd without a word.
He was tall and composed, his cold expression exuding an air of quiet authority — a stark contrast to Haruto's natural warmth.
If Haruto's charm was effortless and inviting, this boy's appeal lay in his aloof, almost intimidating aura — the kind that demanded respect rather than affection.
"Shimura Danzō..." Haruto muttered under his breath.
It was hard to believe, but the man who would one day become infamous as the "Darkness of the Shinobi World" had once possessed such strikingly handsome features — the kind that left girls blushing in his wake.
"So... it's you."
Danzō stopped, his sharp gaze locking onto Haruto's.
Both boys knew exactly what the other represented — power, prestige, and potential. They were rivals in every sense of the word.
For Danzo, this rivalry carried even deeper significance.
He had to prove himself — not just for his pride, but for his family's honor.
The disgrace his family had endured... the shame that clung to the Shimura name... Danzō was determined to erase it.
He might never surpass the God of Shinobi... but surely... surely he could defeat his son.
"Danzō, you—"
Before Haruto could finish, another surge of excitement erupted from the academy gate.
Both boys turned to see yet another figure approaching — the prodigious genius from the Hatake family. His silver hair gleamed in the morning light, and his sharp gaze reflected the keen instincts that had made his family's name legendary.
Trailing closely behind him was a formidable swordsman from the civilian sector, a boy named Maruboshi Kosuke. Quiet and unassuming, Kosuke was already whispered to be one of the most talented sword users of his generation. Even Haruto had been impressed by his technique.
Soon, other talented students arrived as well, including heirs from the Kurama clan, the Ino-Shika-Cho trio, and several other elite clans.
One by one, these gifted shinobi gathered near the gate, a collection of talent so impressive that their presence alone seemed to command attention.
Together, they formed an exceptional group of thirteen prodigious students, a group that Kyosuke had once jokingly called:
The Thirteen Guardians of the Ninja Academy.
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[Chapter End's]
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