Since becoming the lord of the Land of Grass, Konoha has seen many changes, but some things remain the same, like the importance of education.
One day, Renjiro burst out, frustrated, "You guys are so strong, yet you still have to go to school? And you call yourselves Kusa Shinobi? Why the lie?"
Yahiko just smiled, unfazed as Renjiro grabbed his collar. "Actually, we really are orphans from the Land of Rain," Yahiko said casually.
"I have a mom!" another protested.
Yahiko chuckled, "Well, Nagato almost became an orphan too, back then. But Charlie Sensei took us in, and we've been living here in the Land of Grass ever since. As for school..."
He sighed, a bit resigned. "Charlie Sensei says no matter how strong we get, we're still kids. Honestly, we thought we could have graduated already!"
Then their faces lit up again, and even Nagato and Konan, standing nearby, smiled.
"Charlie Sensei says school isn't just about learning ninjutsu," Yahiko explained, "it's where we learn how to be good people. Under his guidance, we develop a new shinobi worldview, learn to tell right from wrong, and understand reasoning. Plus, school days are short, he wants us to enjoy them while we can."
Hearing this, Renjiro's anger faded, and he released Yahiko's collar. A flicker of envy passed through his eyes as he looked at Konan, Nagato, and Yahiko.
What caught his attention was the quiet confidence shining in their eyes, the kind of hope that's rare in a world torn by war, especially in the chaotic Land of Rain. He muttered to himself, "Actually... I'm an orphan too."
Though only a few years older than them, Renjiro had already graduated. Was he a genius? Not at all. In the Amegakure, there was no shinobi academy like in the Land of Grass.
The new generation learned assassination and combat skills directly from the village instructors. Once they proved themselves capable, they were sent on missions.
Survival was the only measure of success, and only those who lived through the missions became true Rain shinobi. This was common practice in small villages, harsh but necessary.
Even in the Five Great Shinobi Countries, when war breaks out, talented prodigies like Yahiko and his friends are often forced to graduate early and jump straight into missions. For a shinobi, following orders is what matters most.
Does it really help to question or debate what's right or wrong? After a moment, he pushed down his sadness and stared hard at Yahiko. "Then why did you lie to everyone?"
"It's not exactly lying! We were genuinely planning to find a chance to assassinate Salamander Hanzō!"
"That's not what I asked!" he snapped. "Forget it, no more talk about that! I've got sixty pages of homework waiting for me!"
The three friends' faces fell at his words, but when they looked at the two standing before them, their expressions softened again.
"Since Charlie Sensei wants you to study here, then you better study hard! Honestly, learning here is pretty good, you can pick up a lot!"
"I'm a shinobi from the Land of Rain!"
"That's fine! If you ever try to harm the Land of Grass, someone will definitely catch you!"
"…" That didn't sound very comforting at all.
Renjiro and Kongo exchanged glances, speechless at Yahiko's carefree attitude. "We're heading back now. We'll come visit you again in a few days!"
Yahiko waved cheerfully. "Don't worry, civilians from the Land of Rain are doing just fine here. The Land of Grass hasn't done anything bad to them. I even heard they started literacy classes."
He muttered under his breath, "Haven't been back for over a month, and Charlie Sensei's already up to some new weird stuff!"
Finally, silence. Renjiro and Kongo watched the three leave quietly. Even if they wanted Yahiko to stay now, it was useless, several Kusa Shinobi had been watching them and wouldn't allow any trouble.
With all these secrets out in the open, leaving now was probably impossible. Renjiro's face shifted from pale to flushed as he muttered, "Orphans from the Land of Rain, huh? And yet they were chosen as disciples by the Grass Village lord. Is the Land of Grass really that good?"
After he spoke, Kongo calmly shook his head. "Their smiles don't lie."
"Kongo!" Renjiro jumped. "You're a shinobi from Amegakure! How can you believe what other villages say?"
"I'm not a shinobi from Amegakure!" Kongo replied firmly.
"I'm just a wandering shinobi from the Land of Rain," Kongo said quietly. He paused for a moment, then turned and started to walk away.
Seeing this, Renjiro quickly caught up to him. "Where are you headed?" he asked.
"Back to the dorm. Then, I've got to study," Kongo replied.
Renjiro scoffed, "You don't really believe in the Land of Grass, do you? That whole idea about letting ordinary people try to refine chakra, it's ridiculous!"
"Whether it's true or not, I want to see it with my own eyes," Kongo insisted.
And so, this unexpected group, brought together by chance, ended up under the supervision of the Grass Village, forced to study hard.
Meanwhile, after parting ways with Konan and Yahiko, Nagato made his way home. He glanced at his front door, then down at the crushed flowers nearby, a faint twitch crossing his lips.
Taking a deep breath, he opened the door and called out, "I'm home!"
'There was no place like home.' Nagato thought to himself, wishing he hadn't gotten into trouble with Yahiko, now there were two hundred pages of homework waiting for him. How long would it take to finish all this?
Meanwhile, underground...
"Lord Madara! Lord Madara! He's back!" White Zetsu called out, practically bouncing with excitement.
Madara slowly opened his eyes and looked at him. "Already?" he muttered. "I figured those three brats would graduate in no time."
He spoke calmly, as if it were obvious. After all, those kids were strong, any village would've fast-tracked them to genin just to get them into real missions.
White Zetsu grinned. "Actually, the Grass Village lord sent someone to knock them out and drag them back. Said they're too young, their minds aren't ready for battle yet. They're supposed to be studying."
Madara's eyes narrowed thoughtfully. Then his expression darkened. "This… was the dream I once shared with that fool Hashirama. A world where children didn't have to fight."
After a pause, he refocused his gaze and added with a low voice, "Looks like I underestimated the Grass Village lord."
Compared to Hashirama's idealistic nonsense, Charlie had a better grasp of what mattered. Madara nodded to himself. "That's right. Kids should be in school, not on the battlefield!" he said with surprising conviction.
"...Huh?" White Zetsu blinked. 'Wait… that's your takeaway?'
"Lord Madara, the important thing is your eyes! Your eyes! That's what really matters!" Zetsu tried to steer the conversation back, his mouth twitching.
The other Zetsu clapped enthusiastically. "Lord Madara, you truly love peace! I just know you'll bring about a shinobi world where there's no more war!"