"Lord Kaito, it's almost time."
In the Amegakure leader's office, Shiori, dressed in a form-fitting black suit and wearing a pair of black-framed glasses, leaned down and whispered softly in the Ice-Fire Clone's ear.
"Mm, almost done." Faced with the beautiful scenery beside him, the Ice-Fire Clone had no time to appreciate it. He quickly scanned the document in his hand, stamped it with his large official seal, and then handed it to Shiori.
"The R&D Department's file—I've approved it, but there are still some details I need to discuss with the department head in person. When do I have time?"
Shiori answered without hesitation. "Your schedule is full for today and tomorrow. Shall I arrange it for the day after tomorrow?"
"Move one of tomorrow's less important appointments to a later date. Free up an hour for me."
"Yes, sir!"
You really don't know how busy this job is until you're in it. The pile of messes in Amegakure is even bigger than in Kusagakure. It's going to work me to death. For the first time, he finally understood Naruto's predicament.
The Ice-Fire Clone let out a breath, stretched lazily, grabbed the cloak from the back of his chair, and strode out the door. Shiori followed behind him.
"Sister Shiori, hire two more secretaries for me. And from now on, don't show me the less important matters. Dump them on Hanzo; he's got plenty of free time right now," the Ice-Fire Clone said as he walked.
"Yes, sir!" Shiori diligently noted down his words.
"We're out of time. Let's take a shortcut."
"Eh?"
Once outside, the Ice-Fire Clone scooped Shiori up into his arms and, amidst her cry of surprise, leaped onto the rooftops, disappearing in a blur.
At the Ninja Academy, nearly two hundred teachers and students stood on the playground in the light rain, waiting for their leader's arrival.
Yamabiko Yuto, who had been appointed the Ninja Academy's principal, looked at his watch from time to time. His face was grim as he spoke to the Dean of Academic Affairs beside him. "The leader might be held up by business and will be late. Let the students go back to their classrooms to get out of the rain first. It's not good for them to keep standing here getting wet."
"But what if the leader arrives and sees no one on the playground? Won't he be angry? And getting them to line up again will waste a lot of time. That will surely displease the leader as well," the Dean of Academic Affairs said, shaking his head.
Yamabiko Yuto shot him a sideways glance. "The leader is not that kind of person. Just do as I say. If the leader blames us, I will take full responsibility!"
"Well, since you insist, we'll do as you say." The Dean of Academic Affairs feigned reluctance, but inwardly he was snickering. Still too young. Times have changed. Now that he's the leader, how can he be compared to before? This is good, too. With him taking the fall, maybe I can use this opportunity to become the principal.
He called over a teacher and whispered a few words. The teacher looked at Yamabiko Yuto in surprise, then quickly walked up to the podium and spoke into the microphone. "Ahem, attention all teachers and students. Due to Leader Kaito's busy schedule, he is temporarily unable to attend. Please return to your classrooms and await further notice."
"What? We have to go back again? Are they kidding us?"
"What a hassle."
A commotion broke out among the students below. Some expressed their dissatisfaction, but most of them didn't want to stand foolishly on the playground in the rain. Under the teachers' supervision, the students began to leave in an orderly fashion.
But just then, a cry of astonishment erupted from the crowd. "Look at the sky!"
The sky, which had been covered in dark clouds, was replaced by blue sky and white clouds in the blink of an eye.
"Could this be..." Everyone was stunned, remembering what had happened half a month ago.
"Heh, it seems the students won't have to leave after all," Yamabiko Yuto said with a smile.
Under the refracted sunlight, a seven-colored rainbow appeared on the horizon. The people, who had never seen such a beautiful sight, were captivated. Some with sharp eyes spotted a figure flying over from the other end of the rainbow bridge. "It's the leader! The leader is here!"
"Lord Kaito!"
Amidst the cheers of the entire school, the Ice-Fire Clone descended from the sky, holding Shiori, and landed precisely on the podium. The moment they landed, Shiori struggled out of his arms, covered her blushing face, and ran off the stage. But with so many people in the audience, they had all gotten a clear view of their intimate display.
"Who is that woman?"
"The leader's wife?"
"What? No way! I'm the one who's going to be Lord Kaito's wife!"
"I... I want to have Lord Kaito's babies too!"
Amidst the chattering of the girls, Momoka gently tapped Konan's shoulder. "Um, that seems to be your mother, right?"
"Mmm..." Konan's heart was a mix of complicated emotions. She didn't know whether to be happy or sad.
Fortunately, the Ice-Fire Clone's speech diverted her attention.
"My apologies. I was a little late due to some official business. Alright, I won't waste any more of your time. I'll just say a few simple words."
The audience fell silent. Everyone stared at him intently, waiting for him to speak.
The Ice-Fire Clone took the microphone and said slowly, "Today is the opening day of the new Ninja Academy, and it is also the day you all embark on a new journey. On this journey, you will meet loyal friends, and you will meet people who annoy you. You may encounter many setbacks, and you may also achieve many successes."
"But no matter what, I hope that all of you will take everything you encounter on this journey seriously. Savor it carefully, and leave no regrets. Alright, that's all I have to say."
Clap! Clap! Clap!
The entire field erupted in enthusiastic applause.
"Next, it's your turn to show what you've got."
The Ice-Fire Clone handed the microphone back to a staff member and sat down in the central seat on the podium, observing the students below. Shiori quietly walked up behind him, her face still tinged with a faint blush.
Following the Ice-Fire Clone's instructions, the teachers used Earth Style ninjutsu to create eight arenas in the center of the playground, serving as the stage for the students' battles.
"Students, next up is the one-on-one, king-of-the-hill style tournament. For one hour, anyone can enter the competition, but only two people can be on an arena at a time. When the time is up, the remaining eight students will qualify for the one-on-one elimination tournament. The final winner will have the honor of having dinner with Leader Kaito, and may even become the leader's first direct disciple!"
This announcement caused a huge uproar. Having dinner with Leader Kaito was a great honor, but it was nothing compared to what came after. Everyone knew that becoming the leader's disciple meant a future as a powerful ninja, a path to the pinnacle of life, and a future with limitless potential.
The students' fighting spirit burned fiercely, and they were eager to get on stage and fight immediately.
Konan and Momoka exchanged a look, and both saw the determination to win in each other's eyes.
"Sorry, Konan. This time, I can't let you win."
"No need to let me. I won't necessarily lose to you."
Compared to these two, Nono Yakushi seemed much quieter. She looked up at the Ice-Fire Clone, a complex light flickering in her eyes.