Morning arrived, and as sunlight bathed the land of Konohagakure, the village—silent through the night—came alive once more.
Yoru stepped out from an ordinary small courtyard in Konoha.
From the diary, he had learned that this courtyard had been assigned to his father after he was promoted to Special Jonin by their small clan. Coincidentally, the child who had lived here was also named Yoru.
"Hoshino Yoru…"
Feeling the strength surging through his body and the fully restored Chakra within him, Yoru set his gaze forward and walked on.
…
…
"Uncle, do you know how to get to the Ninja Academy?"
Hayakawa Musashi, an ordinary villager of Konoha, was on his usual trip to the morning market when he suddenly heard the question.
Turning his head, he couldn't help but praise inwardly.
What a handsome child.
It was a boy around six years old. Though his face still carried childish softness, one could already glimpse the handsome features he would grow into. Especially his eyes—firm and resolute—no one would doubt he would become an outstanding man in the future.
"Are you a student of the Ninja Academy?" Hayakawa Musashi asked with a smile.
"Yes. My parents are gone, and today I couldn't find the way to the Academy," Yoru replied, looking at the somewhat peculiar uncle in front of him.
After receiving directions, Yoru headed toward the Ninja Academy.
"Isn't that the Hoshino family's child?"
"Seems like it. I remember seeing him at the funeral a few days ago."
"Poor kid… losing his parents at just six years old."
The murmurs of nearby villagers drifted into Hayakawa Musashi's ears.
"So that's what he meant by 'parents are gone'…"
Watching the small, departing figure, a trace of pity appeared in his eyes.
In this world, there were far too many pitiful children.
Damn war.
…
…
Standing before the Ninja Academy—founded by the Second Hokage, Senju Tobirama— Yoru looked at the bustling flow of students and parents, a hint of confusion flashing in his eyes.
"…Which class am I in?"
"Are you Yoru?"
Just as he was at a loss, a middle-aged man dressed in shinobi attire, wearing a Konoha forehead protector, approached him.
"Ah—yes." Yoru looked at him in confusion.
Is he my teacher? he wondered.
"Let me introduce myself. I'm Nakamura Hino, your new homeroom teacher," the man said with a smile.
Seeing Yoru's puzzled expression, he added, "This is an arrangement by the Hokage. Come, I'll take you to your class."
Before class, Year 1 Class A was lively and noisy.
Mischievous boys chased each other around, while girls gathered in circles chatting about things that interested them. Only a few sat quietly at their desks, waiting for class to begin.
"Quiet down!"
An exasperated shout cut through the noise.
The students turned toward the door to see Nakamura Hino standing there with a dark expression.
"Back to your seats! Prepare for class!"
After a brief chaos, all the students quickly returned to their places, sitting upright as if they hadn't been making a racket moments ago.
"Today, our class welcomes a new student. Everyone, welcome him!" Nakamura Hino announced. " Yoru, come in and introduce yourself."
All eyes turned to the door as a boy their age walked toward the podium.
"So handsome!"
"Yeah! I think he's even more handsome than Minato!"
"Nonsense! Are you blind? My Minato is the most handsome!"
…
The girls instantly erupted into excitement.
"Tch, just a pretty boy."
"Yeah, like looks can feed you."
…
That was the boys' jealousy.
Yoru's face darkened slightly.
Kids in the Naruto world mature fast… Back when we were six… cough…
"I'm Hoshino Yoru. Nice to meet you all," he said.
"Is that that Hoshino?"
"Seems like it."
"No wonder he ended up in our class."
Class A—the top class of the Ninja Academy—was generally composed of two types of students: children from Konoha's major clans, and those with exceptional talent from the moment they enrolled.
The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi—known as the "Professor" and hailed as the strongest Hokage—was not only powerful in strength, but also in political skill.
For ninjas who sacrificed their lives for the village, a funeral would be held, attended by both civilians and shinobi, to honor those who died as heroes.
And their children—
Would receive special care.
" Yoru, sit over there. Next to Uchiha Mikoto," Nakamura Hino pointed to a seat.
"Hello, I'm Uchiha Mikoto. Nice to meet you."
As soon as Yoru sat down, a gentle voice sounded beside him.
"Hello, Hoshino Yoru."
Yoru turned his head.
What met his eyes was a delicate and beautiful face. She had long, jet-black hair, and her dark eyes were bright and full of spirit. The gentle warmth between her brows made her even more captivating.