At that moment, the corners of his mouth drooped slightly.
He was genuinely disappointed. If Nonō refused him, Raizen would have to reconsider his path.
The "Art of Speaking (White)" skill made his tone sound honest and heartfelt.
Nonō felt a small pang in her chest.
She had always been fond of children, especially those who had lost parental support.
"Don't worry," she said softly, attempting to comfort the young boy before her.
"When you graduate from the Ninja Academy, and if your aptitude passes the medical-ninja preliminary test, come find me."
She added a few extra words this time.
For an adult, she would have directed them to the official tests without personal involvement.
But Nonō knew from Root that Raizen had been an orphan since age two.
Over the years, she had long harbored a desire to open an orphanage after retirement.
Raizen's appearance intensified this wish.
"Really?"
Raizen's eyes widened, lighting up with delight.
A smile spread across his face, dissipating some of his usual melancholy.
Nonō nodded, a warm smile playing on her lips.
"Why would I lie to you?"
Mikoto, watching from the side, couldn't help but glance at Raizen again.
Compared to other Uchiha children, he was different.
Tsunade had been indifferent during her inspection, showing no intent to take him as a student
....but Nonō seemed to have the thought.
Moreover, Nonō had acknowledged his potential in taijutsu.
Currently, the Uchiha clan had neither medical-nin nor taijutsu specialists.
After graduating from the academy, most Uchiha joined Konoha's police division, managing village security and missions.
Nonō herself had followed a similar path.
"Alright, little Raizen. I have other matters to attend to. Today's session ends here," Nonō said, standing and organizing the sealed scroll.
Before leaving, her eyes scanned the books on the chair.....evidence of a studious child.
"Thank you, Nonō-sama," Raizen said politely, rising to see her off.
Together with Mikoto, he escorted her to the boundary between the Uchiha compound and Konoha streets.
An ancient gate marked the Uchiha territory.
"Return and train diligently," Mikoto said, leaving him with those words before departing.
Raizen walked home alone.
The moon shone brightly, the night calm and serene.
He exhaled softly.
Today had gone far more smoothly than expected.
Thinking about it, Nonō taught orphans outside Konoha medical ninjutsu.
He was one of the few she would personally mentor.....especially now, as she neared retirement, and without any pressing concerns.
Currently, she had no weaknesses.
Only in the future, as an orphanage head, might she be blackmailed by Danzo using orphans as leverage, forcing her back into espionage.
"Next, I need to rapidly improve my chakra control to reach standard," Raizen muttered to himself.
The following day, at the Ninja Academy playground:
"Today's class is a short test.....you need to run fifty laps!"
Instructor Umino Rufi blew his whistle, signaling the students to start.
"Ah… running again."
"Fifty laps? Really?"
Instructor Umino, can we have more combat exercises? We're training to be ninjas, not to just survive!"
Many students complained.
Compared to the plain physical training, they preferred one-on-one battles.
At least then, they could hear cheers from others.
"Yo, Kakashi! It's my favorite part of class!"
Might Guy flashed his bright, polished teeth and gave a thumbs-up.
"Ready for a fiery youth showdown with me?"
Kakashi, wearing his usual scarf, glanced at Guy's tight green outfit.
Seeing Guy strike ridiculous poses made him want to wash his eyes.
He didn't understand why his father, Sakumo Hatake, had told him that Guy would be a formidable rival one day. It seemed absurd right now.
"Keep running, or you'll fall behind."
Kakashi picked up the pace.
"I'm coming, Kakashi!"
Guy immediately followed.
"Kakashi, still as stylish as ever,"
Several girls watched Kakashi run, feeling less exhausted just by looking at him.
Rin also sneaked glances at Kakashi, trying hard to keep up.
"Can you keep up?"
Kakashi asked calmly.
"Yes," Rin nodded.
Obito, at the back, saw Rin chatting effortlessly with Kakashi.
Gritting his teeth, he sped up a few steps and blocked Rin's view.
"Kakashi, aren't you running too slow?"
Obito forced a carefree expression.
"Idiot," Kakashi thought.
Obito's antics disrupted his rhythm. Soon, Obito would tire himself out.
Kakashi shook his head and continued running.
"That's… Uchiha Raizen."
Kakashi's eyes narrowed.
Read More Advance Chapter and Support Me
patreon.com/HeavenlyYinYang