"Deidara, you can rest for today. Tomorrow, you'll officially start school."
Although Deidara had already been causing explosions all over Iwagakure, he was only nine years old… the perfect age to start formal schooling in the Land of Waves.
"School? What's that? What's 'going to school'?"
"Will I be able to learn true art there?"
Deidara asked, confused. In his mind, there was no concept of school or formal education.
In the entire Ninja World, only Konoha and Kirigakure, which had modeled its system after Konoha, had Ninja Academies.
Other villages had no such concept.
The Iwagakure's Ninja Education was largely hands-off. Aside from a few children who had mentors, most were given basic Ninja knowledge and left to figure things out on their own.
This was why Konoha's Ninjas were generally more skilled and numerous than those of other villages.
A systematic training approach was far more advanced than leaving things to chance.
Naruto smiled and said, "School is a place for learning. Art isn't something you master overnight. It requires continuous learning and gradual improvement."
"At school, you'll be taught what art is. You might even find classmates who share your goals."
The Land of Waves' school had a dedicated art curriculum, and with Naruto's personal guidance, it wouldn't be difficult to steer a nine-year-old's mindset in the right direction.
After all, not every precocious child could be as extreme as the Uchiha.
"Really? Then I want to go to school right now!"
Whenever it came to art, Deidara was always eager.
"Not right now. Classes have already started for the day. I'll have someone arrange your enrollment ceremony, and you can officially start tomorrow."
Sasori and Deidara had traveled for days and nights from Iwagakure to the Land of Rain. Right now, they were covered in grime, so they needed a day to rest.
Naruto called a staff member to take Deidara to the dormitories near the administrative building, close to Naruto's residence for convenience.
The Land of Waves had excellent welfare systems for orphans, especially for special talents like Deidara.
After Deidara left, Naruto turned to Sasori again.
Sasori had already adopted a posture of readiness.
"Sasori, how would you like to become a teacher at the school?"
Sasori was taken aback. He hadn't expected Naruto to offer him such a role.
Although Sunagakure didn't have Ninja Academies, Sasori, having traveled the Ninja World for years, was familiar with the concept.
However, becoming a teacher seemed like a waste of time for him.
Sasori wanted to refuse but didn't know how to phrase it.
Seeing Sasori's hesitation, Naruto added, "Don't worry. The teaching workload isn't heavy… just a few classes a week. The rest of the time, you're free to do as you please."
"Moreover, as long as you're willing to complete the research projects assigned by the Land of Waves, we'll provide whatever resources you need for your personal research."
"Of course, human puppets are off the table."
Sasori was still hesitant and asked, "What materials can the Land of Waves provide me?"
"You'll see for yourself when you visit the research department later."
Thanks to Orochimaru and the researchers from the Land of Snow, along with significant funding, the Land of Waves' laboratories were among the best in the Ninja World.
Though still skeptical, Sasori decided to follow the staff member and take a look.
"Is it really safe to let them move around so freely?"
Nagato, who had been watching quietly, asked with concern.
Although Sasori was a former member of the Akatsuki, he was still an S-Rank Missing-nin. Given Akatsuki's internal discord, Nagato couldn't guarantee Sasori's loyalty.
"Don't worry. I believe they're smart enough to know better."
Naruto smiled. The Land of Waves was now a gathering place for powerful individuals.
With Izumi, Orochimaru, Mei, Shisui, a group of three-tomoe Uchiha, and Hidan the immortal, the country was well-protected.
If someone could still cause trouble here, then the country wasn't worth running.
"Let's go, I'll take you to the hospital."
With that, Naruto turned and led the way.
Nagato's leg issues were primarily due to long-term Chakra depletion and severe loss of vitality.
With the precedent set by Kaho, the problem could be easily resolved.
However, the strain of the Rinnegan was still significant, which was why Naruto planned to transplant Gyuki into Nagato.
This would not only address Nagato's Chakra deficiency, but also provide a Jinchuriki capable of suppressing and forcibly extracting the Eight-Tails' Chakra.
Currently, Gyuki harbored hatred for Naruto. Without someone who could completely suppress it, the Tailed Beast would be more of a burden than an asset.
Seeing Naruto's confident look, Nagato didn't press further. He controlled his wheelchair and followed Naruto.
Naruto chose not to use the Flying Thunder God Technique to travel directly. Instead, he wanted Nagato to see the current state of the Land of Waves.
Along the way, many civilians greeted Naruto, and he responded to each one.
And Nagato, observing the lives of the Land of Waves' residents, couldn't help but feel a twinge of envy.
"A country without rain is truly different."
This was one of the few times Nagato had seen a country outside the Land of Rain. The happiness on everyone's faces left him emotional.
"Don't worry. In the near future, the rain in the Land of Rain will stop too."
"That's something to look forward to."
---
Just as the two chatted and made their way, they noticed a red-haired figure approaching.
Kaho paused when she saw Nagato, her curiosity piqued. "You must be the Uzumaki from the Akatsuki, right?"
Hearing the other party's question, Nagato responded, "Hello, I'm Nagato."
"Nice to meet you. I'm Uzumaki Kaho. Since you're here, the Land of Waves will definitely be able to heal your legs."
Kaho gave Nagato a gentle smile.
"Thank you!"
Having come to terms with his own limitations, Nagato was much more polite now.
"Kaho, is there something going on?"
Naruto asked. He hadn't seen her earlier, so she must have been busy with something else.
"Not really. I've been surveying local residents about their future employment preferences. I just happened to see you and thought I'd say hello."
Kaho smiled, then added, "Though there is one small matter."