Just two months ago, he never imagined he'd be living in such a peaceful place, no longer hungry or cold, and with his mother free from constant worry. Having friends around every day and being able to learn ninjutsu felt almost unreal.
It was all so wonderful! Well, except for Charlie Sensei's habit of climbing over the wall every time he came by, he was about to crush the flowers Nagato had carefully nurtured through the winter!
Watching Konan head out next door, Nagato gave a small smile and nod. He guessed Charlie was probably still asleep. Though skilled, Charlie's tendency to sleep in yet constantly nag others was exhausting.
Nagato had heard there'd be a leader's speech later, he wondered if Charlie would make it on time. "Mom, I'm off to Academy!"
Waving goodbye, Nagato slung his backpack over one shoulder and walked with Konan toward the Academy. Behind them, Mrs. Fuso, wearing her apron, watched quietly with a peaceful smile, waving softly as the two children left.
Only after they were out of sight did she glance next door. "Charlie should still be asleep, right?"
Yawning again, Nagato took in his surroundings as he walked along the road. Compared to the quiet, war-torn Land of Rain, the Land of Grass was lively, even on a chilly winter morning, people were already out and about.
Most of the people around him were workers heading to their jobs, and a few kids, just like him, were on their way to Academy. He liked the Land of Grass.
At least here it was quiet, and everyone seemed lively, often flashing friendly smiles. It was very different from the Land of Rain, where every door stayed tightly shut and it rained heavily every day.
He had heard from Yahiko that even though the war had officially ended, the Land of Rain was still in chaos. The shinobi world's wars might have stopped, but the turmoil inside the Land of Rain hadn't. They were still fighting among themselves.
When he arrived at Academy, he found his seat easily since they had already been assigned places the day before.
"Nagato, Konan, you're here too?" Yahiko called out, having arrived earlier, smiling widely and waving as they walked in. "I got here before you!"
"Yahiko!" Nagato and Konan greeted him back with smiles and took their seats.
The three of them didn't just attend regular classes here, they also learned ninjutsu on the side from Charlie Sensei and Sister Kana. Yahiko had heard that later on, he would even learn some of Uncle Mujie's secret family techniques, and when he had time, he planned to study the Uzumaki clan's sealing jutsu.
Those sealing techniques were said to be incredibly powerful, though he didn't know exactly how strong, they were mostly stories he'd heard from Charlie Sensei.
Right now, he was eager to get stronger so he could protect the people he cared about. Konan was also going to learn some secret techniques from Charlie, related to origami. Her origami was already beautiful, but how powerful it really was, he wasn't sure, maybe Charlie Sensei was just indulging a little girl.
Just then, Yahiko leaned in, lowering his voice. "Hey, I've got to tell you, this Academy is haunted!"
Nagato and Konan froze at his words, their eyes wide with surprise. Seeing their reaction, Yahiko nodded with satisfaction and continued, "I heard this from the guys who helped build the Academy. Apparently, beneath the Land of grass shinobi Academy is a mass grave.
When the Land of Grass fell, many people died, and no one buried the bodies. Later, an old man, who had lost his wife and son and was completely worn out by the war, couldn't bear to see so many corpses left out in the open. So, he took it upon himself to bury them all."
He sighed deeply, the weight of the story settling over them.
"Since he was just one man and quite old, he only managed to dig a shallow pit to bury them all right there. After laying the last person to rest, he even dug a grave for himself and was buried alongside them. Charlie Sensei had no idea about this, so when he decided to build the academy here, he unknowingly disturbed the spirits' rest. Because of that..."
His voice grew heavy and serious, his words so convincing that Nagato and Konan fell silent, stunned. Even little Konan shivered at the thought. 'A mass grave beneath the Academy? Could it really be true?'
Just then, "Ding-ling-ling~"
The bell rang, breaking the eerie mood. The three children stopped talking, but their hearts still raced at the idea of the grave.
Soon, the teacher arrived, an older man with bright red hair. Nagato, Yahiko, and Konan all recognized him immediately: Uncle Eiichi, a shinobi from the Uzumaki clan.
"Hello, kids!" Eiichi Uzumaki greeted warmly as he stepped up to the podium.
He placed a stack of textbooks from the Land of Grass on the desk and looked out at the well-behaved students before him. His heart swelled with emotion.
Eiichi was one of the last three jonin of the Uzumaki clan. Just over a month ago, they had been refugees from Uzushiogakure, wandering the shinobi world, hunted and rejected by everyone, struggling through hunger and cold.
But now, thanks to The lord's acceptance, they no longer had to wander or worry about survival. In fact, Eiichi was now a teacher at this brand-new Academy!
To The lord, they owed deep gratitude. Compared to their kin who once ignored them, Konoha, the Land of Grass had become their true home.
Speaking of which, Uzushiogakure was so small it never had a shinobi academy; new shinobi were trained through family traditions. So this was Eiichi's first time teaching, and he felt a bit nervous.
Then he remembered what the Third Elder had said a few days ago, and a headache crept in. "Eiichi~ The lord ordered us to make lots of babies!"
Eiichi cleared his throat, smiled, and continued, "My name is Eiichi Uzumaki, and I'll be your homeroom teacher. I'm sure you all know where I live. If you ever have any problems, don't hesitate to come find me!"
"You can even come visit me at my place during breaks!" the teacher cheerfully added after writing his name on the blackboard. Then, he turned to the class and said, "Alright, let's start with self-introductions. We'll go row by row, starting with the first seat in the front row!"
The first student stood up nervously. "I-I'm Yaku Shinden. Actually, that's not my original name. I used to be called Daishi, but my father changed it to honor the rebuilding and progress of the Land of Grass." Though a bit shaky, he finished his introduction.