After paying the fees and collecting her textbooks, Hinami was officially assigned to Iruka Umino's class.
Once the confusion regarding her name was cleared up, the misunderstanding between Mitsuda-sensei and Might Guy was finally laid to rest. Hinami was more than satisfied with the result.
Ever since the Second Hokage established the Ninja Academy, the institution had served a profound political purpose. It was designed to cultivate civilian shinobi, breaking the monopoly of the Great Clans over secret techniques and gradually eroding their influence over the village—a classic "boiling the frog" strategy.
Simultaneously, only those who passed through the Academy could receive an official Konoha Registration Number.
The village laws were strict: every Clan Head had to be a registered shinobi. It was a masterstroke of policy. No matter how powerful a ninja was, without a number, they weren't truly part of the Leaf; they could access no resources and hold no official rank. Conversely, once registered, the Hokage could issue direct orders, forcing clan members to answer to the central government. This stripped the Great Clans of their autonomy.
In the past, these clans acted as independent military powers. Now, their heirs had to sit side-by-side in the Academy, forging bonds that would eventually integrate their private forces into the village's collective strength.
It was a system designed to consolidate power, nurture new blood, and establish a hierarchy through childhood competition, preventing large-scale internal conflicts during future transitions of power.
The Second Hokage's political intellect was every bit as terrifying as his talent for developing Forbidden Jutsu.
Now, by entering Iruka's class, Hinami had effectively stepped into the inner circle of the Leaf. Her plan was simple: dominate her peers, become the undisputed "Queen" of the Academy, and establish herself as the vanguard of the new generation.
Her "stain" as an outsider from the Mist would be bleached away by her radiant talent. Once she reached a certain height, the minor issue of her origins would become irrelevant in the face of absolute power.
Maneuvers and schemes were merely survival tactics until one became truly strong. Hinami never forgot her true purpose.
Strength is the foundation of everything.
As Hinami and Guy left the school grounds, the name Zhuri Hinami spread through the Academy like wildfire.
A six-year-old with Jonin-level combat power.
The effortless mastery of signless Water Style.
The terrifying physical force of her Taijutsu.
And the historical record of defeating an Academy instructor before even attending her first class.
Most captivating of all: she was a blind girl. Every detail of her story was tailor-made to capture the village's imagination.
Hiruzen Sarutobi, who had already been keeping a close eye on Hinami, received the report immediately in his capacity as the Academy's Principal.
Inside the Hokage's Office, smoke drifted lazily through the air. Hiruzen placed his pipe on the cluttered desk, his fingers gripping the fresh report. It contained everything they knew so far.
Name: Zhuri Hinami
Status: Formerly unknown; currently the adopted daughter of Might Guy.
Appearance: Approximately 1.3 meters tall; blindfolded.
Abilities: Specialized in Water Style and Taijutsu.
Aside from the shocking display of Taijutsu, the rest was old news to Hiruzen. However, the combination of those two skills forced his mind toward a specific location: the Land of Water, the "Bloody Mist," separated from the Land of Fire by a single sea.
A girl from the Mist?
Her mysterious aura and the black cloth covering her eyes reminded him of several Mist shinobi he had encountered in the past. The Land of Water had more Bloodline Limits than any other nation; a new type of signless Water Style was well within the realm of possibility. Furthermore, with the ongoing purge of bloodline clans in the Mist, a refugee fleeing to Konoha made perfect sense.
The more Hiruzen thought, the more the pieces fit. Yet, it also made her more dangerous.
Her talent was one thing, but her political intuition was what truly unnerved him. On her first day, she had somehow convinced Might Guy to adopt her. On her second day, she had secured her legal status and caused a scene at the Academy to solidify her reputation as Guy's daughter.
Hiruzen had promoted Guy to Jonin himself, despite Guy's lack of Ninjutsu. Everyone in the upper echelons knew Guy was a loyalist directly under the Hokage's wing. Now, the Great Clans would look at Hinami and see a girl backed by the Third Hokage himself.
She was following the exact template of the Fourth Hokage: a civilian-background prodigy and a direct subordinate of the Hokage's faction.
Once she integrated with the heirs of the Great Clans at school, this "rootless" outsider could actually gain the legitimacy to compete for the seat of Hokage.
How terrifying, Hiruzen thought, a chill running down his spine.
An individual with unknown motives, possibly from a rival village, had managed in a single day to lay the groundwork for a path that generations of Uchiha had failed to achieve.
Slurp.
Hiruzen took a long drag from his pipe. Guy had certainly handed him a difficult riddle.
He was now almost certain she was from the Mist. Only the Mist—who had lost four of their Seven Ninja Swordsmen to Might Duy's final stand—would truly understand the hidden potential of the Might family and the Eight Inner Gates.
She hadn't just boarded his "big ship"; she was likely aiming for the village's most powerful secret techniques as well.
What a move.
Despite himself, Hiruzen felt a flicker of admiration for the girl. Of his three pupils, all had inherited his strength, but none had inherited his political mind. The world was full of powerful brutes, but a genius with both the talent for war and the wit for politics was a rare find.
Rational, intelligent, powerful, a master of Water Style, and that silver-grey hair... for a fleeting moment, he saw the shadow of the Second Hokage in her.
A mimicry, rather than a reincarnation. Like the return of an old friend.
It was a strange feeling—two people with no connection whatsoever giving him the exact same impression.
Suddenly, the voice of the guard outside broke his reverie.
Knock, knock, knock!
"Hokage-sama, Elder Shimura requests an audience."
Hiruzen narrowed his eyes and shoved Hinami's file under his Hokage hat. "Enter."
The door creaked open. An old man with a single visible eye and dark hair stepped inside. His left arm was suspended in a sling, and he leaned heavily on a cane. His right eye was wrapped in bandages, and his jaw bore a jagged, cross-shaped scar. He radiated an aura of cold, venomous shadow.
"What is it?" Hiruzen asked, rubbing his temples.
Blind, leaning on a cane... the parallels were piling up. What is it with this girl and these recurring themes?
"Sarutobi," Danzo said, cutting straight to the point without greeting. "The Uchiha are reaching their limit."
"And so am I."