Time moved forward.
Under Konoha's clear summer sky, the village ran like a well-oiled machine. Every gear turned on its usual track, yet something felt subtly different. People walked the streets as always. Shops opened on time. Training grounds still echoed with the shouts of young shinobi working up a sweat. But anyone paying close attention could feel small shifts rippling outward like stones dropped into still water.
In a first-year classroom at the Ninja Academy, afternoon sunlight cut across the wooden floor in sharp diamonds. The usual taijutsu class had been replaced. Standing at the front was Yamashiro Aoba, a special jonin with neatly combed hair and round glasses. Twenty-odd six- and seven-year-olds sat at their desks, some fidgeting, others watching with open curiosity.
"Starting today," Aoba said in a calm, clear voice, "every Wednesday afternoon's combat training will be replaced by chakra control lessons. According to the Hokage's orders, the academy is adding chakra control and ninjutsu theory to the curriculum starting with your year. You are the pilot class."
A quiet stir ran through the room. Most kids preferred flashy ninjutsu over the grind of fundamentals. In the third row, Uchiha Itachi's eyes lit up. Thanks to Taiichi's arrangements, Itachi, Jiang Tai, and Yamei were in the same class this year.
A few clan-born students frowned slightly, thinking hard. In the back, some civilian kids exchanged excited glances. In the past, real ninjutsu training usually waited until after graduation, handed down by jonin instructors or within family lines. This felt like a door cracking open.
"I know some of you have already touched ninjutsu through your clans," Aoba continued, his tone turning serious. "What I'm teaching is the most standard, foundational, and safest method. Pay attention."
While Aoba lectured, quiet conversations still bubbled in the back.
"Itachi, do you know what's going on? Why the sudden change in schedule?"
Jiang Tai leaned over and whispered. He wasn't particularly invested in the lesson itself.
"Yeah, I heard even the upper years are getting changes," Yamei added, twisting around with wide eyes.
Unfortunately, they had asked the wrong person. The Uchiha might be one of Konoha's top clans, but they weren't at the center of village power. Itachi had no inside knowledge of the reforms either.
In the Hokage's office, Hiruzen Sarutobi sat in casual clothes, pipe between his teeth, watching a crystal ball on his desk. The image showed Itachi's classroom.
"Hiruzen."
Koharu Utatane's low voice came from beside him. She had appeared without a sound.
"Those three are Matsushita Taiichi's students, right? Uchiha Itachi—he's only five this year?"
Hiruzen took a slow drag from his pipe and nodded. "He's an interesting kid. Thinks like a Hokage."
Koharu raised an eyebrow at the high praise but let it go. She hadn't come to talk about children.
"Hiruzen, are you sure this is wise? Letting these kids touch offensive ninjutsu so early—"
"It's not offensive ninjutsu. It's foundational principles," Hiruzen said without turning around. His eyes stayed on the crystal ball. "The Land of Fire sits in too good a spot—vast plains, fertile land. Every neighbor has always wanted a piece. We don't have the First Hokage's strength to crush the entire shinobi world. The First, Second, and now Third Wars… we're struggling more each time.
The old way of teaching shinobi isn't keeping up with modern war. Kids graduating from the academy are still cannon fodder on the battlefield. That has to change."
He finally looked at her, smoke curling from his pipe.
"We can't keep pushing all real combat education until after graduation. The battlefield won't wait for them to grow up slowly."
"But this will upset the balance between clans and civilians!" Koharu pressed, lowering her voice. "Clan secret techniques are their foundation. If the academy starts teaching the basics openly, those secrets lose value."
"The academy is teaching the absolute basics," Hiruzen cut in. "Things every shinobi should know. If a clan's secret techniques can be surpassed by basic academy lessons, then that clan has already stagnated and deserves to fade. I've made my decision. The academy has been informed. Objections can be raised, but the reforms will move forward."
Koharu studied her old friend and felt a flicker of unfamiliarity. It had been a long time since Hiruzen pushed a controversial change this hard.
At the same time, in a secret warehouse behind the Hokage Rock—once used for wartime supplies—the atmosphere was completely different.
The outer perimeter now had two extra barrier layers. Four masked ANBU stood guard at the entrance, eyes sharp. Inside, the space had been completely gutted and rebuilt. Heavy shelves were gone. In their place stood rows of lab tables, various instruments, and a line of cultivation tanks against the wall.
Orochimaru stood in the center, golden slit-pupiled eyes slowly sweeping across his new domain. He wore a simple white lab coat, black hair loose over his shoulders. His pale face showed a rare, almost childlike excitement.
"How unexpected, Hiruzen-sensei…"
His voice was low and husky.
Three days earlier, in the Hokage's office, when Hiruzen proposed consolidating the village's scattered research efforts into a dedicated "Konoha Research Department" with Orochimaru in full control, Orochimaru's first reaction had been genuine surprise. Just months ago his teacher had sent a private letter telling him to keep a low profile.
"Are you certain, sensei?"
Orochimaru had asked without his usual sarcastic tone.
Hiruzen sat behind his desk, pipe smoke blurring his expression.
"You've read the report from the Roran mission, haven't you?"
Orochimaru nodded. As one of the Hokage's students, he was among the very few allowed access to the full details—details even the two advisors hadn't seen. The contents had left even him impressed. He had been a frog at the bottom of a well.
"There are threats outside the shinobi world we don't understand," Hiruzen said gravely. "Konoha's current strength is too weak. Research is one way to change that.
Right now our research resources are too scattered. The medical division studies medical ninjutsu. The sealing division studies sealing. ANBU and Root have their own teams. Everyone works in isolation. Efficiency is terrible."
He looked directly at Orochimaru.
"I need someone capable, farsighted, and unbound by tradition to pull these resources together. Research directions can be broader and deeper—not just combat ninjutsu, but fundamental theory, energy applications, biotechnology… anything that can strengthen Konoha."
Orochimaru had smiled then—a real, interested smile.
"You're not worried I might create something… dangerous?"
"I am," Hiruzen admitted frankly. "That's why there will be oversight. All projects must submit regular progress reports to the Hokage's office. Budget use requires double approval. And—"
He paused, his voice growing complicated.
"I believe in you, Orochimaru. I believe your pursuit of truth outweighs any hunger for power or destruction. I only hope that pursuit can align with the village's interests."
Back in the present, Orochimaru licked his lips with his long tongue.
"Alignment of interests… heh. Still so naïve and cunning, Hiruzen-sensei."
He knew exactly how much pressure his teacher was under. Every department would resist losing resources and autonomy. The clans would watch warily for any research touching their secret techniques. That only made it more interesting.
"Orochimaru-sama."
A young researcher in a lab coat hurried over, arms full of thick folders. He had been transferred from the medical division and still looked nervous.
"These are the files transferred from the sealing division. Please review them."
Orochimaru took the folders and flipped through them quickly. The dense data and sealing formulas looked like beautiful music to him.
"It begins," he murmured, whether to the researcher or himself. "Let's see just how many secrets this world's truths are still hiding."
Reform never came without friction.
That same evening, at Koharu Utatane's residence.
In the meeting room, lamplight cast flickering shadows across the walls.
Koharu sat in the main seat, glasses reflecting the light and hiding her eyes.
"Hiruzen is moving too fast," she said, voice low.
Homura Mitokado sat across from her. She had come specifically to discuss the recent policy shifts with him.
"The academy reforms have already put the clans on edge," she continued with a frown. "Several smaller clan heads came to me this afternoon asking questions. They're worried that teaching the basics openly will weaken the power of the shinobi families."
"Weaken them?" Homura gave a cold laugh. "What they're really afraid of is that civilian shinobi will suddenly have a systematic path forward and produce more people like Namikaze Minato—talented, hardworking, and rising to the top without any clan backing."
Koharu rubbed her temples. "The Research Department is even more troublesome. Orochimaru has been given far too much authority. That oversight system… honestly, I don't believe written reports will actually restrain him. If he starts conducting forbidden research in secret—"
"He definitely will," Homura said flatly. "Root worked with him before. His obsession with the nature of life has long crossed ethical lines for shinobi. Hiruzen is playing with fire."
"We still need to talk to him. As advisors, we should at least know why he suddenly issued these orders."
Koharu's frustration was clear. The Hokage's decisions had come out of nowhere and left them scrambling.
"Think about it—these changes all started after Matsushita Taiichi returned from that Roran mission. That report was heavily redacted too."
Homura pushed his glasses up, looking thoughtful.
"Unfortunately, that mission is under a strict gag order. The three who participated—Taiichi, Kakashi, and Rin—aren't people we can easily approach."
"Then send someone to Roran itself. We should be able to dig something up there."
"I already have. We'll have to wait for the report—"
Two days later, at Konoha Hospital.
Taiichi sat in the vice-director's office. He had taken on the role, and surprisingly, no one had objected.
In just two days he had cleared every task Tsunade had dumped on him. Only someone with as many shadow clones as he did could manage that kind of speed.
"Taiichi-kun, still not off work?"
Rin pushed the door open, carrying two cups of hot tea. She wore the standard green medical-nin vest and her Leaf forehead protector. She looked more capable than before.
"Almost done." Taiichi accepted the tea with a nod of thanks. "You're the one with the packed schedule, right?"
Rin sat across from him and nodded, her expression serious. "It is, but it feels meaningful. I realized how much I didn't know before."
She hesitated, then spoke more quietly. "I never had proper systematic training. This is my chance to catch up."
Taiichi studied her for a moment, then asked, "What about Kakashi? How's he doing?"
"He's in special training," Rin said with a wry smile. "Sakumo-senpai has started teaching him swordsmanship again. The intensity is brutal. And… he already submitted his application to join ANBU. We should hear back soon."
The room fell quiet for a moment.
Taiichi looked out the window. From here he could see the academy training grounds where a few students were staying late to practice shuriken throwing. Farther away, the Hokage Rock stood tall in the evening light, though construction work had already begun on it.
"Konoha is changing," he said softly.
Rin followed his gaze and nodded. "The academy is teaching basic nature transformations now. And I heard they created a Research Department with Orochimaru-sama in charge—"
She stopped and looked at him. "These changes… are they connected to the Roran mission?"
Taiichi didn't answer directly. "The Hokage feels the pressure too. He's clearing obstacles for the Fourth."
He thought of the heavily classified full report, of Otsutsuki Urashiki's strange Rinnegan, and of threats that could appear from beyond this world at any time.
This world was far larger and more dangerous than most people realized.
"Oh, right," Rin suddenly remembered. "What about Tsunade-sama? She's barely been at the hospital since she got back."
Taiichi's mouth twitched. "She's at the izakaya 'relaxing.' She said these past two weeks made her lose weight and she needs to make up for it."
The two of them looked at each other and couldn't help laughing. The laughter eased some of the heaviness in the room.
The sun had fully set. The sky shifted from orange-red to deep blue as the first stars appeared.
Taiichi gathered his documents and stood. "Let's go. It's time to clock out. Tomorrow… there's still a lot to do."
Rin nodded. Together they left the office.
The night air outside was cool. Taiichi glanced once more toward the distant Hokage Rock, then walked forward with steady steps.