"Since everything's fine, I'll be going now."
Amano Ren shrugged and turned, ready to leave.
"Um… what… what's your name?"
Hinata blushed, her voice faltering as she spoke shyly.
"Me? Amano Ren. See you."
Amano Ren paused for a moment as he said his name, then continued walking without looking back.
"Amano… Ren… I'll remember it," Hinata whispered to herself, staring after him.
"Miss."
As soon as Amano Ren left, a white-eyed ninja appeared beside Hinata, bowing respectfully.
"Let's go," Hinata said, lowering her head."Yes."
The first Hokage of Konoha, Hashirama Senju, was widely recognized in the ninja world as the strongest shinobi, earning titles like "Ninja God" and "Legendary like the Sage of Six Paths." A master of Wood Release, he founded the village of Konoha.
His brother, Tobirama Senju, the Second Hokage, made significant contributions to the study and regulation of forbidden techniques. Renowned for innovations like the Flying Thunder God Technique, Shadow Clone Technique, and the forbidden Reanimation Jutsu, Tobirama earned the nickname "Madman of Forbidden Jutsu."
Even more famously, the Second Hokage established the Ninja Academy.
It was created during a period of turmoil to ensure efficient combat training and education. Though the village eventually entered an era of peace, the Academy remained: anyone aspiring to be a ninja had to graduate from it. Over time, most Konoha families sent their children there.
Of course, students in the peace era were generally weaker than those in wartime.
This year, Amano Ren was six years old—the perfect age to enroll.
Early one morning, deep in his practice of innate energy, Amano Ren frowned and opened his eyes.
"Someone's here?!"
It was his immediate reaction.
"Amano Ren?"
Sure enough, a man's voice came from outside. "Are you home? I'm here on orders from the Hokage."
"Hiruzen Sarutobi? Why would he send someone? I hardly ever go out; the villagers can't even find me to cause trouble… Wait. Could it be the Ninja Academy?"
Checking the time, it made sense—he was six now. This visitor was here to take him to the Academy.
That was fine. Enrolling in the Academy would accelerate his training. Up until now, he had mostly practiced indoors to avoid exposure. His strength was solid, but his speed had no proper testing. At the Academy, he could demonstrate some taijutsu talent without arousing suspicion.
As for ninjutsu? That could never be revealed. Any suspicion might risk losing access to forbidden scrolls, and he still needed the chakra-refining scrolls, which no one would hand over voluntarily.
Thinking this through, Amano Ren opened the door to find a man in a Chunin uniform standing there.
The man appeared ordinary at first, but there was a bright, sunny aura about him. A distinct scar across his nose marked his identity.
"Unno Iruka!"—a teacher who would become like a father figure to Amano Ren.
Iruka had been a key reason why Amano Ren hadn't succumbed to darkness. In the original story, Iruka was a kind man who provided care, warmth, and a fatherly presence that Ren had never experienced.
Now, in reality, Amano Ren had to consider whether there was any Konoha influence at play—or if Iruka himself was merely a pawn of Hiruzen to keep Ren loyal.
"Hello, Amano Ren. I'm Iruka, a teacher at the Ninja Academy. You can call me Teacher Iruka," the man said warmly.
Iruka began to introduce himself further. "The Hokage probably told you about this already. Come with me. You'll meet other children your age—they'll be your classmates. I'm sure you'll get along well."
Iruka did not blame Ren for his parents' deaths at the hands of the Nine-Tails. The boy before him was just a child, his future student. A teacher distinguished between the demon and the child; he would not take out past grief on an innocent.
No trace of ill will… even friendlier than before? What's he imagining?
Amano Ren silently gauged Iruka's emotions. As a Jinchuriki, detecting emotion was second nature. Unlike the villagers, Iruka emitted no hatred or murderous intent toward him.
"I remember in the original story, Iruka wasn't so kind at first, was he?"
Ah well. Reality differs from fiction. At least he's saved my life.
Ren, or rather his current self, was not a mindless killer. His goal of destroying Konoha was revenge against the world that treated him like a monster. But Iruka—whether in the original or now—did not radiate the same unpleasant energy as the villagers. Instead, he was genuinely friendly.
No matter if Iruka was influenced by Hiruzen, Amano Ren would not harm him. He knew he wasn't a saint, but he also did not want to be a villain—at least, not recklessly.
"Hello, Teacher Iruka," Amano Ren said, offering a bright, sunny smile. "I look forward to learning from you."
This child's actually quite remarkable.
Iruka couldn't help but smile back, charmed by the warmth of Amano Ren's expression.
After a brief preparation, Amano Ren followed Iruka to the Academy.
By now, many parents had already brought their children for registration, making the place lively.
"Look! Isn't that the Nine-Tails kid? He's got whiskers!""I think so… I haven't seen him in ages.""Yeah, the demon hasn't been out for a long time. My mom said he's dead.""Good riddance! He can't hurt anyone now!"
Ren heard every word, his expression calm, face smiling, while inwardly… He thought, Live a few more years, and then none of you will escape.
Iruka, of course, heard the murmurs too. Concerned, he cast a glance at Ren and comforted him. "Don't listen to what they say. They just don't understand the situation yet. You're all students now. In time, you'll get along."
"I understand," Ren feigned disappointment. In reality, he felt nothing for these children, who had little life experience ahead of them.
"I've gotten used to this over the years. Let's go, Teacher Iruka," Ren said.
Sigh.
Iruka looked at Ren's small, seemingly downcast face and felt a pang of sadness. He was still just a child.
Meanwhile…
"Wow! Look at that kid! So handsome! Is he his brother? Kawaii!""Are they from the Uchiha clan? I love them!""That's Konoha's prodigy, Uchiha Itachi. I heard he's already joined the Anbu."