A cool morning breeze gently swirled through the village, carrying the fresh scent of early spring. It was invigorating yet slightly chilly, making those up at this hour shiver involuntarily as they took deep breaths, filling their lungs with the fragrance of the season.
The streets weren't crowded yet, but the few pedestrians present wore expressions of hope and determination. After all, a new year had begun, and with it came the promise of fresh beginnings.
It had been about a year since the Second Great Ninja War had ended. Though the wounds of war hadn't completely healed, people had started to move forward. Life always had to move forward.
"Hah… I almost overslept," muttered Yagami Kaoru as he picked up his pace, feeling somewhat embarrassed.
Unlike other shinobi who had "retired" from active duty, he had chosen to become a teacher at the Ninja Academy—a role he had secretly dreamed of for years. However, this excitement had cost him dearly the previous night. He had been so restless that he barely got any sleep.
This morning, when his alarm went off, he should have sprung up like a well-trained shinobi. Instead, he had slept too soundly and ended up flopping around in bed like a lifeless fish.
Fortunately, he wasn't running too late.
Glancing at his watch, he saw the time—7:20 AM. He exhaled in relief.
"Today is just the admissions day. There's no way students will be here this early," he reassured himself.
Arriving at the school entrance, he noticed the registration area was empty.
"See? I knew it," Yagami muttered, straightening his uniform. He took a deep breath and prepared to step onto the school grounds.
However, just as he was about to enter, something caught his eye.
In the distance, a small figure stood sweeping the grounds. The boy wasn't even taller than the broom he held, yet his movements were efficient and practiced—not the half-hearted sweeping of someone merely trying to impress others, but the diligent work of someone committed to the task.
Only then did Yagami realize something shocking—despite the long school break, the campus was spotless. There wasn't a single fallen leaf in sight.
"…Hey, you there."
Hearing Yagami's voice, the young boy turned around, then immediately ran over.
"Teacher!" he called out enthusiastically.
"…Weren't you supposed to arrive today?" Yagami asked, glancing around the immaculate courtyard.
"No, I actually came two hours ago," the boy responded, shaking his head.
Two hours?!
Yagami felt a pang of guilt. Here he was, a full-fledged shinobi who could barely get out of bed on time, while this five-year-old had been here since dawn, working without complaint.
Trying to suppress his embarrassment, he simply nodded and said, "You did well."
The boy studied Yagami's face carefully.
This teacher… seems a little awkward, he thought to himself.
Meanwhile, Yagami assessed the boy from a different perspective. To clean an entire school in two hours showed remarkable efficiency, but more importantly, it revealed an unshakable will.
He tried to imagine himself at that age, doing something as tedious as sweeping for two whole hours. He would have given up in ten minutes.
To resist distractions and commit to a task… that is the true mark of a ninja, Yagami thought approvingly.
Though he didn't yet know the boy's true potential, he was certain—this child had the discipline to become an excellent shinobi.
At the very least, he was already ahead of Yagami in that regard.
With a smile, Yagami led the boy to the registration desk.
"Come on, let's get you signed up so you can head home and rest."
Registration "Name?"
"Rikuseki Shimizu."
"Age?"
"Five."
"Parents?"
The boy fell silent for a moment before answering in a subdued voice.
"…They died in the war."
Yagami's pen froze mid-stroke.
"…I'm sorry. I didn't know…" he said, his tone regretful.
Inwardly, he scolded himself. I should have prepared better. I should've known this was a sensitive subject.
Shimizu shook his head. "It's okay, Teacher. I… I haven't cried about it in two years."
Yagami's heart tightened.
He lost his parents at three years old?
Although the village provided aid to the families of fallen ninja, for a toddler to survive alone was still unimaginably difficult.
Yet here Shimizu was—standing strong.
Yagami handed him the admission documents. "Alright. You're officially enrolled. You should head home and rest now."
"…It's too lonely at home."
Yagami's gut told him he had just stepped on a landmine.
Luckily, Shimizu quickly brightened and looked at him with eager eyes.
"Teacher! Can I stay and help?"
Yagami's instinct was to refuse. As a new instructor, he couldn't have a student assisting him on his very first day. He'd never hear the end of it from the other teachers.
But when he looked into Shimizu's hopeful gaze, he hesitated.
He just wants to be around people…
With a sigh, Yagami gave in.
"…Fine."
"Yes!" Shimizu cheered, his rare childlike excitement shining through.
Yagami couldn't help but smile.
Maturity is good… but only if you don't lose the joy of childhood.
New Arrival: Uchiha Kurenai At 8:20 AM, a new student finally appeared—a girl with striking blood-red eyes.
She walked lightly, humming a tune under her breath.
Noticing Yagami, her eyes lit up, and she hurried over.
"Are you the teacher?"
"Yes, I'm Yagami Kaoru. You can call me 'Sensei' if you'd like," he replied, doing his best to maintain a dignified and kind smile.
Shimizu, watching from the side, thought to himself, This teacher looks kind of… silly.
The girl, however, remained polite.
"My name is Yūhi Kurenai."
Yagami quickly wrote down her information before turning to Shimizu.
"Shimizu, take Kurenai around the school and show her the important areas."
"Yes, Sensei."
As they walked, Kurenai tilted her head and asked, "Shimizu-senpai, are you an assistant to Yagami-sensei?"
Shimizu stopped, a little embarrassed.
"Actually, Kurenai, I'm just a student like you. I enrolled today too."
"…Oh."
Kurenai blushed in embarrassment but quickly bowed. "I'm sorry for assuming!"
"It's fine," Shimizu reassured her with a bright smile. "I should have introduced myself properly."
Kurenai nodded. "Still, why did Sensei ask you to help me?"
"Well… I volunteered," Shimizu admitted. "Since we're all classmates now, I just wanted to help out where I could."
Kurenai smiled. "Alright then! Let's work hard together, Shimizu!"