It wasn't long after Naruto had celebrated his sixth birthday.
Someday.
After finishing a long day of training and refueling with food, Naruto returned to his modest apartment—the place he called his den.
To his surprise, the Third Hokage had once again appeared inside.
But this wasn't an isolated event; this kind of visit had happened multiple times before. Naruto quickly lit up with joy, his reaction swift and natural.
"Huh!? Grandpa Third!"
A sudden shift in mood.
"What brings you here today?"
Naruto dashed toward the Third Hokage and looked up at him with a familiar, excited, and slightly surprised expression.
"I came by today because it's been a while since I last saw Naruto," the Third Hokage said kindly. "And, I also have some good news to share."
He leaned in slightly, his right hand gently ruffling Naruto's spiky blond hair, wearing that warm expression he reserved only for special moments.
"Huh? Good news?"
Naruto blinked in confusion—this wasn't an act. For a boy like him, who had endured cold stares and silent treatment for as long as he could remember, the idea of "good news" was unfamiliar territory.
"Yes," the Third Hokage continued, "didn't Naruto always say he wanted to become a great ninja? Then, learning is something that can't be skipped."
He gently patted Naruto on the shoulder, his voice warm and calm.
"Grandpa Third, what do you mean?"
This time, Naruto's surprise wasn't feigned. Real excitement surged through him.
Even though the Third Hokage hadn't said it outright, Naruto could already grasp the meaning behind the words.
"Yes," the old man said, smiling faintly. "You're already six. Starting next week, Naruto, you'll begin attending the Ninja Academy. That's the path to becoming a true shinobi."
After all, Naruto was the Nine-Tails' Jinchūriki—and the orphaned son of the Fourth Hokage.
During the six years since the Nine-Tails attack, the Hokage had watched over Naruto closely, silently confirming what he'd hoped to believe: Naruto would not pose a threat to the village.
Now that Naruto had turned six, it was time. Enrolling him in the Academy was not just appropriate—it was inevitable.
"Really? Grandpa Third, I can start going to the Ninja Academy?"
A burst of light flared in Naruto's bright blue eyes, and he shouted excitedly, the expression on his face one of genuine joy.
"That's right. In a few days, a teacher from the Academy will come by to help you register. From then on, Naruto, will you listen to your teachers?"
"Yes!"
A shinobi!
I can finally go to the Academy!
Naruto's fists clenched slightly, eyes glinting with emotion. This wasn't a moment that needed acting—this was the raw, honest joy of a lonely boy whose dreams had taken a step closer to reality.
Of course, this joy wasn't just about finally being allowed to attend formal shinobi training. It meant something deeper.
If the Third Hokage had approved this, it meant the village had finally begun to lower its guard toward him.
His own plans could now proceed with fewer obstacles.
Watching Naruto's unfiltered excitement, the Third Hokage's expression softened.
Whether it was the Nine-Tails attack from six years ago or the lonely boy before him now, the Hokage couldn't forget how much he owed the Fourth Hokage.
Despite the political pressure and social complications, he had done what he could.
Because, in the Third Hokage's heart, there was a principle he could never abandon:
The Will of Fire.
That evening, after explaining a few basic guidelines about the Academy, the Third Hokage didn't linger.
He quietly left Naruto's apartment.
Even after the door closed behind him, Naruto's excitement refused to fade.
There was no need to pretend.
He was truly looking forward to his time at the Ninja Academy—where he would finally take a solid second step in this harsh world.
---
A week later.
On the morning of his enrollment day—
Knock knock knock.
The teacher that the Hokage had mentioned arrived at Naruto's door.
Naruto opened it.
Standing before him was a lean figure in a standard Konoha chūnin vest. A wide, horizontal scar across the bridge of his nose marked his otherwise youthful face.
Though it was the first time they met in this life, Naruto recognized him immediately.
"Umino Iruka," Naruto murmured inwardly.
Yes.
This was the man who, in the original timeline, had believed in Naruto when no one else did.
He had been the only light in Naruto's otherwise bleak childhood.
It made sense for Naruto to harbor resentment toward most people in the village—the elders, the Hokage, the civilians—but Iruka was different.
He was someone Naruto could never bring himself to hate.
Still, no matter what he knew from before, Naruto reminded himself that the future wasn't written. He would rely on his own eyes and judgment now.
The past was just a guide.
"You must be Naruto-kun? I'm a teacher from the Ninja Academy. My name is Umino Iruka. You can call me Iruka-sensei. The Hokage-sama should have told you—today's the enrollment day. I've come to take you to register."
Iruka's gaze lingered on Naruto a second too long, a flicker of emotion surfacing in his eyes—but he quickly masked it.
He leaned down and patted Naruto's head with gentle care.
Naruto noticed it.
He understood.
Iruka's parents had died six years ago—killed during the Nine-Tails' attack.
And Naruto was the Jinchūriki.
If Iruka didn't show any emotion, that would be the real surprise.
"Yes, Iruka-sensei."
A big, genuine smile spread across Naruto's face.
Seeing that smile, Iruka looked startled for a moment—but then he nodded softly and took Naruto's small hand in his.
"Let's go, Naruto-kun."
"Yes."
The main street leading to the heart of Konoha, where the Academy stood, was alive with energy.
As was tradition, parents across the village were bringing their children to enroll. The Academy held entrance exams, and the fate of each student's future as a shinobi began here.
Despite the dangers of ninja life and the village's heavy losses in past wars—including the recent Nine-Tails incident—people still dreamed of seeing their children become ninja.
Because in this world, being a ninja meant power, status, and possibility.
Just as swords defined the era of samurai, now—
This was the age of shinobi.
And here, in the Hidden Leaf Village of the Land of Fire, being a Konoha ninja meant even more.
So, naturally, the Academy's admission day drew crowds from across the village.