In any world, strength is the foundation of everything. If you don't have power, even a box of laundry detergent could be enough to condemn you.
And in this world—where order is even more fragile—that truth rings louder than ever. After all, Hyūga Hizashi had only died three years ago.
Until Seimi grew strong enough to protect himself, the only way to feel safe was to rely on external power. And external power came in two forms: equipment and connections.
Equipment required money—and whether in his previous life or this one, Seimi was broke. So that was out.
Besides, the technology of this world was… weirdly lopsided. Everything revolved around war, yet the deadliest modern weapons—guns, explosives—never developed properly.
Nagato's Asura Path could fire laser beams, yet the entire Hyūga clan couldn't even produce a single sniper rifle.
Everyone knew it: Naruto's world was one built on bloodline and connections.
Top-tier resources like Hokage mentorships and jōnin instructors spread like contagious diseases—transmitted only three ways: through apprenticeship, inheritance, or family ties.
Before graduation, Seimi saw only two major potential threats: Hyūga Hiashi, and Shimura Danzō.
The first one could be neutralized simply by raising Hyūga Hinata's affection level. As for Danzō—well, the problem was that Seimi didn't actually know whether Root ever recruited Hyūga members.
For now, the Caged Bird Seal was still more beneficial than harmful to him. That's why, unlike Neji, he didn't go around brooding and throwing shade at everyone.
But regardless of Root's policy, one thing was certain—Danzō was trouble.
And in Konoha, the only person who could keep that trouble in check was the Third Hokage.
In this classroom, the only one connected to the Hokage was Uzumaki Naruto. Winning Naruto's favor was, quite literally, an investment with infinite returns.
The adult world wasn't all about fighting—it was about relationships and politics.
Of course, once Seimi was fully geared up, it wouldn't be about politics anymore. It'd be about "I don't eat beef—I eat the boss."
After self-introductions were done, Iruka began the day's first lesson: chakra extraction.
At the end of the day, the Ninja Academy was a training ground for soldiers. Chakra was the foundation of everything—so naturally, it was taught early.
Seimi listened carefully for a while and realized Iruka's explanation matched exactly what he'd already learned in the Hyūga clan.
So that was it—the method for extracting chakra was universal. No "Hyūga-exclusive" or "Konoha-standard" variants.
Finally, Seimi thought, something fair in this world.
When the bell rang, Iruka barely stepped out before the classroom erupted with energy.
A group of girls immediately turned toward the front, where Uchiha Sasuke sat—only to see Naruto already trying to strike up a conversation.
"Hey, Sasuke, do you remember me?"
Sasuke didn't even look back. "No."
Naruto's grin didn't falter. "That day by the river—"
He didn't get to finish. Sasuke's fist clenched tightly.
That day. The day his brother had been called away by Shisui, leaving him wandering around alone like a lost kid.
And this idiot had seen him like that—remembered it, even wanted to talk about it again?!
"Enough. I remember now!" Sasuke snapped.
Just then, salvation arrived—at least, that's what Sasuke thought.
"Hi, Uchiha Sasuke! I'm Haruno Sakura!"
...
"Ugh! I can't believe Sakura got to him first!" Ino groaned, slumping over her desk. "I wanted to be the first to meet him!"
"It's not too late," Hinata said softly.
Ino shook her head and buried her face in her arms. "Nah, I'm exhausted. Gotta rest up—there's practice on the field this afternoon."
Meanwhile, up front, Sakura said something to Naruto, and after a brief exchange, Naruto stood and started walking toward the back of the room.
"Um…" He scratched the back of his head and gave a sheepish grin. "Thanks, Hyūga Seimi."
Seimi waved it off. "No problem. I was just about to grab lunch—want to come along?"
Naruto hesitated, glancing at the others nearby. "Ah, maybe not… I didn't bring a lunch."
"Oh, that's it?" Seimi grinned. "We didn't bring ours either."
Naruto blinked. "Huh? Then… how are you going to eat?"
Choji smirked and pointed toward the window—or more precisely, toward the wall outside.
"Obviously, we're eating outside. You like Ichiraku Ramen, right? Wanna go have some now?"
Choji had taken a liking to Naruto. In his book, anyone who loved food was a good person.
Naruto hesitated. He wasn't yet the future "King of Skipping Class." He still feared Iruka, still cared about school rules.
But this was different. These were friends.
Friends who didn't call him "the demon fox."
Grandpa Hokage was right… the Academy really is a good place.
Then Kiba raised Akamaru over his head and grinned. "Even Akamaru dares to do it—you're not gonna lose to him, are you?"
"Woof!" Akamaru barked helpfully.
That was all it took.
Naruto clenched his fists, shouted, "Who says I'm scared?!" and charged for the door.
The five of them—Naruto, Seimi, Kiba, Choji, and Shikamaru—bolted out of the classroom, heading for the training field behind the school.
"I scouted this morning," Shikamaru said, half-yawning. "The wall behind the field is low. Easy to climb."
"No teachers around at this hour, and there's a forest right outside. We can sneak back in later, no problem."
Choji tossed an empty snack wrapper into the trash and gave Shikamaru a thumbs-up. "That's my guy."
When they reached the wall, Shikamaru jumped first, landing neatly on top before turning to extend a hand.
Choji jumped next, grabbing Shikamaru's hand as Seimi and Naruto pushed him from below.
Naruto gritted his teeth under the weight. "Kiba! Little help here!"
"On it!"
Kiba tossed Akamaru over the wall, then rushed in to help.
Together, the three of them managed to heave Choji—the "heavy artillery unit"—up and over.