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  Konoha Ninja Academy

  A banner hung over the academy's entrance, prog "Wele, Sand Shinobi Academy Freshmen." Several Konoha in instructors, ag as volunteers, busily guided the group from Sunagakure, answering their questions and pointing the way.

  “Whoa!!”

  “They’re really students from Sunagakure! They’re here in Konoha!”

  “Where, where? Let me see.”

  “Their clothes are so weird. Why are they wearing head scarves?”

  “Show some respect for their attire! Curb your curiosity!”

  The windows and hallways of the academy s were crowded with Konoha’s new geion of students, all eager to catch a glimpse of this exotic sight.

  For ninjas of this era, their first enter with ninjas from other vilges often occurred otlefield, with ons drawn.

  Their uanding of fn ninja was rgely limited to stories passed down from elders and descriptions ibooks.

  Now, students from the Sand Shinobi Academy were visiting Konoha for a “summer camp,” a truly unpreted event.

  [Summer Camp]

  This erm had been posted on the bulletin boards of every .

  While the anizer wasn’t explicitly stated, acc to the rumors cirg among the students…

  Such perplexing activities were usually the brainchild of Principal Gojo.

  And upon hearing that it rincipal Gojo's creation, groans echoed throughout the Konoha Ninja Academy.

  Principal Gojo!

  Ranked number one on the Konoha Ninja Academy's legendary figures list, he hantom, rarely seen. However, the activities he orchestrated often put these young students through the wringer.

  First, the "Gratitude Education" program had given them a humbling and slightly embarrassing experienow, this "Summer Camp," who knew what would happen?

  However, based on the description, it seemed to sist of standard ninja training, so there shouldn't be any issues… right?

  Activities such as: weighted marches through the Konoha Forest, cooking exercises in the Konoha Forest, and willpower training…

  Among these lively Konoha youngsters, there was one exception.

  Itachi Uchiha, giving perfunctory respoo the girls around him, gazed out the window, lost in thought.

  ‘Father said that Advisojo never does anything without a purpose.’

  ‘So, having students from Sunagakure attend csses and participate in the summer camp with us must have some underlying objective that I haven’t grasped yet.’

  ‘And this summer camp… for normal people, it might be sidered interaining. But for aspiring ninjas, it seems rather… basic.’

  Sp

  Suddenly, Itachi’s shoulder was lightly tapped by Izumi Uchiha, appearing from behind.

  “Itachi, what are you thinking about so ily?”

  “Oh, it’s you, Izumi… I’m w why Advisojht these Sand students here.”

  Izumi pondered for a moment, her gaze also falling upon the Sand students below, particurly on the girl at the front, carrying a fan-shaped on on her back.

  “Perhaps Advisojo wants us to knock the Sand’s arrogance doeg?”

  “I heard from the elders at home that Sand ninjas are always looking for trouble, starting wars. If we defeat the Sand students, instill fear in them, perhaps no one will want to start a war iure.”

  “Is that so…”

  Itachi Uchiha houghtfully.

  If that were the case, it would indeed be in lih Advisojo’s character. He never uimated any of the surrounding vilges, stantly embodying the principle of “born in fort, die in u” from the Thirty-Six Stratagems.

  That’s why, during their time in the Land of Water, he tested them by asking what y beyond the sea.

  He was teag this geion of young Konoha ninja to remain vigint, to view outsiders as potential ehose not of our vilge are different, their iions suspeever let yuard down…

  Following this line of reasoning, it all made sense.

  Itachi’s mind cleared. Among the twenty Sand students, he sensed several powerful chakra signatures.

  Unusually powerful, exceeding the norm for students. Their overall level still fell within the range of graduating Genin, suggesting they might be prodigies who graduated early from the Sand Academy.

  Clearly, Sunagakure had also e prepared, aiming to demoralize the Konoha students.

  At this thought, Itachi subsciously ched his fists, his demeanor sharpening.

  The chakra of his Sharingan stirred within him.

  “In the name of the Advisor’s kindness, I ot lose this test between the younger geions of Konoha and Suna.”

  “Huh? Itachi, what strahings are you saying?”

  …

  Homeroom teacher Iruka Umino, having performed exceptionally well during the "Gratitude Education" program, had earned Gojo Kaigetsu’s reition and been promoted to Head of Student Affairs.

  He had truly reached the pinnacle of his teag career, sed only to two individuals and above everyone else.

  Minato Namikaze only appeared durirand graduation ceremonies, and Gojo Kaigetsu was mostly hands-off, leaving Iruka effectively in charge of the academy!

  He ractically the shadow vice-principal, having some say in the recruitment of eachers.

  But his authority ehere. While Gojo Kaigetsu delegated personnel matters to him, the academy’s educational system and activities remained firmly under Gojo Kaigetsu’s trol.

  Whenever Gojo Kaigetsu implemented a new policy, Iruka wasn't guarao share the credit, but he certainly bore the brunt of the bme.

  In this position, he endured far more pressure than a in should.

  This time, he had been tasked with settling the Sand students and implementing the pre-determined pn.

  ‘What a strange pn…’

  Iruka felt apprehensive, sensing that Principal Gojo to something again.

  pints aside, the job still o be done.

  Pstering a smile on his face, Iruka rubbed his hands and approached Baki. “You must be Baki-san, the leader of the Suna delegation.”

  “Principal Gojo informed me of your arrival. Please, e this way.”

  Iruka gestured, and his trusted in instructors led the Sand students to a vat , providing them with temporary aodation.

  As for Iruka, he led Baki to the academy’s feren to vey Gojo Kaigetsu’s instrus.

  “sidering the situation with the Sand students and the current state of Konoha, Principal Gojo has formuted a special system--”

  “May I ask what it is?”

  Baki inquired curiously.

  His demeanor was humble, showing no sign of disdaie the fact that a in sat before him.

  He resembled a parent eager to please their child’s homeroom teacher.

  Iruka paused. "The Buddy System.”

  “Huh…? Buddy? What’s that?”

  Baki uzzled, sensing that Konoha was implementing something novel.

  “This is a system designed specifically for the Sand exge students at our Konoha Ninja Academy. It entails pairing students one-on-one as learning partners!”

  Iruka spoke eloquently, his skills honed during the "Gratitude Education" program fully on dispy. "The academy's implementation of the Konoha-Suna Student Buddy Project aims to facilitate mutual learning, academic progress, and cultural exge. This will swiftly break down barriers between the young ninjas of our two vilges, allowing the Sand students to ie into Konoha's s.”

  “This projevolves seleg Konoha students through a voluntary application process. Participating students are required to strictly adhere to the established guidelines. Learning and exge activities will be ducted in small groups.”

  “The twenty Sand students will be distributed among various csses within the Konoha Ninja Academy based on their age and abilities.”

  “By breaking up their existing group dynamic, they ie into the new enviro and acquire knowledge more effectively. Baki-san, you wouldn’t want these Sand students to simply huddle together for three months, ging to their old ways from the Sand Shinobi Academy, would you?”

  Baki nodded slightly in agreement with Iruka’s words.

  “We will require students to carefully and thhly fill out their requests. For instance, Konoha students request a buddy profit in shurikenjutsu.”

  “Sand Vilge students request a buddy skilled in mediinjutsu.”

  “And to prevent unnecessary plications, buddies will be paired based on the same gender.”

  “After pleting their regur ninja training at the academy, Konoha and Suna students easily exge cultural insights, tributing to the peace between our two vilges.”

  What a… remarkable system!

  Baki marveled inwardly.

  No one uood the temperament of the Sand Shinobi Academy students better than he did.

  Those who emerged from their rigorous training aion process were naturally the cream of the crop, but many possessed psychological or personality fws. As ninjas, they were taught to sever attats, suppress emotions, and bee effit tools, all for the sake of the vilge.

  Within the vilge, they weren't particurly close, but oside, they teo band together and exclude outsiders.

  Without external intervention, these promising Sand ninjas would likely g to each other for three months, rejeg iion with Konoha.

  That would defeat the purpose of the meeting held at the Kazekage Building. Their goal was to uhe secret of Konoha’s strength!

  Dispersing the twenty students and iing them into the Konoha Ninja Academy was the perfect approach.

  Upon their return to Suna, specialized personnel would gather information from the students.

  Different csses would undoubtedly yield different information. A thousand people, a thousand perspectives on Konoha’s success. Schors would then pile this information… and the pn would unfold!

  Furthermore, the buddy system was same-sex pairings.

  As a senior ninja with a parental mi, Baki naturally didn’t want their best students to be swayed by Konoha's influence.

  Especially not Temari.

  If paired with a same-sex buddy, and then somehow swayed by one of Konoha's white-haired ninja…

  The thought of a white-haired Konoha ninja on a ninken, flipping their hair and saying, “Old man, my ninken is parked outside your house,” made Baki’s heart skip a beat.

  Absolutely, absolutely, absolutely could not happen!

  Fortunately, Konoha's arras were thh, preventing such a sario, nipping any potential crisis in the bud.

  “And regarding the summer camp…”

  Iruka tinued, gradually reying all of Gojo Kaigetsu's instrus.

  Under normal circumstahat would have been the end of the meeting. However, Principal Gojo had one final, rather awkward request…

  The thought of it made Iruka tremble. He had a Flying Raijin mark etched uhe fereable; a distress signal would summon the Hokage instantly. The question was, could his in body withstand long enough to send the signal?

  “Umino-san, is there anything else?”

  “Ahem, well…”

  Iruka gritted his teeth and decided te ahead.

  “Um, Baki-san, I recall that due to Suna’s history and traditions, most of yher-ranking ninja are skilled in puppet repair, correct?”

  Baki paused. “That’s correct. Why do you ask?”

  In Sunagakure, while puppeteers were few, spare puppets were abundant. Generally, in and above, though not necessarily puppet users, possessed puppet repair skills.

  This was so that in the event a puppeteer was incapacitated otlefield, other ninja could repair their puppets.

  Upon hearing this, a shrewd, mert-like smile spread across Iruka’s face. “I happen to have a puppet, but it’s… experieng some minor issues…”

  “Hmm? You have a puppet, Umino-san? What seems to be the problem?”

  While puppetry might be uo Sunagakure, puppets themselves weren’t.

  Many nobles with peculiar hobbies across the Five Great Nations collected lifelike female puppets. Could it be that this head of student affairs…

  “Let me put it this way, Baki-san!” Iruka said with a pained expression. “I spent three million ryō on this puppet.”

  Baki instinctively asked, “And now?”

  “Now… this is all that’s left.” Iruka stammered, reag into a hidden partment uhe fereable and pulling out a palm-sized k of chakra metal.

  Baki: ???

  “Baki-sahis? it be repaired?”

  So, it wasn’t a case of a missing chakra metal piece here or there. He wanted him to rebuild aire puppet from a single k of chakra metal?

  Baki’s expression immediately ged. The words “It’s beyond repair, get out” nearly escaped his lips.

  But he swallowed them back down.

  He uood the unspoken message behind the Head of Student Affairs’ words.

  Repairing the puppet retense; solig a bribe was the true iion.

  Shady, so damn shady! The people of Konoha were corrupt! In an instant, the positive image Baki had structed of Konoha shattered.

  His belief in the “Konoha’s downfall” theory solidified further.

  Even a in dared to exploit his position and btantly demand a bribe from a fn envoy… How greedy and unscrupulous must he be towards his own vilge?

  With this in mind, Baki’s anger subsided.

  Konoha was already like this, what was there to be angry about? It was the st dance of demons before their demise.

  Sooner or ter, Konoha would pay for this, with i.

  F a smile that was uglier than g, Baki replied:

  “Of course it be repaired. When Suna takes on a job, you rest assured.”

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