Naruto let Kiba shake him without much change in expression.
Kiba was always loud and rowdy, but he was straightforward and loyal. Across so many loops—whether it was standing as punishment, skipping class, or going on missions together—Kiba never changed.
He was a trustworthy companion.
Shikamaru yawned beside them and added lazily, "It's a pain, but I'm kind of curious too. You really are different today."
Naruto looked at Shikamaru, and something stirred faintly in his chest.
He had asked Shikamaru for help before. Even then… there still hadn't been a solution.
Shikamaru always had that "what a drag" catchphrase on his lips—
Yet every time, he'd seriously helped Naruto analyze the situation and run through possibilities. Even though none of it ever broke the loop, that quiet support…
Naruto never forgot it.
Shikamaru had even said before that if the looping truly never ended, maybe simply enjoying it in silence wasn't such a bad way to live—an idea that strangely matched Orochimaru's advice now.
Back then, Naruto had been too impatient to listen.
And there was Chōji too—he looked like all he cared about was eating, but he was more gentle and perceptive than anyone. More than once, when Naruto was at his lowest, Chōji had silently handed him a bag of chips.
In the end, Naruto only smiled, his tone light.
"I just figured a few things out, that's all. Come on—school's almost out!"
As he spoke, Naruto slipped free of Kiba's hands, waved goodbye, and headed toward the academy gate.
Kiba shouted after him, "What the heck? That explains nothing!"
Shikamaru narrowed his eyes slightly as he watched Naruto's back.
In the end, he only sighed and muttered, "Whatever. Better not to think about troublesome things."
Chōji nodded, and opened another bag of chips.
---
For the first day of a loop, Naruto knew the timing far too well. By the time he reached the gate, it was almost dismissal.
He didn't slip away like he used to, hunting for answers.
Instead, he waited unhurriedly by the wall near the entrance.
Sure enough, it wasn't long before Iruka came running out, glancing left and right as he went, muttering under his breath.
"That kid Naruto… he definitely ran off again! I knew I shouldn't have agreed to help Mizuki with him…"
But the moment Iruka finished speaking and turned his head, he saw Naruto standing quietly to the side, waving at him.
"Iruka-sensei. Let's go."
Iruka froze for a second, stopping in place. His expression turned awkward.
"Naruto… you didn't run?"
"Why would I run?" Naruto asked naturally. "Aren't we going to clean up this morning's prank?"
Of course, Naruto could've done it himself.
The only reason to wait for Iruka was to act like a well-behaved kid—so he'd earn a trip to Ichiraku Ramen as a reward.
In this loop, Naruto wanted to quietly experience the scene of eating ramen alone with Iruka-sensei.
Iruka blinked, at a loss for words.
In the end, he scratched his head, sighed, and said with complicated feeling, "You really have… grown a lot today."
"Let's go, Iruka-sensei," Naruto said, smiling without explaining.
...
The two of them walked toward the Hokage Monument in silence.
Iruka kept sneaking glances at Naruto.
Naruto's steps were steady. He wasn't bouncing around, looking everywhere like usual. Instead, he carried a calmness that didn't fit his age.
Just like he had in class.
When they reached the monument, they boarded the lift. Naruto took the brush and bucket with practiced ease and stepped onto the platform.
Once it lowered to the right position, he immediately began scrubbing the graffiti off the Fourth Hokage's stone face.
His movements were quick and efficient.
Before long, most of the paint had been washed away.
Standing atop the Fourth Hokage's head, Iruka couldn't help thinking—
Did I yell at him too harshly this morning?
But it wasn't like his criticism today was any different from before.
Iruka looked down at Naruto and finally couldn't hold back anymore.
"Naruto… have you run into something lately? You feel like you've changed a lot."
Naruto didn't stop scrubbing. His gaze drifted lightly to the Fourth Hokage's face.
That face—
He'd looked at it countless times across countless loops.
In many cycles, he'd even revived his parents, causing a huge stir in the village.
Naruto raised his head slightly and asked softly, "Iruka-sensei… if you knew something would fail no matter what you did, would you still keep trying?"
Iruka froze for a moment, then showed an expression that said I get it.
He assumed Naruto was discouraged, thinking his dream of becoming Hokage was slipping farther away because of the prank.
So Iruka answered firmly, "I would. I'd do it without hesitation."
"Why?" Naruto asked, genuinely surprised.
In earlier loops, whenever Naruto showed signs of despair, Iruka-sensei had also comforted him—especially after losses like Jiraiya's sacrifice in Naruto's first life…
Iruka cleared his throat, puffed out his chest, and spoke earnestly.
"Because failure is part of life."
"When I was younger, I chose to become a teacher because I wasn't strong enough. I was afraid I'd hold my teammates back on missions."
"But I never gave up, because I knew everything I did was for a greater dream—to raise students into excellent ninja… and someday, even Hokage!"
Iruka's words were passionate, and he even felt a little proud inside.
Now Naruto will definitely regain his fighting spirit, right?
'Man, I'm a great teacher.'
But after hearing him, Naruto froze slightly.
Iruka's words, in a way, were very similar to Orochimaru's and Shikamaru's thinking—only Naruto had always been too impatient before.
Naruto suddenly realized that perhaps he was just like Iruka back then.
"Holding teammates back on missions" was like Naruto endlessly searching for a solution within infinite loops—and finding none.
Maybe changing his overall strategy was the real meaning.
Iruka became a teacher.
And Naruto… should seriously observe every difference in this loop, and the hidden meaning behind them.
Only then could he truly break the cycle.
As that thought formed, Naruto's eyes gradually lit up.
"I think… I get it!"
Iruka smiled in relief and encouraged him, "Then you'd better work hard! First step—start by cleaning the Hokage Monument properly!"
At the same time, Iruka's heart surged with excitement.
'Third Hokage… I'm going to raise a future Hokage candidate!'
And Naruto's heart also felt suddenly clear.
In this life, he would stop obsessing over how to break the loop.
Instead, he would feel the details around him that he'd never noticed—
And the truth hidden beneath.
So Naruto scrubbed even harder, working over his father's stone face again and again.
Watching him, Iruka was deeply moved. In the end, he waved his hand decisively.
"Naruto—once we finish, I'm treating you to Ichiraku Ramen!"
"Really?! That's awesome!"
Naruto smiled—truly, from the heart, after a long time.
It was as bright as his smile in his first life…
But this time, it carried a different kind of warmth.