As the bell rang, Iruka, the scar-faced teacher, entered the classroom holding the class roster.
There were no chalkboard erasers or water buckets set up as pranks today, but Iruka's eyes immediately locked onto Naruto in the back row.
Naruto had his head down, reading a book, putting on the appearance of a model student. But Iruka couldn't forget—Naruto was the demon fox, the Jinchūriki of the Nine-Tails.
His own parents had died during the Nine-Tails' rampage.
Even though he understood that a Jinchūriki and a Tailed Beast were fundamentally different, Iruka still couldn't help the hatred that welled up—hating the beast, and by extension, Naruto.
This was how most of the village's shinobi felt once they learned the truth about Jinchūriki.
Living constantly on the edge of life and death, they didn't care about the nuances. They just needed something to direct their resentment toward. Honestly, the fact they didn't openly torment Naruto was already merciful.
Iruka sometimes caught himself feeling the same way, but he made a conscious effort to fight the bias.
His dream was to become a good teacher—one who didn't judge students based on their family background or past.
Taking a deep breath to calm himself, Iruka began his introduction.
"Before we start class officially, I'd like to introduce myself. I'm Iruka, your homeroom teacher for the next six years. I like Ichiraku Ramen, dislike mixed rice, and my dream is to become a great teacher—one who treats every student equally."
"That's a dream? Shouldn't a teacher dream of becoming Hokage?"
"Yeah! Or at least aim to be the academy principal. Becoming a teacher is a dream now?"
As soon as Iruka finished, a wave of chatter and mockery rippled through the room.
His expression darkened slightly, but he responded patiently:
"Dreams aren't ranked. There's no high or low. We should respect other people's dreams. Now, does anyone want to go first with their self-introduction?
If not, I'll start calling names from the roster."
Hearing this, Naruto looked up at Iruka with some curiosity, then leaned back in his seat, interested to hear what others would say. At the same time, he began to reflect on his own dream.
Was it to become the Seventh Hokage, just to meet others' expectations? Or should he choose to be himself?
And what kind of dream did the Third Hokage want him to have?
At that moment, in the Hokage's office, Hiruzen Sarutobi— the Third Hokage—had pulled out his crystal ball to observe the class.
Iruka's class was the one he paid the most attention to this year. It included the heirs to the next generation of the Ino-Shika-Cho trio, the Hyuga clan's heiress, the second son of the Uchiha family, and of course, the Jinchūriki he watched most closely—Naruto.
Having personally mentored Iruka, Hiruzen believed he was the best teacher to guide these children.
Soon, it was Naruto's turn.
Standing up, he spoke with calm and confidence:
"I'm Uzumaki Naruto. You can ask around if you want to know who I really am.
My hobbies are cooking, reading, and training. I dislike people who dislike me.
My dream is to live a normal life and protect the people I care about."
Iruka fell silent after hearing that.
Naruto's dream was so humble—he only hated those who hated him. Yet for Naruto, even such a modest dream was incredibly difficult.
Shikamaru and Choji glanced at Naruto with complex expressions. They could tell how lonely he was.
Hinata looked worried and even a bit regretful. She seemed ready to get up and comfort him—ashamed that she had never tried to understand what he felt inside.
As for Sakura and Sasuke, they were watching Naruto with new interest, beginning to realize that their desk mate was no ordinary person.
Back in his office, the Third Hokage slowly put down his pipe.
He began to wonder if he had been too harsh on Naruto. Since learning the truth of his identity as a Jinchūriki, Naruto seemed to have lost all grand ambitions and now only longed for an ordinary life.
But a Jinchūriki… could never truly live an ordinary life.
With a sigh, the Third Hokage shut off the crystal ball and returned to his paperwork.
As the chakra watching over him faded away, Naruto knew his true audience had left. His self-introduction had never been meant for Iruka or the class—but for the one manipulating his life from the shadows: the Third Hokage.
Only by satisfying Hiruzen could he continue moving forward and gain more freedom and benefits.
As for the other students' introductions, Naruto paid them little attention. He went back to reading.
Since he'd chosen to stand out, he couldn't afford to slack off academically—and truth be told, he actually found the material pretty interesting.
What Naruto didn't realize was that his words had already caught Sasuke's attention.
When the bell rang for recess, Sasuke came over and said:
"Hey. You're Naruto, right? They call you the demon fox behind your back.
Are you… really that strong?"
Naruto put down his book and glanced at this younger version of Sasuke, shaking his head slightly.
Despite the casual tone, Sasuke had just broken the unspoken rule and called him "demon fox" to his face. Even if he didn't mean to insult him, Naruto couldn't help but feel annoyed—and was already mentally preparing for a fight.
"Yeah, that's what they call me. As for strength… I'm not that strong. I've barely managed to learn the Three Basic Jutsu."
"You've already learned the Three Techniques?"
Sasuke was clearly surprised. No wonder Naruto gave off that subtle air of strength.
They had just started school, and Naruto had already mastered the basic trio? As far as he knew, only his brother had managed that at this age.
In that moment, Sasuke lost any desire to challenge Naruto right away.
Naruto noticed the hesitation and chuckled:
"You're Uchiha Sasuke, right? From the police force clan.
You sure you don't want to spar?
Don't tell me you haven't learned the Three Techniques yet. Aren't all Uchiha supposed to be geniuses?"
Sasuke flushed red. The truth was—he hadn't learned all three. He only knew Clone and Substitution.
If Naruto was telling the truth, he wasn't Sasuke's match yet. But as an Uchiha, Sasuke couldn't let that slide. His pride—and his family's name—demanded a challenge.
"Fine. I accept. Let's find a bigger space—how about the training field?
That way everyone can see."
But before he could move, he felt a pencil press against his neck—its point darkened with ink like a dot.
Naruto's voice drifted over calmly:
"You've already lost, Sasuke."
"That was a sneak attack! You didn't even say 'go'!" Sasuke protested.
Naruto glanced at him, his tone dismissive:
"From the moment you challenged me, the fight had already begun.
Real enemies won't give you prep time or fight fair."
Sasuke was momentarily speechless, but quickly regained his fire.
"Then I challenge you again. This time, I'll be ready."
Naruto shook his head, stood up, and looked back at Sasuke as he walked away:
"I refuse. Come back when you're stronger.
I'm not interested in fighting someone who hasn't even mastered the basics—it feels like play-acting."
Despite being dismissed, Sasuke wasn't discouraged—in fact, he was even more motivated.
He had thought there would be few worthy rivals in the academy. But now, it turned out the very boy seated next to him—Naruto—was a powerful one.
Suddenly, life at the academy felt a lot more interesting.
(End of Chapter)
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