The Academy classroom was a concentrated storm.
After the Hokage's speech, the children were herded inside. The open air of the playground had allowed the chaotic hum of their energies to dissipate, but here, in the enclosed space, the noise was a thick, suffocating blanket. Deva found his seat in the back and immediately focused inward, raising the fragile mental shield he had built from the memory of his mother's warmth. It was a constant effort, like holding a heavy weight, but it muted the world enough for him to think.
Their teacher, Iruka Umino, stood at the front. His energy was surprisingly calm and kind for a shinobi, a steady, welcoming presence in the room. He began the first lesson, speaking about the history of Konoha and the Will of Fire.
Deva heard the words, but his attention was elsewhere. He was using his shield not just to block the noise, but to feel it. He let his senses drift across the room, past the small, unremarkable hums of most of his classmates. He was quickly able to pick out the two strongest, most distinct energies in the classroom.
The boy with the dark hair, Sasuke Uchiha, felt... cold. His energy was a sharp, focused point of coldness in the otherwise warm, stuffy room.
Then there was Naruto Uzumaki. His energy was the opposite. It was hot. Not just warm, but an overwhelming, chaotic heat that felt like standing too close to a giant furnace.
Cold and hot. Those were the two poles of the room, the two extremes that defined his new world.
"Alright, class!" Iruka's voice cut through his analysis. "For your first exercise, I just want you to feel the energy inside you. Place your hands on your desk, close your eyes, and try to feel the warmth in the center of your stomach. This is the source of your chakra."
A quiet fell over the room. Deva did as instructed, easily feeling the calm, quiet hum of his own power. It was peaceful.
"Hey! Hey! I think I feel it!" Naruto suddenly shouted, his voice full of excitement. "It's like... a big balloon! And it's getting bigger!"
As he spoke, a massive, uncontrolled wave of energy erupted from him. The chaotic heat Deva had been sensing exploded outward.
For Deva, it was like a physical blow. The wave of raw, hot power slammed into his fragile mental shield, shattering it into a thousand pieces.
The noise of the entire room rushed back in at once, ten times louder than before. The combined hum of thirty children, Iruka's steady presence, and Naruto's roaring heat all crashed into his mind simultaneously. A cry of pain escaped his lips. The world spun, and he stumbled sideways, his chair clattering to the floor.
"Deva! Are you alright?" Iruka was at his side in an instant, his face etched with concern.
Deva couldn't answer. He was drowning again. The pain in his head was blinding. He pressed his palms against his temples, gasping. Quiet, quiet, be quiet like Mom, be quiet like the shop! He desperately tried to recall the feeling of his mother's warmth, to rebuild his shield. It was like trying to build a dam in the middle of a flood.
Slowly, agonizingly, a sliver of quiet returned. He managed to push the noise back, to dull the roaring heat. He was left trembling, his breathing ragged.
He shakily picked up his chair and sat down, avoiding the curious and concerned stares of his classmates. Iruka watched him for a moment before turning to gently scold Naruto for being disruptive.
Deva didn't hear the scolding. His silver eyes were fixed on the blond boy. His observation was no longer just curious or detached. Naruto wasn't just a boy with hot, messy chakra. His uncontrolled power was a direct threat to Deva's stability.
He couldn't just filter the noise. He needed a stronger shield. He needed more power, not to fight, but simply to survive being in the same room as Naruto Uzumaki.