Chapter 354: Elementary, Middle, and University
"Tobi!"
Pain called out, and Tobi immediately stopped his fake crying. His posture straightened significantly.
"Leader! You must have misheard! Tobi is the most diligent, the most loyal, and the most grateful!"
"Tobi absolutely, absolutely has no intention of betraying you!"
Tobi raised his hand in a dramatic show of sincerity, looking as if he were swearing an oath.
Pain, of course, didn't take Tobi's earlier comments seriously. He knew Tobi was a joker, someone who would say the most outlandish things just for fun.
But… the idea of Tobi jumping ship?
That part made Pain feel a little uneasy.
With Tobi's erratic personality, there was a very real chance he might actually try it. And if Tobi succeeded in defecting right under his nose, it would not only be embarrassing to explain to Madara but also create potential issues with Haneda.
Pain had to stop this.
"After we return, go find Kakuzu. Have him give you a higher cut of the profits."
"Profits?!!" Tobi's eyes lit up as soon as he heard about money. He jumped up in excitement and cheerfully exclaimed, "Got it! Thank you, Leader!"
"You're such a kind and generous capitalist. Don't worry, if Tobi ever goes broke, I won't hang you from a lamppost!"
Pain's mouth twitched uncontrollably.
The term "capitalist" wasn't exactly a compliment in Pain's eyes, especially when it was paired with the lamppost comment.
Pain recalled a major incident that had taken place in the Land of Fire: a corrupt businessman who had excessively exploited his workers had been killed by them one night and hung on a lamppost.
The event had caused an uproar throughout the Land of Fire, ultimately prompting an investigation by the Anbu and a personal intervention by Haneda.
In the aftermath, Haneda cracked down on the nation's old aristocracy and corrupt merchants. Since then, no capitalist or so-called "people's entrepreneur" dared act recklessly.
Pain waved his hand, signaling Tobi to quiet down.
Tobi, still grinning, obediently fell silent and stood behind Konan, occasionally making faces at Izumi, who glared back at him with equal intensity.
Kakashi, meanwhile, pulled his gaze away from Tobi, his expression a mix of disappointment and thoughtfulness. He glanced at Haneda, who returned the look with a subtle nod before turning to address Pain.
"Mr. Pain, you've come to Konoha this time for the exchange student program, correct?"
"Konoha sending students to Amegakure, and Amegakure sending students to Konoha to learn and cooperate—it sounds like a fascinating initiative."
"It's a bit like the Chunin Exams in how it unites the villages, isn't it?"
Pain smiled. "It's similar in structure but fundamentally different. Unlike the Chunin Exams, the exchange program is devoid of competition or conflict—it's purely cooperative."
"Konoha has always been ahead of the curve in education among the major villages. In fact, it was the first of the Five Great Nations to establish a ninja academy."
"I've heard Konoha has recently opened two additional schools: the Second and Third Ninja Academies. And next year, three more are planned, including several outside Konoha, even in former daimyo territories."
"In contrast, the likes of Sunagakure can barely scrape together enough funding for a single school—Kazekage had to mine gold in the desert to afford it."
"Kirigakure, on the other hand, tried to save money by enforcing its 'Bloody Mist' policy, where only those who killed their classmates could become ninja. Although they've abolished that practice in recent years…"
"Other villages still have only one ninja academy, and their enrollment is severely limited. But Konoha…"
Pain trailed off, unable to help but praise: "Konoha has always been leaps and bounds ahead in education. Now, it's left the other great nations far behind."
Haneda replied humbly, "You flatter us, Mr. Pain. What we've done so far is merely scratching the surface. Our schools currently focus on basic literacy, chakra refinement, and some rudimentary ninja knowledge."
"The first phase lasts three years, and we call it elementary school."
"Afterward, students enter middle school, where they are divided into academic and combat tracks. The academic track primarily focuses on non-combat skills like medical ninjutsu or basic sealing techniques, while the combat track retains the traditional ninja curriculum."
"After three years of middle school, they advance to university, where the curriculum becomes even more specialized, especially for the academic track."
"University divisions include medical studies, advanced sealing, civil engineering, agriculture, and more."
"The standard duration is three years, but students who don't meet graduation requirements can extend their studies by up to two years."
"Most of the new schools we've built are elementary schools. Middle and universities are still concentrated at the First Ninja Academy. There's still a long road ahead."
Pain nodded approvingly. "Having a plan is better than having none at all."
Spending years interacting with Haneda had broadened Pain's perspective significantly.
He understood why Haneda had chosen to diversify and extend Konoha's education system.
The diversification addressed Konoha's current labor market needs.
As Haneda had explained earlier, most of Konoha's ninja no longer needed to fight.
Even in the police force, ninja rarely encountered real threats; they were more likely to handle minor disputes with civilians, who posed no significant danger.
This was why Haneda often described police work as a "desk job."
Of course, police positions were typically filled by combat-track graduates, who received traditional ninja training.
As for positions in Konoha Hospital or the sealing corps…
The schools tailored their curricula to meet these specialized needs, producing graduates with deeper and more focused expertise.
The extended timeline, meanwhile, reflected Konoha's lack of immediate internal or external crises. With no urgent threats, there was more time to invest in training.
Pain mentally noted Haneda's words, planning to memorize the curriculum and administrative structure when he visited the schools so he could replicate them in Amegakure.
After all, Amegakure had already modeled many of its reforms on Konoha.
Over the past two years, Pain had reaped significant benefits by following Konoha's lead.
His proposal for the exchange program stemmed from Haneda's recent overhaul of the ninja education system. Pain wanted to be at the forefront of these changes.
The two discussed education for an extended period. Most of the time, Haneda explained while Pain asked questions.
Their lengthy conversation eventually drew attention, and the once-quiet Uchiha district soon buzzed with activity.
Crowds began to gather around the dango shop, growing larger by the minute. Within no time, the shop was surrounded by a sea of people.
It wasn't until the police force—headquartered in the Uchiha district—intervened that they managed to clear a path.
As Haneda and Pain stepped out, walking toward the Hokage's office amid flashing cameras and cheering crowds, Tobi followed behind, grinning ear to ear.
"Wow, so many people! Are they all Lord Hokage's fans?"
"Eh? Why isn't anyone paying attention to me?"
"Hello? Hey there?"
Tobi's loud voice easily drowned out the crowd's chatter, but still, no one responded. Instead, the people nearby frowned and subtly edged away from him.
If the police force had this ability, they wouldn't have needed half an hour to clear the path.
Seeing himself ignored, Tobi flailed his arms dramatically, shouting:
"Hey, hey, hey! Stop staring at the Hokage! Look at the leader too!"
"Everyone, eyes on me!"
"I'm Tobi! The one who loves, admires, and secretly crushes on the Hokage!"
...…