In the two years since the end of the Second Great Ninja War, all the ninja villages across the world had been licking their wounds and intensifying their efforts to train ninjas. With the war over, missions surged in number and urgency.
As the victor of the war, Konoha received the lion's share of these missions. So much so, that even the average ninja in the village wanted to clone themselves just to keep up.
Konohagakure, once plagued by war's pain and anxiety, had begun to bounce back. Business returned to normal, and the village resumed its bustling daily life. But the scars remained. The high percentage of war orphans attending the ninja academy was a stark reminder that hatred and the long-term impact of the war lingered on.
Although he couldn't recall the exact timeline, Nara Haruki vaguely remembered that the time between the Second and Third Great Ninja Wars wasn't long—and the Third was far more devastating.
He needed to make the most of this brief peace and develop his self-defense capabilities as soon as possible.
Not long ago, Inuzukayama's father paid a special visit to the Nara Clan to discuss collaboration on the new dog food formula and medicinal ingredients developed by Haruki.
Negotiations went smoothly. Within days, Haruki received funding and materials from the family.
This marked the start of a long-term business venture. Although the family took the majority share, Haruki, as the creator of the formula, would continue to receive a portion of the profits.
The plan he had revised countless times but never launched finally took its first step. Now he had the foundation to move forward.
Using the funds, Haruki purchased some essential tools and transformed a vacant house into a makeshift laboratory.
That night.
"Is he still in his lab?" Nara Yuno asked with concern as she looked toward the backyard.
"Hasn't it been a while already?" Nara Shikakichi replied lazily, a helpless look on his face.
"So what?" Yuno's tone sharpened. Her eyes grew dangerous as she locked her gaze on her husband.
"I'll check on him!" Feeling the intensity of her stare, Shikakichi sprang to his feet, stretched, and reluctantly walked toward Haruki's backyard lab.
Though he never objected to Haruki's so-called research, he couldn't help but feel a gnawing unease.
As a core strategist on the Hokage's team, Shikakichi had helped the Third Hokage handle many sensitive matters and had access to numerous classified files. He couldn't claim full knowledge of every secret biological or human-based experiment, but he could put pieces together.
So while he appeared indifferent, Shikakichi was quietly monitoring Haruki's mental state.
He sighed. How had the laid-back, trouble-avoiding Nara Clan produced someone like Haruki, who actively went looking for more to do?
"You done for today?" he asked as he spotted Haruki walking toward him, carrying a flowerpot.
"Yeah, finished." Haruki nodded.
"Mind telling me what you're working on?" Shikakichi asked casually as they walked side by side toward the main house.
"Just getting ready for tomorrow's practical exam," Haruki replied without hesitation.
Shikakichi nodded. As long as it didn't involve anything unethical, he considered it nothing more than a quirky hobby.
Ninja Academy Training Grounds.
A chunin named Nokagi Shuto, instructor for Haruki's class, stood before the students holding the assessment roster.
He read aloud the lineup and announced the day's tests: shuriken and kunai throwing, followed by ninjutsu performance.
Almost instantly, the gap between clan-born students and civilian students became apparent.
While civilians could only learn the basics provided by the academy, children from ninja clans enjoyed early and in-depth training from childhood. Even those on the periphery of a clan rarely lacked fundamental jutsu instruction.
Take Uchiha Obito, for example. Sporting a pair of goggles, he cast the Fireball Jutsu—a technique not even taught at the academy—during the ninjutsu portion of the test.
Civilians, by contrast, typically had to wait until they became Genin, earned merit, and exchanged it with the village for jutsu access. Or, if lucky, they might graduate and land a good sensei willing to teach them more advanced techniques.
With the first two tests completed, it was time for the final assessment: one-on-one combat.
This stage was the most critical for many students. It was often watched by higher-ranking ninjas, and a strong performance could catch the eye of a seasoned ninja and lead to mentorship.
Historically, this was how students like Sarutobi Hiruzen were accepted by the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju. Similarly, the future Sannin were all once disciples of Hiruzen.
Even those unfamiliar with this history were eager to shine—not just for their teachers, but for their peers. One particularly loud student, a certain Uchiha, had his eyes fixed on a silver-haired classmate.
"Kakashi! Come fight me!" Uchiha Obito jumped from the lineup, pointing dramatically at the silver-haired boy. His voice echoed across the field, drawing every eye.
"Idiot," muttered Kakashi, rolling his eyes behind his mask.
"Get back in line!"
Nokagi Shuto's roar snapped Obito out of his delusion. Looking disappointed, he reluctantly returned to his spot, glancing at Kakashi one last time.
"First match: Nara Haruki versus Aburame Aoi," Nokagi called, coughing as he reviewed the matchups.
"The Nara and Aburame clans?" murmured a few chunins watching from the stands. Both were renowned for their secret techniques—one controlling shadows, the other commanding insects.
Though it wasn't a high-stakes battle between elite clan members, it still sparked interest.
Haruki and Aoi stepped onto the field and formed the standard combat seals.
As their teacher retreated, the match began.
A swarm of black insects buzzed out from beneath Aburame Aoi's sleeves, splitting into two formations and streaking toward Haruki from opposite directions like twin black arrows.