On the playground of the Konoha Ninja Academy, the sun was just right.
The new class of enrolling children, wearing brand-new clothes, their faces filled with excitement and curiosity.
They were like a flock of chirping sparrows, full of fantasies about this place that would soon decide the course of their lives.
"Silence!"
The teacher of the Ninja Academy, an experienced jonin, shouted loudly.
The playground fell silent in an instant.
Sarutobi Hiruzen, dressed in the solemn Hokage robe and wearing his hat, swept his gentle gaze over the tender faces below.
These children were the future of Konoha.
They were everything he had fought for in blood on the battlefield, and worked tirelessly for in his office.
He cleared his throat, and his voice, amplified by a special ninjutsu, reached every child's ears clearly.
"Children, welcome to the great family of Konoha. From today on, you will learn how to become a qualified ninja here."
The children below, their eyes lit up in an instant.
They were expectant, expecting that Lord Hokage would, as the legends said, teach them some world-destroying, powerful ninjutsu, or tell some exciting hero stories.
However, Sarutobi Hiruzen's next words stunned everyone.
"Before you learn how to throw your first shuriken, I want to ask you a question."
His gaze swept over the entire field, his voice becoming serious and solemn.
"The war has just ended. We were victorious. So, can anyone tell me, why do we fight?"
Why do we fight?
The children looked at each other. This question seemed so simple, yet so complex.
A sturdy-looking child, probably from the Akimichi clan, was the first to raise his hand and shout, "To eat our fill! My dad said that if we drive away the bad guys, we can eat barbecue every day!"
"Hahaha..." A wave of good-natured laughter came from below the stage.
Sarutobi Hiruzen also smiled and nodded. "Well said. To be able to eat delicious barbecue is a very good reason."
"To protect the village!" another child, who looked like he was from the Uchiha clan, said with a hint of pride on his face.
"To become a hero like Lord Hokage!"
"To protect my mom and dad!"
The children shouted out their answers one after another.
Some said "to protect the village," some said "to become a hero," and some said "so that my family won't be bullied."
Sarutobi Hiruzen listened patiently, affirming every answer.
"All very well said."
He raised his hand, signaling for everyone to quiet down. "Protecting the village, becoming a hero, protecting our families... these are all reasons we fight. And they are all part of the Will of Fire."
Sarutobi Hiruzen's tone shifted, and he slowly began to tell the story of the Warring States Period, that bloody era where everyone lived in constant fear, never knowing if they would see the next day.
How the Senju and the Uchiha, the two most powerful clans, had lost countless relatives and comrades in an endless cycle of hatred and killing.
Then, he spoke of how the First Hokage, Senju Hashirama, and Uchiha Madara had put aside their hatred and joined forces to build Konoha, a home for everyone, on a barren piece of land.
"Children, you must remember. The establishment of Konoha was not to start a new war, but to end war."
"The core of the Will of Fire is not to turn you into a killing machine that only obeys orders unconditionally."
Sarutobi Hiruzen's voice became incredibly solemn.
"It is to give you the ability to think independently and to distinguish right from wrong. It is to let you, when you receive any mission, ask yourself in your heart—does what I'm about to do go against my original intention of protecting?"
"It is to give you the courage and resolve to fight for the important things in your heart!"
"The strength of a true Konoha ninja should not only be reflected in how many enemies he can kill, but more importantly, in how many smiles he can protect!"
These words completely subverted the understanding of everyone present.
So, the Will of Fire was not about sacrifice, not about obedience.
It was about thinking, about protecting, about resolve.
<><><><><><
Read Advanced Chapters on : patreon.com/Kaizo247
~ Every 150 PS = Bonus Chapter!
~ Push the Story forward with your [Power Stones]