Reborn in the Shinobi World with an Arceus Inside

On the third day, the afternoon school bell rang.

Inside the Kindle Academy's only active classroom, a deathly silence hung in the air, broken only by the sound of faint, occasional sobs.

"Alright, everyone, stop," Kaito said from the lectern, his face stern. "If you can't do it, you can't do it. There's no need to waste any more time."

"NO!!" Kono Jisei, who was sitting in the back row, shot to his feet, his face streaked with tears. "I don't believe it! This can't be real! I worked so hard, why couldn't I succeed?! Something must have gone wrong! Please, teach me again, Lord Kaito!"

He bowed at a ninety-degree angle, tears splashing onto the floor.

His outburst was contagious, and several other students began to wail loudly.

"Sigh." Kaito sighed and walked down from the lectern. He came to stand before Kono Jisei and helped him up.

"Jisei, and all of you, stand up straight!" he suddenly shouted, his voice instantly silencing the crying students.

"Failing to master chakra doesn't mean you'll be cast out of the sanctuary. Before this, you were all ordinary people, just like your parents. You can still start families, build careers, and contribute to the sanctuary all the same!"

Kaito's voice was deep and resonant. "In my eyes, being a ninja is just a profession, like being a carpenter, a farmer, or a teacher. There is no high or low, no noble or common. It doesn't mean that ninja are inherently superior. All of you are the future of this sanctuary. So, stand up straight!"

As he spoke, he used his Aura to amplify the emotional impact of his words, making them ring in the students' ears like a thunderclap.

"But… I still can't accept it," Kono Jisei said, biting his lip.

"That feeling of frustration is a good thing. It means you still have drive," Kaito said, clapping him on the shoulder. "If one path is blocked, find another. Don't worry, neither I nor the sanctuary will abandon you."

"Yes, sir!"

After spending a considerable amount of time on counseling and sending all the unsuccessful students out of the school, Kaito returned to the classroom to begin a different kind of lesson.

He looked at the fifteen remaining students and smiled with relief. "First of all, congratulations. You have earned the qualification to become ninja. Heh, actually, I'm not very fond of the term 'ninja.' I imagine you all feel the same way, since ninja were the ones who destroyed your homes."

"Yeah," Nagato and the others nodded.

"So, why don't we change the name? Let's call ourselves 'Light Chasers.'"

"Light Chasers?" Yahiko repeated, his eyes shining.

"That's right. Light Chasers—those who pursue the light," Kaito said with a smile. "Correspondingly, I have created an organization to house us Light Chasers. It's called the 'Rocket Team.' An arrow of fire, aimed at its target, flying swiftly into the distance. And we, the Light Chasers, will pursue that light."

"That sounds so cool!" Yahiko said excitedly. "Are we all Light Chasers now?"

"You're still a long way off," Kaito shook his head. "When you graduate, I will officially induct you into the Rocket Team as full members. So, you must all work hard, understand?"

"Yes!"

With this clear goal before them, the students' hearts swelled with excitement, making them wish they could graduate immediately.

In a secret location in the Land of Lightning, a young boy with an asymmetrical haircut stood at the center of a complex array of sealing formulas, his face contorted in pain. A deep red chakra slowly enveloped his body, and three tails extended from his back.

The boy's face gradually became beast-like, and he let out an agonized roar.

"He's lost consciousness! Subdue him, now!" Seeing this, the surrounding Cloud ninja no longer hesitated and activated the sealing array on the ground.

The sealing formulas wrapped around the boy's body, suppressing his chakra. The Tailed Beast cloak receded, revealing the boy's severely burned skin.

Several medical ninja rushed to examine him and then breathed a sigh of relief. " He is fine, just unconscious."

On a high platform above, the Third Raikage, who had watched the entire scene unfold, said with a grim expression, "Still no good? We still can't control the Eight-Tails' jinchuriki?"

"My lord, our sealing jutsu is not yet perfect," explained the old man in charge of this top-secret project. "We cannot simultaneously seal the Eight-Tails and draw out a controllable amount of its chakra."

"Then make the sealing jutsu perfect!"

"Without a reference, we've already reached our limit," the old man said through gritted teeth. "I've heard that the Nine-Tails' seal has always been flawless. If we could capture the Nine-Tails' jinchuriki and bring them back, I am certain I could develop the perfect sealing jutsu!"

"The Nine-Tails' jinchuriki?" the Third Raikage said coldly. "I heard Mito Uzumaki passed away and the Nine-Tails has a new host. Have you identified them?"

"The Nine-Tails' chakra is very distinct. Our spies have already used sensory jutsu to investigate and have roughly identified the target. Moreover, Konoha is currently busy fighting the Rain and Sand Villages. Their defenses are weak, making this the perfect opportunity for us to strike."

"How confident are you?"

"Forty percent!"

"Forty percent is enough." The Third Raikage made his decision immediately. "Activate all our spies in Konoha. Even if they are all sacrificed, I want the Nine-Tails' jinchuriki brought back here. I have to go to the border to deal with the Land of Earth's offensive. I'm leaving this matter entirely in your hands."

"Yes, my lord!"

At the same time, on the battlefield in the Land of Rain.

Hanzo stood in the tent that served as his temporary command post, staring silently at the map, which was densely marked with the distribution of Konoha's ninja forces.

Fighting three great nations at once was indeed difficult for the newly risen Land of Rain. Fortunately, the Land of Earth had been the first to be repelled. Now it was the Land of Fire's turn. As long as they won this battle, only the Land of Wind would remain as an enemy.

The reason he had saved the Land of Wind for last wasn't because it was weak, but because it was more troublesome. He had originally planned to deal with them quickly, but after clashing with them, Hanzo realized he had been gravely mistaken. The Sand's new Puppet Brigade and Chiyo, who was known as the "Flower of the Shinobi World," had rendered his invincible poison mist useless. Chiyo, in particular, had been able to develop an antidote to his salamander poison after only a few days of contact, which had given him a massive headache.

So, he had moved the bulk of the Rain Village's elite forces here, allowing the Sand Village to occupy their territory. His goal was to deal with Konoha first, and then join forces with them to defeat the Land of Wind. When that time came, the Land of Rain would finally have a status equal to that of the Five Great Nations.

Even today, facing Konoha's massive ninja army, Hanzo had not lost his confidence.

Because I am Hanzo of the Salamander. My destiny is to lead the Land of Rain to greatness! No one can stop me!

Just as he was brimming with ambition, a subordinate suddenly reported, "Sir, the main Konoha army's movements have been exposed! They are attacking our flank. The commander is Akimichi Torifu."

"The former guard of the Second Hokage, Akimichi Torifu? Excellent. I've long wanted to meet him." Hanzo turned and said loudly, "Relay my orders! The First Company will move out with me to engage the enemy. The Second Company will remain on high alert for any surprise attacks."

"Yes, sir!"

The final large-scale battle between the Rain and Konoha had begun!