Naruto: Wooing Tsunade from Day One!

"Today is a day to be happy," Kawakaze began.

"We have been replenished with fresh blood in Konoha. From today, you will have a new identity."

"However, being a ninja is never an easy profession, and you may have to pay the price with your lives. Genin is just the beginning—you are still very weak."

He paused briefly, letting his words sink in before continuing.

"Today, I have an important announcement to make."

At this, Kawakaze paused again, giving the crowd time to react.

Ei Onoda, standing to the side, suddenly felt uneasy. Something about Kawakaze's tone suggested that he was about to propose something unprecedented. The children in the audience had already started murmuring among themselves, some turning to Kushina for answers. Her classmates assumed she had insider information, but in truth, even she had no idea what Kawakaze was planning. This was entirely a whim of his.

"I have decided to set up advanced courses," Kawakaze announced. "These will be divided into four classes: combat, interrogation, command, and medical. Participation is not compulsory, but those who graduate from these classes will undoubtedly have better futures."

Kawakaze finished outlining his idea, waiting for the crowd to absorb the information.

Ei Onoda, an experienced educator who had served as vice-principal since the time of the Second Hokage, was taken aback. In all his years, even Hiruzen Sarutobi had never attempted something so radical. Training talent wasn't inherently bad, but the scale of Kawakaze's proposal implied a massive increase in expenses and personnel.

Konohagakure was not wealthy enough to support such an initiative easily, and allocating resources for it would be a challenge. From Kawakaze's description, it was clear these classes weren't meant for Genin-level graduates. The expectation seemed to be producing Chūnin or even Jōnin graduates. The costs—both financial and logistical—would be immense.

"Lord Kawakaze, can we reconsider this?" Ei Onoda stepped forward and asked softly, his brows furrowed deeply. As someone familiar with the village's financial constraints, he understood the strain such a plan would impose.

If you're not in charge, you don't know how hard it is to make ends meet!

"What position am I in?" Kawakaze asked, putting down the megaphone.

"You are the principal," Ei Onoda replied, fully understanding Kawakaze's intent and his unwavering determination. Realizing there was no need for a vice-principal to overstep, he decided to step back and let Kawakaze handle things.

"Lord Kawakaze, do these four classes have any requirements?" someone from the audience quickly inquired. The promise of a better future had clearly piqued the interest of both parents and students.

"Naturally, there are requirements," Kawakaze responded. "We will conduct a test to allocate applicants to these four classes. If you fail the test, then I'm sorry."

"You should understand that these are advanced classes, designed to help you develop your talents."

Kawakaze understood that not every Genin was equally gifted, and absolute fairness didn't exist in the world. His aim was to provide civilian ninjas with more opportunities while simultaneously bolstering Konoha's reputation. Over time, he believed this initiative would give Konoha a significant advantage over the other villages.

As for the necessary funding and personnel, he planned to discuss it with Tsunade. Even if he had to contribute personally, he was prepared to do so. In the end, these students would become his disciples, and their success would reflect on Tsunade's leadership. Who was truly in charge in Konoha? That wasn't a question he needed to entertain.

"I'll sign up!" someone shouted eagerly.

As Kawakaze finished speaking, numerous hands shot up in the audience, signaling widespread enthusiasm for the new classes.

Kushina, however, remained indifferent. Her path and talents were already clear, and she had no interest in taking additional classes that she deemed boring. To her, such activities would only cut into her time with Minato, which she wasn't willing to sacrifice.

"Okay, you can all sign up with Sensei Shun first," Kawakaze announced, pointing to a teacher to handle the registrations. "We'll notify you about the test once we've finished organizing."

Leaving the registration to Sensei Shun, Kawakaze effectively shifted that responsibility and moved on. The graduation ceremony, which had been disrupted by his sudden decision, ended earlier than planned. However, the atmosphere was the most enthusiastic it had been in years.

Kawakaze believed that low-level tactics like brainwashing achieved nothing. The masses were not foolish and wouldn't follow blindly. Satisfied with how things were shaping up, he reaffirmed his resolve to protect Tsunade's Konoha.

Returning to his seat, he sat down to rest.

"Lord Kawakaze, the decision has been made. Should we discuss the details?" Ei Onoda asked. He had accepted that Konoha Ninja Academy reform was inevitable and chose to align himself with the initiative. It wouldn't be wise to oppose the leader.

"Tell me your thoughts," Kawakaze said, appreciating Ei Onoda's conservative but practical approach.

"Once we start these four classes, the first issues to address will be teachers and funding. The remaining school budget isn't sufficient to open four advanced classes at once."

"Most of our current teachers are only ordinary Chūnin and might not meet the standards required for your advanced classes. Then there's the matter of the test—you haven't specified how it should be conducted. And furthermore..."

Before Ei Onoda could continue, Kawakaze interrupted, realizing he might have been too impulsive with his earlier remarks.

"Okay, I'll handle the personnel and funding. You focus on preparing the test questions."

With that, Kawakaze attempted to leave, as he preferred a hands-off approach to management.

"Lord Kawakaze, I'm not done yet," Ei Onoda said, grabbing his sleeve. He wasn't about to let Kawakaze escape. As an older man nearing the end of his career, he knew he couldn't handle the workload alone.

"Stop talking and listen to me," Kawakaze said firmly, unable to resort to anything else but reasoning. He sat back down, ready to use logic to sway Ei Onoda.

"Let me ask you first—if I can make these four classes a success, will the Ninja Academy still be the same as before?" Kawakaze asked, his expression serious.

"What's your point?" Ei Onoda responded, slightly baffled by the line of questioning. His mind wasn't as sharp as it once was, and he struggled to follow Kawakaze's reasoning.

"Think about it. Once we get these four classes up and running, in a few years, won't there be a group of outstanding ninjas?" Kawakaze continued.

Ei Onoda nodded. There was no question about that.

"Then our Ninja Academy will become a true training ground for talent. It will hold a pivotal position in Konoha."

"Will people still sneer at us when we attend meetings? Will they still say that we only produce cannon fodder? Or perhaps, by then, the people at those meetings will be your students."

"Just imagine that—wouldn't it feel incredibly fulfilling?"

Kawakaze painted a vivid picture of the future, helping Ei Onoda, who had spent the majority of his life at the academy, see the potential transformation.

"Yes," Ei Onoda said, momentarily overwhelmed by the vision Kawakaze presented. It was a scenario he had never dared to imagine.

"Now, can you handle these trivial matters?" Kawakaze asked with a smile, throwing out his final question.

"Yes," Ei Onoda replied with conviction, fully convinced. Kawakaze had successfully swayed him once again.

"I have confidence in you, so keep up the good work."

Seeing his plan had succeeded, Kawakaze took the opportunity to slip away. It wasn't laziness—he just preferred to delegate the work and have someone else handle the costs. As for the test questions, he had no intention of creating them himself.

Once Kawakaze was gone, Ei Onoda's mind began to clear.

"Vice Principal Ei, how are we going to set that test?" one of the teachers responsible for preparing the questions asked cautiously.

"What test?" Ei Onoda asked, startled, pulled abruptly from his vision of the future back to the present.

"The one you promised the principal," the teacher replied, blinking innocently.

"This is outrageous!" Ei Onoda muttered, realizing too late that he'd been thoroughly tricked. He slammed his hand on the table in frustration.

"Don't tell anyone about this," he warned, fixing the teacher with a sharp, threatening glare. If word got out that he had been outmaneuvered by someone so much younger, how could he face anyone?

"Mm-hm," the teacher nodded rapidly, as if their life depended on it.