Just as Tsunade was sinking into self-doubt, quietly cheering herself up, a timid child's voice rang out.
"Can I sit here?"
Rihito Sato turned his head. Standing in the aisle beside Tsunade was a white-haired boy, pointing at the last open seat at their three-person desk.
White hair, and a boy… Jiraiya? Rihito squinted. No, not quite. The hair wasn't spiked, and there was no paint on his face.
Tsunade glanced around. During her chat with Rihito, the classroom had quietly filled up. Every seat was taken, except theirs. It seemed the others had gone out of their way to avoid sitting near her.
She looked at Rihito. He nodded, showing he didn't mind. So Tsunade gestured for the boy to sit.
The white-haired child let out a small sigh of relief. He had been the last one called during roll. By the time he entered the classroom, all the good spots were taken. The only open seat was here, beside the girl with the Senju clan crest embroidered on her clothes. He had no choice but to approach, bracing himself for rejection. Thankfully, Tsunade wasn't as haughty as other clan heirs. Otherwise, he wouldn't have known what to do.
Watching the boy sit so carefully, Rihito couldn't help but chuckle. Leaning across the table, he reached past Tsunade to strike up conversation.
"Nice to meet you. My name's Rihito Sato. What should I call you?"
The boy's nervous tension eased at Rihito's tone. He leaned in as well, answering quietly.
"Hello, Rihito. I'm Hiruko."
So it's you. Rihito's thoughts flickered with recognition, a mix of surprise and inevitability.
Hiruko had been a peer of the Legendary Sannin, one of their few true companions in youth. Yet compared to their brilliance, his talent had been painfully ordinary. Frustrated, he turned to forbidden research, creating the Chimera Technique that fused five bloodline abilities into one body. With it, he sought to become a god in the new age.
That ambition eventually made him a one-off movie villain, only to meet his end at the hands of Uzumaki Naruto's Wind Release: Rasenshuriken.
Even as those memories came to him, Rihito smiled and continued the introduction. Tsunade naturally joined in, and before long the three were chatting comfortably.
Suddenly, the classroom fell silent. The chatter ceased in an instant.
Rihito and the others instinctively stopped speaking.
A plain-looking young teacher entered. He scanned the forty-two children seated neatly in rows, nodded with satisfaction, and walked to the podium. Picking up a piece of chalk, he wrote his name on the board, Sato Taiji, before turning back to address the class.
"Good morning, everyone. I'm Sato Taiji, your homeroom teacher. From today until the day you graduate as shinobi, I'll be guiding you. Now, let's begin with introductions. From the right-hand side, one by one, state your name, your likes, dislikes, and your dream for the future."
He pointed to the child at the far right of the front row.
"My name's Nobita. I like Shizuka, I hate Gian, and my dream is to become the richest man in the world."
"My name's Suneo. I like Gian, I hate Nobita, and my dream is to inherit the family business."
"My name's Shizuka. I like Suneo, I hate Gian, and my dream is to become a full-time housewife."
Rihito listened, eyebrows raised. Their little triangle of likes and dislikes was chaotic enough, but to walk the path of a shinobi while holding such ordinary dreams? In a world headed for three more wars within his lifetime? The irony was biting.
He couldn't help but think of his earlier mockery of the Will of Fire. Watching his classmates recite their dreams one after another, it really did feel like a multi-level marketing seminar. If they started chanting them every morning, it would be spot on.
Then came Tsunade's turn. She stood with confidence.
"My name is Tsunade. I like gambling. I don't particularly dislike anything. My dream is to travel the world and win at every casino I visit."
Rihito blinked, fighting back a grin. With her luck? She'd struggle to win even at the casino in her own backyard. Some dreams truly belong in dreams.
"You'll need great strength if you want to travel the world," Teacher Sato commented mildly, then turned his eyes to Rihito.
Rihito rose, speaking clearly.
"My name is Rihito Sato. I like reading and music. I don't particularly dislike anything. My dream is to bring peace to the world and become someone like the First Hokage."
The classroom exploded.
Whispers swept through the students. To declare one's dream as becoming Hokage was no small thing. Once said aloud, it bound you. If you ever faltered or brought shame, it would become a mark for others to mock.
As the buzz swelled, Rihito's eyes gleamed faintly. Invisible to others, translucent blue text scrolled before him.
[Dream declared: To become Hokage. Reputation +?]
Sato Taiji nodded. "A lofty dream. I hear it every year, there's always a few who aim for Hokage. Saying it is easy. Achieving it is hard." He moved on to the next child.
Rihito sat back down, listening idly to the rest of the introductions. His seat near the back meant there weren't many left, and within a minute, the round was done.
Oddly, aside from Tsunade and Hiruko, none of the names were familiar. No Orochimaru. No Jiraiya. It seemed the legendary trio would only come together after graduating into the genin ranks.
When he glanced sideways, Rihito noticed Tsunade staring at him absentmindedly. He smiled at her. Startled, she blinked, then returned his smile brightly.
The first class ended with nothing more than introductions. Teacher Sato added a few words about the future, then led the students in a handful of games to lighten the mood.
To Rihito's surprise, the man was good at his job. With a few simple activities, the distance between teacher and students closed significantly. Even Hiruko loosened up, no longer so stiff and nervous.
<150 P.S = 1 Extra Chapter>