Despite the financial challenges faced by the Land of Grass, the Grass Village Academy commenced its activities with unwavering determination. Akihiko, who had made a special visit that day, strolled through the corridors of the academy, taking in the sounds of students engrossed in their studies, which brought him a profound sense of relief.
"The academy's curriculum is meticulously designed based on the leader's directives!" Yoshinori Uzumaki, the appointed dean, exclaimed with a warm smile. "We uphold the core values of the Grass Village, striving to nurture well-rounded shinobi who embody virtues, intelligence, physical abilities, personality, and diligence."
Akihiko found great satisfaction in hearing about the development of shinobi with comprehensive qualities, as such emphasis was a rarity among the traditional shinobi of the ninja world.
It seemed that every time they had a meeting, Yoshinori Uzumaki diligently took notes on Akihiko's words. It was evident that appointing him as the dean of the Grass Village Academy and the leader of the Chakra Capacitor Task Force had proven to be a wise decision.
Yoshinori Uzumaki did not disappoint Akihiko's high expectations. Unlike that individual, Mubuki, who claimed to diligently study and take notes on Akihiko's words every day but showed no progress whatsoever?!
With a mix of regret and emotion, Akihiko let out a sigh, then smiled at Yoshinori Uzumaki and nodded in approval, saying, "Well done!"
"This is also thanks to the leader's unwavering support!" Yoshinori Uzumaki responded, maintaining a composed demeanor upon receiving the leader's affirmation. Everything was already meticulously planned, and he merely needed to proceed step by step.
The only aspect he needed to be cautious of was individuals who did not take their responsibilities seriously or went against the leader's instructions.
Observing the young leader before him, Yoshinori Uzumaki couldn't help but feel admiration. The leader possessed a broad-mindedness that exceeded their initial expectations.
While Yoshinori Uzumaki had already admired the leader's open-mindedness when the Uzumaki clan was accepted, defying the hidden rules of the ninja world, it appeared they had underestimated the leader's magnanimity.
Establishing a ninja academy was not an unprecedented move, considering that all five major shinobi villages had their own academies. However, no other village's academy included ninjutsu in their teachers' textbooks for instructing children. Even Konoha, the strongest village in the ninja world, refrained from doing so.
But the Grass Village Ninja Academy did! It boasted textbooks personally authored by the leader! Moreover, the ninjutsu were skillfully categorized, allowing students to learn various techniques according to their grade levels, progressing from easy to difficult and from safe to hazardous.
You see, a typical ninja academy would not teach any ninjutsu, not even simple C-rank techniques. They usually focused solely on imparting basic skills. Ninjutsu, on the other hand, was typically taught by their respective clans or instructors approved by the village after graduation, through personalized instruction. For those students who lacked these options, their only recourse was to complete missions and contribute to the village in order to receive rewards.
As a consequence, some individuals, upon graduating, remained oblivious to any ninjutsu and could only rely on taijutsu, shuriken throwing, and the three basic jutsus (Transformation, Clone, Substitution) they learned in the academy to face adversaries.
Especially during times of war, they could be deployed as cannon fodder, perishing on the battlefield without ever acquiring a ninjutsu. The leader possessed an exceptional spirit, surpassing even the First and Second Hokage.
Initially, Yoshinori Uzumaki was perplexed as to why the leader would allocate so much time to these seemingly inconsequential aspects for academy shinobi. It appeared to be an excessive dedication to these matters.
As a shinobi, it was enough to train diligently and attain formidable strength to protect the village. After all, no shinobi would betray their village without valid reasons. Such an act would be despised by all shinobi!
However, on a particular day, he voiced his doubts, and the leader let out a sigh. With a solemn expression, the leader responded, "The Land of Grass does not aim to produce a group of mere tools or train them to become killing machines! Our goal is to cultivate exceptional individuals. We must instill the right values in children from a young age, allowing them to develop their own ideals and teaching them to think independently when faced with challenges. They should love their country, their family, and their fellow shinobi, and become outstanding shinobi with strong ideals, morals, ambitions, and confidence."
"We want every shinobi to truly comprehend the shinobi world and become the new generation of Grass shinobi."
At that moment, Yoshinori witnessed a radiant glow emanating from the leader, captivating and dazzling. The leader genuinely cared about the well-being of the children, unlike the village head who claimed to uphold justice and morality but engaged in questionable activities.
Recalling something while accompanying Akihiko on the inspection, Yoshinori glanced at the warning signs hanging on the academy walls..
"Let the children open their eyes and perceive the shinobi world!"
"Cultivate well-rounded shinobi with virtues, intelligence, physical abilities, personality, and diligence!"
These phrases had become Yoshinori's lifelong aspiration. Just as he had diligently studied chakra to repay the Land of Grass for accepting him, he now wanted to contribute to making the Land of Grass strong! As he looked at the two phrases displayed on the wall, Akihiko was momentarily taken aback and rubbed his eyes. Who had written this? Why were these words even more eloquent than his own? In that instant, he seemed to hear a familiar voice.
"Nagato! Whether you want to join now or not, you have to join! I'm telling you, you are the vice leader of the Akatsuki organization that I've chosen!" declared Yahiko, addressing Nagato.
"Reveal the truth, unravel the mysteries! Don't you think it's cool?" He continued, his expression brimming with excitement.
"That night was simply an accident. We couldn't have anticipated that Dad was just making friends and not selling information. We didn't know... that there was actually someone disguised as a ghost student drawing poop at the festival!" Yahiko admitted his mistake, although his expression didn't reveal any sign of realizing his error.
"Come on! Let's uncover the truth together!" He exclaimed, clenching his fists, his expression inviting others to join in a great mission without hesitation.
Akihiko twitched his mouth as he observed the persistently inviting Yahiko and the resigned Nagato, along with Konan, who was nearby folding paper...
It seemed that Yahiko hadn't given up yet! What was the point of finding the ghost student who drew poop? Akihiko wondered.
"Hehe! Has the morning class already ended?" Yoshinori, who seemed to have noticed the leader's gaze, also snapped out of his thoughts, wearing a smile on his aging face. "They are all lovely children!"
"Yahiko is the most energetic and curious among them. Whenever he sees something interesting, he always goes exploring," Yoshinori began explaining their personalities to Akihiko, starting with Yahiko, who was the most ordinary of the three yet the most active.
"Nagato, on the other hand, is calm and possesses an acute attention to detail. He is incredibly talented and is currently studying sealing jutsu with the Uzumaki clan. He is truly a gifted child," Yoshinori continued, highlighting Nagato's genius.
"And Konan is the only one who has mastered the leader's secret technique. She is a genius when it comes to origami and is always optimistic and cheerful—a girl who loves to smile," he concluded, emphasizing Konan's unique talent in origami.
After a brief introduction of the three children, Yoshinori's smile widened. "Yahiko formed an organization called Akatsuki to investigate that school legend." Just as he finished speaking...
"There's still too little homework!" the leader suddenly exclaimed, leaving Yoshinori momentarily stunned.
"Oh, it's nothing," Akihiko shook his head, wearing a kind and friendly smile. "How is the homework schedule at school now?"
"As per the leader's request, only the lower-grade students have homework at the moment." Although he didn't understand why the leader was inquiring about this, Yoshinori responded earnestly, "So, it's generally not much. Most students can complete it at school without being burdened too heavily."
"As Expected, It's too little!" Akihiko exclaimed unexpectedly, expressing his expectation for more homework.
Yoshinori fell silent for a moment, hesitating, then asked, "Does that mean the leader wants to increase the workload a bit?"
"Then, according to Elder Yoshinori's suggestion... increase it a bit!" Akihiko responded in a firm tone, implying that Yoshinori had brought up the matter of insufficient homework.
Yoshinori was left speechless and pondered, "Is this what the leader means? But..."
Hesitatingly, he inquired, "What about the budget..."
"Get it done!!!" Akihiko declared resolutely, indicating that financial constraints were of no concern.
...
Meanwhile, in the underground...
"Is it finally over?" Madara deduced from the cheerful voices coming to a halt that the morning class had come to an end.
He let out a weary yawn and closed his eyes slowly. "I'm going to rest."
With those words, his breathing gradually steadied, as if he had genuinely drifted off into slumber.
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