Umino Iruka let out a slow breath.
After steadying himself, he walked into the First-Year Class A classroom.
"Why did the teacher change?"
"Does Teacher Kitazawa only teach one class?"
"That's such a shame… I liked Teacher Kitazawa's lesson more."
Iruka froze slightly.
He'd won over the entire class in just one period?
As expected of Senior Kitazawa.
Suppressing his admiration, Iruka stepped onto the podium under many disappointed gazes.
Today's lesson was chakra extraction.
Chakra—the foundation of becoming a ninja—was formed by evenly mixing spiritual energy and physical energy.
Once the lesson began, Iruka realized the students were far more attentive than he'd expected.
What puzzled him most was their unusually neutral attitude toward Uzumaki Naruto.
Who taught them to be—
No, who raised them like this?
The answer was obvious.
Kitazawa.
"It seems I still have a lot to learn," Iruka thought with emotion.
An hour passed in the blink of an eye.
Kitazawa put down the student files in his hands and headed upstairs.
He hadn't found anyone matching the description of the troublemakers.
Which meant there was only one possibility.
They weren't first-years.
They were second-years.
"Kitazawa?"
A voice suddenly called out.
Kitazawa turned around.
The man was around his age, with center-parted white hair.
"Mizuki."
Kitazawa greeted him with a smile. "Just finished class?"
"Yeah."
Mizuki walked up and asked, "I heard you took over a first-year class this year. How is it? Any geniuses?"
"Too early to tell," Kitazawa shook his head. "I've only taught half a day."
"But with your outstanding teaching ability," Mizuki said with a bright smile, "I'm sure you'll raise a genius like Neji."
What nonsense are you spouting?
Anyone else might've been fooled by Mizuki's friendly facade.
But Kitazawa knew exactly what kind of person he was in the original story—a petty, jealous schemer.
Friends with Iruka, yet deeply resentful of him for being more popular.
To complete a mission, he'd personally killed an injured comrade.
When Naruto failed to graduate, he manipulated him into stealing the Scroll of Seals.
After being imprisoned, he defected to Orochimaru and used the Curse Mark to stage a dramatic "savior" jailbreak.
Mentioning Hyūga Neji now was nothing more than showing off.
Like Uchiha Itachi, Neji had gained fame as a prodigy at a very young age.
And such geniuses rarely appeared more than once.
"Maybe."
Kitazawa nodded calmly, confidence clear in his voice.
"I believe my students have that kind of potential."
Mizuki froze.
Even the smile on his face nearly cracked.
Who gave you the nerve to say that?
In a world that worshipped talent and bloodlines, academy teachers at best provided polish—not miracles.
"I still have things to do. We'll talk another time."
Kitazawa pushed open the door and entered the second-year staff office.
The door closed behind him.
"So you think you're amazing? High and mighty?" Mizuki's face twisted the moment Kitazawa left.
"One day, I'll steal that 'Outstanding Teacher' title from you!"
Mizuki clenched his fists.
They'd entered the academy as teachers at the same time.
But five years later, their fates couldn't have been more different.
Kitazawa had been promoted again and again, winning Outstanding Teacher every year.
He, on the other hand, was still just an ordinary instructor.
His eyes burned with bitterness.
Lemon trees bear lemons. Under the lemon tree—only me.
Kitazawa greeted the second-year teachers briefly, then focused on the student records.
As for Mizuki?
He didn't care.
I just got a system. You think I'm taking this kind of grievance?
Half an hour later, Kitazawa held three student files in his hand.
After studying the photos for a few seconds, he confirmed it.
They were the troublemakers Hinata had mentioned.
After some thought, Kitazawa came up with a plan.
As a teacher, directly punishing them wasn't ideal.
And if he was going to teach them a lesson, it had to be done in front of Hinata—to have the greatest impact.
So…
He'd handle it the elementary school way.
Kitazawa put the files away and returned to his office.
The dismissal bell rang.
Morning classes were over. It was time for lunch and rest.
Holding three neatly written notes, Kitazawa went to Second-Year Class C, slipped them into the troublemakers' desks, then left without a trace.
"Teacher Kitazawa!"
Naruto came running over, panting.
"I—I want to treat you to Ichiraku Ramen!"
"Since when does a kid treat an adult to a meal?"
Kitazawa paused, then laughed. "I'll treat you."
"No! I'm paying!"
Naruto pulled out his frog wallet stubbornly.
"I have money!"
That wasn't a lie.
The Third Hokage gave him a regular allowance.
"I want to thank you, Teacher Kitazawa," Naruto added.
He might be young, but he wasn't stupid. He knew Kitazawa had helped him again and again.
"…Alright."
Kitazawa thought for a moment.
"You treat me this time. I'll treat you next time."
They walked out of the academy together.
Ichiraku Ramen
"Uncle Teuchi!"
Naruto shouted familiarly.
"Naruto—hm? Kitazawa?"
Teuchi lifted the curtain and came out, surprised.
"How did you two end up together?"
"Uncle Teuchi, you know Teacher Kitazawa?"
Naruto asked in shock.
"How could I not?"
Teuchi laughed.
"Kitazawa's my neighbor."
"What?!"
Naruto's eyes widened.
"That grocery shop next door is mine," Kitazawa said, pointing to the left.
"I usually open at night, so you wouldn't know."
If you asked which place in Konoha was the safest, many Naruto fans would answer: Ichiraku Ramen.
After his parents died, Kitazawa bought a house nearby and renovated it into a small grocery store.
Better safe than sorry.
Trying didn't cost him his life.
"So Naruto, you're Teacher Kitazawa's student now?"
Teuchi finally pieced it together.
"Then you're lucky. Kitazawa's been named Outstanding Teacher for three consecutive years."
"Yeah!"
Naruto nodded enthusiastically.
"Teacher Kitazawa is amazing!"
"What would you like to eat?" Teuchi asked with a smile.
"Char siu spare rib ramen!"
Naruto answered immediately.
"Tonkotsu ramen," Kitazawa said after glancing at the menu.
Not long after, two bowls of ramen were served.
"I'm digging in!"
Naruto clapped his hands excitedly and grabbed his chopsticks.
Kitazawa could tell—Naruto genuinely loved ramen.
After lunch, the two returned to the academy.
"See you this afternoon, Teacher Kitazawa!"
Naruto ran back to his classroom.
Kitazawa headed to the office.
"Senior Kitazawa."
Iruka knocked and walked in.
"You're not taking a nap?" Kitazawa raised an eyebrow.
"There's something I wanted to discuss," Iruka said directly.
"First-Year Class A needs to choose a class representative—to help with things like collecting homework."
[Current Mission: Become the class representative of First-Year Class A.]
[Mission Reward: Water Attribute.]
[Do you accept?]
Kitazawa twitched.
I'm running out of air here, brother.
What kind of garbage mission is this?
You're straight-up trying to make things hard for me, aren't you?
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