At the academy's opening ceremony, the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju, delivered a rousing speech before officially announcing the start of the entrance evaluation tests.
The test for first-year students was a one-mile sprint.
Results were graded into four levels: A, B, C, and D. Among the crowd of new students, Arima quickly took note of several particularly noteworthy individuals.
First was a boy named Hatake Sakumo. He was the same age as Tsunade, and stood out both in skill and temperament, one of the top among all new students.
Then there was a boy named Orochimaru, also Sakumo's peer.
Though he looked fragile and slender, he was clearly very intelligent.
Lastly, there was a blue-haired boy named Dan Kato.
He was a year older than Tsunade, but far more mature than most his age. His calm nature made him another standout candidate in Arima's eyes.
Aside from them, there were two other new students who left Arima uncertain in his assessment.
One was a white-haired prankster named Jiraiya, the other a thick-browed boy in a bright green training outfit named Might Duy.
To Arima, Jiraiya seemed clever, but far more restless and mischievous than the others,a typical troublemaker.
That kind of personality didn't naturally align with the discipline required of a shinobi, which made it hard to predict how far he might go in the future.
Might Duy, on the other hand, lacked any exceptional natural talent as a ninja, but his perseverance was unmatched among the children.
He also seemed to face others' mockery with positivity and resilience. That alone earned Arima's admiration.
Arima assigned all the mentioned students to his own A-Class, planning to teach them personally. He was eager to see just how far each of them could go.
As for Tsunade, Arima harbored a slight personal bias, he would've preferred her to skip the test altogether.
But since she'd eventually need teammates, he let her participate freely. Besides, he knew her well and had full confidence in his adorable little sister.
Once the evaluation ended, teachers began guiding students to their respective classes based on their rankings.
Arima made his way to the group of thirty-five new students, including Tsunade.
The children were shocked to see that their instructor was none other than the vice principal himself.
Though he didn't look much older than them, he carried a commanding presence that immediately quelled the initial chatter and settled the group into silence.
Many of the new students already knew who Arima was, some had heard of him from their clan elders, while others had just witnessed his incredible display of ninjutsu at the opening ceremony.
Either way, he had left a strong impression.
Arima turned to Tsunade and said, "Tsunade, you and Sakumo divide the students into two lines and follow me."
As he spoke, he pointed toward the white-haired boy in the crowd whose eyes gleamed with sharp focus.
Tsunade beamed. "Okay, Arima-nii."
She quickly found Sakumo and split the group into two, boys and girls, with each of them taking charge of one group.
Tsunade then skipped over to Arima and gently held his hand. With the group in formation, they followed Arima into the classroom.
For their first lesson, Arima had long decided on the approach.
He believed that the more the children understood one another, the better they could help each other grow.
That would also make it easier for them to keep up with lessons.
So, he planned to have each student introduce themselves, sharing basic background, dreams, and aspirations, much like what he used to do on his birthdays.
Based on performance, Tsunade was the first.
She spoke confidently.
"My name is Tsunade Senju. I'm from the Senju clan. I'm four years old. I like Arima-nii the most, and I love going to the casino to play dice.
My favorite food is candy, and I hate natto. When I grow up, I want to become the strongest medical ninja in the shinobi world. That way, if Arima-nii gets hurt, I can heal him."
She plopped down into her seat afterward and stuck her tongue out at Arima with a playful grin.
Arima smiled and said, "Thank you, Tsunade, for reminding the teacher just how charming and beloved he is. But, just so you know, your teacher's medical ninjutsu is already quite impressive.
So Tsunade, you've got to work hard. Alright, next up, Hatake Sakumo."
Sakumo, quiet and reserved, stood and said plainly, "Hatake Sakumo. Four years old. I like practicing sword techniques. No favorite or disliked foods. I hope to carry on and improve my clan's swordsmanship."
Arima noted Sakumo's composed demeanor, the type of calm that only natural warriors possessed, and gave a nod for him to sit down.
Next was Dan Kato. This boy's warm smile and helpful nature had already made a good impression on Arima. He motioned for Dan to introduce himself.
Dan stood up, his gentle smile glowing. "My name is Dan Kato. I'm five years old. I love helping others, just like Arima-sensei.
My favorite food is sweet dumplings. In the future, I want to earn everyone's recognition and become Hokage, to protect this big family."
Arima was moved by Dan's words. The Hokage bore enormous responsibility, the pillar of the village. And somehow, this boy already seemed to understand that.
Arima smiled. "Dan, your dream is a big one. Becoming Hokage means shouldering great duty and protection. I believe every Hokage of Konoha fights for the safety of our village until their last breath.
When I was three, my dream was to be a great do-gooder. Back then, I would go around helping people with small tasks.
Let me share something with you all: 'Never think a small good deed isn't worth doing.'"
Many of the students had heard stories of Arima's past and already held him in high regard.
Seeing how much her classmates respected and admired her big brother filled Tsunade with pride.
Next up was Orochimaru. He rose slowly and said.
"My name is Orochimaru. I'm four years old. I like reading quietly. My favorite food is eggs. I hate frogs. I hope to become a scholar with vast knowledge in the future."
Though the boy looked frail, his voice revealed a quiet strength and determination.
Arima could tell he was the kind who would cling to his beliefs with unshakable resolve. Guiding someone like that would require careful attention.
Arima looked at him with appreciation. "Knowledge can change your destiny. Always remember, we stand on the shoulders of those who came before us.
I hope you'll hold on to your original purpose. And just so you know, your teacher knows quite a few ninjutsu. If you impress me, I might just teach you a few in private."
Orochimaru's heart stirred. His dream had often been mocked by others. But this young teacher, who wasn't even much older than him, had recognized and encouraged it. He felt genuinely grateful.
Arima's gentle attitude put the rest of the students at ease. Their nervousness faded, and they began introducing themselves with growing confidence and openness.
Watching them, Arima felt truly comforted.
Finally, it came down to Jiraiya and Might Duy.
Jiraiya had grown impatient waiting. As soon as Arima looked at him, he jumped up, but then froze as all eyes turned to him. His mind went blank. He suddenly forgot what he'd planned to say.
Arima noticed the strange charm of this boy. He clearly craved attention, pulling pranks and acting out to be noticed.
Unfortunately, he always seemed to mess things up, achieving the opposite of what he wanted.
So Arima gently prompted, "What's your name?"
Jiraiya, in his usual silly fashion, blurted, "The great Jiraiya, that's who I am."
Arima didn't mind his tone, the boy was obviously nervous.
He followed up, "How old are you?"
Jiraiya replied instantly, "3 feet."
Arima paused, then realized Jiraiya meant his height.
Realizing what he said, Jiraiya looked around, embarrassed by the stares. Clearly he had misheard the question.
He'd messed up again. But seeing that Arima wasn't mocking him eased his heart.
So he boldly declared, "The great, no wait, I'm Jiraiya. I'm four years old. I like peeking at the pretty ladies in the hot springs near my house.
My favorite food is natto. I want to travel the shinobi world for inspiration and write the most popular novel ever."
The classroom was already a bit dizzy from Jiraiya's antics. When he finally finished, the others blinked and refocused.
His odd hobbies earned more than a few eye-rolls. Tsunade, upon hearing he liked natto, instantly gave up any thought of talking to him.
Next was Might Duy.
With vibrant enthusiasm, he declared, "My name is Might Duy. I'm four years old. I love training with my father every day. I love all kinds of food. One day, I want to become a powerful taijutsu ninja."
He ended by flashing a big thumbs-up to the whole class.
Arima looked at the passionate little boy and his strange poses.
He'd met Duy's father before, a taijutsu ninja with no real talent, but overflowing with positive energy. That kind of mindset was something Arima deeply respected.
With all the introductions complete, Arima thought to himself, From this moment on, my first year A-Class is officially formed.
Just then, a voice echoed in his mind.
[Doing good daily, encouraging young students, planting seeds of belief, Rank: D. Max score: 100. Score achieved: 100. You have earned 100 virtue points.]