Chapter 51

Chapter 51

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Few years later, the time has come to the 47th year of Konoha.

The new generation of leaves has shed their immaturity and reached the moment of graduation.

Inside the Konoha Ninja Academy, there is a conference room that can accommodate over a hundred people.

A somewhat steady voice echoes in the room.

"Wherever the leaves of Konoha flutter, the fire continues to burn. The flames will keep illuminating the village, allowing the new leaves to sprout…"

The Third Hokage stands on the podium, proclaiming the Will of Fire.

The students below watch eagerly, their eyes filled with longing for the future.

Time seems to revert to the entrance ceremony five years ago.

But this time, they are no longer students of the Ninja Academy; they are real ninjas now.

Haneda quietly listens, appearing serious while actually contemplating his plans for the future.

His original plan was to graduate and join the Konoha Police Force.

This way, he would miss the early to mid-stages of the Third Great Ninja War, and by the time Konoha had to send the Uchiha to the battlefield, he would already have some self-defense skills.

But now, plans have changed.

Based on the Third Hokage's usual tactics, he certainly wouldn't want to let Haneda get too close to the Uchiha.

The Third Hokage would likely assign a mentor, who would probably belong to the Hokage faction.

Thinking of this, Haneda discreetly glanced at Rin.

Since Minato is a disciple of Jiraiya, he is certainly a staunch member of the Hokage faction. In this case…

Obito and Rin might very well be replaced by him.

Haneda shook his head internally, pushing those thoughts away.

This is not the time to worry about that; what truly matters is surviving the Third Great Ninja War.

And the most important prerequisite for survival is strength, unlike before when Haneda relied on his background.

Enemies won't care who your father is or who your master is.

An enemy is simply an enemy, and even Hashirama Senju is no exception.

With that in mind, Haneda silently opened his system, and a light blue screen appeared before him.

[Uchiha Haneda]

[Strength: Jonin (53/100)]

[Chakra: 11.3 cards, attributes: Water, Earth, Wind, Fire, Lightning, Yin, Yang]

[Bloodline Limit: Three-Tomoe Sharingan (Mankeyan 67%), Basic Sage Body (Intermediate Sage Body 17%), Wood Release]

[Special Abilities: Eight Gates – Rest Gate (73/100), Hatake Swordsmanship Proficiency (71/100)]

(Note 1: Wood Release is a gift of the Sage Body, and the Water and Earth chakra attributes are also gifts.)

(Note 2: Good data, but weak strength means insufficient battle experience, specifically referring to life-and-death combat.)

"Jonin strength, keep a low profile, and get a good mentor. That should be enough to stay alive."

Haneda thought to himself when the Third Hokage finished his speech and began to hand out graduation certificates.

"Obito hasn't arrived yet; it looks like he's going to be late again."

Rin's voice came from the front, and Haneda scanned the area, indeed not spotting Obito.

He didn't even need to think; he knew Obito must have been ambushed and held up by an old lady again.

"Sigh~ Oh, that idiot Obito, I reminded him so many times last night."

Haneda rubbed his temples in frustration, thinking he should have brought him along this morning.

Not long after, the Third Hokage started calling names from the list.

"Sarutobi Asuma."

Hearing his name, Asuma, hanging onto a piece of grass, reluctantly walked to the side of the podium.

The Third Hokage looked at his rebellious son and smiled helplessly.

He couldn't beat him or talk sense into him; what could he do?

But the Third Hokage is still Asuma's father, and he has the responsibility to educate his son.

"Asuma, congratulations on becoming a true ninja starting today…"

Before the Third Hokage could finish, Asuma interrupted:

"No need for emotional speeches, old man."

"You're still the same as when you were a kid, haha…"

The Third Hokage chuckled, not taking Asuma's words to heart.

He continued earnestly:

"Asuma, remember that becoming a ninja means you are no longer a child."

"No matter what you were like before, starting today, you must hold yourself to the standards of a ninja."

Perhaps due to the Third Hokage's seriousness, Asuma didn't show his rebellious side this time.

He nodded seriously and said, "Got it, I will hold myself to the standards of a ninja."

Seeing this, the Third Hokage smiled in relief.

He handed Asuma the graduation certificate and whispered a few words in his ear.

Asuma's expression suddenly became extremely excited, and even the grass in his mouth fell unconsciously.

The second student was Might Guy.

When the Third Hokage called out his name, Guy quickly ran up to the podium.

"Lord Hokage!" Guy exclaimed excitedly.

"Such youthful energy, Guy, just like your father, full of passion," the Third Hokage smiled.

He handed the graduation certificate to Guy and added:

"Congratulations on your graduation, Guy."

"I hope your youth, like your father's, never withers for the village and your comrades."

In response, Guy excitedly replied:

"Lord Hokage, for the things most important to me, my youth will never end!"

Observing Guy's fervent spirit, the Third Hokage's smile widened.

The new generation of leaves is so vibrant that it makes him feel that his efforts for the village over the years have not been in vain.

The Third Hokage looked down at the graduation list and called out another name.

"Hatake Kakashi."

Upon hearing his name, Kakashi exchanged glances with Haneda before stepping forward.

"Lord Hokage." Kakashi slightly bowed, standing by to receive his graduation certificate.

"It's Kakashi, huh? I didn't expect to call your name so early," the Third Hokage said with a gentle smile, radiating warmth like a spring breeze.

"In the past five years, I've heard many excellent stories about you."

"Through hard and diligent training, you have grown from a child into a true ninja."

"Congratulations on your graduation, Kakashi."

The Third Hokage handed the graduation certificate to Kakashi and patted his shoulder.

"Thank you, Lord Hokage." Kakashi quietly accepted the graduation certificate and tucked it away.

He had heard his father talk many times about the experiences of ninjas and the weight of this graduation certificate.

Take his father, for example; after becoming a ninja, he had to carry out missions every so often, and while the tasks might vary in difficulty, they all carried risks.

During wartime, his father had to rush to the front lines for the village, sometimes even taking on command tasks, making it difficult to find time to spend with him…

And this was just the tip of the iceberg for a ninja.

Watching Kakashi walk away, the Third Hokage called out Haneda's name:

"Next, Uchiha Haneda."

Upon hearing the Third Hokage call for him fourth, Haneda quickly walked down the aisle.

As he passed by Kakashi, he smiled and asked:

"How does it feel to become a ninja?"

"Um, it's okay… just don't know if I'll be able to train with you anymore in the future."

Kakashi replied somewhat heavily.

Once they became ninjas, many things would no longer be in their control.

Due to their respective missions, they would be sent all over the world and would sometimes leave at different times during missions.

The frequency of their future meetings would no longer be the same as before.

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