Inside a modest unit within the Hidden Cloud Village of the Land of Lightning, a young man stood staring at his long sword—snapped clean in half once again during training—with a sour expression on his face.
"Sensei's expression has been getting more and more off lately... There's a sense of helplessness and regret in his eyes when he looks at us. If my timing is right, the Second Great Ninja War is about to break out."
Thinking back on his instructor's increasingly distant demeanor, Tanaka Haruki knew something was wrong.
As someone who had reincarnated into the world of Naruto, Haruki had resisted the reality for as long as he could. After all, this was a chaotic world where even terrorists fought in the name of peace. And now, nearly a decade after the First Great Ninja War had officially ended, a second one was on the horizon.
But he was just about to graduate. Even if he tried to fail on purpose or dodge responsibility, the Academy wouldn't hold him back another year. Instead, they'd fast-track him onto the battlefield.
Haruki's heart was heavy with anxiety at the thought.
"Everyone in the village is preparing for war. Even the jonin instructors from the academy have been called up. There's no way any elite jonin will be left to teach us. For students like me, from an average class, I bet we'll be assigned a random chunin as our field leader. No chance we'll get a proper ninjutsu education now."
He clenched his fists.
Sure, the Twelve Young Ninjas in Naruto all had jonin mentors. But those were the elite classes—like the "rocket classes" from his past life, full of gifted prodigies.
Even characters who seemed like ordinary civilians—like Haruno Sakura or Rock Lee—were far from average. In this world, if you had a surname, you were probably connected to a powerful lineage.
But Haruki? He didn't even have that. In fact, his family didn't have a surname at all. The one he carried now, Tanaka, was something his father had given him after he was accepted into the Foundation Corps, just so others wouldn't look down on him.
His full name was a stylized fusion of the names given by his parents—a name meant to match his former self in his previous life. That old name was too embarrassing to use again.
Being born a commoner in the ninja world meant one thing: low chakra reserves.
His father had died at age 30, barely capable of casting a single D-rank jutsu. Haruki was ten years old now, and even after stringing together the basic Three Academy Techniques, he was already out of chakra.
With this kind of ability, he'd be cannon fodder on the front lines. No question.
"I can't wait any longer!"
He looked over at the calendar. Graduation was only two weeks away.
Haruki took a deep breath and made a decision—one that went against the Will of Fire, and even defied the Will of Lightning.
If he didn't take action, he'd die on the battlefield.
Without hesitation, he retrieved two prepared sealing scrolls from a hidden compartment under his bed, slung on his gear, and rushed toward the Raikage Building.
Unlike Konoha, which was built on flat land, Hidden Cloud Village was carved into towering mountain peaks—easy to defend, hard to invade, and hell to climb. But Haruki had trained hard, modeling his workouts after Konoha's "three emperors of effort."
Thanks to his chakra-enhanced physique, he was far stronger than a normal ten-year-old. Before long, he arrived at the towering Raikage headquarters.
But instead of heading for the mission office, he walked straight into the Intelligence Division.
"I'm Tanaka Haruki, a student from Class 9, Grade 5 at the Ninja Academy. I have A-rank intel to report directly to Lord Raikage. These two sealed scrolls must be delivered to him. Once he sees them, he'll definitely agree to meet with me."
Haruki handed over the scrolls and his student ID to a middle-aged ninja behind the reception desk.
The system in Hidden Cloud differed from Konoha's. Children started school at five and graduated in five years, meaning Haruki was just ten.
"A-rank intel?"The man raised an eyebrow. "Kid, you do know faking intel of that level is a serious offense, right?"
Even an old veteran sipping tea by the window turned to look at him.
"I'll take full responsibility for my words," Haruki replied firmly.
If he didn't have a secret weapon—his so-called "golden finger"—he wouldn't have dared take this risk.
The receptionist stared at him for a moment, then checked the ID. It was genuine. His gaze shifted to the two scrolls.
"What's inside?"
"Scroll One contains one billion ryo. Feel free to verify it. Scroll Two contains top-secret material, which may only be opened in the presence of Lord Raikage himself."
Haruki's tone didn't waver. But the words made both men freeze.
"One billion ryo?!"
They both leapt to their feet, stunned. How could a student possibly possess such an astronomical sum?
For reference, a jonin's bounty on the black market was only 10 million ryo. An elite jonin might go for 20 million. Only those with special status ever exceeded 30 million.
So what did that make this kid worth?
The middle-aged ninja turned to the older man. Without a word, the old veteran took Scroll One and carefully unsealed it. Ten storage boxes popped into view.
He opened the first one.
Inside were perfectly stacked bills—each of the highest denomination. Judging by the volume, that single box alone held 100 million ryo.
His eyes narrowed. He checked the rest. Same result.
After a thorough inspection, he resealed the boxes and stood.
"Come with me. You're going to see Lord Raikage."
The older man didn't question anything further. Scroll Two remained sealed. Whatever it contained, the money alone had guaranteed Haruki's audience.
The Raikage's office was located at the very peak of the tower. Haruki followed without hesitation.
He waited briefly outside the door before being summoned in.
Once inside, the old man unsealed Scroll One, and the ten money boxes reappeared in front of the Third Raikage himself.
As Haruki took a step forward, something unseen surged into his mind—an odd sensation. He couldn't fully process it right now, so he focused his attention on the man in front of him.
The Third Raikage truly deserved his reputation as the strongest in history. Just standing in his presence was oppressive. His aura was suffocating.
"You may leave us," the Raikage said calmly.
The old man bowed slightly, shot Haruki a final look, and exited the room.
The Raikage leaned back in his chair, arms folded.
"Alright, kid. What kind of information are you here to share?"
There was no hiding his suspicion. A billion ryo connected to a ten-year-old boy? Something didn't add up.
Standing nearby were Yeyue and Kanji (寅台)—two of the Raikage's closest aides—both looking at Haruki with curiosity.
Haruki cleared his throat, trying to keep his voice steady.
"Ahem… The intel can wait. I'm here today to formally request to become your disciple, Lord Raikage. This one billion ryo is my offering. I sincerely hope you'll accept me as your student."
For a moment, the entire room froze.
Even the Third Raikage's eyelid twitched.
Yeyue and Kanji glanced at each other with odd expressions. Was this… a bribe?
The Raikage didn't reject the notion outright. His eyes moved to the still-sealed second scroll.
"One billion ryo is no small sum. But it's not nearly enough to make me your teacher."
His tone was calm, but calculating.
Money was tight in the village. The upcoming war would require vast resources. This windfall couldn't have come at a better time.
Still, the boy seemed to value the contents of Scroll Two even more than the cash. That made it clear—the second scroll was the real bargaining chip.
Yeyue and Kanji both turned their attention to it, curiosity rising.