It was a beautiful day in Konahagakure no Sato, the village hidden in the leaves. A day where you'd just want to sit back, relax, and just watch the clouds drift by lazily across the blue sky. Unfortunatly, for this village's future protectors, the day was spent within the confines of the Konoha Shinobi Academy, facing another boring lecture about the history of their village. One lecture in particular however, was a little less boring in its informitiveness.
"Now class," Called the teacher at the front of the room, his scarred face turning to look up on his students, "Who here can tell me just why we are known as the Village hidden in the Leaves?" Several hands were raised, looking, the vested sensei pointed to one student. "Sakura"
"That's easy, it's because the Shodaime Hokage created the village using his Mokuton, wood style ninjutsu." said the rosette, her emerald eyes twinkling in triumph at the easiness of her question, allowing her to show her superior knowlage to the class, the brooding form of a dark, oddly duck-butt-shaped, haired, boy infront of her, only to be ignored by said boy causing her to slump slightly waiting for her teacher's responce.
"Well done Sakura, but that's only partially correct." Their teacher said, earning several confused looks, along with questions of what he meant.
"What do you mean Iruka-Sensei?" asked one boy, a small dog sitting atop his head and dozing quietly through the lecture. As a canine he didn't have any need for these lectures, but the comfiest spot for him was atop his master, and partner's, head, so he stayed anyways.
"What I mean, Kiba, is that that is only a part of the reason that we are known as Konohagakura no Sato. Dose anyone else know the other reason?" he asked, earning a silenced air of confusion. One student in particular however, a blond boy with whiskered cheeks, had a contemplative look on his face, smiling, he asked for the boy's opinion.
"Naruto, do you know why we are called this?" Iruka asked, smiling encouragingly at the young shinobi-to-be. Before the boy could speak however, a scoff was heard.
"Pshh... like that Dobe would know why our village is called that if none of the rest of us do." Remarked the dark, duck-butt-haired boy, earning the instantanious nods and agreements from almost the entire female population of the room, and an appreciatory grin from the white-haired teacher who was sitting back watching the lesson while his colligue taught.
"Sasuke, you should know better than to make comments like that. A weeks detention!" Iruka said sternly, earning several cries of outrage and indigmation from most of the young girls in the room, only to be silenced at the comment "And a weeks detention to anyone who complains!"
Silence.
"Very good, now, what were you about to say Naruto?" Iruka asked, an air of kindness about his tone as he addressed his (secretly) favorite student.
Naruto looked up, slightly dejected from the comment by Sasuke and the agreeal by most of his classmates. He gulped slightly before standing and speaking, a look of determination crossing his eyes briefly.
"I... I remember Jiji telling me something once... but I'm not sure it's right..." he said quietly, only Iruka knowing that by "Jiji" he meant the Hokage, the leader of the village and currently the most powerful athorative figure in the entire country aside from the assorted daimyo across the land. It was almost comical how he called a man who could kill somone before anyone could even blink an 'old man.'
"Go ahead Naruto, if you're wrong I'll tell you the correct answer so you know." Iruka said kindly, smiling encouragingly up at the boy still. Receiving a nod, the young blond began again.
"Well... Jiji said that we're the village in the leaves because each of the shinobi here are like leaves on a tree... right?"
"Correct Naruto!" the scarred man said happily, clapping "Can you tell us why that is correct?" Receving a shake of the head, he smiled, sighing inwardly that the boy probably did know, but didn't want to be made fun of on the chance that he was wrong. Closing his eyes, he allowed Naruto to have a seat before explaining to the class just what he meant.
"We are known as Konoha because, as Naruto said, all of the shinobi of the leaf are like leaves on a tree, that tree being the village itself. With each new leaf added to the tree, it becomes stronger, and more full of life." his lecture was interrupted by a scoff by Sasuke, who obviously had a thought on the matter. "Yes Sasuke? you have something to add?"
Sasuke merely looked out the window, bridging his fingers infront of his face. "These weaklings are useless to me... they'll only end up holding me back. I don't see why we need so many ninja anyway, we're powerful enough as it is without them." He said matter-o-factly, earning protests from some of the more outspoken children in the room. A frown found its way across Iruka's face at the last Uchiha's comment.
"Yes Sasuke, we are powerful, but like I said, our village is just like that tree. Tell me Sasuke, what were to happen if all that was left was one, very large, very strong leaf, on the entire tree?" Iruka asked, narrowing his eyes at the brooding boy.
"Easy. It would die." Sasuke said without a second thought, not realising the trap he had just walked into.
"Exactly. With only one leaf, with only one powerful shinobi, the tree, the village would die out. Missions would not be able to be completed, and if that one shinobi was taken out on a mission, be he outnumbered, or simply too tired to continue, the village would be left defenseless. Each new generation helps to replace the last and make the tree stronger, just like a tree and its leaves. Every year they come back, brighter and stronger than ever. While some leaves may fall off early, or be taken off by predators or even of their own accord, the other leaves will be able to pick up the slack untill a new leaf can take it's spot.
"This is the reason we train new Shinobi here at the academy, and this is the reason we place ninja onto teams. It's harder to break a bundle of sticks, than it is a single twig. By placing shinobi into groups of three or four, we make them stronger through their teamwork." Iruka explained, capturing the class with his words, rather than putting them to sleep for once. Happy at this turn of events, he noticed the proud smile on Naruto's face, letting him know that the blond prankster had known the right answer and was silently cheering for his knowing something the others did not. Sasuke however merely glowered and continued to look out the window, mutters of "pointless" and "weak" able to be heard by the poytailed sensei. Sighing he returned to his air of sternness that the students identified in a second as the 'I'm about to do something you're all going to hate, and there's nothing you can do about it because I'm the teacher' look.
"Well, since all of you were actually paying attention for once, it shouldn't be too hard for each of you to write a two-hundred word report on the Founding of the Leaf Village's shinobi system, covered in chapters four and six in your textbooks!" Iruka said, grinning at the many groans of protest at the idea, but also the nod of determination from a certain whiskered, blue-eyed blond.
'You show them Naruto. Show them just how smart you really are.' Iruka thought quietly as the bell rang, dismissing class for the day.