Chu chu… chu…
The soft chirping of birds echoed through the streets of Konoha in the early morning light.
Tak… tak… tak…
"Little Naruto, are you awake?"
A knock echoed from Naruto's door, accompanied by a warm, familiar voice.
Inside, Naruto—still quite small and young—was already up, dressed in his iconic orange jacket and pants. He stood in front of the mirror with a slightly disgusted expression. Clearly, he wasn't too fond of his outfit.
Ugh…
I don't remember ever wearing something so bright in my past life…
Black or light colors were always my style... but, for now, it's necessary to maintain the image of the original Naruto.
The knocking resumed, followed by a familiar voice.
Naruto's eyes lit up, and he rushed to the door.
"It's Grandpa Hokage!"
The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, smiled as he looked down at the excited young boy.
"Looks like you're already dressed and ready to head to the Ninja Academy," he said kindly.
"Yes, Grandpa Hokage!" Naruto beamed, his smile bright and genuine. He was truly excited—it was his first day at the Academy, after all.
"Would you like to walk with me?" Hiruzen offered.
Naruto shook his head with a smile. "No, I want to go by myself and make friends!"
"Alright, little Naruto. Be on time, make lots of friends, and enjoy your day. Grandpa has other work to attend to, but I'll come by the Academy later."
With a gentle wave, Hiruzen disappeared in a puff of smoke.
Moments later, he reappeared on the rooftop of a nearby house. An ANBU operative kneeled before him.
"Rise, Owl. There's no need to be formal," Hiruzen said calmly.
"Yes, Lord Third," replied the ANBU codenamed 'Owl,' standing up.
"From today onward, monitor Naruto only when he's outside the Academy. There's no need for surveillance while he's in class."
"Understood, Lord Third," Owl replied as the Hokage vanished once again.
Meanwhile, Naruto walked down the streets of Konoha, humming a little tune to himself.
Though he ignored them, he could still feel the countless disgusted gazes thrown his way.
He was used to it by now… just like he always ignored flies.
Soon, he reached the gates of the Ninja Academy. It was crowded with parents and children.
Naruto observed the crowd, recognizing a few faces:
A fat man with his chubby son—that must be the Akimichi family. The blond man and his daughter—that's the Yamanakas, likely Ino and her father, Inoichi. There's Shikamaru with his father, Nara Shikaku…
Fugaku and Sasuke are here too… but there are unfamiliar faces as well.
His eyes noted the new additions:
A boy standing beside Ino with different-colored hair—not a Yamanaka by birth.
Another boy standing near Sasuke—he is from the Uchiha clan.
Travellers, he thought, narrowing his eyes. They're not from the original timeline.
Suddenly, angry whispers reached his ears:
"Why is that demon allowed to join the Academy?"
"What if he attack on my children?"
"The Hokage must be insane to let him train as a ninja…"
"He should be driven out of the village!"
Naruto's expression turned slightly awkward. These insects again…
I want to ignore them, but their damn whispering doesn't stop. One day, I'll deal with them all.
Unlike the original Naruto, he didn't frequent the street shops where he was sold expired food and treated like trash.
He might be playing the role of original Naruto… but he was no longer the same.
Meanwhile, at the Hokage Office…
Hiruzen sat in his chair, eyes focused on the image inside his crystal ball showing Naruto at the Academy gates.
Danzo stood beside the desk, his expression cold as always, dressed in his usual attire—one eye covered, one arm bandaged.
"You're letting the Jinchūriki join the Ninja Academy? Are you insane, Hiruzen? What if he loses control?" Danzo asked sharply.
Hiruzen didn't even glance at him. "He won't. This is the only way to make Naruto feel like he belongs to the village."
Danzo scoffed. "Belonging? What use is that? Just hand him over to Root. I'll turn him into the perfect weapon for Konoha."
"No, Danzo. What this village needs is a Jinchūriki like Killer Bee—someone who chooses to protect the village, not a weapon to be controlled."
Danzo narrowed his eye. "But—"
"Enough, Danzo. I am the Hokage," Hiruzen said with finality.
Danzo clenched his teeth. "Tch. You'll regret this, Hiruzen."
With that, he stormed out, slamming the door behind him.
Hiruzen sighed. "Danzo… your ambition has no end. You don't want a weapon for the Leaf—you want one for yourself. But training a Jinchūriki is not that simple. If it were, every village would have a perfect one."
He looked back at the crystal ball. Naruto had taken a seat in the classroom near the window.
Inside the classroom, Naruto could feel it again—that subtle sensation of being watched.
He's peeping again, Naruto thought with a sigh. That old man and his crystal ball…
But the sensation quickly disappeared, and Naruto shifted his attention to his classmates.
He scanned the room carefully.
Five new faces... and a few people look different.
Ino's brother.
Sasuke's brother.
Two civilian kids—new additions.
Shikamaru's brother?
But other seem same.
Hinata was same… quieter.
Shino, as always, had the lowest presence in the room—almost like he wasn't there.
A bell rang, pulling him out of his thoughts.
A man in a green vest entered the classroom and walked to the podium with a smile.
"Hello, students. My name is Umino Iruka, and I will be your homeroom teacher from now on."
He looked around the class.
"Before we begin, let's do introductions—starting from the first row on the left."
One by one, the students began introducing themselves.
"Hello everyone, my name is Yamanaka Ino. Please take care of me!"
"Hello, my name is Yamanaka Ren…"
"My name is Aburame Shino…"
"Sasuke Uchiha."
"Uchiha Kaito."
"Ahh… my name is Nara Shikamaru…"
Then came Naruto's turn.
He stood confidently and spoke with a grin.
"My name is Uzumaki Naruto. Remember this name! I'm the man who will become Hokage!"
Just like the original Naruto. He sat down, noticing a faint sneer on Iruka's face.
Hah. Looks like Iruka still hates me, even if he's trying to hide it. That hatred… it's not so easy to mask.
Everyone reacted differently to the introductions, revealing glimpses of their personalities.
Then came Hinata's turn. She stood up, barely audible.
"M-my name is Hinata Hyūga. P-please give me your guidance…"
Hearing that soft, stammering tone, Naruto confirmed something.
So this is the original Hinata… It mean a traveller has interfered with her.
["If you have any suggestions, tell me. If I like them, I'll add them."]