While everyone was chatting, a few long-legged little girls had already gathered around Uchiha Sasuke—no one even noticed when they had come in.
Iruka then pushed open the door and entered. He had just been in the principal's office listening to a lecture from the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen.
"Iruka, I plan to place Uzumaki Naruto in your class. I believe you are the most suitable person to teach him…"
The Third Hokage's voice was calm, but Iruka was slightly stunned. The Third had just told him that Naruto was the current Nine-Tails Jinchūriki. That news made him uneasy.
His own parents had died during the Nine-Tails attack, and now he was being asked to teach the boy villagers called a demon fox.
Iruka sighed deeply and said, "I understand, Lord Third."
"Here's their information. Take a look."
The Third Hokage slid a folder across the table. As Iruka opened it, he couldn't help but gasp. The student roster included children from nearly all of Konoha's noble clans.
He saw the Uchiha clan, the main family heir of the Hyūga clan, the descendants of the Ino–Shika–Chō trio, and children from several other prominent families—with only a few civilians among them.
"Lord Third… am I really qualified?"
"Iruka, don't underestimate yourself. I've seen your achievements. You are definitely capable. I'm leaving these children in your hands."
The Third Hokage smiled gently before turning and leaving, leaving Iruka alone in thought.
A short while later, Iruka took the student files and headed toward Class A's room, his nerves tightening as he walked.
He passed through two corridors until he arrived at a door marked "Class A."
He slowly pushed the door open.
The scene before him made Iruka inwardly frown.
Bang!
He slammed the files onto the desk. The sudden noise startled everyone. When they realized it was their teacher, they quickly sat up straight.
After everyone quieted down, Iruka let out a sigh of relief.
"Next, let's introduce ourselves. When your name is called, stand up and share your dreams and hobbies."
Iruka opened the roster the Third Hokage had prepared and called the first name, "Sano Dairo!"
A chubby, stocky-looking boy stood up and loudly declared, "Hi, everyone! I'm Sano Dairo! My dream is to become Hokage! I like fitness and food!"
The class erupted in laughter. No wonder he looked both fat and strong—he was a powerful eater.
"Alright, that's enough. Stop laughing. Dairo's dream and hobbies are great. Next, Haruno Sakura!"
The second student was someone Naruto knew well.
A girl with pink hair, wearing a cheongsam and a slightly broad forehead, stood up. "Hi everyone, I'm Haruno Sakura! My best friend is Ino, and my dream is to become a great kunoichi like Lady Tsunade~!"
At this point, Sakura was still new to school. She hadn't yet fallen out with Ino and wasn't completely obsessed with Sasuke—though she was already part of the girls who crowded around him earlier.
The next few students all gave typical responses about becoming Hokage or strong ninja.
"Uzumaki Naruto!"
Is it my turn now?
Naruto slowly stood up from beside Hinata and said, "My name is Uzumaki Naruto! I like Ichiraku Ramen, and my dream is world nuclear peace and to study the mysteries of the world!"
That was as close to Naruto's true dream as anything.
After all, he had decided that one day he might become the enemy of the world—and bring it down through nuclear force, if needed.
Ever since gaining the God's Reward for Hard Work ability, Naruto had developed a curiosity for understanding the world's deeper mysteries.
Whatever he tried, he succeeded easily.
Because every effort brought rewards. But Naruto also noticed something—the deeper his understanding, the greater the reward from his ability.
So he sought out every opportunity to learn more.
"World peace, huh? That's a wonderful dream, Naruto."
Peace was almost unthinkable in the ninja world, but Iruka didn't dismiss anyone's dream—even Naruto's, despite the emotions he struggled with.
Still, when Iruka heard Naruto's words, his heart was moved. The hatred he felt toward the boy began to waver.
The child in front of him wasn't the Nine-Tails—but rather someone burdened by it. Perhaps Naruto didn't deserve his scorn.
Though Iruka couldn't completely let go of his feelings yet, a small crack had formed in his resentment.
Meanwhile, Sasuke glanced at Naruto, finding him strange—this kid seemed more arrogant than even him.
But that dream… it had caught Sasuke off guard.
"Uchiha Sasuke!"
Sasuke stood up quickly and said with conviction, "I'm Uchiha Sasuke! My favorite person is my brother. I hate anyone who interferes with us. I like tri-colored dango. My dream is to make the Uchiha name known throughout the village!"
The class murmured in admiration—especially the girls.
Naruto looked at Sasuke. He wasn't the vengeful loner yet—just a young, somewhat proud boy.
Still, the Uchiha pride was strong in him. Always talking about the clan's glory. He was still so naïve.
As the introductions continued, each student stood up and spoke.
When it was Hinata's turn, Naruto noticed she looked nervous. He reached out and gently squeezed her hand, then let go. Even so, her face flushed bright red.
Seeing Naruto's encouraging gaze, Hinata slowly stood up.
"H-hello everyone. My name is… Hyūga Hinata. And my… dream is to become a gentle, kind woman like my mother…"
She quickly sat down, head lowered. Naruto noticed that even her neck had turned pink. He assumed she was nervous.
In truth, Hinata was thinking: Naruto-kun held my hand! He held my hand!
Iruka sighed inwardly. As the heir of the Hyūga main family, she's too timid…
One by one, the rest of the class finished introducing themselves. Iruka noted each student's hobbies and dreams—information that would be shared with the Third Hokage.
It might not be everything, but these insights were valuable.
Once they were done, Iruka closed his notebook.
"Alright everyone. Today is your first day, so we'll keep things simple. Formal classes begin tomorrow. You may go home when the bell rings."
As Iruka finished, the classroom fell quiet as everyone awaited the bell.
Some kids were still restless. Sakura whispered something to Ino while sneakily glancing at Sasuke.
Shikamaru looked bored and had already fallen asleep on his desk. Chōji continued munching his chips, like they were the most precious thing in the world.
Uchiha Sasuke wore a cold expression but was secretly watching the clock. He wanted to go home and share today's events with his brother.
Ding ding ding~~~
The bell finally rang. Naruto waved goodbye to Hinata and left.
Uchiha Sasuke watched the strange boy calmly walk past the crowd.
That direction? He's heading toward the back mountain… Why is he going there?
Sasuke watched, unsure why he kept paying attention to this odd kid. He didn't seem like anything special—except maybe those eyes. They were too deep for someone his age.
Naruto, unaware of Sasuke's curiosity, simply continued on.
Even if he had known, he wouldn't have cared. Right now, all that mattered was training—and growing stronger, as fast as possible.
End of the Chapter.
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