Kuro glanced at the boy destined to lead the clan in the future, trying to recall anything about their past interactions. However, it seemed they had barely spoken. Shikaku was as lazy as his future son, Shikamaru. The previous owner of this body had tried several times to invite him to train, believing that he could learn a lot from the son of Shikuma. But Shikaku clearly didn't share that enthusiasm — he simply didn't see the point in working so hard when he could just go take a nap.
"Looks like we'll be in the same class," Shikaku remarked lazily as they walked along the busy streets of Konoha.
"Most likely. Let's do our best," Kuro replied, trying not to miss the beauty of the village around them.
"Yeah," the Nara boy nodded shortly, suppressing yet another yawn.
The conversation between the children didn't flow, and the same could be said about the adults. They exchanged only a few standard phrases before continuing their walk in silence.
As they approached the Academy, Kuro began noticing numerous children with their parents. Among the stream of people, the representatives of the great clans stood out, attracting most of the curious glances.
On one side of the clearing stood several members of the Hyūga clan. Near them were two boys in white kimonos, strikingly similar to each other.
Hiashi and Hizashi.
On the opposite side stood gloomy dark-haired shinobi with the red-and-white fan on their backs — the Uchiha. They surrounded a young girl with the same black hair tied in a ponytail and an arrogant expression on her face. She wore a dark blue qipao dress, beige shorts, and her arms were wrapped tightly with bandages.
"You know who that is?" Kuro asked the yawning Shikaku beside him.
"Hm…" Shikaku lazily turned his head in the right direction and answered quickly, "The Uchiha Princess. I think her name's Mikoto. If I were you, I wouldn't even think about it."
"What are you talking about?" Kuro frowned, confused.
"Nothing. Just… there are a lot of remarkable people entering this year." At Kuro's confused look, Shikaku simply nodded toward a tall blonde woman. "That's the Third Hokage's student — Tsunade Senju. And next to her is her younger brother, Nawaki."
Turning his gaze there, Kuro saw an incredibly beautiful young woman, around twenty years old. Her long blonde hair fell over a dark blue cloak with her clan's symbol on the back. For a moment, their eyes met, but she paid him no mind and looked away immediately. Next to her stood a boy with short light chestnut hair, gray-green eyes, and a strange blush on his cheeks. He wore a greenish-blue poncho and light green pants.
"You're hopeless," Shikaku muttered with a clear hint.
"Oh, shut up," Kuro grumbled, though a faint smirk flickered across his face.
"Hm. You seem a little different," Shikaku continued, studying him closely.
"Well, maybe I gained a couple kilograms," Kuro joked, but Shikaku didn't react at all.
The awkward moment was saved by voices behind them.
"Hey, Shikaku! Glad you didn't oversleep today!" Two boys approached them — one chubby, munching on chips, and the other a blond with a serious expression.
"Chōza, Inoichi, meet him," Shikaku said. "This is Kuro Nara, my clanmate. He'll be in our class."
"Oh, nice to meet you! I hope we get along. Want some chips?" Akimichi offered enthusiastically.
"Nice to meet you," Inoichi said more reservedly.
"Likewise. I think I've seen you a couple of times when you visited Shikaku. And yes, I won't refuse the chips. Thanks."
While the children chatted, Hiruzen Sarutobi stepped onto a small wooden platform, ready to give a speech to the new generation. He looked around forty at this point. A flood of thoughts rushed through Kuro's mind.
So this is the famous Third Hokage. In my past world, people argued endlessly about what kind of man he really was. Some saw Hiruzen as a kind old man who gave his life for the village and its people. Others believed Sarutobi was weak and unfit for such a high position, since he ignored many of his best friend's crimes. And some even thought he was no better — or worse — than Danzō.I think it's foolish to divide people in a world of killers into good and bad. To me, the Third is an excellent politician who held power longer than anyone before him, and he's also one of the strongest people alive. Only other Kage, Jinchūriki, Hanzō the Salamander, and maybe Sakumo could match him.
Hiruzen began his speech, and the crowd instantly quieted.
"Today is a special day," he said, lowering his voice so it sounded soft yet confident, drawing everyone's attention. "You, the new young generation, are taking your first step toward becoming true shinobi. The path ahead won't be easy — you will experience the joy of camaraderie and the bitterness of loss. But above all, you will become part of the great Village of the Leaf, carrying forward the hopes and beliefs of the generations before you.This is the Will of Fire — not just empty words…"
He paused, scanning the crowd.
"It is the desire to protect one another. You are the future of our village. I believe in you — in your strength, your dedication, and your desire to make this world better. Remember for life that your goal is not only to become strong shinobi, but also to preserve the peace and warmth of the village that unites us all."
Kuro listened, realizing just how talented the old man was as a leader. His words sounded sincere, but carried a subtle calculation capable of inspiring the masses.
When the speech ended, the children began entering the Academy building. In the noisy crowd, Kuro spotted a flash of blonde hair.
Minato, he thought, finally confirming to himself that they were indeed the same age.
Inside the classroom, they were greeted by their instructor — a tall, broad-shouldered man with a stern gaze and a scar on his cheek. He began immediately:
"Welcome. I am Sarutobi Kajiro, your instructor. You will spend the next years studying the art of the shinobi together. But first, I want each of you to introduce yourselves. Let's start from the left."
Nawaki stood up first. His face was lit with enthusiasm, his voice loud and confident.
"My name is Nawaki Senju! I want to become the strongest Hokage, just like my grandfather! I'll work hard to protect our village!"
Many children applauded — after all, they knew the Senju lineage — but the instructor quickly gestured for silence. Soon Mikoto stood up.
"I am Mikoto Uchiha. My goal is to become a worthy heir to my father and the head of my clan," she said with a restrained nod, though her eyes radiated determination.
When Minato's turn came, he seemed completely carefree. Standing up, he smiled sincerely at everyone.
"My name is Minato Namikaze. I want to become strong enough to protect those precious to me — and to become a shinobi my friends can rely on."
Is he really six? What can a child experience to dream of such things already?
Shikaku's turn came next. He rose slowly, yawning.
"Shikaku Nara. I'll do my best to become a shinobi… probably," he muttered the last word and sat down again, ignoring the snickers nearby.
Finally, it was Kuro's turn. He stood up, feeling dozens of eyes on him.
"I am Kuro Nara. Like all of you, I want to become a strong shinobi to protect those close to me — and to achieve all of my goals," he said calmly, smiling slightly as he sat back down, catching a strange look from his clanmate.
After all the introductions, Kajiro nodded and made notes in his notebook.
"Excellent. Now let's begin the lesson."
The rest of the day at the Academy passed relatively calmly. After the welcoming speech, the children began studying the basics of theory. Sarutobi turned out to be a strict but patient instructor whose attention missed nothing — not even the smallest act of mischief.
Kuro listened attentively for the first few minutes, trying to absorb every word, but soon his focus began to drift. Kajiro's monotonous voice about the village's early history slowly but surely lulled him to sleep. At the desk beside him, Shikaku was already openly sleeping, propping his face with his hand.
Every now and then, the instructor asked questions, and Kuro managed to answer thanks to the memories of the body's previous owner. When the lessons finally ended, the Nara boy was the first to leave the classroom and head straight to the forest. Even though he'd entered the Academy, training wasn't going anywhere. After all, he knew perfectly well that his greatest trump card in this world was Sukuna's power.