Chapter 24: I Want to Become Hokage!
In the very last row of the classroom, Ryosuke sat alone after Hinata quietly left.
Although there were plenty of students present, the room was massive, with enough seats to accommodate hundreds. Most of the students had gathered in the front rows, squeezed together and chatting in clusters.
But there were always a few outliers—like Ryosuke—who preferred solitude in the back. Another one was Uchiha Sasuke, who sat alone by the window, completely disinterested in making friends.
"Sit wherever you like," Ryosuke said casually, chuckling as he noticed the hesitant figure approaching.
It was Uzumaki Naruto.
Ryosuke hadn't expected Naruto to come to the back row. But then again, his personality was a bit different from what Ryosuke remembered from the original plot. Naruto wasn't the loud, mischievous prankster yet. Right now, he was just a quiet, socially-awkward kid—ostracized, uncertain, and not good at expressing himself.
"Thank you. I'm Uzumaki Naruto."
Polite and formal, Naruto bowed slightly as he took the seat beside Ryosuke, introducing himself and waiting curiously for a reply.
"Hyuga Ryosuke," Ryosuke said with a nod, then lowered his head and picked up the ninja handbook placed beneath each desk, flipping it open.
Naruto fidgeted slightly. He looked like he wanted to keep talking, but didn't dare. Ryosuke noticed it, but didn't press. Making close friends with Naruto wasn't exactly the safest move right now.
The moment Naruto sat next to him, Ryosuke had sensed it—that feeling of being watched.
He was sure someone was keeping an eye on Naruto. And by extension, on him.
Still, Ryosuke didn't shoo Naruto away. He didn't see the need. Laying low didn't mean acting suspicious or avoiding everyone at all costs. Sometimes, the best way to hide was to just blend in. Be normal. Be forgettable.
After a long moment of silence, Naruto finally broke.
"Um... don't you hate me?"
Ryosuke paused, hand frozen mid-flip through the pages. He looked at Naruto, confused.
"Hate you?" he echoed. "Why would I hate you?"
Naruto blinked. The simple question stunned him.
He opened his mouth, but no words came out.
Why? Why did everyone hate him?
It was a question that had haunted him since he was little. No one had ever given him an answer—just looks of disgust, rejection, and hatred.
But now, sitting next to Ryosuke, hearing that question thrown back at him so plainly, he was suddenly speechless.
This boy... he didn't look at him with hatred. There was no malice in his voice, no coldness in his gaze. Just a calm, gentle curiosity.
And Naruto didn't know what to do with that.
"Alright, quiet down for a moment."
A firm voice cut through the atmosphere. A young man with a visible scar on his face and a Chunin forehead protector strode into the room.
"I'm Umino Iruka," he introduced, standing at the podium. "I'll be your theory teacher for the next month."
Naruto looked up at the new teacher, and his face dimmed again.
Disgust. Rejection. He could feel it.
That same look… Iruka had it too.
"See? He's like the others," Naruto whispered, his voice barely audible but heavy with confusion. "But... you're not. Why? Why do they hate me for no reason, but you don't?"
His eyes locked on Ryosuke, pleading.
Ryosuke sighed inwardly. A lot of the students didn't hate Naruto because they knew the truth. These were heirs of clans, informed and raised with context.
But Naruto didn't know that. And Ryosuke wasn't about to explain it.
"I don't really know," Ryosuke said honestly, shaking his head. "But if you want answers, you should ask the Third Hokage. He'd know more than anyone else."
Naruto blinked. "The Third...?"
"Yeah. I saw him talking to you earlier on the playground. You two must be close, right? Try asking him."
Ryosuke felt the spying presence twitch—Sarutobi Hiruzen, no doubt.
He didn't care. Let the old man squirm.
This mess was theirs to clean up, not his.
Naruto nodded slowly, clearly taking Ryosuke's words to heart.
Meanwhile, Iruka clapped his hands at the front of the class. "Some of you might be transferred out of this class depending on your performance over the next month. But for now, let's start with introductions."
He gave a warm smile and gestured encouragingly.
"Just your name, age, and dream. We'll go row by row."
The first student stood—a boy from the Sarutobi clan. His dream? To become Hokage.
Iruka praised him with a soft smile and encouraging words.
Next up, someone from the Mitarai clan. Then Inuzuka Kiba. Aburame Shino.
One after another, the students introduced themselves. As their turn approached, Ryosuke could feel Naruto fidgeting beside him, nervous.
"It's a great dream. Medical ninjas are incredibly important," Iruka said kindly to a student. "Alright, next—"
He turned to Naruto.
But the warmth on his face disappeared the second his eyes landed on him.
Expressionless. Cold.
Naruto stood up, fists clenched. He was clearly used to this kind of treatment.
"My name is Uzumaki Naruto," he said loudly, "and my dream is to become Hokage!"
It wasn't a rare dream. Half the kids in class wanted to be Hokage.
But when Naruto said it, the room shifted.
Students who didn't know the truth scoffed quietly. No one spoke outright, but their sneers cut deep.
Iruka didn't correct them.
He simply muttered something under his breath, didn't bother writing Naruto's info down, and moved on.
Naruto sat back down, lips tightly sealed, fists trembling.
No praise. No encouragement. Nothing.
"My name is Hyuga Ryosuke," Ryosuke said, standing up. "My dream is to become a great ninja."
No grand ambitions. No big declaration. Just something vague and harmless.
He sat back down without fanfare.
"A great ninja, huh?" Iruka smiled again, the coldness gone. "Sounds like someone still figuring things out."
He jotted it down, then looked up again.
"The front rows are better for hearing the lesson. Want to move up, Ryosuke?"
Beside him, Ryosuke saw Naruto's head sink a little lower.
"No, thank you, Sensei," Ryosuke replied with a smile. "I prefer the spot I picked."
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