Chapter 147: Starting Today As Principal!
On the playground of the newly built Ninja Academy in the Land of Stars, the sunlight was just right, warming the brand-new bluestone ground.
Fifty-two children of varying ages, dressed in uniform deep blue short jackets and bound-leg pants, stood straight, their small faces showing tension from entering an unfamiliar environment and irrepressible excitement.
In addition to the thirty-seven children with Ninja Talent selected from various places in the Land of Stars, there were Karin Uzumaki, Kimimaro Kaguya, White, and the original twelve children from Hoshigakure.
It had to be said that although Hoshigakure was a small Ninja Village, it was a village composed entirely of ninjas, and the villagers all had the talent to refine Chakra. Their children also had more Ninja Talent than ordinary people.
The air was filled with the scent of new wood and paint, as well as the vibrant energy unique to children, mixed with a hint of sweat.
Behind them were ninjas from the Land of Stars who had come to watch the ceremony, and further out were some officials from the Land of Stars government allowed to watch the opening ceremony, as well as some local commoners.
Everyone’s gazes were focused on the podium at the front of the playground, which was not particularly tall but symbolized the beginning of a brand-new era.
On one side of the podium, Uchiha Hikari, Uzumaki Kushina, and other Jonin from the Land of Stars gathered together, quietly waiting.
Suddenly, a figure appeared silently.
The hem of the black Miko Robe specially chosen by Uchiha Hikari for Menma swayed lightly in the breeze, the black high collar with red edges covering half his face, and the mysterious Nine-Face Sūvarṇa emblem on his back shimmering faintly in the sunlight.
Today’s Menma was not wearing that white three-eyed Fox Mask; instead, he overlooked the entire scene with his youthful face, bringing an intangible, breathtaking dignity to everyone.
“Lord Shura!” Uchiha Hikari, Uzumaki Kushina, and others slightly bowed.
“Lord Shura!” The other Star Ninjas also bowed in unison, their voices filled with awe.
The officials and commoners further out also bowed respectfully like a tide.
Now, all the reforms in the Land of Stars were brought by this lord. Their current good lives were also created under this lord’s leadership! Everyone felt awe and curiosity toward this mysterious ruler of the Land of Stars.
The children on the playground widened their eyes even more, looking up at this legendary “Shura” who had established the Land of Stars and ended the rule of the Daimyo and nobles, with curiosity and fear.
Menma’s gaze swept over the tender young faces below the stage.
After being sent to the Star Capital from various places, they had been nurtured for about half a month, much better than their previous sallow and emaciated state.
Each one hid vigilance incongruous with their age deep in their eyes… and worship.
“War and hunger made you lose your homes and parents, turning you into orphans…” Menma’s voice was not loud, yet it clearly overpowered all the noise on the playground, carrying a strange penetrating power that struck directly at everyone’s heartstrings:
His voice was very calm, as if stating a fact unrelated to himself, yet it made many children below the stage subconsciously clutch their clothes, their eyes slightly reddening.
Those pains were the darkest moments each of them had experienced.
“Your parents, your loved ones, perhaps died in some meaningless conflict, under the heavy taxes of some noble master, or in fights over a morsel of food.”
The crowd fell silent, as if even the wind had stopped.
Only Menma’s calm yet weighty voice echoed:
“Why is this so?!” Menma’s face slowly turned, as if scrutinizing every listener.
This youthful face, these eyes that seemed to see through all the vicissitudes of the Ninja World, issued a question to the Ninja World!
His voice suddenly rose, carrying an ironclad resolve: “Because of division! Because countless Daimyo, countless nobles, countless Ninja Villages, for their own territory, their own interests, tore at each other endlessly! They sit high above, using our blood, our tears, our lives to pave the ladder for their enjoyment!”
“Only by ending this division! Only by making the entire Ninja World one whole! With only one voice, one will, can this millennium-old cycle be completely ended! Only then can your descendants avoid experiencing the pain you’ve endured! No longer worry about starving tomorrow, being killed by a sudden kunai, or losing all family in their sleep!”
His arm suddenly swung toward the sky, pointing to the boundless blue.
Everyone’s gazes lifted with it.
“The Land of Stars stands here to shatter this rotten old world! This school is the place to forge the cornerstone of the new world! You are the future! Mastering power is not to continue hatred, not to fight for that pitiful resources! It is to protect!”
“Protect this land under your feet, free from oppression by Daimyo and nobles, free from the flames of war! Protect everything you want to protect in the future! Then, with this power, push this peace, this order, to the entire Ninja World!”
“Only when the Ninja World becomes one complete nation will war truly disappear! Hunger will become history! Orphans like you will no longer appear!”
Menma’s voice rang like war drums, striking every child’s heart: “Remember today! Remember why you stand here! Power is for protection and unity!”
After a brief silence, the playground erupted in deafening cheers!
The Star Ninjas and officials excitedly waved their fists, the commoners’ eyes brimming with hot tears.
The children’s small faces flushed red, and for the first time, a flame called belief burned in their eyes, surpassing mere survival.
They might not yet fully understand the grand vision of “unifying the Ninja World,” but the prospects of “no more war” and “no more orphans” shone like the brightest lighthouse, instantly illuminating their naive hearts.
This man named Shura had promised them a brand-new world!
In the corner of the back row of new students, a boy wearing round-framed glasses, appearing exceptionally quiet and scholarly, was looking up, his gaze behind the lenses locked tightly on that dark red figure on the podium.
It was Kabuto Yakushi, using the alias “Kumamoto Kabuto.”
Shura’s words were highly inflammatory, but what concerned Kabuto more was that face, that voice—they always gave him an indescribable sense of familiarity.
Although it was his first time seeing the legendary mysterious and overwhelmingly strong Shura, Kabuto Yakushi always felt… like he had seen him somewhere before?
He slightly furrowed his brows, lost in thought.
The opening ceremony of the Star Ninja Academy was not grand, but it was very formal. The Elite Star Ninjas gathered together, officials of the Land of Stars also saw this mysterious ruler, and even some commoners were allowed to watch.
The legends about Shura and the new world he promised would be spread throughout the entire Land of Stars by these people, radiating to surrounding small countries, and as the spread grew wider, it would eventually reach the entire Ninja World!
