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Here you go, a new chapter. I hope you all enjoy it.
I would appreciate your feedback, comments, and power stones. I want to read all of your comments to see if I am doing well. Please enjoy.
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About two years later, early in the morning, in one of the streets of Konoha:
"Are you girls excited?" Akari asked with a smile, looking at the two six-year-old girls.
"Yeah," Karin said excitedly
"We will be able to become Shinobi like Kaa-chan and Ni-chan," Mito said with the same excitement.
The three were making their way to the ninja academy, as it was the girls' first day to attend there.
"Kaa-san and Ni-san will meet us there, right?" Mito said, looking up at Akari with slightly worried but expectant eyes.
"For the fourth time, Mito-chan, they will be there for the entrance ceremony," Akari said with a slightly helpless smile.
Tsunade and Naruto left very early in the morning, before the sun even peeked over the horizon, while the girls were still asleep. They said they had things to finish and tasks to complete, but they promised to be there and meet them at the academy before the entrance ceremony starts.
And it isn't like the first time the girls went to the academy. Naruto took them there about a week ago so they could pass the primary evaluation. After all, the academy is the primary recruitment site for the Shinobi forces, making it a vital military asset.
All children who are to be shinobi are highly recommended to go through the academy if they want to become shinobi. The entry age is 6 years old; some enter earlier or later than that, depending on circumstances.
The evaluation is done to see if the children have the potential to become shinobi, as not all children have what it takes to be a shinobi.
Children who come from Shinobi clans don't need to go through with it, but it's done as a sort of formality. They don't even need to attend the academy, as they could be trained in their clan compound and then join the Shinobi forces later on. But it became the norm for Shinobi clan children and civilian children to go through the academy.
As the trio neared the academy, they were met with the sight of a vast number of children and their parents standing near the academy gate.
The girls walked near Akari as their eyes scanned the entire crowd, looking for any familiar faces.
"Mito, Karin," a high-pitched voice called, making the two girls look in its direction, only to see Ino looking at them while waving along with Shikamaru and Choji standing beside her.
"Ino!" the two girls said excitedly before running towards the young Yamanaka.
Akari stood silently, a warm, content smile on her face as she watched the girls chatting happily with their friends.
She still had some fleeting thoughts of how horrid her life was a few years ago, before Naruto came along and made her life a paradise compared to the slavery she faced before. She will always be grateful to Naruto and his mother for the life she and her daughter are living now.
A very comfortable life with honest work, along with the chance of her daughter becoming a shinobi, is more than she ever dreamed of in that damp, horrid hut in Kusagakure.
"Akari-nee-san," Akari blinked and turned around with a smile on her face, knowing exactly who called her, as he is the only one to call her that way.
"Naruto-kun, Tsunade-sama. You made it." Akari said with a welcoming smile.
"Of course we would come; we would never miss it," Tsunade replied with a proud huff.
Tsunade looked as beautiful and young as ever, wearing her usual attire, a warm smile appearing on her face as she glanced past Akari towards the girls and their friends.
The one with the most changes was her son, who was walking beside her.
Naruto, now 15 years of age, is a very handsome young man with a height nearing 6 feet. His face was a sight to look at, attracting the attention of many, with a sharp and defined jawline, bright, warm sapphire blue eyes, and a flawless face. His attire was his usual jonin clothing, along with the flak jacket, only his headband being absent.
(A/N: the glaze is unreal.)
His bright blood-red hair with black streaks and tips is so long now that Naruto has it in a ponytail; even with it, his hair extends to the middle of his back. He has two bangs framing his face that make him stand out even more due to how luscious and well-kept his hair is. His hair has a lot of volume with slight smoothness to it, along with a bit of spikiness. If his hair weren't in a ponytail, it would cover his entire back and appear on his sides.
(A/N: Imagine his red hair with a style between Yoriichi's (demon slayer) and Kushina's (when wearing her jonin attire). Not as wavy as Yoriichi's hair, but not as smooth as Kushina's or Tsunade's. The bangs of hair framing Naruto's face reach slightly past his chin.)
"Look who it is," a feminine voice said, making Naruto, Tsunade, and Akari turn towards its direction.
"Haven't seen you in a while, Naruto. How have you been?" Tsume said with a grin on her face; she was accompanied by the head couples of the Shika-Ino-Cho families.
"It is good to see you all," Naruto said with a polite, warm smile as they approached
"Look at you, such a handsome young man. Is there a lucky girl in your life? Is that why we haven't seen you often?" Tsume said with a teasing grin. Not noticing Tsunade's darkening facial expression.
"Nothing like that, Tsume-san. I was just busy with my duties and was able to take these two days off." Naruto said with a smile.
"Well, at least we know that you are working hard. Not like someone who finds any opportunity to slack off." Yoshino Nara said, giving her husband a slight verbal jab.
"Troublesome woman," Shikaku muttered lowly.
"What was that, Shikaku?" Yoshino asked with a slight edge to her voice
"Nothing, honey," Shikaku replied quickly, which led the others to chuckle slightly.
"Gather up; we are about to start." A chunin's voice was heard across the clearing as he and other chunin led the kids to the front of the academy building.
As the kids settled, many waved to their parents or siblings who stood and watched them from outside. Naruto, Tsunade, and Akari waved to Mito and Karin, who waved back with happy grins upon seeing them.
As they waited for the ceremony to begin, Naruto was greeted by Hiashi and his wife, Hitomi, who was carrying their youngest daughter in her arms. He also saw and waved to Mikoto and her son, Itachi, as they were a bit farther away, and the place was packed
Not long after, Hiruzen appeared and started making his way to the front of the gathered children. This made the atmosphere grow silent as the ceremony was about to begin.
"Good morning, everyone," Hiruzen said with a small smile as he stood in front of the kids.
"Good morning, Hokage-sama." The children replied with enthusiasm
"Today is the start of a new journey for you all, the start of your journey to become a great shinobi. From today on..." Hiruzen walked through the speech that he had prepared in his head and had given many times at this point. Talking about the shinobi life, their dedication to the village, their dedication to making themselves better, the will of fire, how they are the village's future, and many other topics.
...
Minutes later:
"Ni-san, Kaa-chan." Mito shouted as she, along with Karin, came running after the end of Hituzen's opening speech.
"Hey, sweethearts, are you ready for your first day in the academy?" Tsunade said warmly as she patted the little girls' heads
"Yeah." Both girls replied with excitement
"Here you go," Naruto said as he unsealed two big lunch boxes and gave them to the girls.
"Eat this for your lunch. There is a lot in there if you want to share with your friends." Naruto said as he handed the lunch boxes to the girls.
"Thanks, Ni-chan/San." The two girls replied with a bit of excitement
"Listen and pay attention to your instructors, even if you know what they are talking about. Take care of yourselves and don't cause problems. OK?" Tsunade said softly
"Yes, Kaa-chan/Oba-san." Mito and Karin replied
"Good." Tsunade nodded approvingly.
"I will pick you up at the end of the day. I will wait for you here." Naruto said, to which the two girls nodded
"Have fun, girls," Akari said as the girls turned to leave, their instructor calling for them.
"I will be going now, Kaa-san. I will see you tonight." Naruto said as he, along with Tsunade and Akari, left the academy grounds.
"You still haven't told me why you have taken these two days off?" Tsunade asked with intrigue in her voice.
"I wanted to see Mito and Karin off to their first day at the academy, and I have two personal projects that I will complete today and tomorrow," Naruto replied
"Projects?" Tsunade inquired.
"Yeah, just two long-time projects I have been working on for a long time." Naruto smiled mysteriously before disappearing in a body flicker.
To be continued.
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