As the classroom buzzed with chatter, a small group of long-legged girls remained gathered around Uchiha Sasuke, who seemed completely unaware that the rest of the students had already arrived.
Meanwhile, Iruka Umino pushed open the classroom door. Just moments ago, he had been in the Hokage's office, listening to Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Third Hokage, speak.
"Iruka," the Third Hokage had said, "I plan to place Uzumaki Naruto in your class. I believe you're the most suitable person to teach him..."
Those words echoed in Iruka's mind. He had been caught off guard—not just by the decision, but by what the Hokage had revealed. Naruto was the Jinchūriki of the Nine-Tails—the same beast that had taken Iruka's parents from him.
He felt conflicted. Though he knew the boy had done no wrong, the weight of his own grief stirred bitterness in his heart. The people of the village called Naruto the Demon Fox, and part of Iruka had bought into that.
Iruka let out a quiet sigh.
"Hokage-sama, I understand."
The Third Hokage handed him a stack of documents.
"These are their profiles. Take a look."
Iruka flipped through the files—and couldn't help but gasp in surprise. Nearly every prominent clan in Konoha had a child in this class.
The Uchiha Clan, the Hyūga main family, even the heirs of the Ino–Shika–Chō trio were all here. Only a handful of students came from civilian families.
"Hokage-sama... can I really handle this?" Iruka asked, uncertainty creeping into his voice.
"Iruka, don't doubt yourself," Hiruzen replied gently. "I've seen your record. You're more than capable. I'm counting on you."
With that, the Third Hokage walked out, leaving Iruka deep in thought.
A short while later, Iruka headed to Class A, still carrying the weight of that conversation. After passing through a couple of corridors, he arrived at the classroom door, labeled clearly with the class name. Taking a breath, he opened it.
The sight that greeted him instantly sparked irritation.
Bang!
He slammed the file bundle onto the teacher's desk.
The loud thud startled the entire class. Students quickly scrambled to their seats as they realized the teacher had arrived.
Only when everyone sat up straight did Iruka allow himself a small breath of relief.
"Alright," he began. "Let's take a moment to introduce ourselves. When I call your name, stand up and tell us about your dreams and hobbies."
He opened the roster the Hokage had prepared and began reading.
"Sano Dairo!"
A chubby boy with a sturdy build stood up enthusiastically.
"Hi everyone! I'm Sano Dairo. My dream is to become Hokage, and my hobbies are working out and eating good food!"
The class burst into laughter. No wonder the kid was on the heavier side—his hobbies made perfect sense. But his cheerful energy made him more endearing than laughable.
"Alright, that's enough," Iruka said, half-smiling. "Dairo's goals are great. Next—Sakura Haruno!"
Naruto perked up at the name. He knew her.
A girl in a cheongsam stood up. She had pink hair and a noticeably wide forehead.
"Hello, everyone. I'm Sakura Haruno. My best friend is Ino, and my dream is to become a legendary kunoichi like Lady Tsunade!"
At this point, Sakura hadn't fallen out with Ino yet. Nor had she fully developed her crush on Sasuke. But she was already among the girls flocking to him.
The introductions continued, with most students declaring their dreams of becoming Hokage.
"Uzumaki Naruto!"
Naruto stood up from his seat next to Hinata Hyuga, trying to keep calm.
"I'm Uzumaki Naruto! I love Ichiraku Ramen, and my dream is to achieve world peace and uncover the mysteries of everything in the world!"
It was a bold dream—but it reflected Naruto's conviction. Ever since he'd gained the Heaven Rewards Diligence ability, he'd developed a keen interest in understanding the world. To him, learning and doing anything was easy—because with each action, he gained something in return.
And the more knowledge he gained, the stronger the ability became.
It made him hunger for more understanding.
"Naruto's dream is admirable," Iruka commented. "World peace, huh? That's quite a goal."
In the Shinobi World, peace was a rare and fragile thing. Most wouldn't dare speak of it. But Iruka didn't discourage anyone's dream—not even Naruto's.
Still, something shifted in him.
Despite everything he'd heard and believed, Naruto's sincerity moved him. His hatred, built on grief and loss, wavered—if only a little.
This boy wasn't the Nine-Tails. He was just a child—alone and bearing a burden he never asked for.
Iruka couldn't fully let go of his inner conflict, not yet. But for the first time, he began to see Naruto in a different light.
From the other side of the room, Uchiha Sasuke narrowed his eyes, studying the loud blond kid. This guy… was even more outrageous than him.
Yet even Sasuke was caught off guard by Naruto's dream.
"Uchiha Sasuke!"
When his name was called, Uchiha Sasuke stood up confidently and declared:
"My name is Uchiha Sasuke! The person I admire most is my older brother. I hate anyone who bothers me or my brother. I like dango, and my dream is to restore the Uchiha Clan's glory and make its name echo across the entire village!"
A wave of admiration swept through the classroom, especially from the girls, who let out excited gasps and murmurs of praise.
Naruto watched Sasuke closely. He wasn't the brooding, revenge-obsessed boy Naruto remembered from the original timeline. At this point, Sasuke was just a proud—albeit slightly aloof—young boy with a touch of tsundere charm.
Still, Naruto could see that the boy was shaped by his clan's pride. All he talked about was the glory of the Uchiha.
Too naive, Naruto thought.
After Sasuke, the remaining students stood up one by one to introduce themselves.
When it was Hinata Hyuga's turn, Naruto noticed how nervous she looked. Wanting to encourage her, he gently gave her hand a light squeeze before letting go.
Her face turned bright red.
Looking at Naruto's warm expression, Hinata gathered her courage and stammered softly:
"H-Hello, everyone… My name is Hyuga Hinata. M-my dream is to become a gentle and graceful woman like my mother..."
She sat down quickly, her head lowered so far that her face was hidden. Naruto caught a glimpse of the back of her neck, now flushed pink.
She's probably nervous, Naruto guessed.
But inside, Hinata was screaming:
Naruto-kun held my hand! He held my hand!!
Iruka let out a silent sigh. As the heiress of the Hyuga main family, such shyness wouldn't be acceptable in a clan like hers. Still, he made a mental note of it.
One by one, Iruka called the rest of the names. As the students introduced themselves, he diligently recorded their dreams and hobbies. These profiles would be reviewed later by the Third Hokage. A child's dreams might not define them entirely—but they offered valuable insight into their personality and future potential.
When the last student had finished, Iruka closed his notebook and addressed the class.
"Alright, everyone. Today's your first day at the academy, so we won't be doing much. Formal lessons will begin tomorrow. You're free to leave once the bell rings."
The class quieted as everyone waited for the dismissal bell. Some students remained excited and restless.
Sakura Haruno leaned over to whisper something to Ino, her eyes sneaking glances at Sasuke.
Shikamaru Nara, clearly already bored with school, had his head down and was lightly dozing off, while Choji Akimichi sat contentedly munching on a bag of potato chips as if nothing else in the world mattered more.
Sasuke, trying to maintain his usual cool exterior, was actually watching the clock closely, eager to get home and share the day's events with his brother, Itachi.
Ding ding ding~~~
Finally, the bell rang.
A wave of relief swept through the classroom as students began packing up and leaving. Naruto gave a quick wave to Hinata before heading out the door.
Sasuke's eyes followed him, watching as Naruto moved confidently through the dispersing crowd.
He's heading toward the back mountain? What's he going there for?
Sasuke couldn't explain why he was even paying attention. There was something odd about Naruto—something that stood out despite his lack of status or pedigree. Maybe it was those deep, unshakable eyes of his.
Unaware that he had just been labeled as strange, Naruto didn't look back.
Even if he had known, he wouldn't have cared.
Right now, Naruto had more important things to do—like training.
He had no intention of falling behind.
...
TN:
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