SFS Chapter 20, this lesson, is titled "The Will of Fire."
Chapter 20, this lesson, is titled "The Will of Fire."
Konoha Ninja Academy, training ground.
The newly enrolled children were lined up in neat rows, looking at the man standing on the platform with excitement and curiosity.
The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi.
For these children who have just left childhood behind and are filled with longing for the ninja world, the Hokage is the greatest and most distant figure in this village.
They never dreamed that they would see this legendary figure in person on the first day of school.
At the very front of the line, a boy with a smile like a little sun was staring intently at the figure on the platform with his bright blue eyes, his gaze filled with undisguised admiration.
"quiet!"
The headmaster of the ninja academy, who was also an experienced Jonin, shouted loudly.
The playground fell silent instantly.
Hiruzen Sarutobi's gaze swept gently over the young faces below.
These children are the future of Konoha.
He cleared his throat, and his voice, amplified by chakra, reached everyone's ears clearly.
"Children, welcome to the Konoha family."
"I know that many of you dream of becoming a powerful ninja, like the First and Second Hokage, and becoming famous throughout the ninja world."
"However, before you learn how to become stronger, I want to give you your first lesson."
Instead of reciting those dry, pedantic principles, he nodded slightly to the dozen or so ninja academy teachers standing around the training ground.
"Illusion Magic: Where Leaves Flutter!"
More than a dozen teachers simultaneously formed hand seals, and a massive amount of chakra instantly enveloped the entire playground.
The next second, the scene before the children's eyes underwent a dramatic change.
They found themselves no longer standing on a playground, but in a chaotic world engulfed in war.
Everywhere there was fighting and bloodshed.
Ninjas, organized into clans, wage an endless, bloody war for land and water.
The children turned pale with fright at the cruel sight, and some of the more timid ones even cried.
Just then, Hiruzen Sarutobi's voice rang in their ears like a ray of light in the darkness.
"This is the era in which your fathers and even your grandfathers lived—the Warring States period."
The scene changes.
Hashirama Senju and Madara Uchiha, two legendary ninjas, appear in the scene. Together, they ended the chaos of the world and, using Wood Release, created a new village on a barren land.
That's Konoha.
The children saw the first group of villagers, their faces filled with the joy of surviving a disaster, as they moved into their new homes.
They witnessed the establishment of the first ninja school and the opening of the first ramen shop.
In the village, wisps of smoke rise from chimneys, children laugh and play in the streets, and adults work diligently in the fields.
A scene of peace and tranquility.
"The first and second generation masters, as well as countless predecessors, used their lives and blood to create such a home for us that can shelter us from the wind and rain."
Hiruzen Sarutobi's voice was full of emotion.
The scene changed again.
The children saw the ninjas leaving the village to carry out a mission at the border.
They saw the ninjas enduring hardships and fighting desperately against powerful enemies.
They also saw the worried yet joyful smiles on the faces of their families and comrades when these ninjas returned to the village exhausted after completing their mission.
"Children, look."
Hiruzen Sarutobi's voice became extremely solemn.
"What? The Will of Fire?"
"It is not an empty slogan, nor is it a reason for you to make blind sacrifices."
"The Will of Fire is the resolve to stand up and protect the smiles behind us!"
"It's the courage to face danger so that your parents, friends, and neighbors can live in peace on this land!"
"Remember, behind you are not cold missions and rules, but the entire Hidden Leaf Village, and countless faces eagerly awaiting your safe return!"
At the end of the illusion, the scene froze on the playground.
The children saw themselves in it.
They saw their parents standing by the playground, looking at them with pride.
I saw the entire Hidden Leaf Village, thriving under the sunlight.
The illusion slowly dissipated.
The playground was completely silent.
All the children were still immersed in the shock they had just experienced, unable to pull themselves away for a long time.
Many children's eyes were red, but their gazes were no longer filled with the previous confusion and curiosity, but with an unprecedented firmness and understanding.
Many students had clenched their fists without realizing it.
Looking at the man's back on the high platform, she secretly made a vow in her heart.
One day, I will become a great ninja like the Third Hokage, able to protect everyone's smiles!
Hiruzen Sarutobi smiled with satisfaction as he looked at the children's reactions below.
He knew that a seed of the true will of fire, called "Guardian," had already taken root and sprouted in the hearts of these children.
And this will be Konoha's most impregnable wall in the future.
He didn't say anything more, just waved to the children and turned to leave.
He believes that today's lesson will leave a more profound and lasting impression on these children's lives than any instruction in ninjutsu.