C153

Rika Toriyama's POV:

The morning was quiet, the academy still empty as the first rays of sunlight filtered through the classroom windows. Rika Toriyama, always one of the earliest to arrive, settled at her desk with a cup of tea. She had planned to use the early hour to finalize her lesson plans, but her attention was drawn to something unexpected.

A folded piece of paper, neatly placed on the edge of her desk, caught her eye. Picking it up, she immediately recognized Haruto's handwriting. He had left this for her to find before the day had even begun. With growing curiosity, she unfolded the paper and began to read.

It wasn't long before Rika realized that this was no ordinary essay. Haruto had written a critique of the Will of Fire, Konoha's core philosophy. But this wasn't a rejection of the ideology—it was a thoughtful analysis of how it could be made even stronger. Haruto had suggested ways to make the Will of Fire more personal, more tangible, for every shinobi in the village. His ideas—personalized affirmations and rituals or tokens—were both practical and insightful.

She sat back, absorbing his words. Haruto believed that by tailoring the Will of Fire to each shinobi's individual strengths, the village's leaders could strengthen the bond between each ninja and their duty to protect Konoha. He was right—everyone, from the medic-nin to the Taijutsu specialist, needed to feel that their contribution was essential. And the idea of introducing simple rituals, or small tokens, that symbolized this connection? It was clever. Simple, but clever.

As Rika re-read certain lines, she found herself nodding. Haruto's suggestions weren't just theoretical—they could be implemented with minimal disruption, but with a potentially massive impact. Konoha had always valued strength and loyalty, and these ideas would only deepen the loyalty of its shinobi.

But as much as she agreed with his thoughts, Rika knew these ideas couldn't stay confined to the classroom. This wasn't something she could handle on her own. There was only one person in the academy who would know how to act on something this important—the head instructor.

I need to bring this to the head instructor.

The head instructor was the most influential person Rika had access to, and they had the authority to decide how far these ideas should go. If Haruto's words had merit—and she believed they did—the head instructor would ensure that the right people heard them. The Will of Fire was the backbone of Konoha, and any suggestion to strengthen it had to be handled with care, but also with purpose.

Rika carefully folded the paper and tucked it into her robes, her decision made. She would go to the head instructor and present the essay. Haruto had taken a bold step, and it was her responsibility to see that his ideas were given the attention they deserved. She would make sure the right person saw this, but she would also protect Haruto from any unintended consequences. After all, even good ideas could stir trouble in the wrong hands.

With a final glance at the empty classroom, Rika stood and began her walk to the head instructor's office. Haruto's essay had the potential to shift the way Konoha's shinobi connected to their duty. Whether it would or not, that decision wasn't hers alone to make. But she knew she had to act. And she would.

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