Former protagonist, as the new protagonist would be himself.
'I never understood those guys from reincarnation stories that clung to the protagonist, satisfied with being second best.' Kaien thought his eyes on the classroom door.
His thoughts were interrupted by a soft, almost whisper of a voice."U-um....excuse me.....is it okay if I sit here?"
He turned to see a face he remembered, Hinata Hyuga. She stood jacket pulled over her head, nervously fidgeting with her fingers. Her pale lavender eyes wandered, avoiding his gaze.
"Of course it is." he said warmly. "I'm Kaien, Kaien Tsuro."
"H.....Hinata...Hyuga." She replied softly, taking the seat beside him.
Kaien smiled, looking at the shy girl. "Your eyes are really beautiful, you know. Like moonlight."
Hinata's face turned crimson as she ducked her head, whispering something unintelligible.
Kaien chuckled softly, and the sound drew Ino's attention.
"See! He's even got a nice laugh!" she shouted, pulling Shikamaru's sleeve. "Look, look!"
Shikamaru sighed. "Troublesome.."
Kaien just shook his head with a quiet laugh, turning his attention back to the classroom as a whole.
He closed his eyes for a moment and, with a subtle breath, released his chakra field. A faint, invisible, undetectable ripple spread across the room, scanning everyone within it.
Over the students' heads, a faint percentage appeared in his vision, cellular compatibility rates:
Shikamaru- 38%
Ino- 42%
Hinata- 47%
Kiba- 40%
Sasuke- 10%
No one noticed as he retracted his field, with a slight look of disappointment flashing on his face.
And then.
Bang!!!
The classroom door slammed open, accompanied by a loud voice.
"I'm hereeee! Believe it!"
Everyone turned to see a blond-haired boy with whiskers and a huge grin.
Kaien's lips curved into a smile. ' The former protagonist is here.' He thought to himself.
Naruto's boisterous entrance earned him groans from some students and curious glances from others. Unbothered, Naruto strolled into the classroom, scanning for an empty seat. He found one at the back of the class, right across from Kaien, beside a boy Kaien didn't even remember from the series.
Once Naruto had taken his seat, Kaien once again released his chakra field again aimed only at Naruto.
Naruto- 80%
Kaien's eyes widened slightly. Eighty percent..... that's the highest he had seen so far.
The thought came instantly. 'If I absorbed him...'
But reason soon came as he quickly dismissed the idea.
'That's reckless. The Hokage and the ANBU kept constant watch over Naruto. Not to mention the nine-tails sealed inside him, I have no idea how my kekei genkai would react to it. For now, the risk outweighed the rewards.' Thinks Kaien.
'Cleaner opportunities will come in the near future, Shisui's death, I could easily get his body, or even the Uchiha massacre, though there are chances of exposure in each case, it's less than trying to absorb Naruto.' His expression remained calm, betraying none of his inner calculations.
Soon, the classroom door opened once again, this time far more quietly than when Naruto entered. A man with a scar across his nose and kind, calm eyes walked in.
"Alright, everyone, settle down!" He said his voice was kind but firm. "My name is Iruka Umino, and I'll be your instructor."
The class quieted down.
Iruka smiled. "Let's start with introductions. One at a time, stand up, tell us your name, your likes and dislikes, and your dream."
Kaien leaned back slightly, listening as the students went in order.
Kiba shouted something about being the strongest ninja with his partner, Akamaru. Shikamaru said something about sleep and watching clouds, not forgetting to add a comment about it being troublesome.
When it was finally Kaien's turn, all eyes turned to the white-haired boy in the back of the class.
He stood slowly and confidently, with his hand at his side.
"My name is Kaien Tsuro. I like spending time with my family and training. I dislike spicy food.... and war."
His voice was calm but steady, carrying through the room. "I don't have a dream; what I have is an inevitability. I will become the strongest shinobi to have lived, I will become the Hokage and bring true peace to the ninja world."
The room went silent, and the others in the room didn't fully understand what he had said, just taking it at face value; only Shikamaru and Iruka seemed to understand the seriousness and the conviction in what Kaien said.
Naruto shot up from his seat like a spring. "Hey! Kaien, I'll be the one to become Hokage, believe it!"
Kaien turned to him, meeting his bright blue eyes. A faint smirk crossed his lips.
"You'll have to wait your turn, Naruto. I'll be Hokage first, maybe the fifth or sixth, you can be Hokage after."
Naruto froze for a moment, wide-eyed. He had expected laughter or mockery, like usual.
He grinned fiercely. "We'll see about that! I'll be Hokage before you, dattebayo!"
Kaien chuckled softly. "We'll see."
Iruka finally interrupted to tell them both to sit. The introductions continued, followed by the morning lessons.
"Now, can anyone tell me what chakra is?"
Kaien leaned back slightly, letting the other children answer while he listened, calm and composed, already far ahead of this level.
While the lesson was underway, a different scene was happening in the Hokage's office.
In the Hokage office, Hiiruzen Sarutobi leaned forward, looking at the scene being displayed in the crystal ball on the desk.
A gentle smile formed on his lips as he exhaled smoke. "Kaien Tsuro..... an interesting child, get me the information on him." The third said.
"Yes, Hokage sama." A voice replied, most likely a hidden ANBU in the office.
"Perhaps, there will be a civilian pillar of the village in this generation after all, although I still can't say if he will become another Minato, an elite jonin is more than possible."
"Hopefully, I can hold on until someone appears who can take over. Kakashi would have been a good choice, but his mindset and strength still aren't up to par."