Yūhi Shinku stood at the front of the classroom, his gaze sweeping over the room before pausing on Bo-chan.
He had put a little more into this child than he had into the others—quite a bit more, in fact. Since Bo-chan still hadn't woken up, that should mean there was no problem.
Then his eyes shifted elsewhere in the room. Kurenai's brows were tightly knit, clearly still trapped in the genjutsu.
Shinku watched her for two seconds, silently shook his head, and looked away.
A while passed, and the classroom remained quiet. Not one of the children still trapped in the illusion had woken up.
"That should be everyone."
Shinku raised a hand and moved his fingers slightly.
Something in the classroom seemed to shatter, and the children slumped over their desks stirred almost at the same time.
"Mm..." Kurenai rubbed her eyes and lifted her head groggily. When she saw Yūhi Shinku standing at the front of the room, she froze. "Dad?"
Shinku nodded without saying anything else.
Gradually, voices returned to the classroom.
Teacher Ibuki stood beside the podium. "Alright, quiet down. What just happened was a test. The purpose was to assess how you react in an unexpected situation."
He paused.
"Anyone who broke free from the genjutsu on their own passes."
The room went silent for a second, then exploded.
"That was a test?!"
"I thought I'd really wet the bed and my mom was chasing me!"
"That scared the life out of me—!"
Rin sat in her seat, her face still a little pale. She glanced at Kakashi and quietly let out a breath of relief.
Yūhi Shinku stood at the front and said, "Hatake Kakashi, Uchiha Toru, Nohara Shinnosuke. Come with me."
"Where are we going?" Shin-chan raised a hand and asked.
Shinku didn't answer. He simply turned and walked out.
Kakashi and Uchiha Toru were already on their feet.
Shin-chan sighed, slid off his chair, bent down to pick up Shiro, and said, "Come on."
The three of them followed Yūhi Shinku out of the classroom.
The door closed behind them, and the room fell quiet for a moment again.
Obito stared at the door. "Where are they going?"
No one answered him.
Shinku led them into the Hokage Tower, then stopped outside the Hokage's office and knocked lightly.
"Come in."
The Third Hokage's voice came from inside.
Shinku pushed the door open and stepped aside to let them enter first.
The office was large.
The Third Hokage sat behind his desk with several documents spread out in front of him.
A few ninja stood by the window—the same ones who had been at the school earlier to test the students—but not a single one had brought any students with them.
The Third Hokage looked at the three of them and was silent for a moment before he spoke.
"Today's test was my idea."
Shin-chan blinked but didn't interrupt.
"You three are far more gifted than children your age normally are," the Third Hokage said. "If I leave you in ordinary classes, learning alongside ordinary children, that may not be the best choice."
Kakashi looked at him but said nothing.
The Third Hokage continued, "I thought about it for a long time. Geniuses really can't be treated the same way as ordinary students and kept bound within the ninja academy. They should be given more opportunities."
He paused and glanced at the ninja standing by the window.
"This test was strict. Very few passed."
"It also gives us a chance to try something new. If it works well, we can expand it later and gradually reform Konoha's educational system."
Shin-chan raised a hand. "Grandpa Third."
"Yes?" The Third looked at him.
"When you say 'try something new,' do you mean like lab rats?"
The Third Hokage froze for a second, then smiled. "Not that kind of experiment. I mean an experiment in education."
"Then what if it fails?"
"It won't fail," the Third said.
"Why not?"
"Because you're in it." The Third met his eyes.
"Oh." Shin-chan nodded. "Then is there a reward?"
"What kind of reward do you want?"
"A box of chocolate sticks!"
The Third Hokage smiled and agreed immediately. "Of course."
Uchiha Toru stood off to the side, opened his mouth like he wanted to ask something, then closed it again.
"Do you have a question?" The Third looked at him.
Uchiha Toru was silent for a moment. "What about everyone else?"
"The others will continue studying at the ninja academy. When they're ready, they'll have new opportunities too."
Toru nodded and asked nothing more.
"So what exactly do we do in this new thing?" Shin-chan asked.
"You'll learn more," the Third said. "Things harder than what the academy teaches."
"Will there be pretty big sisters teaching us?"
The Third Hokage's mouth twitched. "No."
Shin-chan let out a disappointed sigh. "Then what is there?"
The Third thought for a moment. "There will be specialized jōnin instructors."
"Jōnin?" Shin-chan tilted his head. "Are they impressive?"
"Very."
"More impressive than pretty big sisters?"
The Third was silent for a second. "It's not the same kind of impressive."
"Oh, alright." Shin-chan nodded like he kind of understood.
The Third looked at his reluctant expression and couldn't help laughing.
The ninja by the window all watched the little brat holding Shiro with complicated expressions.
Kakashi suddenly asked, "When do we start?"
"It begins tomorrow. Yūhi Shinku will be in charge of your training from now on," the Third Hokage said. "For the time being, you won't need to go to the ninja academy anymore."
Shin-chan froze. "No more school?"
"That's right."
"So no more homework either?"
"No more homework."
Shin-chan's eyes lit up.
"And no more tests?"
"No more tests."
"And no more green bell peppers?"
The Third Hokage's mouth twitched. "No more school green bell peppers."
Shin-chan threw both hands in the air and started cheering.
"That's enough for today." The Third waved them off. "Go home and get ready."
The three of them followed Yūhi Shinku out of the office. The door closed softly behind them, leaving only the sound of footsteps in the hallway.
The office fell completely silent.
Not long after, Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado walked in.
"Hiruzen, aren't you moving too fast this time?" Koharu said. "Those children are only five."
The Third Hokage picked up his pipe and took a puff.
Homura stood beside her. "Reforming the education system and giving geniuses more opportunities isn't wrong."
He paused.
"But isn't the risk too high? If the other clans hear about this, won't they object? Especially that Uchiha child—"
"That's why we have to try," the Third said, setting the pipe down. "If it works, we can expand it later. If it doesn't, we adjust."
Koharu and Homura exchanged a glance and said nothing.
"Letting them study under Shinku is better than wasting their time at the academy," the Third Hokage said firmly. "If this experiment succeeds, Konoha's educational system can be gradually reformed. And if it doesn't—"
He paused.
"At least we tried."
The office fell silent again.
In the end, Koharu sighed. "I hope you're right."
"So do I," the Third Hokage said quietly.
~~~
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