Friction at the borders had escalated into open conflict. Kumogakure (the Hidden Cloud) had deployed ninja units into the Land of Hot Springs, a buffer zone bordering the Land of Fire. Rumors were already swirling that the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki had been spotted near the front.
Hearing these reports, Luke knew the Third Shinobi World War was no longer a distant threat. It had begun; it simply hadn't reached its boiling point yet.
As a member of Root, Luke had access to information far beyond the reach of the average citizen. He knew the world had been a powderkeg since the suicide of Sakumo Hatake—the White Fang—the previous year. Without that silver-haired deterrent, the Hidden Stone, Cloud, and Sand villages were all beginning to stir.
Back when he was just an anime fan, Luke thought the White Fang was just another legendary ninja. But now, with the memories of a native shinobi, he understood the sheer weight of that title.
Sakumo Hatake hadn't just been "strong." He had been a clinical, high-efficiency culling machine. Armed with a single chakra sabre, he was a nightmare on the battlefield. It didn't matter if you were a Genin or a seasoned Jonin; once that white flash flickered, your life was over. His combat style was perfectly optimized for "cleaning" a battlefield of lower-tier threats, making him worth an entire army.
With Konoha losing such a terrifying vanguard, the other villages saw an opening. The Hidden Cloud and the Hidden Stone, having suffered the least during the Second World War, finally felt they had the numerical and economic strength to challenge Konoha's spot at the top.
"Those Cloud Ninja... why can't they just stay in their mountains?" Aya Ueda sighed in the faculty lounge, her usual cheer replaced by fatigue. "I can feel another war coming."
"If Lord White Fang were still alive, they wouldn't dare be this arrogant," Ikeya Yu grumbled, his voice thick with resentment toward the village's treatment of the fallen hero.
"It'll be fine," Sam Kimura said, trying to lift the mood. "We still have the Third Hokage and the Sannin. Lord Orochimaru and the others will lead us to victory just like they did before."
"If a full-scale war breaks out," Luke asked, steering the conversation toward his primary concern, "will we teachers be mobilized for combat duty?"
His priority was staying at the Academy. Self-training was one thing, but nothing compared to the "cheats" provided by his students.
"It depends on how desperate things get," Aya replied. "If the front lines are pushed back, the Academy staff is usually reorganized into specialized support or combat units based on their individual skill sets."
Luke offered a silent prayer to whatever gods governed this world. He wasn't afraid of the battlefield, but he desperately needed more time to "farm" rewards. The Third World War was notorious for its brutality—Konoha would eventually find itself fighting almost all of the other Great Nations simultaneously. They wouldn't let a capable Chunin like him sit idly in a classroom for long.
"Don't worry too much, Teacher Luke," Sam said with a confident grin. "We're the strongest village. It won't get so bad that they'd need to pull teachers away from the next generation."
"I'm not worried about the fight," Luke lied smoothly, flashing his trademark gentle smile. "I just want to make sure I'm mentally prepared to serve if the call comes."
Luke returned to his calligraphy, finding peace in the brushstrokes until the bell rang.
Inside Class 1, Grade 1, the children were blissfully unaware of the geopolitical tension. The room was a cacophony of laughter and youthful energy.
"So, Brother, how did the master plan go?" Izumo Kamizuki whispered, leaning over to Kotetsu Hagane. "Did you finally bring your cousin to heel?"
"Ugh, don't even ask," Kotetsu groaned, looking utterly defeated. "The plan was perfect, but my cousin is a snake! After I messed up his room and got him in trouble with my aunt, he did the exact same thing to me!"
It turned out that while the plan was sound, his cousin was only a year older—still very much a "kid" himself. The resulting war of scorched-earth room-wrecking ended with both of them getting scolded and beaten. They had eventually signed a "peace treaty" declaring that specific tactic a "Forbidden Jutsu" that neither would ever use again.
"To think someone could be so devious," Izumo mused. "My apologies, Kotetsu. I've run out of tactical advice for now."
"Don't worry about it. You've helped me enough," Kotetsu said, ready to pivot. "What about you? Tell me your troubles. Let me carry some of the burden."
"Well," Izumo hesitated. "There's a girl who lives nearby... I like her, but I don't know how to talk to her."
"That's easy!" Kotetsu chirped. "Just give her something she likes."
"I see her looking at my family's flower garden every time she walks past," Izumo noted. "Her house doesn't have any plants."
"Then give her flowers! She'll be so impressed," Kotetsu declared.
"Ahem. Class is starting," Luke interrupted gently, tapping his knuckles on the podium.
The room fell silent instantly. Despite only being their teacher for four days, Luke's engaging style had earned him a level of respect and obedience that the veteran teachers envied.
[Lecture Complete. Calculating rewards...] [Evaluation: A] [Reward: Water Release: Water Formation Wall]
As the knowledge entered his mind, Luke felt a cool, fluid shift in his chakra network. It was a B-Rank defensive jutsu—the user spews a wall of high-pressure water to intercept attacks. Interestingly, the system didn't just give him the jutsu; it provided a secondary packet of Water Nature Transformation knowledge.
Practical system, Luke thought. It knows I can't build a wall out of water if I don't know how to turn my chakra into water first.
After school, Luke led Shisui through the woods to the secluded riverbank he had scouted.
"Your Great Fireball is already at a professional level," Luke said, looking over the boy. "Today, we're stepping it up. I'm going to teach you a new technique."
Luke stood by the water's edge. Without a lengthy sequence of signs, he folded his hands into a single seal. He drew in a breath, and three massive, roaring dragons of flame erupted from his mouth. They spiraled through the air with terrifying speed before diving into the river.
BOOM!
The impact sent a massive plume of white steam hissing into the sky, the river water churning and boiling where the dragons struck.
"The Great Dragon Fire Technique," Shisui whispered, his eyes wide. He had seen Uchiha Jonin use it, but they usually required a full string of hand signs and couldn't manifest three dragons at once with such ease.
Luke watched Shisui's expression, satisfied. He could see the awe and the burning desire to learn reflected in the boy's dark eyes.
"Watch closely," Luke said, his voice calm amidst the hissing steam. "I'll demonstrate it one more time."