Iruka blinked a few times, still staring at the boy who had just entered with that almost insolent calm. Satoru Gojo — so small, yet so... impressive. His white hair, tousled in a way that looked deliberate, and those blue eyes, almost shining with an innocence that didn't quite match the way he slouched in his seat, all crooked, like the world was a comfortable place he already had under control.
Iruka scratched the back of his neck, trying to collect himself.
Focus, Iruka, he thought. He may be handsome, but he's just another student.
He sighed deeply, straightened his back, and looked at the class.
"Alright, let's continue," he said, trying to sound firm. "I am Iruka-sensei, and I expect everyone to follow my example."
Iruka cleared his throat and said, "I want everyone in this class to introduce themselves. I'll start with whoever I point to."
He slowly extended his finger toward one end of the room. But just as he did, he caught sight of a small, knowing smile curling at the corner of Satoru's lips.
Quickly, Iruka shifted his hand away and pretended nothing had happened.
"Alright," he said, pointing instead to the girl sitting quietly at the other end, "please introduce yourself."
Hinata looked up, startled out of her gaze fixed on Satoru, and nodded softly.
The girl, clearly embarrassed at being caught off guard, glanced around nervously as if trying to see if anyone else had noticed.
Iruka, a seasoned shinobi, noticed her discomfort and felt a bit awkward himself. His brow furrowed, and a bead of sweat appeared on his temple when he saw her glance toward Satoru.
Just then, the boy blinked at her — a quick, casual blink.
Hinata's face flushed bright red, like a ripe tomato. She barely managed to whisper.
"H-Hinata…" before her knees seemed to weaken, as if she might faint.
Iruka, having been interrupted, realized he'd forgotten to mention something important.
"Ah, right," he said, straightening up in front of the class. "When you introduce yourselves, I want you to also say what your dream is, alright?"
He glanced at Hinata, about to ask her to repeat her introduction, but seeing her flushed and clearly uncomfortable, he decided against it.
"So… let's keep going. Next!" Iruka pointed to the next student, trying to regain his composure.
The introductions continued, a steady flow of names and dreams filling the room. Some students spoke with confident voices, others shy and barely audible. Faces blurred into a sea of indistinct features—except for a few that caught more attention than the rest.
Ino Yamanaka, seated near the back, couldn't help but sneak glances at the boy who had just entered—the mysterious white-haired student with those piercing blue eyes. Her lips curled into a secretive smile.
'Who is he?' she wondered, captivated by his effortless charm and that air of confidence that seemed to bend the light around him.
Nearby, Sakura Haruno sat quietly, her eyes narrowing thoughtfully as she compared Satoru Gojo to Sasuke Uchiha. Sasuke was handsome, no doubt, with the weight of a noble clan behind him, but this new boy... he carried himself like royalty—different, radiant. Is he worth chasing? she pondered silently, her cheeks tinged pink.
Not far from her, Naruto Uzumaki scowled slightly, a knot of envy tightening in his chest. The attention that had been his—if only barely—was now stolen completely by this striking newcomer.
"Why does he get all the stares?" Naruto muttered under his breath, eyes flicking between Gojo and the other students.
Iruka cleared his throat, calling the class to attention.
"Let's continue with introductions. Please tell us your name and what your dream is."
Naruto bounced in his seat, eyes shining bright.
"I'm Naruto Uzumaki! I'm gonna be Hokage someday, and everyone will recognize me!"
Sakura, sitting nearby, glanced sideways at him, pushing her hair back. She wasn't sure if he was serious or just loud.
Ino adjusted her bangs, sneaking a glance at Gojo standing by the door.
"I'm Ino Yamanaka. I want to be a ninja who can protect everyone—and look good doing it."
Shikamaru yawned and said without enthusiasm.
"Shikamaru Nara. I want a life with as little trouble as possible... but I guess I'll have to work hard for it."
Shino, calm and collected, added.
"Shino Aburame. I want to control my bugs to protect my friends."
Sasuke spoke up next, his voice calm but distant.
"My name is Sasuke Uchiha. I want to become strong... strong enough to surpass my brother and make the Uchiha clan proud."
A quiet murmur passed through the classroom—no one dared say much, but the name "Uchiha" always carried weight.
Next came Kiba, who grinned and sat with his arms behind his head. Akamaru poked his head out from inside Kiba's coat.
"I'm Kiba Inuzuka! My dream is to become a super strong ninja—with Akamaru always by my side!"
Akamaru barked in agreement, earning a few chuckles.
Then came Choji, who looked a little hesitant at first but smiled as he stood up.
"I'm Choji Akimichi. I wanna be a great ninja someday… and make enough money to buy all the snacks I want! Especially spicy chips."
Iruka raised an eyebrow but smiled slightly, nodding for the next student.
Iruka began to sweat slightly when he realized who was next.
Satoru Gojo stood up slowly, confidently, his white hair catching the sunlight that filtered through the windows. With an easy smile, he placed a hand on his chest like he was accepting an award.
"My name is Satoru Gojo," he announced, his voice clear and bold.
"Be sure to remember it."
Several students exchanged glances. A few rolled their eyes. Others stared, intrigued.
"But as for my dreams, goals, and defining traits..." He grinned, resting his hand casually on his desk and leaning forward slightly.
"I'd rather show than tell. Besides," his eyes sparkled as he tilted his head.
"...you'll all be watching me anyway. Might as well enjoy the view."
He gave Ino a dramatic wink.
She gasped, her face turning red as she looked away too quickly to be casual.
Then he turned to Sakura with a softer gaze—less performative, more thoughtful—and for a second, she hesitated, confused, caught between the Uchiha prodigy beside her and the glowing enigma now sitting one row ahead.
Iruka stared, mouth slightly open, mentally questioning his life choices.
'This kid is going to give me gray hairs…'
"Alright…" Iruka muttered, clearing his throat and forcing himself to look away.
"Next student."
Iruka glanced over the class list one last time and let out a breath of relief.
"Looks like that's everyone," he muttered.
"Alright then, let's begin the lesson."
He turned back to the class, straightening his posture and putting on his best instructor face.
"Today, we'll be starting with a theoretical introduction to shurikenjutsu—the art of throwing shuriken. Tomorrow, if weather allows, we'll begin hands-on practice in the training field."
A few students perked up at the word "shuriken." Others slumped in mild disappointment.
Iruka began drawing diagrams on the board: basic grips, angles, and rotational control. He spoke clearly, passionately even, slipping into his teacher rhythm.
To his surprise—and mild relief—Satoru Gojo, the Beautiful Menace, was actually paying attention.
Eyes forward, posture (mostly) straight, even nodding at the right times.
'Maybe I overreacted…' Iruka thought.
'Maybe he's just a bit dramatic, but serious about learning. This might go smoother than I thought.'
And then—
A pause.
Just a few seconds, but Iruka noticed it. Satoru's head tilted slightly, his eyes glancing across the room. A second later, he flashed a wink at a girl who had been sneaking glances at him from behind her textbook.
Ino nearly dropped her pencil.
Iruka's brow twitched.
He turned back to the board, trying to ignore the muffled giggles behind him.
'Focus,' he told himself. 'He's not doing anything wrong. He's technically paying attention. Just… occasionally weaponizing his face.'
He dared a peek back at the class.
Satoru was back to nodding along with the explanation like nothing had happened.
Then he caught Sakura watching him, and he offered her a softer look—subtle, almost tender.
Sakura immediately stiffened in her seat, unsure if she should blush, panic, or compare him to Sasuke again.
Iruka sighed internally.
'This year… is going to be long.'
And with that, the lesson continued—under the watchful, tired eyes of a teacher already wondering if retirement was a valid option.
The bell rang, its shrill tone echoing through the classroom like a jutsu meant to shatter attention spans.
Chairs scraped. Bags rustled. The kids began to chatter and shift in their seats, ready to rush out and enjoy the rest of their day.
Iruka clapped his hands once.
"Before you leave, I just want to say—"
He stopped mid-sentence.
His eyes scanned the classroom.
Satoru Gojo… was no longer in the seat he had occupied for the entire lesson.
No, now he was lounging—yes, lounging—one leg stretched, arm draped over the backrest, in a completely different chair.
A chair now suspiciously positioned between Sakura Haruno and Ino Yamanaka.
Both girls looked half-embarrassed, half-fascinated. Sakura was nervously tucking hair behind her ear every three seconds, while Ino twirled a strand of hers like she wasn't aware she was doing it.
Gojo just sat there with that relaxed, innocent smile, like he had no idea what was going on.
Iruka stared.
And stared.
First came envy.
'How… does a six-year-old have that level of confidence? I couldn't even talk to girls until I was sixteen!'
Then came frustration.
'He moved seats without permission. Completely disrupted the arrangement I just made. He's—he's corrupting the class structure!'
And then… existential crisis.
Iruka blinked slowly.
'What… is this kid? Is this real? Is this genjutsu? Am I in genjutsu? Please let this be genjutsu.'
He stood there frozen for a beat too long.
Then, with robotic movements, he gathered his materials, stuffed them into his bag with a bit too much force, and made a quiet dash for the door—face blank, soul screaming.
The students barely noticed.
Satoru, however, glanced over just in time to see Iruka vanish.
He tilted his head slightly and smirked.
"Mission accomplished."
Satoru leaned back, arms behind his head, perfectly at ease between two of the most popular girls in the room. Ino was now pretending to look at the ceiling, cheeks pink. Sakura, on the other hand, was sneaking glances at him like she couldn't decide if she wanted to ignore him or start a duel for dominance.
But Satoru? He was deep in thought.
He had spent only a short time training directly under his father. Most of his growth so far had come from solo drills, trial and error, and occasionally sprinting into walls when things went wrong.
Now, at the academy, he had access to trained instructors. Real teachers. Real techniques.
He should take advantage of that.
He really, really should.
But no matter how many times he turned the idea around in his head… the role of a diligent, model student just didn't fit him. It was like trying to wear someone else's shoes—tight, boring shoes with no flair.
So, he came to a decision.
He'd be a delinquent.
Not in a loud, fight-everyone way. No. That was brutish and uncultured.
He'd be a refined delinquent.
A master of subtle disruption. Small things. Petty things. Infuriating things. The kind of student that drove teachers to the edge of breakdowns through sheer charisma and chaos.
And as he watched Iruka practically flee the classroom, eyes wide, jaw tense, Satoru couldn't help the satisfied gleam in his sapphire eyes.
'Go,' he thought smugly, watching the door close behind the retreating instructor.
'Go, and spread my legend… as the most irresistible heartthrob and chaotic menace this academy has ever known!'
With a little sigh of contentment, he stretched out his legs and smiled.
His reign had only just begun.