Konoha Ninja Academy, the playground.
The new class of enrolling children, lined up in neat rows, looked at the man standing on the high platform with faces full of excitement and curiosity.
The Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen.
For these children who had just said goodbye to childhood and were full of yearning for the ninja world, the Hokage was the greatest and most distant existence in the village.
They never dreamed that on their very first day of school, they would be able to see this legendary figure in person.
In the front row, a boy whose smile was like a small sun stared unblinkingly at the figure on the high platform with his azure eyes, which were filled with undisguised admiration.
"Silence!"
The head instructor of the Ninja Academy, an experienced jonin, shouted loudly.
The playground fell silent in an instant.
Sarutobi Hiruzen's gaze swept gently over the tender faces below.
These children were the future of Konoha.
He cleared his throat, and his chakra-amplified voice reached every single person's ears clearly.
"Children, welcome to the great family of Konoha."
"I know that many of you dream of becoming powerful ninja, to make a name for yourselves in the ninja world like Lord First and Lord Second."
"But, before you learn how to become strong, I want to give you your first lesson."
He did not lecture them with dry platitudes from a script. Instead, he gave a slight nod to the dozen or so Ninja Academy teachers standing around the playground.
"Genjutsu: Where the Leaves Dance!"
More than a dozen teachers formed hand seals simultaneously, and a vast amount of chakra instantly enveloped the entire playground.
In the next second, the scene before the children's eyes underwent a world-shaking change.
They found themselves no longer standing on the playground, but in a chaotic world ravaged by the flames of war.
There was fighting everywhere, blood everywhere.
Ninja, organized by "clans," waged an endless, bloody war for land and water.
The children's faces turned pale with fear at the cruel sight. Some of the more timid ones even started to cry.
Just then, Sarutobi Hiruzen's voice, like a ray of light in the darkness, sounded in their ears.
"This is the era your fathers, and even your grandfathers, once lived in—the Warring States Period."
The scene shifted.
Senju Hashirama and Uchiha Madara, two legendary ninja, appeared in the vision. They joined forces, ended the chaotic era, and on a barren piece of land, used Wood Release to create a brand-new village.
That was Konoha.
The children saw the first villagers, their faces filled with the joy of surviving a catastrophe, moving into their new homes.
They saw the establishment of the first Ninja Academy, the opening of the first ramen shop.
Smoke curled from chimneys in the village, children laughed and played in the streets, and adults worked diligently in the fields.
A scene of peace and tranquility.
"Lord First and Lord Second, along with countless predecessors, used their lives and blood to create a home for us that could shelter us from the wind and rain."
Sarutobi Hiruzen's voice was filled with emotion.
The scene changed again.
The children saw the figures of ninja leaving the village, heading to the borders to carry out missions.
They saw the ninja enduring the elements, fighting life-and-death battles with powerful enemies.
They also saw that when these ninja completed their missions and returned to the village, weary and worn, the faces of their families and comrades were filled with worried and joyous smiles.
"Children, look."
Sarutobi Hiruzen's voice became incredibly solemn.
"What is the Will of Fire?"
"It is not an empty slogan, not a reason for you to sacrifice yourselves blindly."
"The Will of Fire is the resolve to step forward to protect the smiles of those behind you!"
"It is the courage to face danger so that your parents, friends, and neighbors can live peacefully on this land!"
"Remember, behind you are not cold missions and rules, but the entire village of Konoha, and the tens of thousands of faces hoping for your safe return!"
At the end of the genjutsu, the scene settled on the playground.
The children saw themselves.
They saw their parents, standing at the edge of the playground, looking at them with pride.
They saw the entire village of Konoha, flourishing under the sun.
The genjutsu slowly dissipated.
The playground was silent.
All the children were immersed in the shock of what they had just seen, unable to pull themselves away for a long time.
Many of the children's eyes were red, but their gazes were no longer filled with the previous ignorance and curiosity. Instead, there was an unprecedented firmness and understanding.
Many of the students' fists had been unconsciously clenched.
Looking at the back of the man on the high platform, they secretly swore in their hearts.
One day, they too would become great ninja like Lord Third Hokage, able to protect everyone's smiles!
Sarutobi Hiruzen looked at the children's reactions below and smiled with satisfaction.
He knew that a seed named "protection," the true Will of Fire, had taken root and sprouted in the hearts of these children.
And this would be Konoha's most indestructible wall in the future.
He said no more, but simply waved to the children and turned to leave.
He believed that today's lesson would be more deeply imprinted on the lives of these children than any ninjutsu teaching.
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