Three days ter.

  Veigar arrived at the Ninja Academy alone. After undergoing a series of tests, he received a C-rank evaluation, successfully securing his admission.

  Holding the admission notice in his hands, Veigar felt a surge of excitement. However, his attention was drawn elsewhere—to Might Guy, who was currently retaking the entrance exam on the training grounds after failing the initial test.

  Unlike the others who snickered at him, Veigar didn't look down on Might Guy in the slightest. On the contrary, he deeply admired him.

  The future "Emperor Guy" was the man who nearly ended everything with a single kick.

  Though the young Might Guy before him was just a boy struggling to pass the academy entrance exam, Veigar was already thinking about how to establish a good retionship with him.

  This was a powerful ally he needed to hold on to tightly.

  Scanning the crowd, Veigar spotted several familiar faces from the future.

  Kakashi Hatake, wearing his signature mask; Rin Nohara; Obito Uchiha; and Kurenai Yuhi, with her striking red eyes. He also recognized Shizune Kato, Asuma Sarutobi, Ebisu, and Genma Shiranui among others.

  The test eventually concluded, and Might Guy successfully passed the retest, earning his pce at the Ninja Academy.

  The next day, the Academy's entrance ceremony took pce as usual.

  A few days prior, Veigar had received a compensation payment from the vilge, allowing him to buy himself a new outfit. He now wore a light blue high-colred shirt, knee-length shorts, and deep blue ninja sandals. With his short, striking blue hair, he looked quite clean and charming after tidying up.

  At 9 AM, the Ninja Academy.

  Beneath a temporarily constructed ptform, all the enrolled students—including Veigar—stood neatly in rows.

  The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, arrived on stage right on time.

  "Today marks the enrollment of new students into the Ninja Academy. First of all, congratutions on passing the entrance exam. You are all the future pilrs of this vilge."

  "As long as the leaves dance, the fire will burn. The fmes will continue to illuminate the vilge and nurture new leaves."

  The Third Hokage's speech soon came to an end. After listening to the usual "Will of Fire" rhetoric, Veigar proceeded to locate his assigned css from his admission notice.

  First Year, Css 3.

  Upon entering the cssroom, Veigar scanned the students around him, hoping to find a familiar face.

  However, he was disappointed.

  None of the individuals who would py major roles in the future were his cssmates.

  It didn't take Veigar long to realize why. His current css seemed to be made up of civilian students, whereas those he recognized from the future, despite being in the same academic year, came from different backgrounds and thus were pced in different csses.

  Even Might Guy, who had barely passed the entrance exam, was pced in the so-called "Elite Css" due to his father, Might Duy.

  Though Might Duy was considered a "Eternal Genin" by the vilge, the Eight Gates Release he had mastered was an extremely powerful forbidden technique.

  Perhaps others didn't understand its potential, but the vilge's upper echelon—especially the Third Hokage—certainly did.

  Thus, it was no surprise that Might Guy was pced in the Elite Css.

  Shortly after finding an empty seat and sitting down, a middle-aged man with an ordinary face but a weathered demeanor walked into the cssroom. Holding a book in his hands, he smiled warmly.

  The initially noisy cssroom gradually quieted down as everyone recognized that this man was likely their teacher.

  "Good morning, everyone. My name is Tomohisa Ishikawa, and I will be your homeroom teacher. You may call me Tomohisa-sensei."

  "Let's work well together from now on."

  After Tomohisa Ishikawa introduced himself, Veigar followed the other students in replying, "Tomohisa-sensei, pleased to be under your guidance."

  Satisfied, Tomohisa Ishikawa continued, "You have all been selected from the vilge after passing the Ninja Academy test. You are among the most talented children."

  "From now on, I will do my utmost to train you into outstanding ninjas."

  With that, he flipped open the book in his hands, gnced down at it, and said, "Today is your first day at the Academy. Let's start by getting to know each other. After all, when you graduate, you might become teammates."

  "Each of you will come up to the front, introduce yourselves, and share your hobbies and dreams. Let's get to know each other better."

  Turning to a chubby boy in the first row on the far left, Tomohisa Ishikawa said, "Let's start with you."

  The boy didn't hesitate. Standing up and walking to the podium, he introduced himself confidently:

  "My name is Ryuichi Takeda. My hobbies are eating takoyaki and octopus balls. My dream is to taste all the delicacies in the world."

  "Hahaha…"

  The css burst into ughter at his introduction, quickly recognizing him as a food lover.

  "Next."

  After Ryuichi Takeda returned to his seat, Veigar noticed Tomohisa Ishikawa marking something in his book, presumably checking off names on the roster. Meanwhile, he signaled for the next student to come forward.

  "My name is Renji Inoue. My hobbies are…"

  "My name is Miyoko Momokawa. My hobbies are…"

  "My name is Kota Moriki…"

  One after another, the students introduced themselves. Soon, it was Veigar's turn.

  Standing on the podium, he introduced himself calmly:

  "My name is Veigar Koshima, but you can call me Veigar. My hobby is fishing, and my dream is to become a strong ninja and one day, the Hokage."

  With that, Veigar returned to his seat.

  Wanting to become Hokage was the most common aspiration in the Ninja Academy. Regardless of what the future held, for now, Veigar had at least succeeded in presenting himself as a devoted Konoha ninja.

  Once everyone had introduced themselves, Tomohisa Ishikawa closed his book.

  "Now that everyone is acquainted, we will distribute textbooks. In the afternoon, we will officially begin lessons."

  As noon approached, a stack of books piled up on Veigar's desk. Every textbook's first page contained the same passage—the ideology of the 'Will of Fire.'

  Through Tomohisa Ishikawa's expnations, Veigar learned about the subjects he would be studying at this stage:

  Literature: Learning written characters.

  Ethics: The Ninja Code.

  History: The history of Konoha and the Land of Fire.

  Physical Training: Enhancing physical fitness.

  Ninjutsu Studies: Chakra refinement, hand seals, kunai throwing, and more.

  After a busy morning, the Academy let out for lunch before resuming in the afternoon.

  After eating, Veigar arrived early, eager to begin his lessons.

  When css resumed, Veigar felt a rush of excitement as he listened intently to Tomohisa Ishikawa's every word—because this afternoon's lesson was on Chakra Refinement.

  —————

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