The morning sunlight spilled across the recently reopened Academy grounds filled with chatter and excitement.
Children clustered at the front gate, their small hands wrapped tightly around those of their parents. Their eyes darted about, some wide with excitement, others shimmering with fear. Mothers knelt to adjust collars or brush stray hair from their child's forehead, whispering last words of encouragement. Fathers, pride softening their usually stern expressions as they crouched to meet their children's gaze.
A boy with the Uchiha crest was guided forward by his father, who spoke in clipped tones about carrying the family's honor. An Inuzuka girl crouched beside her mother's ninken, the animal nudging her playfully while her parent tied a scarf around her neck. Clan heirs stood tall under the weight of expectation, while children of commoners clung tightly, afraid to let go.
The air was filled with the sound of anxious chatter, the rustle of robes, the sniffles of children unwilling to part just yet.
He observed the crowd, looking for any recognisable faces. As his eyes shifted pass each person, he noticed a young woman, with spiky hair, fierce eyes , and fang like markings on her face, noticing his gaze and smirking back. On her right stood a large ninken with black and white fur eyeing him up. On her left was a cute child with the same fang markings on her cheek,but with a calm demeanor. She smiled and nodded at Enji.
' Tsume Inuzuka and the kid must be Hana' Enji thought as he politely nodded back.
The atmosphere changed when a family dressed in dark hues approached. The crowd shifted, a hush spreading like a ripple across water.
The crest of the Uchiha fan stood proud on the back of the man's robe, his bearing sharp as steel, every step deliberate, his presence commanding respect without a word. Beside him, his wife walked with quieter grace, her kind eyes softening the family's rigid aura. And in front of them, a small boy walked in silence. His hair was a dark fall against his pale skin, his expression calm, almost solemn, his black eyes too steady for a child.
The Uchiha parents came forward,greeting the newly arrived trio.
Enji's gaze lingered on them for a moment, mind working.
The Uchiha clan head… Fugaku. That would make the boy,Itachi. So that's him.
He studied the child more closely. There was no fidgeting, no wide-eyed awe like the other children. The boy's stillness wasn't born of shyness but of composure - unnerving composure for someone so young.
Already set apart, Enji thought. Already carrying the weight of a clan before he's even taken his first step here.
Around them, whispers rippled. Parents bowed their heads subtly, some muttering the boy's name with cautious admiration. Enji simply looked once more and then let his eyes drift away. He didn't need the whispers. He could see enough.
The crowd had already formed groups, each with their own friends and acquaintances.
Among them, Enji stood alone.
No hand to hold. No parent to straighten his collar. His small figure, draped in training clothes with the sarutobi crest, seemed unremarkable,yet there was something in the way he stood that set him apart. Calm. Centered. His gaze moved not with childish wonder, but with quiet observation, taking in every nervous face, every proud parent,trying to remember each and every person's chakra signature.
After completing his observations he inhaled slowly. The scent of earth, timber, and ink mixed together. Around him, he felt the nervous atmosphere buzzing like static, but he was calm, steady and solid as a rock.He had walked alone before. He would do so again.
As he was wondering about his future plans he felt a familiar chakra signature in the vicinity rapidly approaching and stopping just behind him.
" There was no need for you to come. I know you're busy" Enji replied without looking back.
"Don't tell me what to do boy."
Yasu replied, placing a hand on Enji's head and ruffling his hair. Both remained silent after the interaction, enjoying each other's company in silence.
After about 5 minutes, the crowd fell completely silent, The Hokage had arrived.
From the raised platform before the Academy doors, the Third Hokage stood with his robes flowing gently in the breeze. The red and white of the Hokage's mantle seemed to glow in the morning sun, and his weathered face carried both kindness and the weight of a man who had lived through too many wars.
Hiruzen Sarutobi looked over the gathered families - dozens of children, some bouncing with energy, some clinging to their parents' legs. His eyes softened as they paused here and there, lingering briefly on the clan heirs, then resting finally on the orphans who stood alone.
Enji felt the Hokage's gaze brush over him, a flicker of something like approval crossing the old man's eyes. It was gone in a moment, replaced by a grandfatherly smile, as Hiruzen stepped forward and raised his voice.
"Children of Konoha… today, you begin the path that will shape the future of our village. Here, you will learn more than jutsu or combat. You will learn what it means to protect, to endure, and to stand together as one."
A few parents nodded firmly. Some children straightened their backs.
"Not all of you will find this road easy," the Hokage continued, his tone softening, "but every step you take will make you stronger. Remember, a shinobi's true strength lies not only in their skill, but in their will to protect those they hold dear."
Applause rippled across the crowd, parents clapping politely, some children imitating them awkwardly.
The hokage continued his speech rephrasing the 'Will of Fire' in as many ways as he could, intent to brand it into the young would be ninjas.
Enji barely listened to the long speech, trying to act like he was attentive.
" At least act like you are listening,kid" Yasu's reminder arrived as he was getting sleepy.
When the speech ended, parents were ushered aside, leaving the children to line up in groups.
Enji did not recognise anyone from his group.
The entrance test was simple: a basic assessment of coordination and potential. It was more to gauge physical awareness than actual combat ability.
A training field behind the Academy had been prepared with three stations:
Balance beam test - walking across a narrow log elevated over sand.
Accuracy test - throwing blunt shuriken at wooden targets.
Sprint test - a short dash meant to test speed and stamina.
The instructors ,chunin in Konoha vests barked orders with the crisp authority of soldiers. Children stumbled across the beam, some slipping and landing with red cheeks, others running too fast and tripping over their own feet. The air filled with laughter, encouragement, and the occasional sharp scolding.
Enji completed every stage easily with the best performance in his group. He did not hide his abilities as there was no need. Yasu and the Hokage knew almost everything about his training.
The instructors scribbled notes. One of them, a sharp-eyed woman, overseeing Enji's group,murmured quietly to her colleague, "Sarutobi, huh? Looks like there's another prodigy this year."
Once the assessment ended, the children were led into the Academy hall. Desks arranged in neat rows awaited them, sunlight spilling across the wooden floor. The chatter was constant -nervous, excited, chaotic in the way only a room of children could be.
Enji noted that his class had more clan children and fewer civilians. The earlier tests had been to segregate them based on potential.
Enji took a seat in the middle row, neither hiding in the back nor claiming the front, just beside the window. From here, he could see the black board as well as the outside scenery.
As he was peering outside, he noticed a figure approaching . His steps weren't rushed like the others, nor hesitant. He moved with the kind of natural grace that came from discipline.
The boy took the seat next to Enji without a word. Raven hair framed his pale face, and his dark eyes were calm, steady, far too mature for his age. His presence seemed to still the noise around him.
"Enji Sarutobi," Enji introduced himself his tone calm but polite and offered a slight nod.
"Itachi Uchiha," came the soft reply.There was no boast, no arrogance in the name. Itachi stated it as one might state a fact, as unadorned as his posture.
" Nice to meet you Enji san"
" Nice to meet you too, Itachi"
' The Clan killer'
The prodigy.
And, perhaps, a rival.
Enji thought as he dazedly stared through the window.