The opening ceremony began.
The Third Hokage stood on a high platform, gazing down at the new students enrolled this year.
He looked proud, filled with hope for Konoha's bright future.
"Where the leaves dance, the fire lives on.
The fire will continue to illuminate the village and cause new leaves to sprout."
He smiled kindly.
"You young ones are the hope of Konoha. As Hokage, I believe in you—and I will protect you.
One day, you will become the very pillars that support the village."
The Third Hokage's voice rang out with energy and warmth, addressing all the future shinobi gathered below.
When he finished, the civilian-born students stared up at him with wide eyes. The Hokage himself believed in them. He had entrusted them with the future.
Excitement surged through them like a jolt of electricity.
Some of them had never seen the Hokage up close before. And now, here he was, offering them his full encouragement. How could they not be stirred?
On the other hand, students from shinobi clans were less impressed—they'd already heard similar speeches from their elders.
Still, among the crowd, one boy played his role perfectly.
Naruto Uzumaki didn't forget the training of an experienced actor. His facial expressions changed in sync with those around him—eyes wide, smile genuine, as if he'd fully bought into the Will of Fire.
Onstage, the Third Hokage's gaze swept the crowd—and paused briefly on Naruto.
He watched the boy's face.
Then, he nodded to himself in approval.
Very good. That's right. Just follow the path I've set… and everything will be fine.
After all, unless he had no other choice, the Third Hokage didn't want to treat Naruto as nothing more than a weapon—a pure Jinchūriki.
The ceremony ended, and the Hokage left amidst the respectful goodbyes of the students and teachers.
Shortly after, the teachers of each class stepped forward with their assigned student lists.
Names were called.
As expected, Naruto and the other future stars of the academy were all placed in the same class—just like in the original timeline.
Of course, the class also included several ordinary students—background characters, really.
When some of them realized they'd be in the same class as that boy—Naruto Uzumaki, the so-called demon fox—they couldn't hide the dismay on their faces.
"Unlucky," their expressions seemed to say.
But it wasn't up to them who joined which class.
Naruto ignored their reactions. If you've got a problem, come say it to my face. If not, then shut up and get lost.
He scanned the classroom and spotted an empty seat next to Hinata Hyuga.
Without hesitation, he walked over and sat down beside her.
"Yo," he said casually, flashing a grin. "Hinata, looks like we're desk mates from now on."
Hinata froze. She never imagined she'd be sitting right next to Naruto.
Her face flushed crimson.
She murmured a shy sound—barely a whisper—and gave a small nod.
Naruto looked at her blushing face and smiled again, but didn't tease her any further.
Elsewhere in the room, their other classmates from ninja clans—like Shikamaru Nara, Ino Yamanaka, and the rest—noticed the interaction.
They already knew each other from their clans' gatherings. But they didn't expect Hinata to be familiar with Naruto, of all people.
And their relationship didn't seem normal either.
Ino narrowed her eyes and nudged Shikamaru with a grin.
"Hey, Shikamaru," she whispered, her tone dripping with gossip. "Don't you think something's going on between those two?"
Shikamaru winced from the poke. He looked pained but didn't argue.
"How should I know?" he muttered.
Ino pouted.
"Aren't you supposed to be the smartest one here? You should be able to guess, right?"
Shikamaru let out a sigh.
Troublesome…
He couldn't understand why Ino—still just a kid—was already this invested in romance.
Not that he was any older.
Ino had just met Sakura Haruno and already the two girls were whispering and giggling about Naruto and Hinata.
Before the chatter could escalate, the door opened and their homeroom teacher, Iruka Umino, entered.
"Alright, everyone, quiet down," Iruka said with a warm smile. "Today's our first official class. Let's begin with introductions."
But half a minute passed and not a single student moved.
Iruka sighed internally. This group's going to be a handful…
With no other choice, he decided to call on students by name.
Each child reluctantly stepped forward.
"Hello everyone, I'm Koizumi Kosuke. I like my mom and dad, and I hate natto…"
"Hi, I'm…"
One by one, the students made their way up.
From his seat, Naruto watched as more familiar characters appeared.
Then came a little girl with bright pink hair.
"Hello everyone, my name is Haruno Sakura. I like—"
She trailed off, eyes drifting to Uchiha Sasuke, seated near the window.
The moment she saw him, Sakura's heart skipped a beat.
He's so cool… she thought, cheeks turning pink.
But she was too embarrassed to finish her sentence. The next second, she darted off the stage in a panic.
Iruka watched her retreat and smiled knowingly.
Kids these days… They grow up so fast.
Iruka was momentarily speechless.
Then, he called out the next name:
"Uchiha Sasuke."
Sasuke walked up to the podium with a calm, composed expression.
"Introduce yourself," Iruka instructed.
"My name is Uchiha Sasuke. The person I admire is my brother… and I hate sweets."
At this time, Sasuke had not yet experienced the massacre of the Uchiha Clan.
He was still innocent—almost endearing in his quiet pride.
No wonder the girls liked him.
Next came the introductions of Hinata Hyuga, Shikamaru Nara, and Ino Yamanaka.
Finally, it was Uzumaki Naruto's turn.
Iruka read his name.
As Naruto walked to the front of the class, a flicker of emotion passed through Iruka's eyes—hatred.
The Nine-Tails.
The demon fox.
The creature that had taken everything from him… had killed his parents.
Iruka couldn't forgive that.
A few days ago, he had learned that he would be the homeroom teacher for Uzumaki Naruto—the jinchūriki of the Nine-Tails.
His first instinct was to reject the assignment outright.
But there was no choice.
The order had come directly from the Third Hokage.
Iruka had to accept it.
At this moment, Naruto had no idea what Iruka was thinking.
And even if he did… he wouldn't care.
He would probably just find Iruka's thoughts ridiculous.
To believe that a child—just a brat like him—was responsible for his parents' deaths?
To carry that hatred for so many years… and aim it at a child?
In the original timeline, Naruto and Iruka built a close bond. A true teacher-student relationship.
But that wasn't his story.
Not anymore.
And now, Naruto couldn't help but question:
In the original world—was Iruka truly genuine?
Or was he just another pawn of the Third Hokage?
Another "bond" used to keep the Nine-Tails in line?
...
For Supporting me & 20+ Advance Chapters: P-com/LordMerlin