As time went on, it was finally Minato's turn.
"My name is Namikaze Minato. I like tri-colored dango, and there's nothing I particularly dislike. My dream is to become Hokage!"
He beamed brightly, the very picture of a cheerful, sunny boy.
Watching him, Yuki Seisui gave an approving nod. Honestly, this was less of a self-introduction and more of a chance to craft your persona.
Set your image well, and worries won't catch you!
After Minato stepped down, Seisui walked up with a grin and said, "I'm Yuki Seisui. I like patting heads, and I hate people who pat mine."
His expression then turned serious, his tone resolute.
"I'm a man who will become Hokage!"
"I will be Hokage!"
"You wish! I'm the one who'll be Hokage!"
A spiky-haired boy with face paint suddenly slammed his desk and stood up, glaring at Seisui with eyes burning with passion.
Seisui recognized him, he'd introduced himself earlier as Inuzuka Ryo, a member of the Inuzuka clan.
Like both Seisui and Minato, he too dreamed of becoming Hokage.
Seisui paused, then snapped back, "Keep dreaming!"
"When I become Hokage, I'll make you an advisor!"
Then, as if realizing it might come off poorly, he added,
"Same goes for Minato."
Hearing this from below, Minato's face darkened.
Gee, thanks, you get to be Hokage, and I get to be your advisor?
"I'll be Hokage! You can be the advisor!" Ryō shot back.
Yamanaka Yukio slapped his forehead, clearly exasperated.
This was supposed to be the self-introduction segment, not a Hokage debate stage.
"Next!" he barked, rapping his knuckles on the desk to quiet them down.
Seisui chuckled awkwardly and went back to sit beside Minato, while Ryō gave a dismissive snort and muttered under his breath, "I'm the one who'll become Hokage…"
Meanwhile, in the Hokage's office, Sarutobi Hiruzen set down his crystal ball, a small smile curling on his lips.
"Yuki Seisui, huh?"
"It seems the Will of Fire has indeed been passed on."
But then his expression shifted, becoming oddly... lecherous.
"Now then, time to patrol the village and check on public safety…"
Unaware that he'd caught the Hokage's attention, Seisui left the classroom.
With introductions over, the school day came to an end.
Today was just the opening ceremony, a chance for everyone to meet.
Real classes will start tomorrow.
Textbooks had already been distributed.
Walking home with books in hand, both Seisui and Minato flipped through their ninja academy materials.
"So the Third Hokage is considered the strongest Hokage, huh?"
Minato flipped through the history textbook, which detailed the achievements of Sarutobi Hiruzen.
Seisui glanced over at him and said nothing, though above his own head, a small "head-pat" emoji suddenly popped up.
It was one of the visual effects from the Duel Arena system.
Any ninja who had entered the duel arena could have floating emojis displayed over their heads, a strange, almost comical function.
Though unfortunately, Seisui only had three emoji options: Handshake, Head-Pat, and Funny Face.
Minato blinked at the image. "What's that?"
Seisui smirked and popped up another, the "Funny Face" emoji, which looked infuriatingly smug.
"It's one of the features of my ability. You'll be able to use them too once you're in there."
"Really?" Minato rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
For some reason, the "head-pat" emoji made him feel… weirdly offended.
"This Will of Fire Explained textbook is kind of amazing," Seisui said, flipping his copy.
"It's the will of the village!" Minato said proudly, lifting his chin.
Seisui just stared at him blankly.
What's it got to do with you, though?
But he kept the thought to himself.
The textbook was basically a single motto padded with story after story about how various ninja lived out the Will of Fire.
To Seisui, it all felt like lofty, hollow propaganda.
But in this world, where literacy wasn't widespread, such texts were widely respected.
Closing the book, Seisui turned to Minato.
"Minato, I'm heading home first."
"Come by tonight."
"Huh?" Minato blinked, then nodded. "Alright. I'll stop by your place tonight."
After they parted ways, Seisui walked down the road, book in hand, flipping through pages as he went.
To onlookers, he looked like a devoted student of the Will of Fire.
Basking in approving glances from passersby, Seisui arrived home and sat down at his desk, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.
Though it had looked like he was reading the textbook earlier, he'd actually been deep in thought.
He didn't harbor any hatred toward the world.
He didn't seek revenge or want to save humanity.
He just wanted to live a peaceful life.
But in the ninja world, peace required strength.
Right now, the Second Great Ninja War hasn't ended yet.
Fortunately, Konoha wasn't yet throwing kids into the battlefield.
That meant he still had 4–5 years of relative safety.
Currently, the ninja academy graduates students at age ten, not twelve like in later generations.
With that in mind, Seisui picked up his pen and started scribbling.
If someone looked over his shoulder, they'd see the title written at the top of the page:
"Reflections on the Will of Fire"
This wasn't a personal diary, this was a performance.
Seisui was writing with the potential reader in mind.
In Konoha, the safest strategy was to present yourself as a model citizen, a loyal leaf of the Will of Fire.
He called this approach: "Emergency Disguise Mode."
Right now, Danzo was only starting to show signs of darkness.
The Third Hokage wasn't senile yet.
So relatively speaking, this was one of the safest windows of time.
When Seisui finally looked up again, the sky outside was already dark.
The sun had disappeared, leaving only streaks of crimson clouds in the distance.
Looking at the stack of pages he'd written, Seisui nodded in satisfaction.
"I've still got it!"
One single line of thought had led to over ten pages of writing.
Just then, a knock came at the door. Seisui tucked the "reflections" safely away and opened it.
Minato stepped in, carrying a bento box.
Seeing how dark the room was, he sighed and handed the box over.
"I knew you wouldn't have eaten. I made this for you, hurry up and eat."
"Thanks a ton, Minato!"
Seisui opened the box, inside were tempura pieces, sushi, and sandwich rolls.
Minato flipped on the light and shook his head with a sigh.
"If Grandma Eimi hadn't told me you never came downstairs all day, I wouldn't have known to bring food at all."
=============
250 Power Stones = Bonus Chapter
Add to Library to support