"Good morning, everyone. I am your homeroom teacher for this year, Sarutobi Gappu. It's a pleasure to meet you all. Before we begin the lessons, I'd like to get to know each of you a little better.
"Let's start with self-introductions. Please tell us your name, age, likes and dislikes, and your dreams. We'll go in order: the first row from left to right, the second row from right to left, and so on."
At eight o'clock, a young ninja entered the classroom, wearing a warm smile. He pointed toward a student with spiky hair in the first row. The student stood, head held high, and declared:
"Uchiha Tenpū, five years old. I like defeating members of the Hyūga clan. I dislike the Hyūga clan. My dream is to prove that the Uchiha clan is the strongest family of dojutsu users."
"Uchiha?!"
"Dojutsu?!"
The new students hadn't yet learned to stay quiet; whispers immediately spread across the room. In the back row, a boy with a pineapple-shaped haircut frowned and muttered, "Uchiha? What a troublesome clan."
Sarutobi Gappu cleared his throat and raised a hand, signaling the next student to continue. He didn't comment on Uchiha Tenpū's introduction—after all, the two clans had historical grievances that no single teacher could resolve.
"Gekkō Chōmei, I like—"
The next few students introduced themselves smoothly, and Gappu let out a small sigh of relief. But soon, a student with soft white hair and a smooth forehead stood up:
"Hyūga Chito, six years old. I like training in Gentle Fist. I dislike the Uchiha clan. I don't have a dream yet, because the Hyūga clan is already the strongest family of dojutsu. No proof is needed!"
"What do you mean by that?!"
Hearing this, Uchiha Tenpū stood and glared across the room at Hyūga Chito. Chito met his gaze without fear.
"Next!"
Quickly, Sarutobi Gappu intervened, pointing to a student in the second row. A boy hidden beneath a cloak stood and said:
"My name is Yamanaka—"
After finishing, he sat down. Gappu blinked, saying, "Sorry, could you introduce yourself again? I got distracted and didn't hear clearly."
"Yamanaka Shibi."
When Shibi sat again, Gappu realized he hadn't heard anything but the name. Other students looked equally puzzled, as if asking, "Did someone just speak?"
Asking Shibi to repeat himself multiple times would hurt his feelings, so Gappu looked to the girl next to him. She stood and said:
"My name is Inuzuka Tsume. I'm almost five years old. I like training dogs and dislike cats! My dream is to become the first female Hokage!"
Tsume's voice was clear and confident. Listening carefully, Gappu realized the problem wasn't him—it was Shibi!
Soon, one student after another introduced themselves. Tatsuma paid attention to his classmates, focusing on members of the Ino-Shika-Cho trio: Yamanaka Ichi, Nara Shikaku, and Akimichi Taza.
There was still no sign of the red-haired girl—she probably hadn't enrolled yet. Tatsuma remembered that fiery redhead was a transfer student.
With thirty students in the class, it was soon time for Minato and Tatsuma. Minato was shy and hesitant to say he wanted to be Hokage, instead stating only that he wanted to be a ninja people could trust.
After Minato finished, Tatsuma stood:
"My name is Sakamoto Tatsuma, five years old. I like making friends and training together with them."
At this, Minato flinched slightly, but Tatsuma continued:
"I don't have anything I dislike for now. My dream is to gain recognition from others."
He didn't spout lofty ideals—at his age, grand speeches about preserving ninja peace would have sounded hollow.
After Tatsuma, only two students remained. Once everyone had introduced themselves, Gappu began distributing textbooks. Ninja Academy students didn't just have practical training—they also had theory lessons.
Tatsuma opened his textbook and immediately noticed it wasn't what he expected. He had assumed it would focus on ninja history, the Will of Fire, and related topics.
Instead, the textbooks were filled mostly with ninja tools and techniques. Later sections described the traits of ninja from various villages. The history content was cursory at best.
"Is it because the system isn't fully settled yet?"
Tatsuma muttered to himself. Such material didn't meet the needs of well-rounded education—it was purely focused on cultivating ninja combat skills.
In these unsettled times, culture served the upper echelons. Konoha could not afford slow, comprehensive growth for its children; it needed batches of ninja reserves.
Noticing Tatsuma frowning, Minato asked, "What's wrong?"
Tatsuma shook his head. "It's just… the content is a bit hard to understand."
Minato was too young to fully grasp it anyway, and explaining would only cause complications. He smiled and said, "It's okay. Later, if you don't understand something, I can teach you."
"Thanks—I'll count on you then."
The rest of the morning, Sarutobi Gappu explained school routines: class times, breaks, holidays, and the semester system. Normally, these didn't need to be explained in class, as the children's parents would handle everything. But with orphans like Tatsuma and Minato, it was necessary.
Afterward, other Ninja Academy teachers visited, introducing themselves and their courses. Gappu likely went to visit other classes.
By midday, the administrative details were finished. Before formal afternoon lessons, there was lunch break. Some children left to eat at home.
Tatsuma and Minato brought pre-prepared bentos and went to get hot water. At that moment, Nara Shikaku, accompanied by Yamanaka Ichi and Akimichi Taza, approached.
"I heard you said you like making friends," Shikaku said.
Tatsuma considered their approach, then nodded. "Yes. I remember you said earlier that you dislike unnecessary socializing."
Shikaku smiled. "With you two, this counts as meaningful interaction. Let's get acquainted. I'm Nara Shikaku. This is Yamanaka Ichi and Akimichi Taza."
"Hello."
"Ka~ hello."
Ichi nodded, and Taza, mouth still chewing on a chip, also nodded while guarding his food.
Tatsuma didn't mind. He smiled and said, "I'm Sakamoto Tatsuma."
He looked at Minato, who also smiled: "I'm Namikaze Minato."
"We won't disturb your lunch. If there's time, we can play shogi together."
Shikaku was not overly enthusiastic—that wasn't his nature. Half of the reason he approached was his father's instruction. Soon, he and the other two left.
"Not all ninja children are arrogant, then," Minato remarked, impressed by the three.
Tatsuma nodded. "These three are worth knowing. Well done, Minato—you're already attracting attention."
Hearing that, Minato flinched. He half-expected Tatsuma to propose some challenge. But when Tatsuma headed straight for the water area, Minato's excitement faded slightly.