Chapter 9: The Will of Fire
"My name is Nara Shikamaru, six years old. I have no other hobbies; I just want to live a peaceful life."
"Inuzuka Kiba. I like chewy things. Currently, I want a Summoned Beast. My dream isn't quite clear for now."
"Kuzuryu Yaichi. My hobby is Shogi. My dream is to have a little sister one day."
"My name is Uchiha Sasuke. I like training. My dream is to surpass my brother."
"My name is Yamanaka Shinji. My hobby is interrogating enemies to learn the truth. I hope to one day use the whip in my hand to lash the Kage of enemy Villages. My dream is to join the KonohaTorture and Interrogation Force."
"..."
Finally, it was Naruto's turn.
He walked unhurriedly to the podium.
Everyone's eyes were on him, including Iruka's.
After all, he was exceptionally different.
Naruto thought for a moment; at this time, Hiruzen Sarutobi was definitely spying on him.
Does he even understand the Minor Protection Law?
Back in my past life, he would have been served a nice long prison sentence.
"My name is Uzumaki Naruto. My hobby is training. My dream is to one day become the Hokage."
This move is what's called being politically correct.
Showing that he possessed an excellent Will of Fire.
Naruto smiled slightly; his dream wasn't too out of place.
Among the brats in Konoha, nine out of ten wanted to become the Hokage.
Clearly, they hadn't been beaten down by society yet, or they had been brainwashed by Hiruzen Sarutobi's beautiful theories.
Sasuke looked up and gave him a curious glance.
It wasn't because of the dream, but because they shared the same hobby.
Training.
But that was all.
How could a commoner be compared to the prestigious Uchiha clan?
It wouldn't take long before he left him in the dust forever.
In the end, there was a pathetic, thick barrier between them.
The morning was mainly for self-introductions.
Taking advantage of the free time, Narutocontrolled his Chakra to form a small knife and carved his name onto the desk.
Beside him, the little loli Hinata had her face buried almost under the table, just like an ostrich.
"It's going to fall off."
Naruto turned his head and smiled, reaching out his wicked right hand, his open palm perfectly catching her chin.
"Eek..."
Hinata's eyes widened. The warmth from her chin made her whole body heat up; her blood surged, and her cute little face seemed to be emitting steam.
Nice, the teasing was a success.
However, seeing Hinata look like she was about to faint, he felt he might have gone a bit too far.
But he could explain.
In psychology, this is known as 'cute aggression'.
It means having a desire to squeeze or destroy something because it is too cute.
For example, some people see a cute little rabbit and immediately think of how delicious it would be; it's the same logic.
It might be a protective mechanism of the human body to keep one from dying of cuteness.
Thinking this way, Naruto's guilt vanished.
But he stopped teasing Hinata.
He picked up a textbook.
"The Third Hokage and the Will of Fire.
If Senju Hashirama proposed the so-called Will of Fire, then what Hiruzen Sarutobi did was promote it further, making it take root in people's hearts until it became the number one Genjutsu in the Ninja World.
Kotoamatsukami is nothing compared to it.
Where the leaves dance, fire shall burn. The fire's shadow will illuminate the Village, and once again, tree leaves shall bud anew.
Does it sound good? It certainly does.
Naruto actually admired Hiruzen Sarutobi a bit.
Being a Hokage was a waste of his talent; he should have gone into multi-level marketing.
But he sneered at the Will of Fire.
It was too fake.
China is probably the only country that uprightly teaches the 'art of slaying dragons'.
Anyone who has gone through nine years of compulsory education couldn't possibly accept this so-called Will of Fire.
Starting point, focus point, end point, planning goals, program, and so on—it had none of them.
You're just writing a short essay here.
Naruto remembered when he was in high school, the final question of the Chinese exam was an essay. Every time, he would rack his brains to fabricate something that sounded plausible.
Besides this textbook, there were others like Chakra Extraction and Application, ninja toolThrowing, Teamwork, Trap Design, Basic Taijutsu, Flower Arranging, and so on.
Overall, it was quite diverse.
As long as one seriously studied all the content, they could become a qualified... cannon fodder.
Take Sakura Haruno for example; although she performed weakly in the early stages, she was already a top student proficient in various theories, definitely a genius among commoners.
Some people became heroes who saved the world, while others became the background for those heroes. What was the ultimate reason?
Not enough effort? Not enough diligence? No, it's your bloodline; it's your poor background.
All roads lead to Rome, but some people are born in Rome.
Naruto was especially like this.
The closer one was to the bloodline of the Ōtsutsuki Clan, the more powerful they were.
Uzumaki Naruto and Uchiha Sasuke could become the children of destiny because of the Chakra of Ashura and Indra, as well as the cheats given by the Six Paths Sage.
As for Might Guy and Rock Lee, who tried to force their way with 'cheats', their accounts were essentially banned.
Fortunately, I have both the cheats and the bloodline.
Naruto closed the book. The self-introductions were over, and the morning had passed.
He planned to think about skipping class in the afternoon.
"Naruto! Let's go have lunch together!"
Kiba, who was sitting with Shino Aburame, waved at him.
He was very enthusiastic.
The reason was the dog frisbee he had received.
Matsumaru, who had been in a poor mental state due to absorbing Yang Release, actually leaped up and started playing with the frisbee.
It was practically a medical miracle.
According to his sister, the excessive Yang Releasewas more than Matsumaru's body could handle, and he could only wait it out with time.
"My treat,"
Kiba added appropriately, "as thanks for the frisbee you gave me."
With someone offering to pay, Naruto naturally wouldn't refuse.
He loved free meals the most.
They tasted extra delicious.
"Hinata, you should come too,"
Naruto said with a smile. "Kiba, you don't mind, do you?"
Anyway, Kiba came from a wealthy family.
And Hinata was his future teammate.
And so, Naruto and the future Team 8 had BBQ for lunch.
Hinata's two teammates, Inuzuka Kiba and Shino Aburame, witnessed her appetite for the first time.
It was only thanks to Naruto constantly ordering more dishes that she managed to get full.
However, the strange looks made her head feel dizzy.
"Goodbye, Naruto and Kiba."
After Hinata finished speaking, she turned and ran into the Hyuga Clan's large estate.
Shino: "..."
Did you forget someone?
"Then we're heading back too. See you this afternoon."
After Kiba and Shino left, Naruto planned to go to the training ground by the stream first.
He hadn't exercised all morning, and his whole body felt out of sorts.
It had indeed become a habit.
He turned and walked out.
As one of Konoha's greatest noble families, the Hyuga Clan occupied an entire street.
The large estate at the very end belonged to the Hyuga Main House.
The areas on both sides extending outwards were for the Hyuga Branch House.
This layout was clearly designed to make it convenient for the Branch House to protect the Main House.
"Hyuga Neji! Remember that you are a member of the Branch House. Next time you spar with the Young Lady, mind your place!"
The sudden scolding made Naruto stop in his tracks.
He looked toward the courtyard where the voice came from, leaped up, and saw Hyuga Neji and a young man.
In the original work, Neji defeated Hinata multiple times in spars.
Hyuga Hiashi shouldn't be so petty.
And Hinata wouldn't be either.
This meant her guard was acting on his own initiative.
Naruto couldn't help but think of a saying: a servant doesn't feel pity for himself; instead, he feels pity for his master who lives in luxury.
There was a similar irony here.
A guard who was also from the Branch House was making things difficult for the Branch House's genius.
The Caged Bird Seal...
It had turned some members of the Branch House into slaves.
"Even if you are a genius, you must understand your status. This is the fate you were born with!"
"..."
Naruto twitched his lips.
He didn't believe in fatalism at all.
"Hey, Neji, where's your pride?"
Neji, who had been silent, couldn't help but look up in surprise at Naruto standing on the wall.