“The will of fire burns bright, a power that lives within each and everyone of you, it’s a force that cannot be quenched. It is a drive that propels one to greatness, a never-ending quest for excellence, a determination to never surrender in the face of adversity. The will of fire is what makes a true hero, and it is this spirit that lies within all of us, waiting to be unleashed.

"You, young ninja, possess this same potential. Your hearts are ablaze with the will of fire, waiting to be ignited. Do not let anything stand in your way, do not let anyone dim your light. Embrace your power and become the heroes you were meant to be.”

As the elder in ceremonial attire addressed the audience, Kenji stood amidst the sea of young ninja-hopefuls, his eyes skeptically scanning the crowd. The Headmaster spoke of the "will of fire," a mantra that promised the potential for greatness, the drive to never give up, and the determination to reach for the stars.

Kenji couldn't help but scoff at the rhetoric, thinking to himself, 'Just another form of propaganda, how disappointing that it's only coming from the Headmaster. I wonder what the Hokage is up to.'

But as he looked around the courtyard, Kenji noticed something that piqued his interest. The younger students around him were beginning to stir with excitement, their eyes lighting up with inspiration and determination. They clapped along with the Headmaster's words, their enthusiasm palpable.

'Well, this is surprising,' Kenji thought. 'The kids are actually buying into this nonsense.'

Just then, a child turned to him, beaming with excitement. "I'm going to be a hero, I'm going to be like the Hokage!" the child declared.

Kenji couldn't help but let out a chuckle at the child's innocence. "I hope you do," he replied with a smile.

The Headmaster continued, "The will of fire is the spark that ignites our passion and fuels us to grow, and together as a village the flames grow brighter. Embrace it, let it guide you towards success and greatness. Never let anyone or anything dim the flames of your determination. Rise up, and let the flames become a reality!"

Kenji couldn't help but tap his foot impatiently, his thoughts filled with cynicism. 'I wonder when this shit is going to end?'

Kenji sat in the academy classroom, his mind wandering from the monotonous lecture on chakra manipulation and hand seals. While the other students around him took dutiful notes, Kenji felt a growing restlessness within him. He had already became exceptionally skilled in these techniques, but he knew the importance of maintaining his cover as a regular academy student. So he wrote and acted like his classmates, concealing his true abilities.

When his instructor called upon him to demonstrate a hand seal sequence for a mock ninjutsu, Kenji stumbled, performing the technique clumsily. The instructor frowned at his performance, but the other students were surprised.

"Wow, Kenji, you're so bad," one student marveled.

"Yeah, you're as bad as my brother," said another.

Kenji simply smiled and shrugged, hiding his real proficiency. With the conflict still raging, he wanted to keep a low profile and avoid attracting attention to himself. He hoped that by the time he graduated, the conflict would be over, and he could escape the horrors of war while he was still weak.

As he sat back in his seat in the crowded, bustling classroom, Kenji couldn't help but notice the absence of clan students. The room was filled with a mix of orphans, civilians, and children from newly formed ninja families.

His thought wandered back to Naruto, 'I haven't even met any other characters from the show yet, only the hokage by accident. Would I recognize them if I saw them anyway? This world is too real. How would I tell who they were unless they gave me their names? I don't even remember most of them.’

Pondering on why the academy separated them, he thought about it for a bit and it made sense to him. Given the substantial difference in ability between clan children and regular children, with stronger bloodlines and connections to chakra, as well as systematic training from their clans, the difference would be immense and might discourage the kids.

With a yawn, he could only hope that as he advanced through the grades, he would finally be able to showcase his true skills and find an actual challenge. The thought of continuing through courses meant for kids his physical age was driving him crazy, and the only thing keeping him sane was the physical training.

Looking around, he watched the instructor struggle to maintain order among the rambunctious group of fifty-two students and marveled at the man's ability to do so. 'I don't envy his job,' Kenji thought with a smile. 'I wonder how he stays sane. Probably with a lot of alcohol.' The air in the classroom was charged with excitement as the students buzzed with energy.

During lunchtime, Kenji sat alone in a corner, his thoughts consumed by moral dilemmas. The sounds of his classmates' conversations faded into the background as he reflected on the gravity of his responsibility. He struggled with the idea of children transforming into soldiers and the consequences of their actions.

"What the hell have I gotten myself into?" Kenji muttered, feeling the weight of his choices. He couldn't help but compare his current situation to when he was watching and reading Naruto. Everything was safe and sound there, but now he lived and breathed in it. The reality of it all had hit him hard, and he didn't like it one bit.

A few of his classmates approached him, trying to make small talk, but Kenji found it hard to connect with them. He felt a disconnect, unable to relate to their age, innocence and naivety. They excitedly discussed the "fun" activities they were learning, but Kenji saw through the disguise of the games and recognized the ninja training behind it.

‘Everything is connected. Jesus, this is going to be a fucking nightmare,’ Kenji thought, as he looked around at the children socializing and playing. The thought of witnessing some of them dying or, even worse, having to take a life of someone a bit older than them, nearly made him quit and surrender. But as he considered the world he lived in and the memories of destruction and death that the anime portrayed, he couldn't imagine the reality of such a tragedy.

‘I have to be ready, no matter what,’ Kenji reminded himself. He knew that abandoning his training would only lead to his downfall and repeating the same mistake the show made.

‘I'll keep training for the future,’ Kenji determined, his resolve strengthened. ‘Maybe, in the future, I'll be able to make a difference and create a better world.’ He braced himself for the challenges ahead, ready to do what was necessary.

Kenji entered his home, letting out a weary sigh of relief, the weight of his disguise as a typical academy student finally lifting off of him. He made his way to the living room, his mind exhausted from the day's events.

But his brief moment of peace was short-lived when he realized that no one was home. At first, he relished the solitude, but as time passed, he began to miss their presence.

'Am I lonely?' he wondered.

Chiyo's recent increase in work had been keeping her busier than ever, especially since he started at the academy. At times, he wouldn't see her for weeks on end. She had told him that she was conscripted as a medic-nin and would be sent out on urgent missions, but Kenji couldn't shake his suspicion about the nature of these missions. He wondered, ‘Shouldn't she be working at the hospital?’ Every time he saw her, she appeared drained and stressed.

Sinking into the couch, muttering, "What the hell is going on?" His thoughts raced with questions and suspicions, trying to unravel the mystery behind Chiyo's busy schedule, the conflict with Iwa, Taro's extended mission, and the rumors he heard at the academy. He felt certain that major events were unfolding, and it all seemed to be getting worse.

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He leaned back, trying to steady his mind, but the feelings of unease lingered. 'What the hell is going to happen?' he worriedly ruminated, "How bad is it really?" The questions whirled in his mind, leaving him more confused and anxious. ‘I really wish that I could watch or read Naruto again. At least it would give me something to work off.’

He wanted to know the truth, but for now, he would have to exercise patience. ‘I have to be patient,’ he reminded himself, ‘Chiyo will let me know if anything is amiss.’ He let out a deep sigh and opened his eyes, ready to face whatever was to come.

"Alright enough mopping, let's train!" Kenji yelled, marching out into the open. He scanned the area for a suitable spot and his eyes landed on a flatish-looking tree. "Let's give this a shot," he said, planting one foot against the trunk.

"Focus, you’ve got this," he whispered to himself, channeling his chakra to his feet feeling it adhere to it. Then lifting his other foot and he slowly placed it on the tree. "Hell yeah! This ain't so bad," he shouted, a smirk spreading across his face.

But his moment of victory was cut short as he lost focus and plummeted to the ground with a thud, landing on his butt. "Oof! I got too cocky," he groaned, rubbing his aching backside. "Alright, let's try again," he determined, getting back up and returning to the tree to try once more.

Hours passed and Kenji was still at it, determined to conquer the tree-climbing exercise. The sun was beginning to set and he was exhausted.

"Why the hell is tree-climbing so damn hard?" Kenji grumbled in frustration. He had been trying to master the damn exercise, but no matter how hard he tried, he kept slipping and falling. ‘These fucking trees!’ He felt that they were working against him. He was determined to conquer the exercise, but it was proving to be more challenging than he thought.

A month passed by and Kenji was at the academy track racing alongside his peers, he remained as low-key as possible, maintaining a steady pace in the center of the pack. The last thing he desired was to draw attention to himself.

Observing his classmates struggling to keep pace, panting and faltering, he couldn't help but feel a sense of otherness. He had always suspected that his early unlocking of chakra, which he believed to be an incredibly rare occurrence, was the reason for this. But, he didn’t think that was all to it, realising he had a lifetime of experiences behind him, he was immune to the distractions that plagued normal children, possessing the discipline and focus to improve himself beyond that of an average child.

And he couldn't shake the nagging question of how he would measure up against the offspring of the powerful clans. Would he be equal in strength or even stronger? The news of the Hatake clan kid graduating in a year had taken him by surprise, and he couldn't help but wonder if he too could reach such heights if he were to unleash his full potential. If only the conflict wasn't ongoing, he would have followed in his footsteps.

With that, the instructor signaled the end of the training, clapping his hands, "Well done class, I'll see you tomorrow." Turning towards Kenji, he added, "Kenji, I'd like to see you in the classroom before you leave."

As everyone in the class started making their way out of the grounds, Kenji followed his instructor to the classroom stood there, while his instructor took a seat at his desk, grabbing a file. He looked up and spoke.

"Kenji, I wanted to congratulate you on your progress," the instructor said.

"Thanks, sir," Kenji replied, scratching the back of his head.

The instructor pointed to a file on his desk. "You'll be moving up a grade."

‘What the fuck? Why am I moving up?’ He started getting anxious.

His voice slight nervousness, "Why? I'm just average. I'm not even that good."

His instructor smirked. "That's part of the reason why, Kenji. You don't stand out much, and that's a good thing, especially in an undercover mission. But in a classroom full of young ninjas-to-be, I can tell that you're holding back and hiding."

Kenji's panic began to rise. ‘Is my act that obvious?’ he thought. Trying to keep a calm and collected appearance, he asked. "But sir, I don't think I'm ready."

His instructor looked at him with a frown. "Look, son. I get it. You're scared about the conflict with Iwa. That's understandable. But if you want to be a ninja, you must face danger and adversity constantly. If you're not serious, then you can quit now. Otherwise, you face your fears with a smile and move into the unknown."

Kenji was panicking on the inside. ‘Shit, shit, shit. I can't stop now. fuck!’

"So what will it be, Mr. Izumi? Are you a shinobi?" the instructor asked.

"Sir… I want to be a ninja," Kenji replied.

"Good. You will report to classroom two delta tomorrow," the instructor said. "I think you'll do well in the new class, but you need more training to fool me. You have a lot of potential."

"Sir, am I that obvious?" Kenji asked nervously.

"Kenji, you stick out like a sore thumb," the instructor replied. "Everything about you, since you joined this class, screams that you think you're better, despite your attempts to suppress it."

"What did I do wrong, sir?"

The instructor took off his glasses, revealing his white, pupil-less eyes. "First and foremost, I'm part of the Hyuga clan. We're natural sensors. I can sense and see your chakra, Kenji, and when you're practicing seals, your chakra moves like someone who has a few years of experience. That's impossible for someone your age, even in the clans. You're either a genius or your coils opened early."

"Secondly, you've clearly trained your body to a high level. You clearly surpass all of your classmates in fitness. That level of fitness is what I'd expect from someone in their fourth year, which you're not."

Kenji interrupted, "But sir, I've never led the pack in any of the exercises."

"That's correct," the instructor said. "But there's one obvious flaw in your disguise. You have a clear and steady heartbeat throughout the exercises. Your muscles don’t strain like someone who done vigorous exercise. And your biggest flaw, which you don't realize, is that you have a clear tell. Whenever you intentionally hold back in any of the exercises, your right index finger and cheek twitch, only slightly, but for a shinobi like myself, it's plain as day."

Kenji stood there in shock, speechless.

His instructor got off his desk and put his glasses back on. "You'll improve, Kenji. Good luck with your training."

He patted Kenji on the back as he walked out of the classroom.

Kenji walked out of the academy gates, his thoughts in a whirlwind of shock, fear, and confusion. He couldn't fathom how his instructor had seen through his disguise so effortlessly. On his way home, he wondered if Chiyo and Taro were aware of his secret too. The thought of being discovered by his own adopted parents sent a surge of panic through him.

"Am I that obvious?" he muttered. 'Do Chiyo and Taro know? What am I going to do? Are ninjas that observant? Shit!' The notion of underestimating the capabilities of those around him was daunting.

As he walked, lost in his thoughts, a sense of hopelessness and despair settled in. He knew he had to be more cautious and vigilant to keep his secret safe, but the thought of constantly looking over his shoulder was exhausting. 'I thought I hid myself well,' he sighed. 'I guess I was wrong. Ninjas are fucking scary.'

Kenji arrived home, surprised to find his mother there, as she was usually gone for long periods of time, tending to the needs of the village. He greeted Chiyo with a warm embrace.

‘Finally, something good for the day, might as well tell her,’ he smiled.

"Sweetie, how was your day?" she asked, a genuine smile on her face.

"It was great, Mom," Kenji replied. "I have some good news."

Chiyo raised an eyebrow in curiosity. "Oh, what news?"

"I'm moving up a grade," Kenji declared proudly.

Chiyo's eyes widened in surprise. "That's fantastic! I'm so proud of you."

However, Chiyo was also troubled. The war was growing in intensity and it wasn’t looking good for the village. She knew that soon she would be deployed permanently to the borders, dealing with any task the village demanded. The fact she might never see her son again, hurt her.

‘Is the village graduating students at a faster rate? He's not ready. I know Kenji is smart and strong for his age, but why now? Not when it's about to get worse,’ Chiyo thought, taking a deep breath. ‘Okay, he can't hold back anymore. I know he's holding back and he doesn't want to graduate early, but he has to prove himself to be valuable to the village. He needs a jounin sensei, he'll be safer that way.’

Chiyo knelt down and looked at her son. "Sweetie, I have something important to tell you," she said, softly stroking his hand, trying to reassure him. "I know you've changed since the accident, you’ve been training well beyond what I would expect someone your age to. Your my little genius and I don't care that you’ve changed. Remember you're my son, and I want the best for you." She hugged him, noticing him tense and pale slightly.

"Kenji, the war, it's getting worse, the other lands are testing our borders," Chiyo continued. "I have to leave to work in the hospitals closer to the borders, and I don't know when or if I'll be able to come back."

Kenji was in shock from what Chiyo had told him, first his instructor telling him he stood out too much, and now his mother telling him that she knows he's changed, and with the confirmation of the war getting hotter, everything around him seemed to be turning to shit.

He was close to having a panic attack, but he needed confirmation.

"Do you really want me to show them everything?" he softly asked his mother.

Chiyo nodded firmly. "Yes, sweetie. I want you to show them everything you're capable of. You have great talent and potential, and the village needs strong ninja now more than ever. You'll be safer if you're a valuable asset to the village."

Kenji took a deep breath. "Okay, Mom. I'll do it."