Chapter 13: The Shinobi Academy
After setting up the forge, it was time for Hiiro Rinko to attend the Shinobi Academy.
But just as he was about to leave, Yūsa—who had been avoiding Rinko ever since their last conversation—suddenly called out to him.
"Here… these are my old textbooks from my Academy days. The notes inside are still pretty useful, I think. You should take a look."
With an awkward smile and wandering eyes, the older brother said this, handing Hiiro Rinko a stack of old books.
From the wear on the spines and covers, the books had been read often, but were otherwise impeccably preserved. There were no excess creases or stains.
Clearly, even though he had graduated three or four years ago, Yūsa still cherished these textbooks, and his expression showed he was a bit reluctant to part with them.
"Thank you, Nii-san."
But since he had offered them, Rinko wasn't going to be polite.
One can learn from another's experience. Even the notes of a Chūnin might provide some inspiration.
'Thanking' him in a voice so flat it was almost devoid of emotion, Rinko—staying true to his "deep-seated vengeance" persona—took the textbooks from Yūsa. He nodded at him, then followed Chiyo to the Shinobi Academy.
Watching the two leave, Yūsa raised a hand to tap his chin, but in the end, said nothing.
Even among the Five Great Hidden Villages, the Shinobi Academy system was an adaptation of the one founded by Senju Tobirama in Konoha.
Although the teaching cycles, content, and class structures were all adjusted to fit the local style, they were all more or less the same.
The Academy had already been in session for over two months. As the guardian of a transfer student like Rinko, Chiyo still had some procedures to complete.
"Ah… this feeling is so familiar."
Left in the hallway outside an office yet again, Hiiro Rinko stared out the window and sighed drily.
That's right, a window.
Since it was a school for five and six-year-olds, it wouldn't be placed in the sunless underground.
Although, sending five and six-year-olds to a school to learn how to kill sounded dark as hell—even more debased than the old clans in the Cursed World. It felt strange for such a school to pretend to care about humanitarianism, but in this era, it was understandable.
It was like how Rinko never really liked the works of the 'Decadent School' in his past life, but he acknowledged that in that era, it was inevitable that such grim things would be written.
Every era has its own "necessities" and "natural laws."
In the Warring States Era (Sengoku Jidai), when the average life expectancy was under forty, children of shinobi clans had to learn to fight from the moment they could walk, and enemies would deliberately slaughter the women and children of opposing forces. That was the natural law of that era.
Until an invincible man beat down the entire Shinobi World and, together with his friend, founded the Hidden Leaf Village, ending that barbaric age.
That man was the First Hokage, hailed as the God of Shinobi, Senju Hashirama, and his friend who ultimately walked a different path, the Ghost of the Uchiha, Uchiha Madara.
Although many who saw their life stories and battle records would wonder why he didn't just conquer the entire Shinobi World, when you thought about it, he was just a shinobi who had emerged from the Warring States Era.
Never having received a systematic education in anything but killing techniques, he probably never considered, nor knew how, to rule or govern a nation.
The Hashirama of that time was likely acting on the simple thought of, 'We can't keep killing like this; we can't let children die meaningless deaths anymore.'
After all, if he weren't such an idealist, he would never have committed the 'folly' of distributing the Tailed Beasts to maintain peace.
If he and Madara hadn't truly possessed the power to suppress the entire world, an idealist like him would have died a miserable death in the WarringStates Era.
Though it seems all of Hashirama's efforts were in vain, and the thin veil of peace is about to be torn away again, at least the lifespans of both shinobi and civilians have drastically increased.
Even a brief peace has its meaning.
The era is moving forward. Even if progress seems to repeat old patterns, it's always on a new, higher foundation.
Conversely, any attempt to regress or to leapfrog development by trying to achieve heaven in a single step would likely not end well.
As for teaching five and six-year-olds how to kill…
Hey, buddy, this is a Hidden Village.
What do you think a shinobi is? Do they just catch lost cats and dogs all day?
Espionage, sabotage of enemy nations, assassination, long-term bodyguard duty… these missions are the main source of income. The funds from the various Daimyō aren't enough to sustain an entire Hidden Village.
They aren't state institutions; they are, in essence, mercenary organizations on long-term retainers. Children living in a mercenary organization must learn how to kill.
Besides, in addition to killing techniques, the Academy also teaches skills seemingly unrelated to combat.
If a child truly had no talent for being a shinobi, they wouldn't just be cast aside as useless; at worst, they would drop out. Whether they helped with the family business or found a job at a shop or agency, they wouldn't starve.
Rinko, who was essentially over thirty years old and a Cursed User who bordered on being a Curse Master, naturally had no psychological burden about killing.
"I wonder how many of these guys will still be smiling once they hit a real battlefield…"
Looking through the glass window at the children playing 'Shinobi Tag' in the courtyard, Rinko felt a rare twinge of melancholy—not for the children, but for the Academy's teaching philosophy.
If you feel hesitation, don't pull the trigger. Since they had enrolled in the Shinobi Academy, they should at least hold some reverence for the profession.
To treat a profession that was essentially bound to their lives as a game was something Rinko—who genuinely loved and revered the act of 'research' and had given his life for it—found grating.
"Or maybe this is just their last chance to play… Well, if I think of it that way, it doesn't matter. They're just kids. Without a real life-or-death experience, it's hard to understand the importance of reverence…"
Looking down at his own slender hands, Rinko realized he was being too hard on his 'peers.' He then pulled out the old textbooks Yūsa had given him and began to read, just to pass the time.