"Ki~yonari-kun, time to wake up."
Hinata's soft, gentle voice came from outside the door.
Hyuga Kiyonari mumbled a sleepy "Mm," rolled over, and buried his face in the pillow, planning to steal a few more minutes.
It didn't matter if he fell back asleep. Hinata couldn't hear what was happening inside anyway—so in a bit, she'd definitely climb in through the window to wake him up.
Sure enough, just a few minutes later—right as his consciousness started sinking back into the dark—Hinata's voice sounded clearly beside his ear.
"Kiyonari, today is the first day of school. We have to get there early."
Only then did he grudgingly open his bleary eyes and yawn long and wide. "Haaah… I know."
"I'll wait outside," Hinata said, then left the room.
Kiyonari washed up quickly and changed into neat clothes. When he opened the door, morning air and sunlight rushed in—fresh and crisp. Hinata was sitting on the step outside.
They walked out of the Hyuga compound side by side and headed toward the Ninja Academy along the quiet morning streets. Following the class information from their enrollment notice, they found their classroom.
When they pushed the door open, someone was already inside.
Naruto heard the sound, snapped his head around, and his eyes lit up as he waved wildly.
"Kiyonari! Hinata!"
Kiyonari blinked, surprised. "Naruto, you actually didn't sleep in."
"Who shows up late on the first day of school?" Naruto complained—then immediately brightened again. "And I was so excited I couldn't even sleep last night! I've been waiting for today forever!"
Kiyonari dropped his bag onto a seat. "By the way, did you eat breakfast?"
Naruto's smile froze solid. "I… forgot. I was too hyped when I woke up—"
"Yeah, I can tell." Kiyonari sighed. "Perfect. Hinata and I haven't eaten either. Let's go get breakfast."
Naruto thought for a second, then thumped his chest. "I'll treat! Breakfast is no big deal!"
Before Kiyonari could respond, Naruto grabbed his wrist and dragged him toward the door. Kiyonari stumbled, helplessly shouting, "Slow down! I know you're excited, but you need to not be this excited!"
Hinata saw them bolt out like a gust of wind and hurried after them. "Kiyonari-kun! Wait for me!"
After the three of them ate their fill, they returned to school. When they stepped back into the classroom, it was already bustling—students in small groups, chattering excitedly. The whole room was full of first-day noise.
But Kiyonari noticed something: near where he'd left his bag, a few kids were clustered together, looking tense.
"What are you doing here?"
The kids jumped at his sudden appearance and whipped around. When they realized it was Kiyonari, they finally relaxed.
One of them said seriously, "We were talking about going to save you."
"Save me?" Kiyonari blinked, completely lost.
The kid nodded. "We just saw you get taken away by the demon fox. And there was another companion chasing after you. We were debating whether to tell the teacher."
Kiyonari sighed. "That wasn't a demon fox. His name is Uzumaki Naruto. He's my friend."
"But my dad said—"
"And your dad is always right?"
They froze, looked at each other, then nodded solemnly. "Of course our parents are right."
"Do you have any independent thinking ability at all?"
"What does 'independent thinking ability' mean?"
Kiyonari got choked up by how confidently they said it.
Oh, Konoha… you absolute genius.
"Have you ever considered that your parents might've heard it from someone else, and that person might've heard it from someone else? And every time someone repeats a story, they add their own thoughts. One person tells ten, ten tells a hundred, and by the end it's completely unrecognizable."
They looked even more confused—pure, untouched by knowledge. "Why would people add their own thoughts? Isn't it hard to just repeat the original words exactly?"
At that moment, a cool, sharp voice sounded from behind.
"A bunch of… idiots."
Sasuke Uchiha was standing in the doorway with his schoolbag, clearly having heard everything. With a blank expression, he tossed out that verdict and walked to a far corner, taking a seat away from everyone.
"Why did he insult us?" one of the kids asked.
Kiyonari stared at their wide, innocent eyes, then fell completely silent before finally saying:
"He was actually complimenting you. Go home and compliment your parents the same way, and you'll understand."
"Oh."
They really believed anything you told them.
Right as the awkwardness peaked, the classroom door creaked open.
A middle-aged man in a dark green flak jacket walked in. He stood at the front, looked around the room, and smiled warmly.
"Hello, everyone. I'm your homeroom teacher—Umino Iruka." He turned and wrote his name on the board.
"From today on, I'll be with you throughout your time at the Ninja Academy. I hope we'll share a pleasant learning journey together."
Scattered applause rippled through the room. Iruka didn't mind. "Alright. We'll begin roll call. When your name is called, please stand and introduce yourself briefly."
"Hyuga Kiyonari."
Kiyonari stood. "I'm Hyuga Kiyonari. My hobby is slacking off. Unless it's necessary, don't bother me."
Oh. A kindred spirit.
Nara Shikamaru instantly lifted his head from where it had been planted on his desk.
Almost at the same time, the kids who'd been huddled near Kiyonari's seat started whispering again.
"I've heard his name. Isn't he Tsunade-sama's student?"
"Then he definitely wouldn't lie to us."
Iruka noticed the commotion but didn't stop it, only continuing, "Next—Uchiha Sasuke."
…
The dismissal bell rang, and the classroom filled with eager rustling. The clever kids had already packed up; the moment the bell sounded, they were gone.
"Kiyonari-kun, want to go home together?" Hinata walked up and asked softly.
Kiyonari shook his head. "Sorry, Hinata. I have something to take care of. I can't go with you today."
"Oh…" A faint trace of disappointment flickered across her face, but she quickly replaced it with a smile. "Then be careful on your way, Kiyonari-kun."
"You too."
…
"See you tomorrow."
"See you tomorrow."
After the brief farewell, Kiyonari turned and headed alone in another direction.
When he pushed open the gate to the residence, he saw Tsunade sitting alone in the courtyard.
"Yo, brat. You're here."
Kiyonari sat on a stone stool beside her and watched her fill another cup. He couldn't help reminding her, "Tsunade-sama… you're drinking that much again."
"Stop nagging," Tsunade scolded lightly, tipping her cup back for a sip. "It's one of the few chances I get. If I'm not going to drink properly, what's the point?"
After the New Year, Tsunade planned to return to the border. She'd only stayed a couple extra days because Kiyonari was about to start school.
"If you get drunk, how will you travel tomorrow?"
"This is nothing," Tsunade waved him off. "Relax. I'll be perfectly clear-headed before I leave in the morning."
Kiyonari pulled a bottle of juice from his bag. "Then I'll drink with you."
"Good. Sit and chat with me."
They clinked cup to bottle, and Tsunade immediately shifted into her "strategic lecture" mode. "Kiyonari—do you think the border situation will stay like this forever?"
Kiyonari thought carefully before answering. "I don't think so. Even if Cloud couldn't read our intentions at first, after two or three years they'll figure it out."
"The moment they realize we're using them as sparring practice, it'll inevitably build resentment. And once the timing's right, that resentment becomes the fuse that blows everything up."
Tsunade nodded in agreement. "Yeah… I've been worrying about exactly that for years. And the Raikage's personality is a key variable in this game. So—when do you think they'll act?"
"I don't know," Kiyonari said, shaking his head. "Maybe one year, maybe two, maybe longer. You can't just start a war whenever you feel like it—not even the Raikage."
"Either a major conflict of interests, or they become strong enough… or…" He paused. "Or they wait for Konoha to show an opening."
"In any case, the initiative is in their hands. All we can do is stay alert and keep preparing. That should be the main focus on the border going forward. Teacher, please remind Shisui to keep a close eye on the team's atmosphere."
They talked for a long time—border politics, Konoha's development, training, and even the meaning of life. Because Tsunade was talking the whole time, she didn't actually drink much, and her head stayed clear.
When Shizune returned, Kiyonari helped clean up, then left.
The next morning, he went to the village gate to see them off—but they'd already departed.
…
Five years passed in the blink of an eye.
When Tsunade returned again, Konoha's central plaza was packed wall-to-wall with people. Today was the Hokage succession ceremony.
On the rooftop of the Hokage Building, the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, wore the Hokage robes and hat. Tsunade stood behind him.
"Hokage… the Hokage in each person's heart looks different. A powerful shinobi. Someone people admire. But I still remember…"
Hiruzen clasped his hands behind his back, gazing down at the crowd, a trace of nostalgia passing through his eyes.
"When the Second Hokage passed the title of Hokage—and the responsibility and burden that came with it—to me, he said: 'Protect those who admire the village and trust you. Then cultivate them, so they can be entrusted with the next era.'"
"And today, I will end a long journey. A new era has arrived—"