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Konoha Ninja Academy
A banner hung over the academy's entrance, proclaiming "Welcome, Sand Shinobi Academy Freshmen." Several Konoha Chunin instructors, acting as volunteers, busily guided the group from Sunagakure, answering their questions and pointing the way.
"Whoa!!"
"They're really students from Sunagakure! They're here in Konoha!"
"Where, where? Let me see."
"Their clothes are so weird. Why are they wearing head scarves?"
"Show some respect for their attire! Curb your curiosity!"
The windows and hallways of the academy classrooms were crowded with Konoha's new generation of students, all eager to catch a glimpse of this exotic sight.
For ninjas of this era, their first encounter with ninjas from other villages often occurred on the battlefield, with weapons drawn.
Their understanding of foreign ninja was largely limited to stories passed down from elders and descriptions in textbooks.
Now, students from the Sand Shinobi Academy were visiting Konoha for a "summer camp," a truly unprecedented event.
[Summer Camp]
This novel term had been posted on the bulletin boards of every classroom.
While the organizer wasn't explicitly stated, according to the rumors circulating among the students…
Such perplexing activities were usually the brainchild of Principal Gojo.
And upon hearing that it was Principal Gojo's creation, groans echoed throughout the Konoha Ninja Academy.
Principal Gojo!
Ranked number one on the Konoha Ninja Academy's legendary figures list, he was a phantom, rarely seen. However, the activities he orchestrated often put these young students through the wringer.
First, the "Gratitude Education" program had given them a humbling and slightly embarrassing experience. Now, this "Summer Camp," who knew what would happen?
However, based on the description, it seemed to consist of standard ninja training, so there shouldn't be any issues… right?
Activities such as: weighted marches through the Konoha Forest, cooking exercises in the Konoha Forest, and willpower training…
Among these lively Konoha youngsters, there was one exception.
Itachi Uchiha, giving perfunctory responses to the girls around him, gazed out the window, lost in thought.
'Father said that Advisor Gojo never does anything without a purpose.'
'So, having students from Sunagakure attend classes and participate in the summer camp with us must have some underlying objective that I haven't grasped yet.'
'And this summer camp… for normal people, it might be considered intensive training. But for aspiring ninjas, it seems rather… basic.'
Slap
Suddenly, Itachi's shoulder was lightly tapped by Izumi Uchiha, appearing from behind.
"Itachi, what are you thinking about so intently?"
"Oh, it's you, Izumi… I'm wondering why Advisor Gojo brought these Sand students here."
Izumi pondered for a moment, her gaze also falling upon the Sand students below, particularly on the girl at the front, carrying a fan-shaped weapon on her back.
"Perhaps Advisor Gojo wants us to knock the Sand's arrogance down a peg?"
"I heard from the elders at home that Sand ninjas are always looking for trouble, starting wars. If we can defeat the Sand students, instill fear in them, perhaps no one will want to start a war in the future."
"Is that so…"
Itachi Uchiha nodded thoughtfully.
If that were the case, it would indeed be in line with Advisor Gojo's character. He never underestimated any of the surrounding villages, constantly embodying the principle of "born in comfort, die in unrest" from the Thirty-Six Stratagems.
That's why, during their time in the Land of Water, he tested them by asking what lay beyond the sea.
He was teaching this generation of young Konoha ninja to remain vigilant, to view outsiders as potential enemies. Those not of our village are different, their intentions suspect! Never let your guard down…
Following this line of reasoning, it all made sense.
Itachi's mind cleared. Among the twenty Sand students, he sensed several powerful chakra signatures.
Unusually powerful, exceeding the norm for students. Their overall level still fell within the range of graduating Genin, suggesting they might be prodigies who graduated early from the Sand Academy.
Clearly, Sunagakure had also come prepared, aiming to demoralize the Konoha students.
At this thought, Itachi subconsciously clenched his fists, his demeanor sharpening.
The chakra of his Sharingan stirred within him.
"In the name of the Advisor's kindness, I cannot lose this contest between the younger generations of Konoha and Suna."
"Huh? Itachi, what strange things are you saying?"
…
Homeroom teacher Iruka Umino, having performed exceptionally well during the "Gratitude Education" program, had earned Gojo Kaigetsu's recognition and been promoted to Head of Student Affairs.
He had truly reached the pinnacle of his teaching career, second only to two individuals and above everyone else.
Minato Namikaze only appeared during entrance and graduation ceremonies, and Gojo Kaigetsu was mostly hands-off, leaving Iruka effectively in charge of the academy!
He was practically the shadow vice-principal, having some say in the recruitment of new teachers.
But his authority ended there. While Gojo Kaigetsu delegated personnel matters to him, the academy's educational system and activities remained firmly under Gojo Kaigetsu's control.
Whenever Gojo Kaigetsu implemented a new policy, Iruka wasn't guaranteed to share the credit, but he certainly bore the brunt of the blame.
In this position, he endured far more pressure than a Chunin should.
This time, he had been tasked with settling the Sand students and implementing the pre-determined plan.
'What a strange plan…'
Iruka felt apprehensive, sensing that Principal Gojo was up to something again.
Complaints aside, the job still needed to be done.
Plastering a smile on his face, Iruka rubbed his hands and approached Baki. "You must be Baki-san, the leader of the Suna delegation."
"Principal Gojo informed me of your arrival. Please, come this way."
Iruka gestured, and his trusted Chunin instructors led the Sand students to a vacant classroom, providing them with temporary accommodation.
As for Iruka, he led Baki to the academy's conference room to convey Gojo Kaigetsu's instructions.
"Considering the situation with the Sand students and the current state of Konoha, Principal Gojo has formulated a special system--"
"May I ask what it is?"
Baki inquired curiously.
His demeanor was humble, showing no sign of disdain despite the fact that a Chunin sat before him.
He resembled a parent eager to please their child's homeroom teacher.
Iruka paused. "The Buddy System."
"Huh…? Buddy? What's that?"
Baki was puzzled, sensing that Konoha was implementing something novel.
"This is a system designed specifically for the Sand exchange students at our Konoha Ninja Academy. It entails pairing students one-on-one as learning partners!"
Iruka spoke eloquently, his skills honed during the "Gratitude Education" program fully on display. "The academy's implementation of the Konoha-Suna Student Buddy Project aims to facilitate mutual learning, academic progress, and cultural exchange. This will swiftly break down barriers between the young ninjas of our two villages, allowing the Sand students to integrate into Konoha's classrooms."
"This project involves selecting Konoha students through a voluntary application process. Participating students are required to strictly adhere to the established guidelines. Learning and exchange activities will be conducted in small groups."
"The twenty Sand students will be distributed among various classes within the Konoha Ninja Academy based on their age and abilities."
"By breaking up their existing group dynamic, they can integrate into the new environment and acquire knowledge more effectively. Baki-san, you wouldn't want these Sand students to simply huddle together for three months, clinging to their old ways from the Sand Shinobi Academy, would you?"
Baki nodded slightly in agreement with Iruka's words.
"We will require students to carefully and thoroughly fill out their requests. For instance, Konoha students can request a buddy proficient in shurikenjutsu."
"Sand Village students can request a buddy skilled in medical ninjutsu."
"And to prevent unnecessary complications, buddies will be paired based on the same gender."
"After completing their regular ninja training at the academy, Konoha and Suna students can easily exchange cultural insights, contributing to the peace between our two villages."
What a… remarkable system!
Baki marveled inwardly.
No one understood the temperament of the Sand Shinobi Academy students better than he did.
Those who emerged from their rigorous training and selection process were naturally the cream of the crop, but many possessed psychological or personality flaws. As ninjas, they were taught to sever attachments, suppress emotions, and become efficient tools, all for the sake of the village.
Within the village, they weren't particularly close, but once outside, they tended to band together and exclude outsiders.
Without external intervention, these promising Sand ninjas would likely cling to each other for three months, rejecting interaction with Konoha.
That would defeat the purpose of the meeting held at the Kazekage Building. Their goal was to uncover the secret of Konoha's strength!
Dispersing the twenty students and integrating them into the Konoha Ninja Academy was the perfect approach.
Upon their return to Suna, specialized personnel would gather information from the students.
Different classes would undoubtedly yield different information. A thousand people, a thousand perspectives on Konoha's success. Scholars would then compile this information… and the plan would unfold!
Furthermore, the buddy system was same-sex pairings.
As a senior ninja with a parental mindset, Baki naturally didn't want their best students to be swayed by Konoha's influence.
Especially not Temari.
If paired with a same-sex buddy, and then somehow swayed by one of Konoha's white-haired ninja…
The thought of a white-haired Konoha ninja on a ninken, flipping their hair and saying, "Old man, my ninken is parked outside your house," made Baki's heart skip a beat.
Absolutely, absolutely, absolutely could not happen!
Fortunately, Konoha's arrangements were thorough, preventing such a scenario, nipping any potential crisis in the bud.
"And regarding the summer camp…"
Iruka continued, gradually relaying all of Gojo Kaigetsu's instructions.
Under normal circumstances, that would have been the end of the meeting. However, Principal Gojo had one final, rather awkward request…
The thought of it made Iruka tremble. He had a Flying Raijin mark etched under the conference table; a distress signal would summon the Hokage instantly. The question was, could his Chunin body withstand long enough to send the signal?
"Umino-san, is there anything else?"
"Ahem, well…"
Iruka gritted his teeth and decided to forge ahead.
"Um, Baki-san, I recall that due to Suna's history and traditions, most of your higher-ranking ninja are skilled in puppet repair, correct?"
Baki paused. "That's correct. Why do you ask?"
In Sunagakure, while puppeteers were few, spare puppets were abundant. Generally, Chunin and above, though not necessarily puppet users, possessed puppet repair skills.
This was so that in the event a puppeteer was incapacitated on the battlefield, other ninja could repair their puppets.
Upon hearing this, a shrewd, merchant-like smile spread across Iruka's face. "I happen to have a puppet, but it's… experiencing some minor issues…"
"Hmm? You have a puppet, Umino-san? What seems to be the problem?"
While puppetry might be unique to Sunagakure, puppets themselves weren't.
Many nobles with peculiar hobbies across the Five Great Nations collected lifelike female puppets. Could it be that this head of student affairs…
"Let me put it this way, Baki-san!" Iruka said with a pained expression. "I spent three million ryĹŤ on this puppet."
Baki instinctively asked, "And now?"
"Now… this is all that's left." Iruka stammered, reaching into a hidden compartment under the conference table and pulling out a palm-sized chunk of chakra metal.
Baki: ???
"Baki-san, see this? Can it be repaired?"
So, it wasn't a case of a missing chakra metal piece here or there. He wanted him to rebuild an entire puppet from a single chunk of chakra metal?
Baki's expression immediately changed. The words "It's beyond repair, get out" nearly escaped his lips.
But he swallowed them back down.
He understood the unspoken message behind the Head of Student Affairs' words.
Repairing the puppet was a pretense; soliciting a bribe was the true intention.
Shady, so damn shady! The people of Konoha were corrupt! In an instant, the positive image Baki had constructed of Konoha shattered.
His belief in the "Konoha's downfall" theory solidified further.
Even a Chunin dared to exploit his position and blatantly demand a bribe from a foreign envoy… How greedy and unscrupulous must he be towards his own village?
With this in mind, Baki's anger subsided.
Konoha was already like this, what was there to be angry about? It was the last dance of demons before their demise.
Sooner or later, Konoha would pay for this, with interest.
Forcing a smile that was uglier than crying, Baki replied:
"Of course it can be repaired. When Suna takes on a job, you can rest assured."
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