"The days of slacking off are about to end."
Konoha, Ninja School's teachers' office.
Aratani Shinji, wearing a Chunin vest, leaned against the window, gazing at the dense crowd of new students and parents at the school gate, sighing with emotion.
He had transmigrated 17 years ago, born into an ordinary clan that had existed since Konoha was founded.
Shinji complained in his heart once again, 'Everyone else transmigrates with a system or into a good Kekkei Genkai clan, but when it's my turn, I become a struggling nobody.'
There was nothing he could do. The world of Naruto itself was not a safe place. On top of that, in this world, a bunch of lunatics and fanatics held power.
Having arrived here, Shinji decided that if he couldn't beat them, he would hide. And the best place for that was Ninja School. After all, even a low-level Chunin like Iruka, who didn't possess great power, managed to live safely until the very end.
So, after accumulating enough mission points and becoming a Chunin for some time, Shinji consistently sent job applications to the Hokage Office.
Finally, two years ago, he got the job. Perhaps a vacancy just happened to open up at that time. But Shinji felt it was more likely that the Third Hokage had just grown a bit annoyed with him.
Shinji finally gloriously became a teacher at Konoha Ninja School.
Hmm?
Still reminiscing about the past, Shinji suddenly turned his head to look at the office door behind him.
The next second, Iruka, with a high ponytail and a scar on his nose, pushed open the office door and walked in.
"Shinji, I knew I'd find you here."
Iruka walked in with a helpless expression. He came to Shinji's side, and looked at the lively scene at the school gate.
Shinji smiled, nodded, and greeted him, "What's wrong, Iruka? Shouldn't you be with Hokage-sama welcoming the new students right now?"
The current principal of the Ninja School was the Third Hokage, who usually only came at the start of the school year to instill the Will of Fire.
Iruka pointed to Hiruzen's busy figure downstairs and said, "Hokage-sama sent me to find you. This year, it's about time you tried leading a new student class."
"Me?" Shinji pointed to himself, a little disbelieving.
In the two years he had been employed, he had almost exclusively been an ordinary subject teacher, while the homeroom teachers for ninja classes were almost always personally appointed by the Third Hokage.
Although it wasn't wartime now, almost all of the new generation would attend Ninja School. Even the direct descendants of the Uchiha clan and Hyuga clan had gradually started to report for enrollment at Ninja School in recent years.
To be a homeroom teacher, one had to be someone acknowledged by the Hokage. Only those with a strong Will of Fire had a chance.
Iruka said formally, "Yes, Hokage-sama has been watching your efforts."
Then, he patted Shinji's shoulder in encouragement.
Shinji stared blankly, rapidly recalling everything he had done over the past two years.
During class, he used the Third Hokage's often-repeated Will of Fire rhetoric to encourage students.
After class, he thoroughly checked the classrooms, preventing students from hiding in school instead of going home.
In his free time, he helped other teachers prepare lessons and taught mischievous students the importance of studying hard.
The more Shinji thought about it, the more his scalp tingled.
He was just doing the ordinary work a teacher. The basic stuff that teachers in his previous world would do.
So, by working like a normal teacher, he actually gained the Hokage's approval?
Shinji suddenly felt his throat go a little dry.
It was likely that the so-called evaluation had already begun without his knowledge. He had just been too cautious, safely passing through without realizing it.
Hiss…
His vigilance shouldn't be this poor, right?
"Hmm? What's wrong, Shinji?"
Iruka, who had been very gentle, noticed Shinji's increasingly strange expression and quickly asked with concern.
Shinji snapped out of it. He adjusted his expression, put on a warm smile, and waved his hand to indicate he was fine.
He said, "Nothing, I'm just a little worried I can't do it well."
Iruka, standing beside him, grinned and said cheerfully when he heard Shinji say that, "Shinji, you are a good teacher. Don't worry, you can definitely do it."
Shinji felt a bit helpless. He figured Iruka must have put in a great deal of effort to help him pass.
Shinji stopped thinking and pushed Iruka towards the training ground. "Let's go, it's probably about to start."
When they arrived at the training ground, many teachers were already standing near the high platform, and the Third Hokage, clad in a ceremonial robe, was on the platform.
Shinji and Iruka found a nearby spot to stand.
As everyone gradually gathered, the Third Hokage began his once-a-semester speech.
Seconds ticked by, and the initially excited new students gradually began to look a bit dejected.
The Third Hokage's speech was simply too long, and it was also the hottest part of the day.
Even the teachers near the high platform, though expressionless, showed subtle signs of laxity.
Only Shinji and Iruka looked at the Third Hokage with vibrant expressions, as if everything the Hokage said was profound truth.
Anyone who has been a worker knows the workplace rule. When the boss speaks, you must praise him, even if it's just with your expression.
However, Shinji, standing below the high platform, felt his facial muscles were about to stiffen. This time, Hiruzen's speech was longer than any previous one.
His gaze casually swept over the new students standing below. When he saw a striking flash of yellow hair, Shinji paused and then casually looked away.
Was that Naruto?
He couldn't help but wonder, as yellow hair wasn't uncommon in Konoha.
But what year was it this year? It seemed to be Konoha year 58.
Thinking this, Shinji pretended to finish observing the new students and continued to look at Hiruzen on the high platform. His mind, however, was constantly sifting through information.
Konoha year 58, the future Konoha Twelve, the new generation Ino–Shika–Chō, the Uchiha, the Hyuga, and Naruto would all enroll. At this juncture, Hiruzen asking him to lead a class was a bit ambiguous.
Just as Shinji was contemplating how to respond, a voice devoid of emotional fluctuation sounded.
A translucent panel suddenly appeared before Shinji, its text scrolling, stimulating his vision.
[Detected sufficient proximity time with Protagonists (Dual), system activation conditions met.]
[Strongest Teacher System activating.]
[After teaching students, rewards can be given based on a comprehensive score of the knowledge learned by the student and their satisfaction. The higher the score, the higher the reward.]
[If a single student meets the requirements, they can be taken as a disciple. As the disciple's strength grows, the teacher will simultaneously receive rewards.]
After confirming that those around him couldn't see the panel in front of him, Shinji's heart surged.
This darn system! Did it know what he had been through all these years?
Moreover, the activation conditions were so complex.
Naruto had two protagonists. Whether it was Naruto or Sasuke, at this time, the possibility of approaching both of them simultaneously was almost zero.
For the former, if you showed even a slight abnormality, Anbu would make you disappear humanely.
For the latter, never mind his clan, Itachi, who was known as a brocon, could send him straight to heaven.
Speaking of which, he had to thank Hiruzen. If it weren't for Hiruzen wanting to brainwash the new generation, he probably wouldn't know how long it would take for the system to activate.
Hiruzen, still giving his speech, suddenly felt an intense gaze. He looked over and saw Shinji's eyes practically overflowing with admiration. Seeing this, his mood brightened considerably, and he couldn't stop talking. Some teachers who noticed this couldn't help but curse inwardly.