"I'm Ino Yamanaka."
Ino Yamanaka walked up to Kitazawa's desk. "Are you our teacher?"
"I am."
Kitazawa offered a gentle smile. "Kitazawa."
"Kitazawa-sensei, please take care of us!"
Ino extended her small hand with confidence.
Children in the ninja world matured early, and Ino was specifically a connoisseur of aesthetics. To put it simply, she was a face-hunter; everyone appreciated beauty, but some, like Ino, made it their primary criterion for judgment.
"Kitazawa-sensei, I'm Sakura Haruno!"
Sakura popped her round head out from behind Ino, waving enthusiastically.
"It's a pleasure to meet everyone," Kitazawa nodded politely.
Hinata watched their easy warmth with envy, her fingers twisting in her lap.
"Hahaha! The Great Me has arrived! I came, I saw, I conquered! I am definitely going to become the Hokage!"
A boy with wild brown hair suddenly burst into the doorway, shouting with the specific kind of energy only a chūnibyō sufferer possesses.
But right after shouting, he realized a teacher was already present. The bravado popped like a soap bubble, replaced by intense embarrassment.
"Uh... hello, Sensei. I, the Great... I mean, I am Kiba Inuzuka."
Kiba scratched his head sheepishly, introducing himself.
"Find a seat," Kitazawa said coolly.
This was the age of fantasy. Only when they grew up would they understand the cruelty of the world.
Kitazawa glanced around but didn't see Akamaru. Although the Inuzuka clan didn't have a Kekkei Genkai, they possessed secret techniques involving fusion with their ninken partners. Akamaru must be too young to attend class just yet.
"Yes, Sensei."
Kiba looked left and right, hurriedly finding a seat by the window in the back row. If he could, he would have dug a hole and buried himself. It was the feeling of getting caught reading a comic book in class, only to look up and see the homeroom teacher staring at you through the window.
"Shikamaru! Choji! Over here!"
Ino waved her slender arm, shouting across the room.
Shikamaru Nara, sporting his signature pineapple ponytail, glanced over instinctively. His face immediately scrunched up into an expression of profound reluctance.
Three pretty girls, plus a teacher. That lineup looked like a hassle.
And the thing he feared most in this world was a hassle.
Choji Akimichi, slightly chubby and clutching a bag of chips, didn't overthink it. He just wandered over.
"Kitazawa-sensei, would you like some?"
Ino reached into Choji's bag, grabbed a chip, and offered it to the teacher.
"I don't eat those."
Kitazawa saw Choji's face twist in pain at the loss of his snack. He shook his head. "I prefer french fries anyway."
He's a good person!
Hearing this, Choji let out a sigh of relief.
Kitazawa didn't realize he had just been issued a "Good Guy Card." By not putting on airs, he quickly blended in with the students.
As time passed, the classroom gradually filled up. Since it was the start of a new school year, most students were strangers to one another. Only Kitazawa's corner was lively, filled with chatting and laughter.
The only person uncomfortable was Hinata.
She remained quiet from start to finish. Only when Kitazawa specifically addressed her would she whisper a few words in response.
"It's almost time. We can chat more later."
Kitazawa stood up and walked toward the podium.
"He's handsome and gentle. He's totally my type!" Ino whispered excitedly to Sakura.
"It's a pity he's too old," Sakura replied, shaking her head.
"Yeah..." Ino's tone held a genuine trace of regret.
"Look! A handsome guy!" Sakura suddenly hissed, gripping Ino's arm.
Ino instinctively looked toward the door.
A boy walked in, hands stuffed in his pockets, radiating an aura of practiced coolness.
The girls in the classroom couldn't help but stir.
Sasuke Uchiha didn't even glance at them. He found an empty seat and sat down, his dark eyes immediately locking onto Kitazawa.
I wonder what level this teacher is at? Sasuke thought critically. Is he even one-tenth as strong as my brother?
Kitazawa narrowed his eyes slightly.
Right now, Sasuke Uchiha was just pretending to be cool. It was only after the impending Uchiha Clan Massacre that he would become genuinely withdrawn and traumatized.
Of course, Kitazawa wasn't worried about the massacre right now. He was worried about the mission that had just popped up.
[Current Mission: Gain the initial recognition of your classmate, Sasuke Uchiha.]
[Mission Reward: Fire Release: Phoenix Sage Fire Technique.]
[Accept?]
Although the mission type was identical to the one for Naruto, the difficulty level was incomparable.
After all, Sasuke still had his parents, and he had a super-genius brother, Itachi Uchiha, as a benchmark.
Kitazawa was just an ordinary Chūnin. Getting an Uchiha's recognition was no small feat.
But it wasn't impossible.
Sasuke, much like Hinata, was starving for approval—specifically from his father, Fugaku Uchiha.
It seems the key lies in the Great Fireball Technique, Kitazawa mused.
Suddenly, the classroom fell dead silent.
A heavyweight had arrived. Naruto Uzumaki.
After the initial hush, a buzz of hushed, hostile whispers broke out.
Naruto looked around, witnessing the reaction, and felt a wave of confusion and hurt wash over him. Even here, at the Academy, nothing had changed.
"Naruto. Find a seat."
The familiar voice made Naruto's heart jump. He looked up at the podium to see Kitazawa nodding at him.
Naruto nodded back vigorously and scrambled to a desk.
"Quiet."
Kitazawa's voice was stern.
The noise in the classroom vanished instantly, though the hostile glares lingered on the blonde boy.
Kitazawa scanned the room, then let out a soft sound of surprise.
He had spotted the last of the "Konoha 12"—Shino Aburame, wearing his high-collared coat and sunglasses, sitting silently in a corner.
When did he get here?
Kitazawa thought about it carefully and realized he had absolutely no memory of Shino entering the room.
"Class is starting. But as is tradition, we will begin with self-introductions."
Kitazawa picked up a piece of chalk, wrote his name on the blackboard in bold strokes, and turned back to the class. "Start from the first row and come up to the podium in order."
He stepped aside to make room.
One by one, the students walked up. Apart from the future Rookie Nine, Kitazawa found the rest unfamiliar. The other three members of the "Konoha 12"—Neji Hyūga, Tenten, and Rock Lee—were currently second-year students.
"My name is Shikamaru Nara. I don't really have many dreams. I just want to live a peaceful life," Shikamaru drawled, punctuating his introduction with a yawn.
"My name is Sasuke Uchiha. I dislike many things, and I don't particularly like anything. My dream is to become a ninja like my brother."
Sasuke spoke expressionlessly. Only when he mentioned the word "brother" did his mask crack, revealing a flicker of intense admiration.
"My name is Naruto Uzumaki! I like instant ramen and Ichiraku Ramen, but I hate the three minutes you have to wait for the water to boil!"
Naruto stood on the podium, took a deep breath, and shouted with unwavering determination, "I have a dream, and that is to surpass the Hokage!"
Kitazawa nodded slightly.
This was basically identical to Naruto's introduction in the original story. In a sense, the boy possessed a terrifying consistency.
"Are you kidding me?"
"Keep dreaming! How could a monster become Hokage?"
"He wants to surpass the Third Lord? Impossible. Absolutely impossible!"
Without fail, Naruto was met with a wave of ridicule and laughter.
"Is it funny?"
Kitazawa's voice cut through the laughter like a blade. He walked to the center of the podium, his expression cold and severe.
"I see nothing but an outstanding inheritor of the Will of Fire."
He glared at the class.
"You all say you want to be Hokage. But by mocking Naruto for his dream, you have already lost the qualification to even try."
The laughter died in their throats. The room went silent.