"Toru, no matter what you become — a ninja or anything else — always aim for the top and keep getting stronger."
— Grandpa's words.
Now, years later, Inuzuka Toru looked up at the sky and muttered softly,
"Grandpa... did I meet your expectations?"
[No. 1 on the list of people least wanted as a boyfriend]
[No. 1 on the list of most hated boys]
[No. 1 on the list of most rejected confessions]
And so, with a tragic triple crown, Toru's self-introduction in the Ninja School Focus Interview: Special Edition 2 began —
"Inuzuka's endless losing streak — the untold story!"
---
Toru trudged back to his seat, his shoulders heavy with defeat. Before he could even sit down, Uchiha Ryo smirked from beside him.
"Toru, another rejection? You're on fire this week."
"Hey! You can't just accuse me like that!" Toru snapped, face turning red.
Ryo chuckled. "Accuse? I saw you confess to a girl from Class 6-B the other day — and she turned you down right in front of everyone."
"That wasn't a confession!" Toru protested. "I just asked her to grab lunch!"
The entire class burst into laughter. The room buzzed with teasing chatter until the door slid open. In walked their instructor — the strict but dependable Nishimura-sensei, holding a thick stack of papers.
"Alright, alright, settle down, you little troublemakers," he said, adjusting his headband. The laughter died instantly. Everyone hurried back to their seats.
"Eh? Sensei, we're having another exam? Already?!" one student groaned, eyeing the pile of papers.
Nishimura shook his head. "No, no tests today. This is something different. I just want to hear about your dreams. Write them down carefully."
Dreams? Hayashi blinked in confusion. Didn't we already write that in first grade?
As if reading their thoughts, Nishimura smiled faintly. "What I'm handing out now… are the dreams you all wrote six years ago, when you first entered the academy."
He placed a paper on each desk. "It's been six years, and you'll soon graduate. Before you become Genin, I want you to look back at your old dreams — and write your new ones beneath them."
The classroom quieted as everyone began reading what their younger selves had written. Hayashi tapped his pen against the desk thoughtfully. Dreams, huh… Dreams were beautiful, he thought — but only because they existed within imagination. When shaped by reason and effort, they weren't dreams anymore — they were goals. And Hayashi preferred goals over dreams. Still… he couldn't quite remember what he'd written back then.
"Minato, what did you write six years ago?" Hayashi asked casually.
Minato grinned. "Oh, mine—"
"Never mind," Hayashi interrupted. "I already know."
Minato blinked. "...You do?"
"Of course. You've always wanted to become Hokage. Same as Nawaki," Hayashi said with a knowing smile.
Indeed, both Minato and Nawaki were aiming for the title of Hokage — a goal many shared, including their teacher Orochimaru, and even their classmates like Kushina and Hyuga Himeji.
Hayashi chuckled inwardly. Oh, right — even that persistent guy, Shimura Danzo, was chasing that same dream. He imagined a future news headline:
"Seventy-year-old veteran Shimura Danzo runs for Hokage — again! Rejected four times, but still refuses to give up."
An inspiring story, Hayashi thought sarcastically. Until the day the stubborn old man dies and Akatsuki claims responsibility. Rumors said Danzo had actually been taken out by his own "good friend" — someone he'd once rivaled for the Hokage seat. A dark reminder of how dangerous politics could be in the shinobi world. Lesson of the day: never underestimate the importance of counter-terrorism.
"Alright, Mikoto," Hayashi said lightly, turning to his classmate. "What did you write back then?"
Mikoto smiled shyly. "That's a secret."
He didn't press further — and didn't bother asking Kushina either, since she joined the academy in second grade. Then Nishimura arrived at Hayashi's desk, giving him a peculiar look before handing over his paper.
Hayashi frowned as he read the words from his younger self:
May there be peace in the ninja world — nuclear peace.
He cringed instantly. "Oh man… I was such a weirdo." His face flushed red. Everyone had a "chuunin-phase" moment, but this was next-level embarrassing.
Across the room, Mikoto covered her own paper protectively, hiding it from view. Her cheeks glowed pink.
"Don't look!" she said, clutching it to her chest.
Hayashi smirked. "Mikoto, I like you the most."
Her eyes widened slightly. "To what extent?"
Hayashi leaned back, pretending to think deeply. "Like a bear in the spring."
Mikoto blinked. "A bear… in the spring?"
"Yeah. Picture this," Hayashi said, smiling faintly. "You're walking through a quiet meadow, and a small bear walks up to you — soft, round, harmless. It looks up and says, 'Miss, want to roll in the clover with me?' You play together, all day, under the sun. Sounds nice, doesn't it?"
Mikoto thought about it, then nodded softly. "It does sound nice."
"That's how much I like you."
Her face turned bright red. Finally, she gave up resisting and hid her face in her arms.
"O-okay, fine… you can look." She slid the paper toward him — just for a moment.
Hayashi glanced down and read:
I want to protect the one I love.
And beneath it, freshly written:
I've found the one I love. I want to protect Hayashi, even if it costs my life.
Hayashi's eyes softened. He reached out and gently patted her head. "Thank you, Mikoto. For liking me that much."
"..."
Across the room, Minato grimaced and clutched his chest dramatically. "Ugh, I can feel the single pain," he muttered under his breath. "It's critical damage…"
Desperate to change the mood, Minato quickly said, "Hayashi, you haven't written yours yet! The teacher will be back any second!"
"Right," Hayashi said, picking up his pen again. With a faint smile, he wrote beneath his childish words:
I want to be a bear in the spring.
---
End of Ninja School Arc
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