Whoa. Another heavy hitter.
Kaede had assumed the quiet girl beside him was just an ordinary Uchiha.
Turns out—
Uchiha Chiri.
That name carried weight.
If history matched what Kaede remembered, she would eventually awaken a powerful Sharingan and become one of the key figures behind advanced genjutsu theory.
Which meant…
Yeah. This classroom is secretly stacked.
Kaede stared a second too long.
Chiri noticed.
"…Kaede? Did I get something on my face?"
He waved his hands quickly.
"No, no. Just… spacing out."
She tilted her head slightly.
"You look like someone who suddenly remembered something important."
Kaede coughed.
"Must've been a weird thought."
Chiri smiled faintly and turned back to her seat.
Smooth save.
Barely.
A moment later, Maruboshi Kosuke returned, dragging two boys with him.
Kaede's eyes immediately locked onto one of them.
Red eyes.
Not Uchiha red.
A different shade.
He already had a guess.
"Kaede, these are my friends."
Kaede stood.
"Amakaze Kaede. Nice to meet you."
The boys quickly bowed.
"I'm Umino Ikkaku."
"I'm Yūhi Shinku."
Kaede internally nodded.
As expected.
One would become a renowned genjutsu specialist.
The other's family line would eventually produce Iruka.
This class really is a museum of future legends.
Before conversation could continue, a young man entered the classroom.
Instant silence.
The instructor smiled.
"Good morning. Congratulations on making it into the Ninja Academy. From today onward, you are all candidates to become shinobi."
He wrote his name on the board.
Sarutobi Mizuya
"I'll be your homeroom teacher until graduation. I'm twenty-five. This is my first time teaching, so be patient with me."
A few nervous laughs.
"Let's start with self-introductions."
One by one, students stood and spoke about their hobbies and dreams.
Kosuke wanted to become a strong ninja.
Shinku wanted to master genjutsu.
Ikkaku wanted to become a teacher.
Then—
A boy with sharp eyes stood.
"My name is Uchiha Kyō. I hate weak people. As an Uchiha, I don't need to explain my dreams to trash."
Dead silence.
Then outrage.
"Who does he think he is?!"
"So arrogant!"
"My mom was right about the Uchiha!"
Kyō simply crossed his arms, clearly pleased.
Chiri frowned slightly.
When her turn came, she stood.
"My name is Uchiha Chiri. I like sweets."
Polite chuckles.
"I don't hate anything. My dream is that there will be no more war, and that villagers and clans can live peacefully together."
Her voice was calm.
Sincere.
The classroom atmosphere softened.
Then it was Kaede's turn.
He stood.
"Amakaze Kaede."
Pause.
"My hobbies are living peacefully and counting money."
Several students blinked.
"I hate complicated plans. My dream is to live peacefully forever."
Silence.
Then—
"What kind of dream is that?!"
Kosuke burst out laughing.
Even Chiri covered her mouth.
Kaede sat back down, perfectly satisfied.
Honesty is power.
Sarutobi Mizuya clapped.
"Alright. Interesting dreams. Let's move on."
The first lesson began.
Introduction to chakra.
What it is.
How to sense it.
How to refine it.
Civilian students listened intensely.
Most clan kids looked bored.
Kaede, however, paid close attention.
Even if he already knew this—
Foundations mattered.
Chiri leaned slightly closer.
"Kaede… have you never learned about chakra before? You're listening very seriously."
Kaede didn't answer right away.
He simply smiled.
Because explaining why he cared so much…
Would be troublesome.