2. What is the Will of Fire?

After two long hours, the opening ceremony speech by the third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, finally came to an end. 

Shiraishi's legs were sore from standing, but he patiently memorized the content of third Hokage's speech. 

As someone with intentions defect, he couldn't show any dissatisfaction or strangeness before he made his move. In other words, what the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, said would likely be tested in school.

'Although the speech by the Third Hokage were less profound than the motivational articles i had read in my previous life', Shiraishi thought.

After the speech, the students orderly left the auditorium and returned to their respective classes. Shiraishi was assigned to First-year Class A. The classroom was arranged with stepped seating, and each desk could accommodate three people.

Shiraishi found his name in the middle of the second-to-last row by the window and boldly writren 'Chiba Shiraishi'. When he reached his seat, he noticed that someone was already sitting on the ll side of the window. She was a young girl with long, straight black hair, about the same age as Shiraishi. She had a cold and distant aura, resting her chin on her hand as she gazed quietly at the playground outside the window.

"Hello, my name is Chiba Shiraishi. Nice to meet you," Shiraishi introduced himself, trying to strike a balance between not attracting too much attention and not being too withdrawn.

She turned her head slightly, removed her hand from her delicate face, and spoke in a condescending tone, "Uchiha Ruri."

She exuded a coldness that made Shiraishi feel the temperature drop. After that, Shiraishi had no idea how to continue the conversation with Uchiha Ruri. He sat quietly at his desk, flipping through the textbooks that were prepared for him.

The textbooks included various subjects like the "Chronicles of Konoha Village," and "The First Hokage and the Will of Fire." Among them, the book titled "The First Hokage and the Will of Fire" was placed on top. Shiraishi read it carefully, as it was an important source of information.

Based on the speech during the opening ceremony by the third Hokage, Shiraishi only had a vague understanding of the "Will of Fire" that Konoha promoted, and he felt that something was missing.

Now he wanted to delve deeper into what this so-called "Will Of Fire" truly meant, and whether the academy was truly a brainwashing institution.

Although Shiraishi hadn't had much luck with this village called Konoha, he felt compelled to examine the content of "The First Hokage and the Will of Fire" book. Its opening remarks were:

"When the tree leaves dance,

One shall find flames.

The fire's shadow will illuminate the village,

And once again, tree leaves shall bud anew."

The meaning of this passage was easy to understand. It conveyed that young people were the future hope of the village, and the older generation should trust and protect them. 

The sacrifices of the older generation were not in vain but aimed to encourage the younger generation to become the pillars that would bear the future of the village. 

The burning flame of fallen leaves symbolized the heroic sacrifices of the older generation, while the new leaves represented the young people. It was a cycle of reincarnation.

At first glance, it seemed reasonable and commendable, but when Shiraishi thought about the children under the age of ten being sent to the battlefield, he had doubts. 

It appeared as if the sacrifices of young people were being used to glorify the older generation, making the so-called "Will Of Fire" false and empty in his eyes. He couldn't understand why others in Konoha Village failed to notice such an obvious flaw.

As Shiraishi continued reading, he lost track of time. The more he turned the pages, the drier his lips became, and cold sweat covered his forehead. 

The content of the book seemed utterly useless, filled with utopian fantasies lacking any practical value. Was this the so-called will passed down by the god of Ninja? Shiraishi began to question if anyone had ever read this book before.

He realized that "The First Hokage and the Will of Fire" book was merely a collection of ideals without any concrete plans. Furthermore, it seemed that the protection of children was not a priority. Konoha was currently sending numerous children under the age of ten to the battlefield as cannon fodder.

In that moment, Shiraishi made a startling discovery. The words "Will of Fire" were written on every page of the book, but looking beyond the countless repetitions, he discerned a different message: It was a Pyramid Schemes. 

Konoha was akin to a terrorist organization, and the Ninja Academy was a brainwashing institution.

What was even more disturbing was the fact that such a book was openly available in the academy. What did that imply? It meant that the village's upper echelons had already brainwashed all the adults, and now it was the new generation's turn to be indoctrinated by the so-called "Will of Fire." Unfortunately, Shiraishi himself was one of the individuals who had fallen victim to this brainwashing.

Lost in his thoughts, Shiraishi was snapped back to reality by a soft voice near his ear. He turned and saw a cute girl with the same black, long straight hair as Uchiha Ruri. However, unlike Ruri's icy demeanor, this girl had a warm and gentle expression in her pure white eyes, which made Shiraishi wonder if she had contact lenses on.

The girl expressed concern, "Are you alright? You're sweating a lot. Is something wrong?"

Shiraishi touched his face and realized he was covered in cold sweat. Dryly, he replied, "I'm okay. I think I accidentally drank expired milk last night, and my stomach is uncomfortable."

She looked at him with suspicion, but still caring, she apologized for worrying him and introduced herself as Hyuga Ayane. Shiraishi felt relieved by her warm smile and introduced himself as well.

Observing the scene, Uchiha Ruri couldn't help but glance at the book Shiraishi had been reading. She had a hunch that Shiraishi's profuse sweating and fearful gaze were somehow connected to the book. It puzzled her how a mere book could evoke such a strong reaction from him.