"The Emperor?"
"I didn't expect the Emperor to personally address the new students at this year's Ninja Academy entrance ceremony. The quality of this batch must be exceptional."
"Who knows? There's never been such a precedent before."
As soon as Namikaze Minato spoke, the crowd erupted into hushed whispers.
Ever since unifying the Five Great Nations, the Emperor had rarely appeared in public.
Now, for him to personally speak at the entrance ceremony of the new Ninja Academy students—was this some kind of signal?
The more perceptive individuals had already turned their gazes toward the group of fresh academy students.
Every single one of them was worth befriending.
Feeling the attention on him, Sasuke lifted his chin proudly.
Naturally, only a genius of the Uchiha Clan like him could command such recognition.
With that thought, Sasuke smirked.
"Hmph! The Emperor broke precedent just for me. Looks like keeping a low profile in the academy is going to be impossible now."
Next to him, Uzumaki Naruto rolled his eyes. "Stop being so full of yourself, you brain-dead idiot who needs his brother to carry him to school."
Sasuke's face darkened. "What did you just say?!"
"What? You wanna fight?"
"Fine! Let's do this!"
Seeing the two bicker, Hyuga Hinata instinctively took a step back.
Hyuga Neji, noticing this, immediately stepped in front of her protectively.
Meanwhile, Yamanaka Ino and Haruno Sakura watched the scene with amusement.
"Ino, I looked around, and I think those two are the best-looking guys in this year's intake."
"Yeah, you're right. Their names are Uzumaki Naruto and Uchiha Sasuke."
Sakura blinked. "Huh? You know them, Ino?"
Ino casually nodded. "I've seen them a few times when my dad took me to some gatherings."
"One is the son of the Fifth Hokage, and the other is Lady Mikoto's son."
"Sakura, if you're interested, I can sneak you into one of those gatherings next time. You'll get to meet a lot of big shots."
Hearing that, Sakura forced a smile. "Heh… no thanks. I'd rather spend my time reading."
Despite her calm exterior, she had already punched an imaginary Ino across the room in her mind.
Damn you, Ino-pig! Stop showing off!
...
Just then, a boy with thick eyebrows approached Sakura. "Hello, my name is Rock Lee."
"I really like you. Will you go out with me?"
Sakura froze for a moment before quickly responding, "Um… I think we should focus on our studies first."
"Rejected, huh…" Lee muttered, before his expression suddenly turned resolute and fiery. "I heard you talking about Uchiha Sasuke and Uzumaki Naruto!"
"I will surpass them both and prove that hard work can surpass genius!"
Sakura forced a smile. "Haha… good luck with that."
Inner Sakura: Thick-brow, get out of my sight!!!
Ino covered her mouth, stifling a laugh.
This was too entertaining. Who would have thought even someone like Sakura would have a suitor?
Just as Ino was about to say something else, the noisy crowd suddenly fell silent.
Under everyone's watchful eyes, Mirai slowly stepped onto the stage.
His long, flowing hair, paired with a face that stood out even among the most handsome members of the Uchiha Clan, combined with his aura of absolute dominance—instantly captivated the entire audience.
"So that's the Emperor? He looks even better in person than in photos or on TV!"
"No wonder my mom hugs her Emperor body pillow every night. With that face, who wouldn't be obsessed?"
Both Ino and Sakura were momentarily stunned.
Ino couldn't help but whisper, "It would've been amazing to live in the same era as the Emperor… This level of handsomeness should be illegal!"
For once, Sakura agreed. "Yeah, compared to the Emperor, Sasuke and Naruto don't seem that impressive anymore."
A short distance away, Temari straightened up in excitement.
After being in Konoha for so long, she was finally seeing Lord Mirai again!
Feeling the crowd's admiration, Sasuke smirked smugly.
"See that, Naruto? That's the charm of the Uchiha Clan."
"My goal is to surpass Lord Mirai in the future. Now do you understand the kind of pressure I'm under?"
Naruto shot Sasuke a disdainful look and said nothing.
Only he could defeat Mirai!
...
"Hotaru, Fu, Ajisai, Karin, Sasuke, Naruto, Sakura, Temari, Gaara, Shikamaru, Lee, Tenten, Hinata, Neji, Kurotsuchi…"
"The characters from the original story are finally making their way onto the stage."
Uchiha Mirai sighed inwardly, then slightly raised his arm.
The entire training ground fell into absolute silence.
"You are the new generation, the future of the ninja world."
"My disciple will be chosen from among you."
"Work hard. The moment you graduate from the Ninja Academy, the answer will be revealed."
Mirai's voice, infused with chakra, rang clearly in everyone's ears.
The entire crowd gasped in shock, their eyes fixed on the stage in disbelief.
Some people even smacked themselves, trying to confirm if they were dreaming.
The Emperor was taking a disciple?!
And he was making it public?!
No wonder he had personally come to address the new students—he was searching for his future student among them!
The ninja world had no formal system of inheritance, but legacies were very real.
If someone became the Emperor's disciple, they would be set for life!
"Damn it! Why couldn't this happen last year? I should've delayed my enrollment!"
"These newbies are way too lucky. They have a chance to become the Emperor's disciple!"
"Where's the academy's admissions office?! A 40-year-old rookie is here to sign up!"
The entire training ground erupted into chaos, turning the once-ordinary entrance ceremony into an unprecedented spectacle.
Even Namikaze Minato was stunned.
He never expected Uchiha Mirai to make such an announcement in this setting.
That guy…
Still as unpredictable as ever.
"Mirai, don't you think this is a bit too reckless?"
"Taking a disciple is no small matter."
Minato couldn't help but speak up.
This concerned the future of the entire ninja world. Deciding something like this on the spot seemed far too rash.
Seeing Minato's concerned expression, Mirai simply smiled. "Don't worry. This way is more interesting."
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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