Chapter 2: The Unseen Currents
The bell signaling the end of class chimed through the academy, its sound triggering an immediate explosion of youthful energy. Iruka-sensei gathered his notes with a final, warm smile for his students and exited the classroom, leaving behind a vacuum quickly filled by the cacophony of scraping chairs and rising chatter.
Naruto lifted his head from his desk, his blue eyes scanning the restored, lively classroom with a detached curiosity. It was a familiar spectacle. Like iron filings drawn to a magnet, a giggling swarm of girls converged around Uchiha Sasuke's desk. The two most fervent, Sakura and Ino, were already engaged in their usual, strangely aggressive ritual of vying for his attention, their voices a high-pitched mix of adoration and rivalry.
'It's truly precocious,' the soul within Naruto mused, a wisdom far beyond his physical years coloring his thoughts. The idea of such intense, possessive affection at this age was as foreign to him as the chakra system had once been. With a soft sigh that was lost in the classroom's din, he decided the best course of action was to reclaim the quiet comfort of sleep. He buried his head in the crook of his arm, a lone island of calm in a sea of boisterous activity.
The respite was brief. Soon enough, Iruka returned, his presence silencing the room and heralding the start of the second lesson. This time, the subject was the Transformation Technique. As Iruka began his lecture on molding chakra to alter one's appearance, the now-familiar chime echoed in the depths of Naruto's mind.
[Ding! Your Transformation Technique, listening to the lecture, has reached Perfection Level!]
[Ding! Your Transformation Technique, having fully comprehended the underlying principles, has automatically evolved into the Henge no Jutsu: True Form!]
A flood of intricate knowledge poured into his subconscious. He understood the jutsu on a fundamental level, seeing past its basic academy application.
[Henge no Jutsu: True Form: A transformation without limitation. The user can assume any body type, any object, living or inanimate. The form is not a mere illusion; it is a stable chakra construct that will not be dispelled by physical impact or disruption.]
When Naruto finally stirred from his not-quite-sleep, the classroom was once again emptying. The intellectual feast was over, and his techniques had grown fat on knowledge he hadn't actively consumed. Stretching lazily, a realization dawned on him. With this evolved ninjutsu, he could theoretically mimic even the form of the Nine-Tails itself without the transformation shattering at the first sign of trouble.
'My ninjutsu… they're almost too good,' he thought with a sense of awe.
He rose from his desk, noticing that most of his classmates had already departed. But as he made to leave, his path was blocked. Three older boys, their expressions a mix of arrogance and menace, fanned out to surround him.
"Hey, demon fox," the lead boy, a bulky student with a crooked smirk, sneered. "Come with us. We need to have a little chat."
Naruto's gaze was listless, but his mind was sharp. 'So, it's come to this. Campus bullying. I suppose the old Naruto was a frequent target.' He glanced around at the few remaining students who were pointedly looking away, pretending not to see. Their indifference was a familiar, cold blanket. It was as if they all believed he deserved this treatment, that his very existence was a provocation.
A bitter, internal laugh echoed in his mind. 'Fine.'
"Let's go," Naruto said aloud, his voice utterly devoid of fear. He didn't wait for them to lead him; he simply walked forward, his languid pace and unbothered demeanor making it seem as if he were the one in charge, and they were his reluctant entourage.
The bullies were taken aback, exchanging confused glances. "Why is he so obedient this time?" one whispered.
"Who cares?" the leader muttered back. "Just follow him. We'll teach him a lesson and take his allowance. Don't let him run!"
They flanked him as they walked through the academy's corridors, a tense, silent procession. It was this very scene that Iruka, glancing out from the staff room doorway, happened to witness. His heart sank.
'Is Naruto… forming a gang?' Iruka's brow furrowed in disappointment. 'I thought he was different today, more subdued. Was I wrong? Is he finally turning to bullying others?' A dark, painful thought, born from the old wound of his parents' death at the Fox's hands, surfaced despite his better nature. For a moment, he preconceived Naruto as the instigator.
His teacher's instinct, however, was to follow and see the truth.
Naruto led the group out of the school grounds and into a secluded alleyway between two buildings. From the entrance, Iruka watched them disappear into the shadows.
'An alley?' Iruka's confusion mounted, and then a cold dread washed over him as he reassembled the scene in his mind: Naruto at the front, but surrounded, not leading. The pieces clicked into a horrifying picture. Naruto wasn't the aggressor; he was the victim being cornered.
"Not good! Naruto is in danger!" Iruka hissed, his body moving before the thought was fully formed. He sprinted into the alley, rounding the corner with a shout ready on his lips.
But the scene that greeted him was not what he expected.
The three bullies were scattered on the ground, groaning and clutching various parts of their bodies. They had minor scrapes and bruises, but nothing serious. Of Naruto, there was no sign. He had vanished.
Relying purely on the Chūnin-level physical prowess his system had granted him, Naruto had dealt with them efficiently and without flourish. It was a simple application of superior speed and strength. More importantly, he had sensed Iruka's chakra signature approaching. Not wanting to expose the full extent of his capabilities, he had dispatched his tormentors and scaled the opposite wall in a single, fluid motion, disappearing before his teacher could arrive.
[Ding! Host uses taijutsu to defeat the enemy. Your taijutsu is very excited and has automatically learned the high-level taijutsu: Leaf Hurricane!]
A new sequence of movements, a powerful spinning kick, etched itself into his muscle memory. A small, genuine smile touched Naruto's lips as he strolled away, his hands in his pockets. 'Picked up a new skill. Not a bad day. This calls for a celebration at Ichiraku Ramen.'
Back in the alley, Iruka quickly checked the groaning students. Their injuries were superficial, but the story was clear. He brought them back to his office, his expression stern.
"Explain yourselves. What happened? Where is Naruto? And who did this to you?" Iruka demanded, crossing his arms.
The lead bully, nursing a sore jaw, whined, "It was Naruto, sensei! He threatened us, led us into the alley, beat us up, and then jumped over the wall!"
Iruka was not fooled. "Do not lie to me. The way you surrounded him in the hall didn't look like you were being threatened. Now, tell me the truth. How did Naruto, supposedly the 'dead-last,' manage to beat all three of you?"
The boys shifted uncomfortably, unwilling to admit their long-running campaign of bullying. Seeing their hesitation, Iruka's voice hardened. "If you do not tell me the truth now, I will get the full story from Naruto and every other student in that hallway. And if I find out you are responsible for a serious incident, expulsion will be on the table!"
The word "expulsion," even as a bluff, had the desired effect. Their bravado shattered, and the whole sordid tale tumbled out—the years of taunts, the stolen lunches, the shoves in the hallway, and how, today, the tables had been turned with shocking and inexplicable force.
Iruka listened, a storm of emotions warring within him. Shock at Naruto's hidden prowess, but a far hotter, more immediate anger at the cruelty that had been festering in his classroom under his very nose.
"You will all remember this as a major infraction!" Iruka's voice boomed, making them flinch. "Tomorrow, in front of the entire class, you will apologize to Uzumaki Naruto!"
"But sensei," one of them whispered, "we were the ones who got beaten up today..."
Iruka fixed him with a glare that could strip bark from a tree. "Do you believe that makes you the victims here? Let me see your attitude tomorrow. Is that understood?"
"Understood, Iruka-sensei!" they chorused, thoroughly cowed.
"Good. You are dismissed." As they shuffled out, Iruka leaned back in his chair, letting out a long, weary breath. The pieces of the puzzle that was Uzumaki Naruto were not fitting together, and he was determined to find out why.
(End of Chapter)