Meanwhile, the scene on the glowing screen continued to unfold…
The spacious streets of Konoha were decorated with colorful banners and flags prepared for the Chunin Selection Exams. Villagers and shinobi bustled shoulder to shoulder, filling the air with excitement.
Iruka walked along, chatting with his parents.
Not far away, Naruto stood frozen in surprise, staring at the three figures he hadn't seen in so long.
"Iruka-sensei!"
Naruto's face lit up with joy as he ran toward them.
Compared to Naruto's enthusiasm, Iruka was caught off guard.
He blinked in shock, staring at the blond, blue-eyed boy in front of him with a stiff expression.
This was the Hokage's son!
Normally, he would never have the chance to get close to someone like him let alone be recognized so warmly.
For a moment, Iruka felt flustered, almost honored, and his face tightened nervously.
He could hardly believe the "Son of the Hokage" had taken the initiative to greet him.
"Uh… Young Master Naruto, hello." Iruka walked forward with his parents and offered a somewhat awkward greeting.
Hearing Iruka call him "Young Master" made Naruto's heart twist strangely. The excitement in his chest swelled until he was at a loss for words.
He blushed, scratched his head, and stammered, "Iruka-sensei, it really is you! That's great, I…"
Before he could finish, Kakashi stepped over with a faint smile. "Long time no see, Iruka."
"Kakashi-senpai!"
Iruka quickly straightened his posture, his stiff look softening into respect. He bowed to Kakashi.
Iruka's parents clearly knew Kakashi as well. They smiled warmly, nodding in greeting.
"The little brat from the Hatake family has grown up so much!"
Kakashi froze for a beat at their words, then scratched the back of his silver hair with a helpless sigh. "Seniors, it's been a long time."
The exchange drew out a few chuckles, and the atmosphere suddenly relaxed.
Seizing the moment, Kakashi chatted with Iruka's family, asking about their recent duties at the border garrison. "I heard you've been stationed at the front lines. How did you find the time to return to the village today?"
At that, Iruka's father's face darkened slightly. His voice lowered as he replied, "With the Chunin Exams underway and shinobi from all over gathering here, the situation at the borders has grown tense. Many restless groups near Konoha are watching for an opportunity to strike. We were ordered to keep an eye on the Kusagakure team participating in the exams, so we came back to the village as part of our mission."
Iruka's mother nodded in agreement. "Once the exams end, we'll have to return straight to the area near the Heaven and Earth Bridge. We can't afford to be away too long."
"I understand." Kakashi nodded, his tone thoughtful.
Iruka scratched his head with a smile, trying to lighten the mood. "Honestly, Mom, Dad, you're worrying too much! Who would dare cause trouble in Konoha? With the Fourth Hokage here, no one could possibly stand against us."
"You rascal, don't talk nonsense." Iruka's father scolded him with a stern face, but the faint ease in his eyes betrayed the pride behind his words.
"Haha…" Iruka gave a sheepish smile and fell quiet.
Naruto stood to the side, watching Iruka, Kakashi, and Iruka's parents chatting and laughing together. Their conversation flowed naturally, filled with things Naruto couldn't join in on. A strange sense of loss quietly welled up in his chest.
After greeting him just moments ago, Iruka had quickly shifted most of his attention to Kakashi and his parents, treating Naruto the "Hokage's son" with a polite distance, as if they were little more than strangers.
Naruto scratched his head, confused.
Why does it feel like Iruka-sensei doesn't know me at all?
[Ding! Uzumaki Naruto's emotional fluctuations have been captured! Emotional value +400!]
After a moment of thought, Naruto's heart clenched tight.
Could it be that… in this dream, Iruka-sensei never taught me?
But in reality, Iruka was without a doubt the most important person in his life!
The realization made Naruto's panic and confusion rise uncontrollably. He strode forward, his voice breaking with urgency.
"Iruka-sensei, it's me! I'm not that person!"
The sudden, almost desperate shout stunned Kakashi and Iruka's family into silence.
Iruka's parents exchanged a look, clear confusion in their eyes.
Sakura and Sasuke glanced at each other as well.
To them, the name "Iruka-sensei" was completely unfamiliar.
Sakura searched her memory but couldn't recall anyone by that name from their Academy days. She whispered, puzzled, "That's strange… did we even have a teacher named Iruka?"
Sasuke frowned, his dark eyes narrowing as he studied the young man called Iruka. He couldn't understand why Naruto cared so much about this ordinary-looking shinobi.
From the outside, there was nothing remarkable about him at all.
While the two of them wondered, Iruka's father asked in surprise, "Iruka, when did you meet Master Naruto? Why have I never heard you mention him before?"
"I… I actually…"
Iruka looked bewildered, utterly lost.
How could he possibly have met the Hokage's son, let alone be close enough for him to call out like that?
He scratched his head awkwardly and muttered in a low voice, "I've never really had the chance to meet the Hokage's son… I don't know why Master Naruto…"
Naruto froze at those words, as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over his head.
In this dream… Iruka-sensei really didn't know him at all?!
[Ding! Uzumaki Naruto's emotional fluctuations have been captured! Emotional value +400!]
The atmosphere grew awkward in an instant.
Iruka's parents exchanged another glance, then offered a few parting words to Kakashi, bowed respectfully to Naruto, and left together with their son.
Even after Iruka's family disappeared around the corner, Naruto remained rooted to the spot, dazed and unable to regain his composure.
Naruto stared blankly in the direction Iruka's family had left, his heart tangled with complicated emotions.
In reality, Iruka-sensei was an orphan just like him, someone who had endured hardship since childhood.
Yet even so, that ever-optimistic and cheerful teacher had never once given up on him.
When everyone else shunned him and avoided him, only Iruka-sensei would take the initiative to talk to him and even invite him to eat at Ichiraku Ramen.
On the night he stole the Scroll of Seals, it had been Iruka-sensei who risked his life to stand in front of him, taking a fatal giant shuriken in his place.
That night, Iruka's thin figure stood firmly, shielding him. The massive shuriken pierced deep into his back.
Even as he lay on the brink of death, Iruka-sensei had still managed to smile at Naruto, offering him comfort in that desperate moment.
Remembering this, Naruto's chest ached.
Iruka-sensei was one of the most important people in his life. But here in the dream, this Iruka had no bond with him at all. That gap weighed on Naruto's heart heavily, making it impossible to let go.
[Ding! Uzumaki Naruto's emotional fluctuations have been captured! Emotional value +1000!]
…
In the darkness, from an unnoticed corner, Aren quietly observed everything.
"As expected, he's the one who will one day be invited to Naruto's wedding as his 'father'..." Aren sighed inwardly. "Iruka's place in Naruto's heart is truly extraordinary. He just appeared, and already I've received such a tremendous surge of emotion."
After all, for so many years, when everyone else isolated Naruto, Iruka had been the only teacher who trusted him, protected him, and became the very first person to give Naruto warmth.