"..."
Looking at the black eyes that held no hint of disgust or aloofness, Naruto Uzumaki felt a surge of curiosity and kinship.
It was strange. The acceptance he had always craved was now right in front of him, yet he felt a surprising sense of calm.
He was simply curious as to why Sasuke Uchiha wasn't like everyone else and felt a genuine liking for the first classmate to show him kindness.
Naruto suppressed the tumultuous emotions within him, a calm smile spreading across his face.
"My name is Naruto Uzumaki," his voice was clear and steady. "It's nice to be in the same class as you, Sasuke Uchiha."
"Just call me Sasuke. I can call you..." Sasuke's smile deepened, about to say more.
Just then, the classroom door opened again.
A young man with a scar running across the bridge of his nose walked in. His gentle face held the steady, authoritative air unique to a teacher.
It was Iruka Umino.
His appearance immediately quelled the relaxed and noisy atmosphere in the classroom. Students instinctively returned to their seats and sat up straight.
Iruka's steady gaze swept over the classroom, passing over each student's face, finally resting on the golden-haired child by the window.
"Naruto Uzumaki..."
A complex mix of emotions flashed deep within his eyes—scrutiny, gravity, and a hint of suppressed hatred.
Although he had learned from Lord Third that he would be Naruto Uzumaki's teacher and had been told of Naruto's true identity and the responsibility to "guide him properly," Iruka's heart still uncontrollably clenched when he saw the boy.
His parents had died in the Nine-Tails attack. The pain and despair of that disaster were seared into his memory.
And this child before him was the vessel for that "perpetrator."
Even though his rationality told Iruka that Naruto was just an innocent child and had done nothing wrong, the deep-seated pain and hatred from his memories grew like thorns in his heart, making it almost impossible for him to maintain a calm expression.
"Hmm?"
Naruto, who had been looking at Sasuke, keenly sensed Iruka's gaze and looked up.
Lately, he had noticed his strength was increasing and his awareness of his surroundings was becoming more acute.
Although Iruka's complex and somber gaze lasted only a moment, it felt as tangible as a physical weight to him.
"This new teacher..." A strong intuition rose in Naruto's heart. "Does he hate me too?"
From Iruka's eyes, he felt hatred, but also a hint of struggle.
However, Iruka had already suppressed his complicated thoughts and put on his usual kind, professional smile.
He no longer looked at Naruto, turning instead to the blackboard, picking up a piece of chalk, and scribbling his name on the board.
"Hello, everyone."
Iruka turned back to face the class, a gentle smile on his face and a clear, steady voice. "I am your teacher, Iruka Umino."
"From today on, I will be in charge of teaching you."
His gaze swept over the class again, his tone relaxed and engaging. "Since this is our first meeting, to help everyone get to know each other, please come up and introduce yourselves."
"You can talk about your name, what you dislike, what you like, or your future dreams..."
He paused, looking encouragingly at the students. "So, who would like to be the first to come up and introduce themselves?"
As soon as he finished speaking, Sasuke Uchiha stood up.
He walked confidently to the front of the class, facing his classmates with a clear, smiling voice. "Hello, everyone, I'm Sasuke Uchiha, from the Uchiha clan."
"I like making friends and the feeling of working hard and improving with everyone." His gaze swept over the students below. "I hate arrogant people."
"My dream is to become Hokage."
Upon his words, a slight murmur rippled through the class.
Liking to make friends was something many people liked, and becoming Hokage was the dream of many kids in Konoha. But hearing these words from a member of the Uchiha clan...
Shikamaru Nara, who had been resting his head on his desk, slowly lifted his head and raised an eyebrow as he watched Sasuke at the front of the room.
Sasuke paused slightly, then stated frankly, "I know everyone is aware of what happened to the Uchiha clan and has heard about the clan's past conduct."
"I admit that part of the reason the Uchiha clan fell to its current state was due to our own arrogance and closed-off nature."
"So..." Sasuke's voice suddenly grew louder. "I hope to correct the past mistakes of the Uchiha clan! And I hope to become true comrades and friends with all of you!"
"I hope to earn everyone's recognition through my own efforts, become Hokage, and make the Uchiha clan great again."
"Thank you, everyone!"
With that, Sasuke bowed slightly and walked back to his seat.
Clap clap clap!
The classroom fell into a brief silence, then erupted in warm, sustained applause. Many of the girls' eyes sparkled as they looked at Sasuke.
Sasuke's honesty, self-reflection, and his determination to change and integrate had undoubtedly won him the favor of many classmates.
Many of the girls sitting near him leaned over to ask him questions, and Sasuke seemed to welcome the attention.
"..."
In Naruto's mental space, Otsutsuki Unshiki's eye twitched as he watched the completely transformed Sasuke.
In the original story, before the Uchiha clan's massacre, Sasuke's personality as a child was indeed cheerful, arguably even more lively than Naruto's.
Naruto's personality as a child was better described as "gentle" than cheerful.
However, what surprised Unshiki was that after that night, Sasuke's personality hadn't changed much, but had simply acquired a more "pragmatic" flavor.
"Did Itachi Uchiha do something or say something to him?" Unshiki mused.
To continue the Uchiha clan, to make it great again, to correct past mistakes—had he gone from one extreme to another?
One by one, the students went to the front of the class, many of them familiar faces.
"My name is Kiba Inuzuka. I like a challenge and hate losing. My dream is to become the strongest ninja!"
"Uh, my name is Choji Akimichi. I like all kinds of food and hate being hungry. My dream is to eat all the delicious food there is..."
"My name is Sakura Haruno. I like studying and hate people who aren't serious. My dream is to become a great ninja like Lady Tsunade..."
"My name is Shikamaru Nara. I like watching clouds and sleeping, and I hate troublesome things..."
"Hello, my name is Ino Yamanaka. I like flower arranging and I hate..."
"My name is Hinata Hyuga. I like..."
"..."
Finally, only Naruto Uzumaki was left.
Iruka's gaze fell on him again, a hint of complexity still deep in his eyes.
Naruto took a deep breath, stood up, and walked to the front of the classroom, facing the curious and calm gazes of his classmates.
Looking at the unfamiliar faces that showed no rejection, Naruto now understood who was in this class.
Following his teacher's advice, he had read the history of the ninja world and Konoha.
So Naruto knew that the familiar surnames belonged to the great clans of Konoha. If there was an "elite class" in this grade, this was it.
It stood to reason that the people here knew who he was, and that he wasn't the monster from the rumors, which was why they weren't afraid or repulsed.
Mulling this over, Naruto cleared his throat and began, his voice steady and with a gentle smile. "Hello, everyone, I'm Naruto Uzumaki."
"I like cooking, reading, and raising cats. I like people who care about me and accept me, and as for what I hate..."
He paused, seemingly thinking, then said frankly, "...there's nothing I hate."
"My dream is to live a calm, peaceful life with the people I care about."
"If possible, I hope to become friends with all of you."
There were no grand speeches, no earth-shattering goals—just a simple, sincere, and humble wish.
The classroom was quiet for a moment. Shikamaru's eyes showed a hint of approval as he raised his hands, about to applaud.
Clap! Clap!
Sasuke was the first to applaud, and soon the applause grew warmer and more enthusiastic.
Naruto's eyes flickered. He nodded at Sasuke, then turned and walked back to his seat.
The classroom was a tiered lecture hall, with three people to a desk.
When Naruto returned to his seat, his two deskmates, who had seemingly been hesitating about whether to talk to him, now actively approached him.
"Naruto, is it okay to call you that?"
A boy with no clan emblem, who looked like he was from a common family, grinned. "My name is Ryosuke Chiba. You can call me Ryosuke. Please take care of me from now on."
"Ryosuke, please take care of me too."
Naruto returned the smile and instinctively looked at his other deskmate.
It was a girl with a strange black and red hairstyle and a rather unflattering pair of brown-rimmed glasses.
"Hello, Naruto," she said with a smile. "My name is Karin. It's nice to meet you."
For some reason, Naruto felt a sense of closeness to the unfamiliar Karin.
At the front of the classroom, Iruka's feelings were a bit complex as he watched Naruto from afar.
He naturally knew how Naruto was treated in the village.
There were some who, with their wicked faces and vicious curses, would even make him, a ninja, feel a shiver of dread.
Yet, in this hostile environment, the Naruto who was feared and rejected by countless people showed no resentment, no hatred, no twistedness...
He simply displayed an incredible gentleness and a simple desire for a normal, peaceful life.
"Phew..."
Iruka let out a deep breath, making a firm decision in his heart.
No matter how sensitive Naruto's identity was, no matter what terrible power was sealed within him, he was just his student now—an innocent child.
And he, Iruka Umino, as a teacher, must face him with a fair attitude and guide him. This was his responsibility as a teacher.
As the applause gradually subsided, Iruka stepped forward, his expression returning to its usual steady and gentle smile. His gaze swept over the class, pausing for a moment on Naruto.
The complexity in his eyes had faded, replaced by the firm composure of a teacher.
"Excellent. Everyone's introductions were very well done," Iruka's voice returned to its usual steadiness. "Now, let's begin our first official class."
"First, I'll go over what we'll be studying this semester."
"First, basic wilderness survival and reconnaissance, basic taijutsu and practical application, and basic chakra theory..."
Iruka paused, his tone becoming more solemn. "And also, the inheritance and understanding of the Will of Fire. This course has a high weight in the theoretical exams."
"According to tradition, the first lesson on the Will of Fire should be taught by the Headmaster, Lord Third, himself. However..."
He gave a slight, apologetic smile. "Lord Third is very busy with his daily affairs and hasn't had time recently, so I will be teaching this first lesson."
He picked up the chalk and quickly wrote a line on the blackboard.
Where there is a fluttering of leaves, there is a burning of fire.
"The Will of Fire is the foundation of our village, a philosophy proposed by Lord First, Hashirama Senju..."
Iruka began to narrate Konoha's history, the journey of the First Hokage to realize his ideals, the belief of each successive Hokage in protecting the village, the safeguarding, sacrifice, and inheritance of the Will of Fire...
At his desk by the window, Naruto outwardly appeared to be listening intently, his gaze focused on Iruka, occasionally nodding.
However, his consciousness had already sunk into his mental space.
He had actually already studied the history of the ninja world and Konoha.
Or rather, the very first thing he learned from Unshiki was history, or rather, "to use history as a mirror."
"Teacher," Naruto looked up at Unshiki, who was sitting on the Nine-Tails, and asked curiously, "Is it okay for the school to mix Konoha's history and the Will of Fire like this?"
"Any philosophy, no matter how lofty it sounds, needs to be examined within its specific historical context," Otsutsuki Unshiki's voice was calm and steady. "Hashirama Senju's establishment of Konoha and his ending of the Warring States period is an undeniable achievement."
"However, has the 'Will of Fire' been imbued with too much idealism in its inheritance? Has it ignored the complexity of human nature and the cruelty of reality?"
"Where are the boundaries of protection? How is the value of sacrifice measured?"
"These are things you need to figure out for yourself, Naruto."
With that, Otsutsuki Unshiki opened his eyes and looked at Naruto calmly. "Don't blindly accept any philosophy that is being force-fed to you."
"Use your own eyes to see, and your own heart to judge."
"You only need to make the choice you believe is right and be willing to bear all the consequences, good or bad."
Naruto nodded, half-understanding, and then sat down at a desk.
"Teacher, what are we studying today?" he asked excitedly. "Can I watch TV after class?"
Unshiki didn't answer his question. He simply waved his hand, materializing books from his memory and stacking them into a mountain in front of Naruto.
"These..." Naruto couldn't help but blink. "Are these also books from other worlds?"
The "other worlds" he spoke of were actually other planets.
Naruto knew from the Nine-Tails that his teacher was very powerful, a person from another world.
So, like the Nine-Tails, he wasn't at all surprised by the various unheard-of things Unshiki produced, whether they were strange books or movies.
After all, for a race that could travel through the cosmos, it would be strange if they hadn't seen civilizations beyond the ninja world.
"Yes. Like the books I gave you before, these are from a world that has no power similar to chakra and has basically achieved peace," Unshiki nodded slightly, his tone cold. "The ninja world's level of understanding is too low. They have power, but they don't know how to use it. They're a bunch of fools, no different from this fox."
"Cough!"
Hearing that, the Nine-Tails, who had been feigning sleep, couldn't help but cough, symbolically protesting Unshiki's mockery.
Unshiki ignored it and continued, "Read all of these books first to understand the essence of the world and power, and then I'll teach you how to master that power."
Naruto nodded obediently and picked up the top book.
The content of these books was naturally translated and adapted to the ninja world's context.
Simply by opening a page, Naruto saw a sentence.
Someone asked: "How about repaying hatred with kindness?"
If you repay hatred with kindness, then how do you repay kindness? Therefore, one should naturally repay evil with justice and repay kindness with kindness.
At this moment, Otsutsuki Unshiki, sitting on the Nine-Tails' head, looked at Naruto, and a faint look of curiosity appeared in his eyes as he felt the awakening of the Uzumaki clan's bloodline. He had not guided Naruto too much, or rather, making Naruto wise through books was the greatest guidance of all, fundamentally changing his worldview.
Any person with a normal perspective would not believe that the ninja world's current development was correct, and Naruto would naturally come to the same conclusion.
So, what would Naruto do then?
Meanwhile, at the border port of the Land of Demons, dark, thick clouds pressed down on the sky.
The falling rain splattered onto the sea, and strong winds carried the downpour. The flags at the port were taut and straight, and the anchored ships creaked and groaned.
Woo!
A haunting, whale-like whistle gradually cut through the black, rainy night.
Accompanied by the sound of crashing waves, a black shadow pressed in from the sea.
It was a huge ship painted the same color as the stormy night.
Dressed in black raincoats, Hiashi Hyuga and Hiruzen Sarutobi stood on the deck. As they looked at the visible smoke and fire rising in the distance, they both realized one thing at this moment.
This Five Kage Summit would likely not go smoothly from the moment they stepped foot in the Land of Demons.
"Sigh." Hiruzen couldn't help but sigh. "Let's go. We need to find the Shrine Maiden first and figure out what's happened."
Hiashi held out his hand, watching the rain hit his palm and splash. His downcast eyes narrowed.
"That aura, similar to a Hollow, is it the demon Moryo from the Land of Demons?" he thought to himself, sensing the aura in the distance. "Besides the Five Kage, are Orochimaru and Obito Uchiha also in the Land of Demons?"
How did all these guys end up together in the Land of Demons?
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