Not long after Naruto's sixth birthday—
One evening, as he returned from a day of training and foraging, he found the Third Hokage once again waiting inside his little apartment.
It wasn't the first time. So Naruto, practiced and natural, instantly put on a bright, delighted expression.
"Eh!? Grandpa Third!"
In a heartbeat, his demeanor shifted.
"What brings you here today?"
He ran straight over, looking up with eager, surprised eyes at the elderly Hokage.
"It's been a while since I last saw you, Naruto," Hiruzen Sarutobi said, leaning forward, ruffling the boy's hair with gentle fingers. "And I've come with good news."
"Good news?"
This time Naruto's reaction wasn't an act—he really was stunned. What possible "good news" could there be for someone like him?
"Yes. You've always said you wanted to become a great shinobi. Well, learning is a step you cannot skip."
The Hokage patted his shoulder kindly as he spoke.
"…Grandpa Third, do you mean—?"
This time, Naruto's excitement was real. He didn't need to say the words aloud. He already knew what the Hokage was hinting at.
"That's right. You're six now. Starting next week, you'll be enrolled in the Ninja Academy. Only then can you grow into the shinobi you dream of becoming."
The Third's smile was faint, but warm.
After six years of observation, he was certain. The Nine-Tails' Jinchuriki—the son of the Fourth Hokage—would not endanger the village. And so, the natural next step was to send him to the Academy.
"Really!? Lord Third, I can go to the Academy!?"
Naruto's bright blue eyes lit up like jewels. He clenched his fists, voice bursting with excitement.
"That's right. In a few days, one of the Academy's instructors will come to take you for registration. When that time comes, you must listen carefully to your teacher, Naruto."
"Yes, sir!"
The Academy!
At last, he could finally set foot in that place.
Naruto's chest burned with exhilaration. It wasn't just about formal training as a shinobi—it was proof that the Hokage had loosened his last restraints. His own plans could now move forward unhindered.
Seeing Naruto's joy, Hiruzen Sarutobi's expression softened further. He knew how much he owed the Fourth. He couldn't give Minato's son the care he deserved, but there were still lines he would never cross—things he would protect, guided by his so-called "Will of Fire."
That night, after explaining some basic matters about Academy life, the Hokage quietly departed.
Naruto, however, was still too excited to calm down. For once, this emotion wasn't an act. He truly looked forward to his new life at the Academy. It would be his second firm step into this world.
A week later—
On the Academy's designated enrollment day—
Knock knock knock.
As promised, an instructor came to fetch him.
Naruto opened the door.
The man who stood there had a lean frame clad in the standard green flak jacket of Konoha's chunin. But what stood out most was the long, horizontal scar across his face.
Naruto recognized him instantly.
"Umino Iruka…"
Yes. The very man who, in the original story, had brought him his first true light—
the one who believed in him, acknowledged him, when no one else did.
If Naruto could feel hatred toward the rest of the village, even the Hokage, Iruka was the one exception. No matter what, Naruto could never bring himself to hate this man.
Still—this life was not the same as the original. He would judge with his own eyes, not blindly trust old memories.
"You must be Naruto-kun?" the man said gently. "I'm Umino Iruka, one of the Academy instructors. You can call me Teacher Iruka. The Hokage probably told you already—today is enrollment day. I came to take you to register."
A flicker of complicated emotion passed through Iruka's eyes as he spoke, but he quickly suppressed it. He bent slightly, reaching out to ruffle Naruto's hair with a faint smile.
That fleeting expression did not escape Naruto's sharp gaze.
He understood. Iruka's parents had died six years ago—victims of the very Nine-Tails sealed within him. If Iruka had shown no reaction, that would have been unnatural, even terrifying.
"Yes, Teacher Iruka."
Naruto answered with a bright, unforced smile.
Iruka blinked at the sight, then nodded softly. He reached out again, this time taking Naruto's small hand.
"Come on, Naruto-kun."
"Mm!"
The streets leading toward the Academy were alive with crowds. Parents escorted their children, laughter and chatter filling the air.
It was the annual enrollment day.
Every family with children of age brought them here, hoping they might pass the entrance assessment.
Shinobi life was dangerous—death rates were high. Konoha might be the strongest of the Five Great Villages, but three shinobi wars and the Nine-Tails' rampage had left its ranks scarred and depleted.
Still—despite the danger, parents pushed their children toward that path.
Because in this world, to be a shinobi meant strength. It meant status. It meant everything.
Once, long ago, it had been the age of samurai.
Now—it was the age of shinobi.
And in the Land of Fire, in the Village Hidden in the Leaves—
to become one of Konoha's shinobi carried a weight and honor greater still.
Naturally, on a day like this, the streets overflowed with hopeful families.