Naruto: In Konoha Village, I awakened Wood Release at the start.

Leaf.

I heard Jiraiya's voice.

Kakashi turned around and looked at Jiraiya, whose eyes were red-rimmed.

Naruto tilted his head, his face full of curiosity.

Jiraiya strode forward and ruffled Naruto's golden hair.

"Who are you, sir?"

"Don't mess up my hairstyle!"

Naruto waved his hands and protested loudly.

"Naruto."

"This is Jiraiya-sama, one of the legendary Sannin."

Kakashi smiled and introduced Naruto.

"The Three Ninja?"

"What is that? Can you eat it?"

……

Inside Ichiraku Ramen.

Jiraiya finished off three bowls of ramen in one go.

He wiped his mouth with a tissue while secretly glancing around out of the corner of his eye.

Diners come and go in the surrounding area.

No one looked at Naruto with disdain.

No one whispered those vicious words.

The owner even smiled and gave Naruto two extra thick slices of char siu.

This was something I would never have dared to dream of before.

"Konoha now... is so good!"

Jiraiya threw away the tissue and muttered to himself.

Kakashi understood Jiraiya's words.

He rested his chin on one hand, his tone extremely calm.

"After the fifth patriarch took office, he promulgated extremely strict laws."

"Any discrimination or insults directed at the orphans of heroes will be considered a betrayal of Konoha."

"not to mention……"

"The fifth generation made everyone understand one thing."

"Power should be used to protect your companions, not to bully the weak."

Jiraiya remained silent.

He had secretly observed Senju Chiba.

That young man was extremely domineering and ruthless.

But it was precisely this suffocating domineering power that breathed new life into the decaying Leaf Village.

No longer bound by those rules and regulations.

Children should no longer have to bear the sins left behind by adults.

Jiraiya peered through the curtain of the ramen shop at the Hokage Rock.

There is the newly sculpted fifth face.

That was Chiba Senju, a young and sharp-looking face.

Perhaps the old man really is getting old.

This new era should have been handed over to people like this long ago.

Then.

Jiraiya withdrew his gaze and looked at Naruto Uzumaki beside him.

This is the village he truly loves!

"Uncle."

Why are you staring at me like that?

Naruto slurped up a big mouthful of noodles, his face full of vigilance.

Jiraiya suddenly snapped back to reality.

He laughed heartily and patted Naruto's shoulder hard.

"You look quite energetic, buddy!"

"That blond hair, that way of eating...it's quite reminiscent of my own style back in the day!"

Naruto rolled his eyes dramatically.

"cut."

"I don't want to be like you, you weird old man!"

"I'm going to become the man who surpasses all the previous Hokage!"

The child's innocent words drew good-natured chuckles from the surrounding diners.

"Hahaha……"

"A good dream!"

"Then you'd better do your best, future Hokage!"

Jiraiya stood up.

He laughed loudly as he lifted the curtain and slowly stepped into the sunlight.

……

Time flies.

Time flies like an arrow.

In the blink of an eye.

Six years have passed quietly.

Konoha 62th year.

During these six years.

The ninja world appears calm on the surface, but undercurrents are surging beneath.

The biggest change occurred in the isolated water kingdom.

In the Blood Mist, which is shrouded in thick fog year-round, a shocking coup took place.

Terumi Mei.

That powerful woman, who possessed both Lava Release and Boil Release, swept away the rebellious forces in the village with overwhelming force.

In front of all the Hidden Mist ninja, she dispelled the genjutsu on the Fourth Mizukage, Yagura Karatachi.

Yagura, a man named Kajiki, succumbed to his injuries.

Mei Terumi was appointed to the position of the Fifth Mizukage in a time of crisis.

My first day on stage.

She abolished those inhumane and cruel exams.

The Hidden Mist Village has finally seen the long-awaited dawn.

As for the other three major ninja villages...

They lived an extremely stifling life during those six years.

Onoki of Iwagakure has ceased all his underhanded actions against the Land of Fire.

Rasa, the Fourth Kazekage of Sunagakure, frantically panned for gold in the desert in order to raise funds for the village's operation.

The Hidden Cloud Village was in even more dire straits.

The huge indemnity of six billion yen that year almost completely emptied the funds of Hidden Cloud Village.

Every time Raikage A hears the words "Konoha," he gets so angry that he smashes an office desk.

But no matter how furious he was.

He dared not send a single soldier to set foot on the border of the Land of Fire.

The reason for everything.

Within Konoha, there dwells a terrifying monster.

……

Konoha Village.

Hokage Building.

Chiba leaned back in his chair.

He flipped through the documents on the table with one hand, looking calm and collected.

Six years have passed.

He had shed some of his youthful naiveté, but the imposing aura between his brows had become even more unfathomable.

Even if it's just sitting casually.

The oppressive aura emanating from him was enough to make it hard for people to breathe.

At the desk.

Nara Shikaku stood respectfully.

He held a thick stack of summary reports in his hands, his voice trembling with excitement.

"Lord Godaime."

"This is the village's comprehensive assessment for the first half of the year."

"Under your merit point system and the policy of making ninjutsu public."

"The village's overall combat strength has experienced an unprecedented surge."

"at present."

"The number of registered elite Jonin has exceeded 130."

"The number of ordinary Jonin has reached 942."

"There are over 3,600 special Jonin."

"As for Chunin..."

"It's already exceeded ten thousand people!"

Nara Shikaku paused for a moment, his expression somewhat complicated.

Six years ago.

The entire Hidden Leaf Village could only muster a few thousand ninjas.

And now.

The number of Chunin alone exceeds ten thousand.

This is a terrifying thing!

What about the promotion rate for commoner ninjas?

Chiba slightly raised his eyes.

"Return to my lord."

"That's the most amazing part."

"Nearly 70% of the newly promoted Jonin come from commoner backgrounds!"

Nara Shikaku quickly replied.

As long as you're willing to work hard on tasks, as long as you accumulate enough merit points...

Advanced ninjutsu, once monopolized by clans, is now open to the common people.

There is no barrier of bloodline.

There is no rigid class structure.

Chiba used a clever, overt strategy to carve out a path to the heavens.

The hidden potential of Konoha Village has been fully unleashed.

Everything is moving in the most perfect direction.

"How are the villagers' living conditions?"

soon.

Chiba shifted to a more comfortable position.

"Extremely prosperous."

Nara Shikaku blurted it out.

Because the number of ninjas has surged.

The task completion rate has consistently remained at a perfect 100% for many years.

Large sums of money are flowing back to Konoha.

Shops line the streets.

The entire street was expanded.

The average income of ordinary villagers has increased tenfold compared to the time of the third generation.

Nowadays, the villagers of Konoha stand up straight even when they go out.

Whenever the name Senju Chiba is mentioned.

Even the most discerning old man would give a thumbs up and praise the greatness of the Fifth Hokage.

This also made Chiba's prestige in Konoha surpass that of the First Hokage who founded the village.

Even if Chiba were to point to the darkness and say it's daytime, the villagers of Konoha would nod in agreement without hesitation.

Chiba's long, slender fingers tapped rhythmically on the table.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

The crisp sound echoed through the spacious office.

"At the ninja academy..."

"Graduation season should be coming soon, right?"

Sudden.

Chiba seemed to have thought of something and asked Nara Shikaku.

"Yes, sir."

"The graduation exams for the new cohort will be held in just two days."

"Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha's cohort happens to be on this year's assessment list."

Speaking of this year's students.

A hint of amazement flashed in Nara Shikaku's eyes.

"Thanks to you."

"The educational resources of the ninja academy are significantly tilted towards it."

"The overall quality of this group of children is so strong that they're like a bunch of little monsters."

"Especially Sasuke Uchiha and Naruto Uzumaki."

"They had already reached the level of Genin, or even Chunin, three years ago."

"but……"