Born in Sunagakure, dedicated to antagonizing Konoha for decades

"Wow! There really are backdoors everywhere in life...!"

For the first time, Masato experienced the benefits of living in a wealthy and powerful family...

People spend days and nights preparing diligently for the chance to enter the ninja academy and change their fate after graduation. For those children from wealthy families... do they even need to take an exam to get into school?! (⊙_⊙)?

.....

"Quickly report to the clan leader, young master Shinto has also come to the ninja academy!"

As Shindou and Tani walked along, some ninjas from major clans naturally noticed them. After seeing the two pass by, they immediately sent someone back to report to their clan heads, urging them to send their clan children to school as soon as possible. After all, even the First Hokage's nephew had come to school, and if their clan children didn't come, it would truly be disrespectful to the Kazekage and Lord Chiyo.

They couldn't withstand the combined fury of Lady Chiyo and Lady Kazekage...

7. There's really no talent left!

"Sigh... there really isn't any talent left...!"

The clan heads acted swiftly. After their families returned to report, they immediately sent people with their children to register at the school. However, Shinto sighed and shook his head as he watched these scoundrels looking down on the common children. Although their attitude was better than that of the Uchiha clan from Konoha who could take on five opponents at once, those clans had real talent; they had a family tradition of taking on five opponents at once, and their strength was formidable. These scoundrels, on the other hand, were utterly useless, and their clans didn't have any decent bloodline limits. They basically only knew puppetry techniques or some commonplace wind-style techniques. With that level of skill, they would have a hard time even taking on two opponents...

No wonder Sasori defected years later. Chiyo and Kaizo were old, and even Rasa, who could kill even a minor character, had risen to power. If it weren't for him, the Sunagakure generation in the original story would have seemed like a bunch of dead extras. It wouldn't have been interesting until Sasori's parents grew up. Right now, Sasori's father is only three years old, so we still have to wait a few more years. And he hasn't even found out who Sasori's mother is yet... probably not even born yet... after all, their family has a tradition of late marriage and late childbirth.

"Hey! You bastard Masato, what did you say? (-"-Angry)"

Whether it was because his voice was too loud or someone else's voice was too sharp, his low muttering was actually heard. Not far away, a few little kids who looked about six years old, with lines drawn on their faces, were being brought to report by their clan. They actually heard it, especially when they saw Masato shaking his head slightly in disappointment. Coupled with that tone, how could they, who had always been praised as geniuses by the adults in their clan, possibly stand it?

Moreover, having received elite education in their families for many years, they were already very unhappy about being brought here to be classmates with a group of commoners. Now, there was even a kid who looked younger than them, saying things like "there are no talented people" in front of so many people. If they could tolerate this, they would be the gods of ninjas!

Of course they knew this guy. There were practically no people in the entire Sand Village who didn't know him. He was the First Kazekage's nephew. A few months ago, on that morning, they had suffered their first defeat at the hands of this bastard. But with so many people present, they certainly couldn't back down. The spirit of the ninja world was: heads can be cut off, blood can flow, but we can't back down!

"Oh ho! You think I'm so tough with my temper? Didn't you hear me clearly? And you still ask? I'm talking about you bunch of rascals, you're all five or six years old and you don't even have the strength of a genin, yet you act like you're some kind of overpowered genius. Do you think you're Uchiha? Come on, all of you, come at me, I'll teach you a lesson!"

When a few kids pointed at him and called him a bastard, Zhen Dou's short temper flared up. He rolled up his sleeves, put one hand on his hip and pointed at the brats glaring at him, and unleashed a torrent of abuse.

Although he has face blindness and generally doesn't remember things that aren't pretty, he does have some recollection of these kids. Aren't they the same kids you beat up a few months ago?

It was my first victory in my life, so I still remember it.

"Huh?...What's going on? (⊙_⊙)?"

"Look! Those guys look like they're about to fight Master Shinto!"

"Is that so? Good luck, Shinto-sama...!"

"..."

Masato's voice was so loud that even though he didn't know Observation Haki yet, it suddenly quieted down the noisy school building. Everyone looked over, and when they saw Masato arguing with the kids from several big families, the kids from the commoner families and the kids from the smaller families naturally cheered for Masato, whom they knew better. They didn't even know those arrogant kids, so why should they cheer for them?

"......"

Gu Sha, standing next to Zhen Dou, and the other family parents who had brought their children to report for duty exchanged helpless glances and then looked up at the sky. They couldn't very well interfere in this children's squabble. The other parents were even more helpless; the other person was someone who dared to criticize even their clan leader. If they tried to intervene, they would definitely be criticized, and they couldn't take it seriously. Rather than this, they might as well let their own children fight it out. Their own children might not be able to win in a one-on-one fight, but there were nine of them on their side. They really didn't believe that this First Generation Elder's nephew was so young that he could be a genius enough to take on nine people at once.

At this age, even Madara Uchiha couldn't take on nine opponents at once..., right?

That little brat's mouth is still so foul, calling himself his child's father right in front of them... He deserves a good beating! ╰_╯

"Let's go... let's go! We're not afraid of you! Let's go! (*｀皿′*)?"

These kids might not dare to go in private under normal circumstances. After all, they've been beaten up before, but they were too ashamed to tell anyone. Ever since that beating, they've rarely left the house, staying home every day to practice diligently, hoping to get revenge and wipe away their shame someday. But that would be a year or two, or even three or four years from now. It's only been a few months, and they're really not sure. But with so many people watching, they have to go for it!

After the seemingly leader-like kid finished speaking in a trembling voice, he mentally encouraged himself, rolled up his sleeves, waved his hand, and led the charge. Several kids rushed towards Masato at the same time.

So here's the question: what can a five- or six-year-old kid do?

Although this era is not as prosperous as the children living in the peaceful era decades later in the original work, they are still just five or six-year-old kids. Even if they have received elite education from their families, they will only know some basic physical skills at most.

"Lord Kazekage, are you really not going to do anything...?"

On a distant rooftop, Shamon and his guards witnessed everything. When they saw nine little brats charging towards their first nephew, the guard beside Shamon couldn't sit still. Although Shinto wasn't the first patriarch's son, he was still one of his successors. If he were to be beaten up by a bunch of kids on his first day of school, who knew it might cause him psychological trauma...

"Hehe, no need, Shinto is not as weak as you think."

Shamen shook his head with a smile and said that he had been the bodyguard of the First Hokage for many years and had witnessed countless real battles. Although this kid had a sharp tongue and often offended people, his talent was undeniable. He had been able to withstand the First Hokage's beating for half a day since he was four years old. This was something that these kids could not compare to. Although the First Hokage had held back when he was beating him, who was the First Hokage?

That's someone who fought Madara Uchiha one-on-one!

Although he lost and died young, he still managed to get his girlfriend.

Even in defeat, there is honor!

8. Lion's Might. Earth Roll

"Tch! It's been months and you still haven't made any progress. Dad will show you what a snake poops like! Lion's Might - Earth Roll!"

Seeing the few kids rushing towards him, Masato said disdainfully, his body flying into the air. He randomly made hand seals, and the sand around the kids suddenly surged and condensed into several majestic lion heads, two or three meters tall, surrounding them.

This was a technique he had been studying all night. Actually, the use of the Float-Float Fruit wasn't that complicated. Unlike ninjutsu, there weren't any messy operations. He could manipulate anything he touched at will. Just like the sand on the ground he touched earlier, he could manipulate the sand into various shapes. However, he was young and weak, so reaching two or three meters was his limit. If he had enough stamina, he could create lion heads hundreds or even thousands of meters long!

"What is this?! σ(☉▽☉a)"

"Wow, amazing! Master Shinto can fly! (⊙▽⊙)"

"Holy crap!! Magnet Release!! (?｀?д?′)!!"

The people around were stunned by Masato's actions, staring at the small figure flying in the air. People of different ages and with different experiences had different focuses.

The kids and villagers were focused on the fact that this young master Zhendou could actually fly, and those imposing lion heads—they looked so awesome...

The clan ninjas were shocked that this most despicable little brat had awakened Magnet Release at such a young age, utterly devoid of conscience. Truly, evil people often do evil things!

"Snapped!"

"....Oh no! Help!!! (||?д?)"

Shamon, who had just been confidently watching Shinto crush the kid, slapped himself hard. Seeing Shinto's actions, he couldn't sit still anymore. He was equally shocked that the kid had awakened Magnet Release so early. Although he knew the kid had great talent, it was all in taijutsu. His talent in ninjutsu was genius, having refined chakra in just two days. But kids this young usually practice taijutsu first, and ninjutsu is basically not learned. They are too young and weak to have much chakra to learn ninjutsu.

He thought that even if this kid could awaken Magnet Release, that would be a matter for the future, since Magnet Release wasn't so easy to awaken. But seeing those majestic lion heads, each two or three meters tall, Shamon was shocked and incredibly excited at the same time. Awakening Magnet Release at the age of five!

Awakened Magnet Release at the age of five!

Their village has hope... After so many years, a super genius has finally emerged!

However... after seeing those lion-headed creatures roaring and charging towards the little brats surrounded in the middle, he couldn't sit still anymore. If the real fight was just about punching and kicking these little brats to teach them a lesson, he would be happy to see it. Kids, their fighting and playing around is healthy competition. If they get beaten up today, they can work hard to train and beat up the rest of the time.

Didn't he get beaten up by older boys when he was a kid? But he still managed to rise from a ninja in a small clan to Kazekage through his own hard work. Competition is what drives progress.

But seeing what Masato is doing now, it looks like this could easily lead to someone's death. How could a few little kids possibly withstand the charge of several such huge lion heads?

"Wow...that's scary..."

"Dad... Help! I want to go home..."

Surrounded by several lion heads, the little kid's legs went weak as he watched the roaring lion heads around him. He seemed to smell the breath of death. How old was he? When had he ever seen such a scene? The little kid's mentality collapsed, and he burst into tears, crying loudly and shouting for help to his father outside.

"...What's the panic! Didn't you say you were going to fight? I haven't even made a move yet, and you're already calling your parents. You guys are really hopeless..."

Controlling those giant lion heads was incredibly tiring, and even Masato, flying in the air, was panting. However, seeing the little brats below crying and wailing didn't stop him from showing off.

Chiyo only told him not to reveal all his abilities. It was just the common Magnet Release sand control, which wouldn't have much of an impact. Even if that cunning Tobirama Senju found out, he would at most highlight it, but wouldn't be so impulsive as to send people to ambush him in the bushes. Having sand control ability at such a young age might surprise him a little, but it wasn't something he would take seriously. After all, he had seen far too many amazing people, and he himself was an amazing person... the fastest man in the ninja world!

However, revealing this ability would be different in Sunagakure. At least he would gain the village's attention and have a higher status, making it easier for him to skip classes in the future.

Although Shamon valued him before, and he had a fairly high status in the village, that was because of his first uncle's influence. Even now that his uncle has passed away, and Chiyo is there to protect him, everyone still treats him like a little kid. If he wants to skip class in the future... it won't be so easy. What he fears most is the teacher calling his parents.

However, if he reveals his ability to control sand with Magnet Release, then things will be different. Even if he skips class in the future, it won't be easy for these extras to find their parents.

These extra teachers don't even have Magnet Release themselves, so what kind of teaching are they?

Are you suggesting we teach theoretical knowledge?

Isn't the point of going to ninja academy to learn how to fight? Why learn theoretical knowledge? To get the top score in the exam...

"Ahem... Alright, Masato, that's enough. It's time for the freshman assessment."

Just as Shinto was showing off, Shamon and his guards appeared below. Shamon looked at Shinto, who was still showing off in the air, speechless.

That's enough, don't pretend for too long and you'll lose your class....ヽ(ー_ー)ノ

He initially thought that Shindou was reckless and was about to take down these kids, but when he arrived at the scene, he realized that the kid was just showing off, controlling these lion heads to roar randomly without making any further moves. This gave him no chance to prepare for his heroic entrance.

"Tch! A harmonious society saved you all..."

Shindou winked at Shamon, then sneered at the few kids who were already scared to death. He withdrew control of the lion head and landed next to Shamon amidst the admiring gazes of the kids, secretly panting and wiping the cold sweat from his forehead.

This skill doesn't consume chakra, but it consumes way too much stamina. If I don't want to be a "five-second wonder," I really need to increase my physical training in the next few years, and maybe even develop Armament Haki...

9. Shramanas love to listen to other people's advice.

"...Alright, that was just Masato and a few kids demonstrating ninja fighting techniques..."

Shamon explained to the still-shocked crowd, and after easing the atmosphere, he looked speechlessly at Shinto, who was secretly panting beside him. He really didn't know who this kid took after. He had met the kid's father, Lord Retsujin, who was gentle and polite. This kid was the complete opposite of Lord Retsujin.

If we're talking about Lord Retsujin dying young, then this kid was practically raised by the First Hokage, so he should have inherited some of his personality traits, right? But damn it, he didn't at all. This kid completely avoided all the good points of Lord Retsujin and the First Hokage...

That's a fucking genius!

"Seriously! So this is what a ninja battle is like? Amazing!!"

"Yeah! Young Master Masato's lions are really powerful....!"

"......."

The common children and villagers actually believed Shamon's lame reason. People's thinking was so simple back then. As the village chief, whatever the Kazekage said was right.

......

Formalism is unavoidable everywhere.

The opening ceremony in Sunagakure was similar to that in Konoha. First, the village chief and principal, Shamon, would stand on the stage and ramble on about a bunch of nonsense, mainly about how the village was our home and how everyone had to protect it. Shinto, standing below, looked at Shamon with his deep dark circles under his eyes and thought that the guy must have stayed up all night writing it.

That makes sense, though. These are the future of the village, so the brainwashing work has to be thorough. The reason there are so many rogue ninja in Konoha is probably because they use the same old rhetoric year after year, and each generation of children has a stronger immune system, so the indoctrination isn't as effective as it used to be...

Shamon's level of education was probably not very high, so he didn't have any of the classic sayings from Konoha like "Where the leaves dance, the fire will never cease." However, as the Kage of a village, his verbal skills were naturally quite good. After Shamon's barrage of words, the group of kids around Shinto were all fired up, their blood boiling. Even if Kaguya were here now, these kids would probably draw their guns... oops! They'd draw their swords and attack!

After the brainwashing work was completed, the next step was the exciting entrance examination for new students. This was the most important part for many villagers and ordinary children, because it was a crucial test that would determine their fate. Their future success or failure depended on this test.

However, the school is still in its early stages, so the assessment method is quite crude and not very systematic. It's just running laps in the sandstorm. Whoever can last for half an hour passes. There's no assessment of the children's ninjutsu talent that the villagers imagine. It's not that Shamon doesn't want to, but assessing whether children have ninjutsu talent is simply impossible at present. Firstly, their Land of Wind is resource-poor and doesn't have that kind of thing. Even Konoha in the Land of Fire doesn't have those things. Right now, the new students in Konoha are also being assessed by running laps.

Secondly, they are currently mainly training the village's low- and mid-level forces. Whether or not someone has ninjutsu talent is not important. Before becoming a Jonin, taijutsu is the mainstream. Even if you are given a lot of ninjutsu before becoming a Jonin, you don't have enough chakra to use all the skills.

Didn't you see that Masato became a coward after showing off for a bit?

Not having to run laps in the sandstorm was merely a test of these children's perseverance and ability to endure hardship. For those clan children who had already refined their chakra, this kind of assessment was just a piece of cake. So, unlike the equal treatment in Konoha, the clan children here basically didn't need any assessment. They just came to register and complete the enrollment procedures.