Time slipped by quietly amid the raging war.
The Third Great Ninja War had fully entered its most chaotic phase. Every nation was trapped in the grim reality of fighting on multiple fronts at once.
Interests were tangled together with old grudges and fresh hatred; Ninjas fought with bloodshot eyes, and no one was willing to take a single step back.
If they retreated now, wouldn't the relatives and friends who had fallen on the battlefield have died for nothing?
War always begins with conflicts and calculations of interest, then spirals out of control, driven forward by hatred within the Ninja world.
By this stage, it would not stop until blood was spent freely—until everyone involved felt a pain too great to bear and finally grew exhausted enough to withdraw.
Before anyone realized it, another year had passed. Counting from the founding of Konoha, this should now be its forty-ninth year.
Unlike before, when rotations and rest were still possible, the intensity of the conflict and the ever-rising casualties had caused Konoha to begin suffering from a serious manpower shortage.
Bad news: Higashino Jiro had remained on the front lines and had not returned to the Village for a long time. This was a critical period, and the Village did not dare reduce its frontline forces.
Good news: at least he was still alive.
Although the Higashino Clan was still considered a civilian Ninja family, they had accumulated a solid foundation over several generations.
Higashino Jiro's strength was no joke—he surpassed the vast majority of elite Chūnin and even Tokubetsu Jōnin.
April 1st, just a few days after Shin's birthday, the Ninja Academy reopened, and he advanced to the third grade.
That morning, after finishing breakfast, Shin organized his ninja tool pouches and headed out for school.
It was not a Shadow Clone today. Usually, whenever the semester began, he would attend in person.
Higashino Megumi had already left early for work at the hospital.
During wartime, casualties surged, leaving the hospital overwhelmed. These were Ninjas seriously injured on the front lines, sent back after receiving only the most basic battlefield treatment.
Medical conditions at the front were crude at best. Many wounded required long-term care and recovery that only the Village could provide.
Once healed, they would return to the battlefield.
If they lost limbs or if their foundation was destroyed by potent poison or prolonged overuse of Chakra, retirement was their only outcome.
That was considered fortunate. Many more died directly on the front lines without even a chance at rescue.
On top of that, Medical Ninjas like Higashino Megumi, who excelled in their field, were tasked with developing universal antidotes and first-aid kits to counter the ever-changing poisons appearing at the front.
Konoha Hospital functioned both as a massive medical center for saving lives and as a factory producing military medical supplies.
With so many Medical Ninjas deployed to the battlefield, the hospital was severely understaffed.
Even Shin often went there at night to help, gaining practical experience while working overtime alongside his mother.
The only silver lining was that Higashino Megumi was a core pillar of the hospital and far more valuable in the rear, so she had not yet been sent to the front.
But if the situation worsened, no one could say what the future would bring.
Compared to when Shin was first reborn, Konoha itself had not changed much; it was as if time had briefly stagnated here.
Yet as he walked toward school, the war's impact was still painfully obvious.
The once-bustling streets were now far quieter. Because of the war—and to minimize opportunities for espionage—Konoha had raised the security clearance for outsiders entering the Village by several ranks.
During wartime, ordinary commission missions were suspended, and no clients came through the gates.
With large numbers of Ninjas deployed to the front lines, the Village population had noticeably shrunk, leading to sluggish business and weak consumption.
Many shopkeepers opened their doors in the morning with lifeless expressions.
Shin walked on, taking in everything that was familiar.
In the distance, the Hokage Rock still bore only three faces. Yet he knew that in less than two years, another youthful face would be carved there.
It was a pity they were only stone statues and could not show hair color.
Otherwise, Hokage Rock would look far better than it does now. After all, the four Hokage had three different hair colors.
Black, white, and yellow.
The black and white were not visible on the Hokage Rock, but they appeared frequently before Shin's eyes along the way.
Many households throughout the Village were hanging black-and-white banners.
That meant someone in the family had recently died; black and white were the ceremonial colors of mourning in this world.
From time to time, members of the Uchiha Police Force could be seen patrolling the streets, drawing looks of dissatisfaction from many villagers.
Despite loudly boasting that the Uchiha were the strongest clan in the Ninja world, they were now holed up inside the Village, with barely anyone going to the battlefield.
Unfortunately, those villagers had no idea that, unless absolutely necessary, the higher-ups did not dare send this group of battle-hungry maniacs to the front.
For a clan that grew stronger the more they fought, what would the Village do if another Madara were born?
The Hashirama cell experiments, once filled with hope, had produced nothing but corpses, killing a large number of voluntary and involuntary test subjects.
There was only one exception, which Danzo had quietly concealed. For now, no one else knew.
Judging by age, that surviving test subject was roughly the same age as Shin.
When Shin arrived at the Academy, as usual, many people were gathered on the training ground in front of the teaching building—but far fewer than in the year he first enrolled.
It might not have been that there were fewer new students; rather, fewer parents had come.
It was once again the season for new enrollments.
The six-year-old brats were brimming with excitement. To them, this was the first step on their Ninja path, the moment when a grand legend began to sail.
Their hearts were filled with dreams of becoming Hokage. The cruelty of war whispered through the streets and alleys could not frighten them in the slightest.
This was the nature of a Ninja.
Only after experiencing the cruelty of slaughter would they begin to yearn for peace—or else they would become psychopaths who took pleasure in killing.
Standing in the second-floor classroom, Shin looked down at the lively freshmen below, just as he had a few years ago when he first enrolled.
Now, he was a third-year student—a senior to the two grades beneath him.
"Hey, Shin-niisan, it's really lively. Just like when we enrolled."
The voice belonged to Uzuki Yūgao. She was now, like Shin, eight years old—at least in name. She would not officially turn eight until her birthday in November.
She had grown much taller, her figure becoming slim and graceful, already carrying the sharp temperament of a beauty—after all, she practiced swordsmanship.
Her shoulder-length purple hair was striking, but no matter what, she was still only eight years old. A little girl—albeit one far more mature than before.
Shin smiled at her. "It's good to see things lively. The war has made the Village too quiet. Scenes like this are rare."
"War…" Yūgao fell silent for a few seconds before speaking again. "I hope these underclassmen can avoid it. Actually—no, it'd be best if we don't have to go either."
"That might be difficult," Shin replied calmly. "Hayate is graduating today, isn't he?"
"That's right. The Graduation Exam is this morning. If I remember correctly… it should start around nine."
Just as they had guessed back at enrollment, the Academy had compressed cultural classes and expanded cultivation courses, placing combat effectiveness above all else.
Now, with war casualties mounting and manpower running short, Konoha urgently needed reinforcements. Allowing Academy students to graduate early had become a necessary measure.
From the fourth grade onward, teachers actively encouraged graduation unless a student's performance was truly abysmal.
The six-year system had effectively been shortened to four years. This trend had started years ago.
Kakashi's graduation at five was an extreme exception, but most of his peers—Guy, Asuma, Kurenai, Obito, and Rin—had all graduated at nine.
Second- and third-year students could also be recommended, though it was less mandatory and left more room for personal choice.
Still, kids were kids. Faced with the chance to graduate early, almost no one would refuse.
Shin was the exception. He had rejected Inoue Kuroiwa's recommendation. At his request, Uzuki Yūgao had also chosen not to apply for early graduation.
But Uchiha Shisui might be different. He still had not appeared in class.
And it was not just him. Several other classmates were missing as well.