Chapter 2: Sunlight
Naruto was blocked by three people. One of them shoved him, tilting his chin up with a defiant look in his eyes.
"Monster, I heard you want to be Hokage?" A boy slightly taller than Naruto shouted at him, ready to throw punches at the slightest disagreement.
At this moment, Shikamaru and Chōji had just arrived at the edge of the crowd. They happened to hear the boy's question and thought Naruto would argue back, loudly declaring that he was going to be the man who becomes Hokage.
The two were already mentally prepared to step in and help him once things got messy.
However… Naruto's reaction surprised them. He remained silent. Sunlight streamed through the gates of the Ninja Academy, casting a line of light and shadow at his feet.
He stood in the sunlight, his golden hair stripped of its usual sharpness—but not showing fear either. The childishness on him had faded, ground down into indifference.
It was as if he had changed into another person entirely. Everything from before seemed like ashes, blown away cleanly by the summer breeze.
"Damn it! Are you deaf?!"
[System loading progress: 99%]
Another boy stepped forward and shoved Naruto again, forcing him back a few steps. The onlookers watched coldly, whispering among themselves.
"Damn it, that guy!" Chōji couldn't take it anymore and was about to intervene.
Shikamaru clicked his tongue in annoyance, his expression displeased as he took a step forward.
[System loading progress: 100%]
[Option 1: Knock down the three in front of you and loudly declare your dream to become a Hokage stronger than the Fourth! Reward: Clone, Transformation, and Substitution Jutsu Mastery.]
[Option 2: Deny your dream of becoming Hokage and avoid conflict. Reward: Side effects of your internal chakra disorder disappear.]
Naruto saw the panel, but no one else around seemed to notice. He concluded that only he could see it.
Relieved, he focused on the options. Mastery of the Clone, Transformation, and Substitution Techniques—essential skills for the Academy graduation exam. If he mastered them, he'd definitely graduate smoothly.
Naruto had already delayed graduation for two years because the Nine-Tails' chakra disrupted his own, making it impossible to properly perform ninjutsu.
One option was a shortcut, a direct fix to his graduation problem, and maybe a chance to shine during the exam.
The other addressed the root cause of his chakra disorder, but he would still have to spend time practicing and might not even master the techniques.
After a brief decision, Naruto raised his head to look at the three bullies in front of him. His voice was unusually calm.
"I'm not a monster, and I don't want to be Hokage. That's just the dream you're too afraid to admit."
With that, Naruto turned and walked out of the school gates, not bothering to argue further. Skipping class wasn't new to him anyway—only this time, he was doing it openly.
"You're lying! We are not!" the three boys shouted behind him, their voices filled with embarrassment and anger. Naruto's words had struck a nerve.
A boy who dreams of becoming Hokage is often insecure and sensitive. Having his dream exposed so nakedly under the sunlight made them lash out.
[Reward distributed successfully.]
After the mechanical chime, Naruto felt a cool sensation spread through his body, like drinking a mouthful of ice water on a scorching day.
As he walked, he tried to sense the flow of his chakra. For the first time, he felt it clearly. The chakra that once barely responded to him was now active.
It was like an icy spring suddenly boiling over—every cell in his body nourished by chakra, bringing an overwhelming sense of comfort.
Naruto couldn't help but let out a cry of excitement, feeling utterly refreshed.
Meanwhile, among the onlookers, a few gazes remained fixed on Naruto's departing figure.
"Shikamaru, did I hear wrong just now?" Chōji tugged at Shikamaru's sleeve. "Naruto said… he doesn't want to be Hokage anymore?"
"Wasn't that his dream? Why all of a sudden…?"
"Who knows?" Shikamaru's half-lidded eyes shifted lazily as he replied nonchalantly, "Maybe the guy finally wised up. What's so great about being Hokage?"
"Working yourself to death every day, no time to just stare at the clouds."
"Don't say stuff like that. Naruto's already gone," Chōji said. "If Iruka-sensei catches him skipping again, he's doomed!"
In an inconspicuous corner of the crowd, Hinata watched Naruto's distant figure, her face full of worry.
Class was about to start, but she couldn't stop thinking—was Naruto okay?
Her father once told her that a person's most precious thing is their dream. If someone no longer needed theirs, they must have gone through something deeply painful.
Naruto-kun… you're hurting right now, aren't you?
With that thought, Hinata clenched her small fists.
She wanted to chase after him—but didn't have the courage. Normally, even just looking at him took all the bravery she could muster. Doing so in front of everyone now… she would probably die of shame!
Without Naruto, the Ninja Academy felt unusually quiet. When Iruka found out he'd skipped class again that morning, he went through his usual routine of scolding everyone.
No one was pranking with paint buckets. No one was making a racket in the halls. Everything felt… harmonious.
By sunset, Iruka still hadn't found any trace of Naruto at the Hokage Monument. The most mischievous child in his class seemed to have vanished into thin air.
Just as Iruka began to panic, a soft, timid voice called out.
"Iruka-sensei?"
"Hinata? What are you doing here?" Iruka turned around, momentarily surprised.
The girl stood shyly in the orange glow of the sunset, head lowered, cheeks burning red as if she'd been caught doing something naughty.
"I… I'm looking for Naruto-kun," she murmured, barely audible. "He didn't come to class all day… I'm worried…"
Seeing her face flushed crimson, Iruka smiled gently.
"You're worried about Naruto too, huh?"
"Don't worry, I'll find him. It's late now—you should go home. Otherwise, Lord Hiashi will be worried about you."
"N-no!" Hinata suddenly raised her voice, summoning all her courage. "Iruka-sensei, I… I want to help you look for Naruto-kun too!"
Iruka was moved. His smile froze for a moment. Looking at the darkening sky, he said softly,
"Alright. But only for another half hour. If we still can't find him, you have to promise to go home."
"Yes! Thank you, Iruka-sensei!" Hinata nodded eagerly.
…
"Huh? You're looking for me?" Naruto looked up, puzzled, surprised to see Hinata there too.
"Hinata? You're here too?" Naruto asked in surprise.
"I…" Hinata lowered her head.
"I asked Hinata to help me find you," Iruka explained, coming to her rescue. "I figured she might know where you'd be."
"I see." Naruto scratched his head. "So, Iruka-sensei, you're here because I skipped class, huh?"