The early morning sun filtered softly through the windows of the Konoha Academy, spilling warm light across the wooden floors. Inside the classroom, a hushed buzz of chatter filled the air, but the atmosphere quickly changed as tension crackled between two boys in the center of it all.
"Move aside, loser," Sasuke scoffed, voice sharp as ever.
He had just entered the room, hands tucked arrogantly into his pockets, a slight smirk playing on his lips as he towered over a startled Naruto.
Naruto blinked and took a step back before frowning. "What was that, teme!? Say that again!"
The room quieted slightly. A few girls gasped, their attention now fully turned to the brewing confrontation.
A group of them had already gathered around Sasuke's seat earlier, whispering about his looks and cool attitude.
But unlike the past where his popularity was uncontested, things had subtly shifted.
As Naruto and Sasuke began exchanging barbed words, most of the class simply watched with a mixture of amusement and mild concern.
A few girls—clearly fangirls—whispered angrily.
"Why does Naruto always pick a fight with Sasuke-kun? So annoying..."
"Seriously, can't he just leave Sasuke-kun alone?"
Among the murmurs, Sakura, Ino, and Hinata stood silently.
They weren't joining the scolding of Naruto.
In fact, they didn't even look particularly interested in Sasuke.
Their eyes were elsewhere—toward the classroom door.
Because he hadn't arrived yet.
The moment they had been anticipating came when a familiar, cool voice sliced through the rising argument between Naruto and Sasuke.
"Move aside, Uchiha brat."
Sasuke froze.
The entire room did.
Everyone turned to see Senju Gojo standing in the doorway, arms folded, wearing his newly tailored attire.
His presence was commanding without trying to be, as if the room naturally shifted to accommodate him.
Gojo's outfit was a blend of tradition and flair. He wore a black, high-collared shinobi jacket with silver embroidery flowing along the sleeves like chakra veins.
The Senju clan crest was boldly imprinted on his back in a brilliant crimson hue. Underneath, a dark blue mesh shirt gave him flexibility and protection.
His pants were fitted, ninja-styled with bandaged ankles tucked into black shinobi sandals.
Around his waist was a white sash, tied carefully in the Senju warrior style.
His left shoulder bore a custom armband that glowed faintly with chakra patterns—a gift from Tsunade, infused for protection.
Sasuke turned, jaw tightening when he saw Gojo.
Their eyes locked.
There was no need for words. The animosity was palpable.
"Tch." Sasuke's mouth twisted into a snarl and without thinking, he lunged forward, aiming a punch straight at Gojo's face.
Hinata's breath caught. Sakura's eyes widened.
Ino had already stepped forward to stop him—but Gojo didn't move.
In a flash, Gojo's leg snapped up, catching Sasuke in the side and sending him stumbling back.
It wasn't brutal, but it was clean, precise.
Sasuke skidded across the wooden floor with a loud thud.
"You're too slow," Gojo said calmly.
Iruka burst into the room, rushing over and placing himself between the two.
"Enough! This is an academy, not a battlefield. Sit down—both of you."
Gojo simply nodded and turned to find his seat.
Sasuke glared daggers but remained silent, seething as he picked himself up.
Just then, a familiar chime echoed in Gojo's mind.
[ Ding! Congratulations to host for plundering Sasuke Uchiha's opportunity. Reward: 1500 system points. ]
[ Ding! Congratulations to host for plundering Sasuke Uchiha's opportunity. Reward: 1500 system points. ]
[ Ding! Congratulations to host for plundering Naruto Uzumaki's opportunity. Reward: 2000 system points. ]
Gojo's eyes flickered. So, that was it. By disrupting the original dynamic—by taking the attention of Ino, Sakura, and even Hinata away from Sasuke and Naruto—he had unknowingly plundered their key opportunities. The system recognized it immediately.
He smirked faintly.
Iruka exhaled tiredly. "Let's try again. I'm Umino Iruka.
I'll be your homeroom teacher from now on.
Since many of you already know each other, let's have a round of introductions again."
Gojo moved to his seat, which had been placed between Shikamaru and Choji.
The two looked up as he sat down.
"Yo," Gojo said casually.
"Troublesome," Shikamaru muttered, though he nodded.
Choji was chewing on a bag of chips and gave a thumbs-up. "You kicked Sasuke good."
Across the room, Sakura, Ino, and Hinata quickly followed, taking the seats directly nearby.
All three seemed satisfied sitting close to Gojo. Hinata sat to his diagonal left, Sakura in front of him, and Ino at his right.
Naruto stumbled in awkwardly, red-faced, and went to the other side of the room to sit next to Kiba and Shino.
Kiba looked amused, Shino stayed quiet as always, and Naruto slumped into his chair with a defeated groan.
"Why's everyone against me today..."
As the class continued with introductions, Gojo leaned back in his chair slightly.
He could feel it again.
Someone was watching him.
His eyes swept the room.
No one looked out of place.
Not Sakura. Not Hinata. Not Ino. Not even Shino, who was usually an enigma.
But Gojo was sharp. Someone was watching him intently—yet he couldn't pinpoint it.
Gojo didn't react outwardly. He simply turned his head slightly and focused forward, filing the sensation away in his mind.
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[ TO BE CONTINUED ]
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Author's Note:
Boom! The chapter ends… but my journey as a humble author continues!
If you laughed, raged, or felt the urge to slap a fictional character today—don't forget to drop a Power Stone or add this novel to your collection!
It fuels my fingers and feeds the system behind this villainous tale.
Got an idea? A plot twist suggestion? Or just wanna yell at a character?
Slide into the comments—I read everything.
Until next time,
Stay evil, stay awesome, and thanks for reading!
– Your Scheming Author
azuredragonx
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