Naruto : Konoha Light

Time always passes quietly and unknowingly. In the blink of an eye, four years had gone by.

Ninja Academy

"First place: Shimizu—perfect scores in Three Clone Jutsu, Shuriken Jutsu, Tracking and Counter-tracking, and 'The Will of Fire: Expansion and Extension'..."

Although this was considered the most astonishing academic record since the academy's founding, no one on the scene was surprised.

To them, it would have been more shocking if Shimizu didn't get a perfect score.

However, Asuma was visibly anxious. "I'm second! I'm second...!"

But after the teacher finished announcing the rankings, Asuma let out a wail of despair.

"How is it Kurenai?!"

Kurenai, looking very pleased with herself, crossed her arms and frowned. "Asuma, what do you mean by that? Are you looking down on me?"

"I-I didn't mean it like that… but why is Shizune in third place?!"

Hearing that, Shizune—who had been sulking over losing to Kurenai—immediately snapped.

"You bastard! Are you saying I'm a disappointment?!"

Asuma's face twisted with indignation. "This is unfair! We all had perfect scores! Just because your literature score was higher, you got ranked ahead of me!"

At that moment, a smug voice whispered into Asuma's ear.

"You're the last person who should be complaining. Most of those books on the Will of Fire were written by the Hokage himself!"

Hearing this, Asuma's body stiffened. A sense of doom crept over him.

"Oh no… The old man's most proud essay collection… I actually failed that? When I go home, I'm dead meat! Tell me, do I still have time to flunk on purpose and retake the year?"

Ebisu twitched at the absurdity of his question.

"Did bugs eat your brain? Even though getting a perfect score like Shimizu is near impossible, passing the exam is child's play!"

Asuma scowled. "I just think all that stuff in the book is fake! It insults my intelligence!"

"...!"

"See? You thought it was ridiculous too, didn't you? That's why I had to be true to myself and—"

At that moment, a large, warm hand landed on Asuma's shoulder.

"If you're so true to yourself, then tonight, you can personally explain it to me."

Asuma's body trembled as he stiffly turned around—only to meet his father's kind and affectionate gaze.

"Wait! I was just—"

But Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Third Hokage, was no longer listening. He walked past the students and stepped onto the stage.

"Hehe, I have the honor of giving today's graduation speech!"

Asuma stood frozen beneath the stage, his soul practically leaving his body. He muttered weakly, "Do I still have a chance...?"

Ebisu patted his shoulder as though offering a final prayer.

"Today is the day you truly test your endurance. Good luck."

On stage, the Third Hokage wore his usual warm smile.

"Children, I'm delighted to see you all standing here today. Starting now, you will receive a new title—Shinobi of the Hidden Leaf!"

A wave of cheers erupted from the crowd.

For many of them, becoming an official ninja was something they had dreamed of for a long time.

Hiruzen raised his hands, signaling for quiet.

"This marks your growth—but it also marks the beginning of responsibility. The world beyond the village is not as peaceful as life here. Out there, competition, deception, betrayal, and even bloodshed are everywhere. Some of you may never return from your missions."

At those words, the graduates gradually sobered from their excitement.

But then, the Third Hokage's voice grew firm and passionate.

"And because of that, we must protect the peace we have fought so hard to maintain! In this village, you have your families, your friends, and the bonds you are willing to fight for. Do you want those precious things to be destroyed by our enemies?!"

A brief silence filled the air before the students erupted into shouts.

"NO! NEVER!"

Hiruzen nodded in satisfaction, then smiled.

"Wherever the leaves dance, fire burns brightly. The flames will continue to illuminate the village, allowing new leaves to sprout. Until now, we have protected you. But from this moment forward, it is your turn to protect us old folks!"

His voice carried power, and the young shinobi below were moved to tears. Many were so fired up that they wished they could dedicate themselves to the village immediately.

Then, the Leaf forehead protectors were distributed to the new graduates.

"Hidden Leaf shinobi, huh? It does have a nice ring to it." Shimizu smiled as he tied his protector around his forehead.

Asuma, meanwhile, stared at his protector and muttered, "If I carve a slash into this, do you think the old man would forget today ever happened and spare me from a lecture?"

The students around him instinctively took a step away, as if afraid of catching his stupidity.

Seeing their reactions, Asuma sighed in defeat. "Fine, I get it."

At that moment, one of the instructors—Morino—stepped onto the stage, hesitating as he looked over a list in his hands.

"Later this evening, we'll be announcing the team assignments. The results will be posted on the bulletin board outside the academy. For now, dismissed!"

The moment he finished speaking, the students cheered and scattered in all directions.

Hokage's Office

"Hokage-sama, these team assignments don't follow the standard protocol," Morino said, pointing at the register with a puzzled expression.

"Shimizu, Kurenai, and Asuma are among the strongest in their year. This doesn't allow for a balanced distribution of strength."

Hiruzen calmly tapped his pipe against the table. "The gap between their abilities and the rest of the class is too large. If we placed them in teams with weaker members, they wouldn't be able to grow properly. At the same time, the missions would either be too easy for them or too dangerous for their teammates."

Morino nodded in understanding, then sighed with admiration. "Their skills already surpass the average genin's... especially Shimizu. I suspect he's nearly at chunin level."

Hiruzen remained silent, then after a moment, his expression grew solemn.

"Besides... there is another reason I placed them together."

Morino frowned. "Another reason?"

"You may not have noticed yet, but a storm is brewing. The dark clouds of war are beginning to loom over the shinobi world."

Morino's eyes widened. "War...?"

Small-scale conflicts between villages had never truly ceased. But hearing the Hokage himself speak with such seriousness, Morino could no longer dismiss it as mere skirmishes.

"I don't know for sure," Hiruzen admitted. "This is only my prediction based on the recent changes in mission requests. If I'm wrong, all the better. But if I'm right..."

Morino clenched his fists. "Then... what does this have to do with the team assignments?"

Hiruzen's gaze was firm and unwavering.

"Those three are gifted. If they grow quickly, they could play a key role in the war."

Morino's breath hitched. "...Hokage-sama, are you saying that even—"

Hiruzen shook his head. "Precisely because he is my son, he must go to the battlefield."

Morino did not argue further. Instead, he looked at the Hokage with deep admiration.

"Hokage-sama... Who will you assign as their instructor?"