Hearing Sakura's words, Iruka couldn't help but think of Naruto's parents.
Although he still harbored some resentment toward Naruto, both Minato Namikaze and Kushina were heroes of Konoha—and now Sakura had the nerve to drag them through the mud.
Even mild-mannered Iruka couldn't stop himself from casting a stern look at her.
"Sakura Haruno! Watch your words! And Naruto, mocking someone else's dream isn't right either!"
After trying to smooth things over, Sakura only gave a cold snort and sat down. The points she had given Naruto in her heart for his looks had instantly turned into negative ones.
Ino spoke seriously to her, "Sakura, I heard Naruto's an orphan. Saying something like that is way too much!"
At those words, Sakura let out a small "ah" and for a moment felt a twinge of guilt.
But when she thought about Naruto laughing at her, she puffed her cheeks angrily.
"How was I supposed to know he didn't have parents! Besides, he started it—he was the one who laughed at my dream first!"
Ino showed a helpless expression, beginning to doubt her own taste in choosing friends.
"I'm Shikamaru Nara. My favorite food is mackerel miso soup. As for dreams, just thinking about that sort of thing is troublesome, so I don't have one." Shikamaru muttered lazily.
Soon, it was Naruto's turn.
"I'm Naruto Uzumaki. I don't eat beef, and my dream is to become a hero who can live freely as he pleases!"
"Him, a hero?"
"A demon fox becoming a hero? And living freely at that? What a joke!"
As expected, the classroom instantly filled with hushed whispers.
But who said only those standing in the light could be called heroes?
So Naruto-kun doesn't like beef… and he wants to be a hero, I believe he can definitely achieve his dream.
Hinata alone believed in him unconditionally, writing down in her small notebook that Naruto didn't eat beef.
Half an hour later, a shadow clone of Hiruzen Sarutobi arrived at the academy.
Standing on a hastily built stage, he began the long-winded opening ceremony.
"Where the leaves dance, the fire will never die…"
The same old, unchanging opening line.
Naruto stood below with hundreds of other students, the blazing sun overhead.
He thought the Third Hokage would finish quickly, but the speech dragged on for two and a half hours!
One slogan after another, like some tireless salesman.
Many students were already drenched in sweat.
But Naruto remained composed, as if the heat had nothing to do with him.
He wasn't listening to Hiruzen's rambling words about the Will of Fire. Instead, he closed his eyes and devoted himself entirely to the rhythm of the Breath of Wind.
That was why the heat didn't bother him at all.
***
In the days that followed, Naruto's life became regular—just home and school, back and forth.
Wherever he was, he kept to the rhythm of the Breath of Wind, until it became second nature.
In the blink of an eye, a month and a half had passed.
One morning in the classroom, Naruto slowly opened his eyes at his desk by the window, exhaling softly.
After nearly two and a half months of near-constant practice—even in his sleep—he had finally reached Breath of Wind: Steady Flow!
The perfected Uzumaki bloodline combined with the Steady Flow realm of the Breath of Wind—within this shinobi world of glass-cannon fighters, Naruto's health bar alone could already be considered boss-tier.
The system's voice followed.
"Congratulations, host. You have reached the Realm of Steady Flow. Reward granted: Absolute Chakra Control."
Absolute Chakra Control: You possess extraordinary mastery over chakra. Whether wasting it recklessly or wielding it with surgical precision, you can do so as easily as moving your own arm.
A useful ability. Joy welled up in Naruto's heart—his two and a half months of perseverance had not been wasted.
Though reaching Steady Flow hadn't visibly strengthened his physique, making the Breath of Wind his natural state—and the constant, subtle transformation it brought to his body—was the true marvel of this realm.
The first lesson of the day was outdoor training.
Compared to dull theory lessons, training classes were far more exciting for the students of Class A.
Led by Iruka, the first-year Class A students arrived at the training field.
"Next, we'll begin the shuriken-throwing test. First up, Sasuke Uchiha!"
Iruka held a notebook in hand to record the students' results.
Hearing his name, Sasuke smirked and walked to the center with his hands in his pockets.
Shuriken throwing—he had already practiced this countless times with his brother before enrolling. This was one of his strongest points.
'You weaklings, watch closely. You're about to see the difference between a genius and the rest of you.'
The moment Sasuke stepped up, several girls screamed, one of them being Sakura.
He reached into the pouch strapped to his thigh, pinching three brand-new shuriken between his fingers.
With a flick of his hand, they shot out simultaneously toward the target log.
Thud, thud, thud.
All three landed dead center.
"Ahh! Sasuke-kun! Amazing! So cool!"
Another wave of shrill screams.
The noise made Shikamaru's ears itch. He scratched at them absentmindedly with a dead-eyed look.
Finished, Sasuke turned smugly, eyes locking on Naruto among the crowd.
He couldn't wait to bask in his glory.
But Naruto's calm, indifferent eyes showed no frustration—he seemed entirely unfazed.
Most civilian students missed the target or managed to land just one shuriken. Clan heirs like Shikamaru and Ino did somewhat better, usually hitting the mark, but nowhere near Sasuke's accuracy.
This only made Sasuke's confidence swell further.
"Next, Naruto Uzumaki."
Naruto walked forward, pinching three shuriken between his fingers in the same way.
"He's going to try and throw three at once like Sasuke?" Sakura muttered disdainfully.
She herself had thrown three separately and only managed to hit twice. To her, Naruto was just showing off.
Naruto raised his hand and flicked his wrist in a lightning-fast motion. Many students couldn't even see it.
Even Iruka barely managed to follow.
The next moment, all three shuriken slammed into the log as if teleported, burying themselves deeply.
They lined up in a perfect row—like the reels of a slot machine—identical in angle and depth.
Iruka stared wide-eyed, speechless.
"This…!"
The accuracy and power stunned the entire field into silence.
Sakura's face burned hot, as if she had been slapped raw.
Sasuke's fists clenched tight, his eyes flashing with a hint of red.
'That shuriken technique… It's almost on par with my brother's! Damn it! How can this guy be this strong?!'
What Sasuke didn't know was that Naruto's technique was sharpened by blending in a subtle sword form from the Breath of Wind.