Morning,
Ryo's House
The sun shone right into my eyes, unbothered by the fact that I was mentally still on vacation.
I groaned, dragging the blanket over my head. "From Jonin-level training to… nap-time and propaganda. Life's really something."
Eventually, I sat up, stretched, and caught my reflection in the mirror.
Two months ago, I was just another civilian kid destined to be cannon fodder. Now, I could outmuscle most chunin and outthink half the teachers in school.
"Ah yes," I muttered, tugging on my uniform. "The classic regression arc — from overpowered prodigy to pretending to be average."
After breakfast, I strapped my pouch to my waist and stepped out into the warm morning breeze.
The village was alive again — students chatting, vendors yelling about fresh buns, the smell of grilled dango filling the air.
"Ryo!"
Mikoto jogged up, her Uchiha crest catching the sunlight. Calm, sharp-eyed, and as graceful as ever.
"You're early?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.
"I prefer the term strategically punctual," I said with mock seriousness. "You never know when they'll start another Will of Fire sermon."
Her lips curved slightly. "Still making fun of it?"
"I respect the Will of Fire," I said, hand on chest. "I just wish it came with subtitles explaining the brainwashing part."
She snorted. "You're impossible."
We walked toward the academy, talking about vacation stories until Minato joined in — quiet and warm as always. Nawaki soon followed, shouting about becoming Hokage again.
Same group. Same chaos.
Konoha Ninja Academy
Class 1-A
"Good morning, everyone!"
Daiki-sensei clapped his hands. "Hope you all enjoyed your vacation! Today, we'll start light — with a refresher test!"
Groans echoed across the room.
"It'll include theory on basic survival, field tactics, and a short Will of Fire essay!"
Collective sigh.
Yup. We're back to the indoctrination simulator.
The test started, and I breezed through the questions. Survival tactics? Easy. Shinobi ethics? I'd seen worse contradictions in corporate meetings.
By the time Nawaki started doodling what looked like a toad instead of a topographic map, I was already done.
Hokage's Office
(Third Person POV)
In the Hokage's office, Sarutobi Hiruzen sat quietly, pipe in hand, his gaze fixed on the crystal ball that shimmered with chakra light.
The image displayed the academy training field — dozens of children standing in line, laughter and nervous chatter filling the scene.
His eyes softened when he found one boy.
"Ryo…" he murmured. "Arata and Hana's child."
Smoke curled lazily from his pipe as he remembered two shinobi who once served in Root — ones who had walked deep in the darkness to keep Konoha safe. They'd seen what lurked beneath the village's smiling surface — the shadows of control, secrecy, and ambition.
Before their final mission, they had come to him.
"Lord Third," Hana had said, bowing low. "If we don't make it back… please, protect our child. Let him live under the sun. Not in the dark like us."
And he had promised them.
Now, watching the boy standing under clear daylight, focused and composed, Hiruzen smiled faintly.
"He's got his father's steadiness," the old man whispered, "and his mother's spark."
He exhaled slowly, eyes narrowing just a bit. "I just hope that Danzo never catches wind of him."
AcademyYard
(First Person POV)
After Dalki-sensei collected our papers, he led us out to the school grounds.
"Alright! Kunai and shuriken drills!" Daiki-sensei called out, setting up the wooden targets.
Finally, something that didn't require pretending to love essays.
I joined the line and soon, it was my turn. Stretching my arm a bit before gripping the kunai. My stance was solid — Minato's advice during the vacation was in my mind.
Breath steady. Wrist loose. Aim small, miss small.
Thunk. Thunk. Thunk.
Every blade hit center. Not a single miss.
Daiki blinked, mildly surprised. "Excellent form, Ryo. Have you been practicing?"
I smiled modestly. "A little bit over the summer."
Just a few hundred throws per day, my brain added helpfully.
From the sidelines, Mikoto nodded with a smile.
Seeing this, I smiled back.
Hokage's Office
(Third Person POV)
Through the crystal ball, Hiruzen watched the boy finish his round.
"Not flashy," he murmured. "But precise. Calm. Controlled. This kind of steadiness reminds me of Arata."
He set his pipe aside, gaze distant. "Arata… Hana… I will keep my word and make sure that Ryo will walk in the sun than in the darkness."
Evening,
Streets of Konoha
(First Person POV)
The day ended quickly as it began. Minato and Mikoto walked beside me, chatting about trivial things. Nawaki was still arguing about how essays were "anti-Hokage material."
I just smiled, looking at the fading sun.
Two months ago, I couldn't even properly extract chakra, Now I'm sitting at Jonin level, and my biggest challenge is pretending to be a normal civilian genius for the next 3 years.
I sighed dramatically. "At this rate, I'll end up Hokage before graduation…"
Then smirked. "…or scratch that, Six Paths level sound much more possible."
Somewhere far away in the Pure Land, the Sage of Six Paths probably paused mid-meditation, feeling an unexplainable chill down his spine.
(A/N): School's back! Which means it's time for stealth flexing, sarcastic commentary, and maybe—just maybe—plot development. Poor Sage Hagoromo though… that chill he felt? Yeah, that was our boy stretching. Anyway hope you all enjoyed the chapter.