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Chapter 51: Ninja Academy
Konoha's opening ceremony was even more boring than expected.
After all the new students had lined up in formation on the playground, the Third Hokage Sarutobi Hiruzen began his tedious speech. The Sandaime's voice echoed across the grounds, filled with the usual platitudes about "where leaves dance, fire burns eternal."
"...And so, children, you are Konoha's future..."
Naruto stifled a yawn, his peripheral vision scanning the surroundings. Most of the children stood ramrod straight, gazing up at the Third Hokage on the podium with adoring eyes.
Just then, a commotion rippled through the crowd.
"Look over there... that girl with black hair..."
"She's from the Uchiha family, right? So cute..."
"Such beautiful eyes, like jewels..."
"I want to be her friend..."
Naruto followed everyone's gaze and spotted Satsuki as expected. She wore a pristine uniform today, her raven-black hair neatly tied back. Even among a crowd of children, her innate noble bearing made her stand out prominently.
Naruto had almost forgotten about Satsuki's looks—after spending time together daily, he'd grown accustomed to that delicate face. Only now did he remember that even with the gender swap, this person remained the undisputed beauty champion of the shinobi world.
The only difference was that the fangirls who used to swoon over Sasuke in the original series had all been replaced by restless little boys.
When the lengthy speech about the Will of Fire finally ended, the new students filed into the academy's lecture hall. Naruto casually found a seat, while Satsuki naturally took the spot beside him with movements so fluid it seemed like the most obvious thing in the world.
"Hey, what's going on? Why is she sitting next to that monster?"
"Keep it down! Mom said he's the one who got the Fourth Hokage killed..."
"We should stay away from him... Maybe we should warn her."
Several civilian children huddled in the back rows whispering, but Naruto paid no attention to their gossip. Instead, he enthusiastically surveyed the familiar faces around him.
The chubby kid eating chips, the lazy pineapple-head, the one with sunglasses who had no presence, the one who smelled like dogs, the white-eyed girl, the pink-haired one, the blonde one...
Including himself and the tsundere beside him, the Konoha 12 were finally assembled...
Just as Naruto was thinking this, he suddenly noticed the seat beside him was empty. Looking around the classroom, he finally spotted Satsuki among that group of civilian children in the back.
The boys who had just been whispering were now blushing furiously, looking flustered as the Uchiha heiress suddenly approached them. They pushed each other around, their eyes sparkling with delight—they never expected this aloof Uchiha princess to actually come talk to them!
However, Satsuki simply leaned down slightly and said a few words in a low voice. The next second, the smiles on the boys' faces froze.
As if doused with cold water, their expressions shifted rapidly from excitement to bewilderment, then complete deflation. One by one, they slumped over their desks, completely drained of fighting spirit.
Watching Satsuki return to her seat as if nothing had happened, Naruto couldn't help but ask quietly, "Hey, what did you tell them?"
"...Nothing much. They were just being unpleasant... spreading rumors about people without any evidence."
"I don't really care, but thanks anyway, Sasuke."
"You should at least argue back with them. And stop calling me Sasuke."
Satsuki's dark eyes widened into circles, her pale cheeks puffing out slightly. Though she was protesting, there was an barely perceptible softness in her tone.
Rather than a real protest, it looked more like she was acting spoiled.
As the saying goes—you can tell how solid a friendship is by whether people dare to give each other nicknames. Just like how every boy wants to be his buddy's "father figure," mutual teasing represents the highest level of friendship.
This nickname had slipped out accidentally one time. Satsuki had been stunned for a second but hadn't gotten truly angry, only protesting like now with that soft voice: "Don't call me Sasuke."
Satsuki didn't actually mind Naruto giving her nicknames, but why did it have to be "Sasuke"?
---
After a while, a familiar figure appeared at the classroom door.
Umino Iruka entered carrying a stack of textbooks. His gaze inadvertently met Naruto's, clearly startling him before he looked away with a complex expression.
"Quiet down."
Iruka clapped his hands, waiting for the classroom chatter to subside before turning to write his name on the blackboard.
"My name is Umino Iruka." He set down the chalk, dusting off his hands before showing a gentle smile. "Starting today, I'll be your teacher."
Sunlight streamed through the windows onto his forehead protector, creating a warm halo.
"I hope we can all get along well from now on."
Sparse applause echoed through the classroom as the self-introduction session officially began. Iruka looked down at the roster in his hands, calling names one by one.
The first few were names never mentioned in the original series, until—
"Next, Inuzuka Kiba."
A boy with spiky hair and face paint shot up to the podium with boundless energy.
"I'm Inuzuka Kiba! I love dogs! My dream is to become Hokage and make everyone in the village raise dogs!"
He grinned widely, showing his pointed canines. Naruto instinctively looked at the top of his head—it was empty, lacking the white puppy from his memories.
Had Akamaru not been born yet... or just not adopted by him?
"Next, Nagatsuki Tappei."
Another name not from the original series, but hearing it made Naruto shudder with an inexplicable surge of annoyance.
An ordinary-looking boy with glasses stood on the podium.
"My name is Nagatsuki Tappei!" He pushed up his glasses, his voice suddenly becoming extremely excited. "I like silver hair, purple eyes, not-too-bright, silly big sisters!"
Such distinctive preferences... Naruto couldn't understand why he suddenly felt so irritated toward someone he was meeting for the first time, with an urge to beat him up.
"Next, Uchiha Satsuki."
The moment Iruka's voice fell, commotion immediately erupted in the classroom. The little boys unconsciously straightened their backs, staring unblinkingly toward the podium.
Some of the bolder ones even secretly fixed their hair, trying to look more presentable—though such behavior seemed rather precocious for their age.
Are all kids in the shinobi world this mature... Naruto was too tired to complain about this setting anymore.
Satsuki walked elegantly up to the podium. After taking her position, she spoke in a cool voice: "My name is Uchiha Satsuki."
"My dream is to surpass my sister and become a ninja my clan can be proud of."
At this point, her gaze unconsciously flicked toward Naruto before quickly looking away.
"My hobby is..."
Satsuki's cheeks suddenly flushed with a hint of red, her voice dropping several levels. "...I can't say that."
This rare display of shyness left the little boys below mesmerized. Satsuki quickly returned to her seat, her ears still tinged with lingering red.
"Next, Uzumaki Naruto."
Naruto lazily walked up to the podium. "My name is Uzumaki Naruto." His voice was gentle. "There are many things I like..."
At this point, his gaze swept across every face in the classroom—the chubby Akimichi boy, the lazy Nara kid, the Hyuga heiress... finally settling on Satsuki.
"My dream is... that the world won't be destroyed."
This unexpected answer left Iruka stunned. He scratched his head in confusion, unable to understand why a six-year-old child would have such a dream.
***
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