Naruto: With Favorabiltity System

Chapter 255: Ninja Academy Reform, Enrolling Naruto and Sasuke

With Haneda's reassurance, Kakashi felt at ease.

No matter what, Haneda was a man of his word.

Switching to business, Kakashi asked, "Haneda, why did you suddenly call me back? Over in Kumogakure, they seem to have gotten some kind of intel—their attacks are becoming more frequent."

"The situation there is extremely tense. If I leave…"

Haneda interrupted, "Don't worry about Kumogakure for now. I'll personally end that war in a little while."

"Are you aware of what's going on with the Daimyo's court?"

"The Daimyo's court? Did you do something to the Daimyo?"

"Hmm." Haneda nodded. "The Daimyo secretly ordered one of the generals near you—the General of the Northern Frontier—to provide supplies to Kumogakure."

"I'm gathering enough evidence to deal with both him and the Daimyo. Once the time is right, I'll remove them and install a young, more compliant replacement."

Kakashi, sensing potential dangers, warned, "That might be too overt. It could be problematic."

"The Daimyo of each nation is connected by marriages and bloodlines. If you act so openly, they might unite and wage war on us."

"Konoha's current number of mid- and low-level shinobi isn't enough to handle a full-scale war involving all five great nations."

Haneda replied, "I understand. That's why I'm testing their limits first."

"Then I'll defeat them outright in battle. Once we negotiate peace, it'll not only establish my authority domestically but also lower their tolerance for challenging me again."

Kakashi sighed. "Alright. I trust you wouldn't take such action unless you were absolutely certain. I just wanted to remind you of the risks."

"Oh, by the way, once you finish writing that book, are you planning to move forward with the academy reforms?"

"Of course," Haneda affirmed. "Minato-senpai had already planned to implement these reforms, but his time was cut short. I'm restarting that plan."

As Minato's student, Kakashi was naturally familiar with the reforms Haneda mentioned.

Haneda's plan was to split the Ninja Academy curriculum into two branches: academic and combat.

The academic track would train non-combat personnel, focusing on skills like medical ninjutsu and sealing techniques—fields that didn't require direct combat.

The combat track, on the other hand, would focus on fighting skills—the current academy curriculum, essentially training shinobi to kill.

After this division, students would study for three years before further specialization, what Haneda called "university."

The reforms involved an extensive range of disciplines that Kakashi didn't fully understand.

He only knew that the shortest time to graduate would be seven years, and the longest could be twelve.

All pre-university education would be free, and university tuition would be covered by interest-free loans.

Thinking of the reforms, Kakashi's thoughts turned to Minato's child, Naruto.

Unlike himself, Haneda had a closer relationship with Naruto, having been entrusted with his guardianship by Minato.

Kakashi asked, "Naruto should be almost four years old now, right? October 10th—he'll be four soon. We started the academy at four."

"Academy, huh?" Haneda gazed at the setting sun, lost in thought.

After a moment, he considered Naruto and Sasuke. As the reincarnations of Asura and Indra, their talents shouldn't go to waste.

Haneda said, "I'll ask Naruto what he thinks when I get back. He's probably with Sasuke right now."

The mention of consulting Naruto reminded Kakashi of his own father.

After a brief silence, he said, "If Naruto's unsure, just handle the enrollment process for him. The future will only grow more chaotic. Learning survival skills sooner rather than later is for his own good."

"After all, he's Minato-sensei's child—and the Nine-Tails' jinchūriki."

Haneda nodded. "I'll protect him. Whether or not he chooses to become a ninja, I'll respect his decision."

"If the world's chaos worsens… I'll bear it alone."

Haneda paused, then smiled.

"Like Minato-senpai always said: that's the Hokage's duty."

Kakashi looked at Haneda's resolute expression and smiled as well.

"You haven't changed a bit."

...…

Haneda's Private Training Ground

Naruto and Sasuke had snuck into the training ground.

Naruto held one of Haneda's specially designed Flying Thunder God kunai, aiming it seriously at a target.

He threw it, and while it hit, it didn't land in the bullseye.

Still, Naruto pumped his fist in excitement and turned to Sasuke with a triumphant smile.

"How's that, Sasuke? Pretty awesome, huh?"

"Hmph. You big idiot, it's only because I taught you so well."

Sasuke glanced at Naruto's disappointed expression and quickly changed his tone.

"Well, it's not bad. Though you're still a bit lacking, under my guidance, you'll improve in no time."

"Really, Sasuke?" Naruto's eyes lit up with excitement.

"Of course. When have I ever lied to you?"

Just as Sasuke was about to begin a one-on-one training session with Naruto, Haneda appeared in a flash, with Kakashi close behind.

"Uncle Haneda, Uncle Kakashi," Sasuke greeted them, though inwardly he was annoyed by their poor timing.

Noticing Sasuke's frustrated look, Haneda chuckled.

"Relax, Sasuke. I'm not here to take Naruto away from you."

"Since you're here, though, I'll just talk to you both at the same time. Your father will probably bring this up tonight as well."

Before Sasuke could respond, Naruto curiously asked, "What's up, Uncle Haneda?"

"It's about the Ninja Academy. The school year is starting soon, so I wanted to ask if you two want to enroll."

"School? No way! I'm not going!" Naruto turned his head defiantly, rejecting Haneda's proposal outright.

He'd finally made a best friend in Sasuke, and he also enjoyed the company of Haku and the ever-entertaining Deidara. He wasn't about to give that up for school.

Sasuke, on the other hand, asked curiously, "Uncle Haneda, when did you start at the academy?"

"Four years old. It was during the war…"

Before Haneda could finish, Sasuke interrupted, "I want to enroll!"

"Itachi started at six and graduated at seven. I'm going to follow your example and surpass him!"

Naruto, confused, asked, "Huh? Didn't Itachi graduate when he was seven? Aren't you starting two years early, Sasuke?"

"None of your business," Sasuke snapped, unwilling to admit that starting early was his way of outdoing Itachi's record.

Now that Sasuke had agreed, Haneda had a good sense of Naruto's decision.

He smiled and asked, "What about you, Naruto?"

"Let me think about it…" Naruto hesitated. He didn't really want to enroll, but with Sasuke on one side and his other friends on the other, he was torn.

Seeing Naruto's hesitation, Sasuke immediately taunted, "What, are you too scared to enroll?"

"I'm not scared!" Naruto shot back instinctively. "You're my best friend, so of course, I'll go with you!"

"Figures," Sasuke said, turning his head with a small, satisfied smirk.

After a few smug hums, he asked, "Will Kimimaro and the others enroll too?"

Haneda replied, "I've already arranged it. Everyone except Deidara has agreed to attend."

"They'll be transfer students, though. Except for Karin, most will only need a few more years before graduating."

Hearing this, Sasuke looked momentarily disappointed, while Naruto brightened up.

Seeing Naruto's joy, Sasuke couldn't help but smile as well.

...…