Naruto: Starting with Creating a Genius Persona

March, the 46th year of Konoha.

The crimson cherry blossoms adorn the branches as expected, the spring breeze is gentle, and the sunlight shines through the clusters of blossoms, casting warm dappled patterns.

A peaceful scene unfolded within Konohagakure, with children laughing on newly built swings, vendors enthusiastically hawking their wares along the newly renovated streets, and the energetic shouts of young ninjas echoing from the training grounds.

However, beneath this peaceful facade, undercurrents are already surging.

The Hokage Building, top-floor conference room.

The atmosphere was completely different from the vibrant spring outside the window; it was so heavy it seemed like you could wring water out of it.

On both sides of the long table, Konoha's current core leadership gathered.

The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, sat in the main seat. To his left sat his advisors, Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado. Even Danzo Shimura, who rarely participated in such routine meetings, sat silently at the far end, where the shadows were darker.

Mitomon Homura pushed up his glasses and spoke first: "According to the intelligence analysis compiled by various parties, Kumogakure, Iwagakure, Kirigakure, and Sunagakure have increased their procurement of strategic materials since the beginning of spring, and have been making frequent moves."

"It is particularly noteworthy that Sunagakure approved the graduation of a large number of students this month without any warning, covering grades four through six, and its intentions are self-evident."

Koharu Utatane snorted coldly: "Our good ally is really true to his usual style."

The Third Hokage listened quietly, offering no immediate opinion, but slightly increased the speed at which he exhaled smoke. He then turned his gaze to Danzo, who sat at the bottom of the table, and said:

"Danzo, have you detected any other activity from Root?"

As behemoths in the ninja world, the five great ninja villages cannot completely conceal any large-scale military movements from each other's spy networks; it's merely a matter of timing and the level of detail.

What truly alarmed him were the small ninja villages of various countries that survived in the cracks, seemingly insignificant, yet could suddenly become restless due to changes in the situation, or even be used as a fuse.

While their overall strength is far inferior to that of the five great nations, some of them possess special lineages or formidable leaders, and some of them tend to act more recklessly and are more unpredictable.

For example, Amegakure, led by the man known as a demigod.

Danzo slowly raised his eyelids: "Over in Amegakure, Hanzo of the Salamander is very quiet. It seems that after the crushing defeat in the last war, his ambition for expansion has been worn down by reality."

"According to my intelligence, he has focused his efforts in recent years on internal reforms, eliminating opposition, and restoring the devastated economy of the Rain Kingdom. He has shown little interest in external affairs, exhibiting a conservative and defensive stance."

"Kusagakure remains indecisive and is not a cause for concern. Takigakure maintains its usual policy of not offending either side, and there are no unusual signs. Yugakure..."

Danzo relayed information about the small ninja villages surrounding the Land of Fire: "As for Takumi Village, they have recently received a large number of custom orders for weapons and ninja tools, far exceeding the usual amount. The employer's identity is disguised in multiple ways, making it difficult to confirm directly. However, based on the flow of logistics and the demand for raw materials, the most likely candidate is still Sunagakure."

At this moment, Danzo spoke again, his voice low and cold: "Hiruzen, the situation is clear. When others have already begun to sharpen their swords, if Konoha continues to indulge in a false dream of peace, it will be a path to death! We must immediately begin preparations for full-scale war, mobilize all available resources, strengthen border defenses and intelligence networks, and expand our combat reserves as soon as possible."

Upon hearing this, Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado both turned their gazes to the Third Hokage in the main seat, awaiting his final decision.

The third generation took a deep drag of his cigarette, letting the pungent smoke circulate in his lungs before slowly exhaling.

He scanned every face present—worried, somber, or expectant—before finally speaking:

"Notify the logistics and equipment departments to immediately activate the contingency plan for the procurement, storage, and allocation of combat readiness materials. Men Yan, you are fully responsible for coordinating and supervising this aspect to ensure the smooth flow of critical materials and the safety of their inventory."

"You, Koharu, will personally coordinate with the Ministry of Education and the Ninja Academy to conduct a comprehensive evaluation immediately after the start of the new semester next month. We will select a group of students from the fourth to sixth grades who have excellent grades, mature character, and certain combat potential to graduate early."

"Complete the formation training as soon as possible to fill the gaps in grassroots ninjas. Pay attention to the methods and approaches to avoid causing unnecessary panic."

Finally, his gaze fell on Shimura Danzo, who sat at the end of the shadows, and his eyes became exceptionally deep: "Danzo, your intelligence network must be kept running at its highest intensity. Any abnormal signs, no matter how small, must be reported to me directly. Make sure Konoha does not fall behind in intelligence."

The cherry blossoms outside the window were still in full bloom, but everyone in the conference room knew that the tranquility under the warm spring sun was about to end.

In April, the new school term began as scheduled.

The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, who always attended the opening ceremony and gave heartfelt words to the new students, was conspicuously absent this year. Only a few school officials gave routine speeches.

Shortly after the ceremony, a notice jointly issued by the Ministry of Education and the Ninja Academy instantly ignited enthusiasm on campus, especially in the upper grades.

The notice stated: In order to encourage outstanding students and provide them with the opportunity to put their learning into practice and contribute to the village earlier, an early graduation assessment will be held in one week.

Open to all students in grades four, five, and six, those who pass the assessment will directly obtain the qualification of a Genin and be officially assigned to an action team!

"Graduating early!"

"Become a genin directly!"

These two keywords, like cold water poured into boiling oil, caused a huge uproar on campus.

After a brief moment of shock, the dominant emotion was an almost boiling excitement and eagerness to try!

"Great! Finally, I don't have to go through those tedious academic classes and memorize those damn theories anymore!"

"Hey, did you hear that? You've become a ninja! You can take on missions now!"

"I must pass my graduation exam!"

"Only one week left, we need to make the most of the training!"

In the corridors, by the training grounds, and in the classrooms, you could see boys and girls with flushed faces, having heated discussions.

For many passionate ninja academy students who were already impatient with the tedious theoretical studies and longed to carry out missions and demonstrate their power like the heroes in the stories, this was undoubtedly a golden opportunity!

Most of them didn't delve into the urgent signals that might be implied by this early graduation; their eyes seemed to be only on the headbands that were within reach and the brand-new ninja career.

Just as the ninja academy students were excitedly celebrating their early graduation exams, Shinichi Higashino was also taking a break from his mission to say a quiet farewell.

After the mission was handed over, he and Maruboshi Kosuke had just stepped out of the Hokage Building when they received a personnel transfer order.

"Senior, thank you for your guidance and care over the past year." Shinichi, holding the transfer order, solemnly bowed to the elderly man beside him who carried a large pot on his back and always had a slightly hunched back.

"When you arrive at your new team, be careful and get along well with your teammates and your new Jonin instructor. You have a long road ahead of you, and Konoha needs more young people like you who are both strong and know what they are fighting for."

Maruhoshi Kosuke wore a warm smile, as if he had expected this transfer order.