No, Ino puffed up her cheeks as she watched Shari once again surrounded by a crowd. She wanted to squeeze in, too, but there simply wasn't enough time.
However, Shari probably didn't care about what others thought. Waiting until the excitement died down to approach him wouldn't be too late.
With that thought, Ino's mood suddenly lifted. Seeing the crowd around Shari's seat, her sense of superiority grew stronger. "Why are you all crowding around? Shari isn't going to pay attention to you anyway, hmph!"
Shari herself felt exasperated. The fervor from the midterm exams had finally faded, only for this to happen now. She realized that if this kept happening a few more times, her popularity in class might become unstoppable…
She couldn't help but sigh, just like Shikamaru.
Trouble!
Shari had always maintained her usual aloofness toward strangers, but this time it clearly wasn't as effective as before.
What frustrated Shari most was that even when she went to the training field after school, the news of what happened had reached people—even someone as indifferent as Shari had heard about it.
"Shari, you're amazing! Everyone in school is talking about you!" Xili said with admiration.
"Luckily, Xili, if you were here, you'd have managed to do it too," Shari said with some helplessness.
"But… Shari, are you really a first grader?" Xili asked again.
"Yes," Shari rolled her eyes. Isn't this obvious by now?
"First grade, just one year younger than me. Shari has been working hard since she was little. Hmph, I can't fall behind! Shari, keep it up!" Xili's eyes burned with determination.
"All right, though today's exercise was far below standard," Shari replied. One of the benefits of training with Xili was that she never lost her enthusiasm for physical activity.
The next day, in the Hokage's office:
The Third Hokage was reviewing the report of yesterday's events. Naturally, such an unpleasant incident had been written up and submitted to him, and the report had been prepared by Iruka.
"Hmm…" The Third carefully studied the scroll detailing the incident. Seeing Naruto's situation, he couldn't help but sigh, feeling a mix of emotions.
Should Naruto's identity have been revealed from the start? Shouldn't he have followed Danzo's advice? At the time, he hesitated, and even so, Danzo still had time to act. There was nothing he could do. In the end, he could only tacitly allow Danzo's actions.
However, the Third didn't have time to dwell on the past. The events had already happened, and it was too late to change them. He continued reviewing the scroll.
Recalling Shari's actions, he realized that the Shadow Clone must have already dissipated, allowing the real one to step in and buy time.
Then there was the scene he had witnessed personally—and the subsequent development surprised him. Did Shari really force the others to apologize to Naruto?
Could someone really do that for Naruto? The Third smiled inwardly. From this perspective, Shari's character was impeccable.
Naruto had found his own bonds at school, and similarly, Shari had also forged connections in her own way.
"The first-grade 'Great Demon King,' huh…" The Third smiled faintly at the title, then fell into deep thought. Perhaps there was no need to wait for Jiraiya's return. What troubled him was that he didn't know when Jiraiya would come back.
Should Shari's talent go to waste during this time? The Third pondered deeply, his gaze lingering on the scroll. Training bonds might prevent Shari from graduating early, but wasting her talent was not an option.
The Third stood slowly, tapped his pipe on the desk, and walked to the window. Looking out at the distant Hokage Rock, he seemed to see a familiar figure, which slowly transformed into Naruto, and finally into Shari.
He let out a deep sigh.
"Fourth…"
At that moment, the Third made his decision and returned to his desk. Of course, he had far more matters to attend to than just this one.
Soon, the office door opened again. A man with a cane and a white cloth covering one eye entered—it was Danzo.
"Hiruzen Sarutobi, do you know about the Nine-Tails?" Danzo said as he approached, as if Naruto had committed a grave crime. "I've said it all along—you shouldn't have sent him to the Ninja Academy. He should have been handed over to Root."
"Well, Naruto hasn't done anything wrong in this matter," the Third waved his hand, looking at Danzo, not expecting the visit to be solely about Naruto.
Danzo's expression remained unchanged after being refused again. He thought the Third must already know, yet he said, "Hiruzen Sarutobi, even if the Nine-Tails isn't available to us, Root still needs nourishment."
The Third immediately understood who Danzo was after—no surprise, it was Shari, who had already shown immense talent. Based on this incident alone, Danzo could gauge her strength, which was on par with the likes of Kakashi.
The Third, who had the exact information, knew that Shari's potential might even surpass Kakashi's.
"That's enough. This is impossible," the Third refused without hesitation.
"Hiruzen Sarutobi! If you continue like this, you'll ruin her! With her talent, this academy isn't enough for her!" Danzo roared, attempting to pressure the Third.
"I will determine what is suitable for her. There's no need for further discussion," the Third replied calmly. He may not know everything about Root, but he knew enough. He knew what had become of the ninjas who joined Root. Previously, he had turned a blind eye, but now Danzo wanted access to Shari. No, not just Shari—no one in the Academy could match her. Everyone there trained for the village. For the future.
"Hmph!" Danzo understood the Third Hokage's determination and left the office with a cold snort. Shari had already captured the Third's attention.
After Danzo left, the Third seemed older; he let out a deep sigh. Then, as if remembering something, he tapped the desk. In an instant, a masked figure appeared in the office once more.
Meanwhile, Shinai frowned as she listened to her colleagues' chatter. Had Shari been in a fight? And already earned the title of the first-grade Demon King?
Her colleagues admired her for having such a strong child, confident that he would achieve great things. But Shinai did not feel pleased. In her eyes, fighting was wrong—especially at such a young age.
She asked about the reason behind the fight. While the incident had spread among the parents in the Academy, the specific details were not widely known. What had spread quickly was Shari's reputation.
Shinai still didn't fully understand and felt uneasy. She trusted that her son would never bully others, but she wanted to go home quickly to ask Shari what had really happened.
That evening, at Shari's home:
Shari sat across from Shinai and recounted the events. He was a bit helpless—how had the news spread so fast, all the way to his mother? When he returned home and saw Shinai's concerned expression, he feared something had gone wrong.
After hearing Shari's explanation, Shinai's expression softened. She had always believed her son wouldn't bully anyone, but without solid proof, she remained somewhat uncertain.
"So you took action to help the bullied students?" Shinai confirmed.
"Yes," Shari nodded.
"If that's the case, then it's right. Helping classmates is the right thing to do," Shinai said with relief. Fortunately, her son hadn't learned any bad habits.
"But, the one you helped… is he called Uzumaki Naruto?" Shinai asked hesitantly.
"Yes, he's my deskmate," Shari nodded, showing that their relationship was close.
"Are you friends?" Shinai frowned.
"Yes, that's right," Shari confirmed. She appreciated Naruto's guidance but clearly saw him as a friend.
"Alright then…" Shinai fell silent for a moment.
"Mom, what's the matter? I get along well with Naruto. He's not the monster that rumors claim," Shari said proactively. She didn't want her mother treating Naruto like the other villagers did.
"You've heard the rumors. I don't think he's a monster, but being friends with him could cause trouble. Many people don't like him. I do pity him, but I'd rather not get involved," Shinai hesitated, knowing Shari was mature for her age.
Shari relaxed. Shinai hadn't reacted as others did; this was normal. Aside from the villagers whose families were harmed by the Nine-Tails, the rest had no lingering hatred. In general, it was best to avoid Naruto to prevent trouble.
This matter involved villagers' resentment toward Naruto and, naturally, some ill-intentioned people stirring things behind the scenes.
"Mom, I can assure you that Naruto is fine. He's my comrade," Shari said seriously.
Shinai looked at Shari and finally nodded. "If you understand the situation, then that's fine. But it's better not to hang out in the village together, or you might be criticized."
"Yes, I understand," Shari nodded. She always visited Naruto's remote home and school. The village had long developed a tacit understanding: Naruto wouldn't approach anyone.
"That's good. Here, try this," Shinai said, running into the room and pulling out a pale yellow turtleneck sweater. "See if it fits. If not, I'll get you another one."
Shari took the sweater, paused, and looked up at Shinai.
Shinai smiled. "This is a gift for your midterm exam."
Shari opened her mouth but ultimately said nothing. The sweater was clearly hand-knitted by Shinai, stitch by stitch, and since she was rarely home, Shari had never seen her mother make anything like this before.
He had previously said no gifts were necessary…
Soon, Shari put on the sweater. It fit perfectly and was warm.
"Hmph, looks like my skill and eye for detail haven't diminished~" Seeing Shari in the sweater, Shinai nodded in satisfaction. The sweater not only fit well but also made her look stylish. Indeed, clothes make the person. Unfortunately, the family couldn't afford new clothes for Shari.
Otherwise, Shinai would have taken her son shopping to dress him nicely, ensuring he attracted a crowd of fans. He was so handsome and strong, adored by many girls. Being a star-chaser would have been troublesome!
Chapter 37 – Survival Skills and First Place
Unlike Shari's happy home, Mr. Kawauchi walked home alone from the Hokage's office.
He hadn't gone to complain to the Hokage but had been contacted by the Anbu.
Later, the Hokage had a very friendly and frank conversation with Mr. Kawauchi.
On the surface, it seemed like encouragement not to worry about yesterday's events, but in reality, Mr. Kawauchi was now more mature with age and understood the Third's intentions.
Wasn't it simply to tell him not to trouble Shari, fearing that she might cause problems for the village?
Though slightly troubled inside, Mr. Kawauchi naturally indicated he wouldn't give Shari a hard time. The Third was satisfied to let him leave.
In fact, Mr. Kawauchi had never intended revenge. Besides, he was a teacher and had lived in Konoha for so long—what could he possibly hate?
Was it just losing face? Compared to one's life, this was trivial. The child's talent was extraordinary and would one day make a difference.
Even if Shari didn't become a great figure, she could become a powerful ninja. At the very least, killing her would be far easier.
Thus, Mr. Kawauchi was not foolish. Even an ordinary teacher had some survival wisdom. At most, he could make the other feel a bit of frustration within the rules.
For example, if responsible for the graduation exam, he would ensure Shari won with the substitution technique as her graduation ninja skill.
Yet, Mr. Kawauchi thought this would still be easy for her—what could he do?
At most, he might feel some annoyance but could not offend her, and there were few geniuses in the class who could help him vent.
He sighed deeply. He truly envied Iruka!
Time passed quickly, and Shari practiced step by step.
During this period, what frustrated Shari most was that the title of "First-Grade Demon King" seemed impossible to shake.
Just as her fame seemed about to fade, another incident occurred.
This time, the protagonist wasn't Naruto, but Choji Akimichi. Shari found the situation somewhat unreasonable.
Because Choji, upon seeing Tenten, casually commented that he was too fat…
Angry, Tenten immediately confronted him.
Though commenting on others' weight was rude, Shari glanced at Choji's figure and realized he wasn't entirely wrong.
Even knowing it was unreasonable, Shari still decided to help Tenten. After all, Tenten was one of her own. At most, she would make Tenten apologize after the matter was resolved.
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