Chapter 2: A Smile in the Sunlight
The air around the Ninja Academy thrummed with the chaotic energy of a hundred new beginnings. Children, shepherded by proud parents or clinging to newfound friends, streamed towards the registration hall. Kamikawa Hiraoka observed it all with a calm detachment that belied his years. For him, this was not just the first day of school; it was the first step onto a meticulously remembered stage.
His gaze, sharp and analytical, swept across the bustling courtyard, cataloging familiar faces he had once only seen on a page or screen. Then, his eyes snagged on a solitary figure, a splash of bright orange beneath the sprawling branches of an ancient tree.
There, sitting alone on a swing that moved with a listless, lonely creak, was Uzumaki Naruto.
A complex emotion, a mixture of pity and profound respect, tightened in Hiraoka's chest. He saw the boy everyone scorned, the vessel of the Nine-Tails, the village pariah. But his mind's eye also saw the future Hokage, the savior of the Shinobi World, the boy who would never give up on a friend. The gulf between that lonely present and that glorious future was a tragedy Hiraoka understood all too well.
"Ding! Host, please choose."
The system's voice was a cold splash of reality in his thoughts.
"Option 1: Ignore Uzumaki Naruto and proceed to the academy."
"Reward: Proficiency in Transformation and Substitution Jutsu."
"Option 2: Approach Uzumaki Naruto and invite him to register together."
"Reward: Mastery of the Sexy Jutsu."
"Option 3: Taunt and ridicule Uzumaki Naruto."
"Reward: Full mastery of the Three Basic Jutsu."
The second option caused a wry, almost imperceptible smile to touch Hiraoka's lips. The Sexy Jutsu. Of all the legendary techniques in this world, the system would offer him that. It was absurd, a comedic footnote in the grand epic of Naruto's life. Yet, he knew its value wasn't in combat, but in its symbolic connection to Naruto's unorthodox genius. It was a jutsu born of pure, unadulterated will, and in the right hands—or rather, with the right mindset—it was a tool of unparalleled distraction.
The choice was simple. The first option was callous, the third was despicable. The second, however, was an opportunity. An opportunity to change a single moment in a lonely boy's life, and to acquire a skill that was, in its own bizarre way, uniquely powerful.
"I'll take option two," he thought decisively.
Instantly, a flood of knowledge poured into his mind—the precise chakra flow, the intricate hand seals, the mental focus required to mold one's form into that idealized, smoke-shrouded illusion. The knowledge settled within him, as familiar as if he had practiced it a thousand times.
"Come on, Hinata-chan," he said softly to the girl standing quietly beside him. "There's someone we should say hello to."
Hinata, whose world had subtly begun to orbit around Kamikawa Hiraoka, merely nodded, her trust in him absolute. She felt no particular way about the orange-clad boy; her focus was solely on the boy who walked beside her, the one who had shown her kindness when few others did.
Hiraoka walked over, the sounds of the crowd fading into the background. He stopped before the swing, looking down at the boy who was doing his best to appear invisible. Up close, the details were sharper—the faint dust on his worn clothes, the way his shoulders were hunched defensively, and the profound loneliness that clouded his bright blue eyes.
Sensing his presence, Naruto looked up. Their eyes met. Hiraoka did not look away or offer a gaze of pity. He held the boy's stare, seeing not the demon fox, but the person trapped within the scorn. He saw the deep-seated yearning for acknowledgment, a hunger so raw it was almost painful to witness.
Then, slowly, Hiraoka let a warm, genuine smile spread across his face. It was a smile devoid of mockery or ulterior motive, a simple, human offering.
Naruto flinched, his eyes widening in shock. He was used to glares, to frowns, to being looked through as if he were air. He was not used to this. A strange warmth, fragile and unfamiliar, began to bloom in the cold emptiness of his chest. The defensive scowl on his face softened, replaced by a look of bewildered hope.
After a few heartbeats, a familiar, brilliant grin—the one he used as a shield against the world—broke out on Naruto's face. He hopped off the swing, puffing out his chest as he adjusted his goggles with a practiced, confident flick.
"My name is Uzumaki Naruto!" he declared, his voice loud and brimming with a sudden, renewed energy. "Who're you?"
"Kamikawa Hiraoka," he replied, his tone even and friendly. "This is Hyuga Hinata."
Naruto's grin widened. There was no disgust in their eyes. No fear. It was the most amazing feeling he'd had in weeks. This was it. This was what he was looking for!
"Registration is going to close soon," Hiraoka said, gesturing with his head towards the academy. "We should go."
"Yeah!" Naruto agreed enthusiastically, falling into step beside them, his solitary swing forgotten.
The classroom was a cacophony of youthful noise. Hiraoka's eyes scanned the room, a living gallery of characters he knew intimately: Nara Shikamaru was already asleep, his head pillowed on his arms. Akimichi Choji was meticulously working his way through a bag of potato chips. And in the center of a hushed, admiring circle of girls, including a pink-haired Sakura and a blonde Ino, sat Uchiha Sasuke, aloof and silent.
Hiraoka found two empty seats near the back, and Hinata quietly took the one beside him.
The classroom door slid open, and a man with a kind face, a vertical scar across his nose, and his hair pulled back into a low ponytail stepped in. The room quieted almost immediately.
"Good morning, everyone," the man said, his voice warm and carrying easily across the room. "My name is Umino Iruka. You can call me Iruka-sensei."
Iruka, Hiraoka thought, a genuine respect coloring his internal monologue. The man who would see the person inside the container. It's an honor.
Iruka began his lesson on the history of Konoha, writing dates and names on the chalkboard. While the other students took notes, Hiraoka let his mind wander, already planning the days ahead. The basic curriculum was a formality; his real training would happen elsewhere.
The bell signaling the end of the day was a welcome sound. As he walked home in the warm, fading light of the afternoon, Hiraoka felt a deep sense of contentment. He had taken his first steps. He had made contact. The story was now truly in motion.
Three months slipped by, a blur of routine classes, foundational drills, and the slow, steady forging of acquaintanceships. Hiraoka had learned to navigate the social landscape of the academy, maintaining a friendly, if slightly reserved, demeanor with most of his classmates.
One bright morning, the peaceful silence outside Hiraoka's apartment was shattered by a familiar, exuberant shout.
"Hiraoka! Hey, Hiraoka!"
Kamikawa Hiraoka, who had been practicing his chakra control by trying to stick a leaf to his forehead, sighed. He knew that voice. He opened his window to see Uzumaki Naruto bouncing on the balls of his feet in the street below, his orange jacket a beacon of relentless energy.
"You said you knew a C-rank ninjutsu!" Naruto yelled up, pointing an accusatory finger. "You promised you'd show me after school yesterday, but you ran off! No taking it back!"
Hiraoka winced internally. It was true. During a casual conversation, trying to explain the different ranks of jutsu, he had carelessly mentioned he was "working on a C-rank technique." Naruto's ears had perked up like a hound on a scent, and his subsequent badgering had been relentless. In a moment of weakness, Hiraoka had agreed, hoping Naruto would forget.
He should have known better. Uzumaki Naruto never forgot a promise about jutsu.
Looking down at Naruto's desperate, hopeful face, Kamikawa Hiraoka knew there was no escape. He had made a promise, and for better or worse, he was going to have to keep it.
"Alright, alright," he called down, a plan already forming in his mind. "Meet me at Training Ground 3 in an hour. And Naruto... don't bring an audience."
Naruto whooped with joy, punching the air before sprinting off, no doubt to brag to the nearest tree or lamppost about his upcoming C-rank lesson. Hiraoka closed the window, a slow, mischievous grin spreading across his face. This was going to be interesting.
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