As Naruto walked down the aisle, his face radiated a sunny confidence.
Without the six whisker marks on his cheeks, his entire aura was completely different from the original series. Combined with his naturally handsome features—a legacy of his father—Naruto instantly stole the attention of every peer in the room.
The girls who had been swooning over Sasuke just moments ago were now staring at Naruto, completely entranced.
After all, compared to Sasuke, Naruto's halo was blindingly bright.
Sure, the Uchiha were a prestigious clan in the Hidden Leaf, but could they compare to the position of Hokage?
Not to mention, the Fourth Hokage had died protecting the village just six years ago. That sacrifice naturally added a special, almost sacred, aura to Naruto as his orphaned son.
"Master Naruto is so handsome!"
"Just what you'd expect from Lord Fourth's son!"
"Master Naruto will definitely become a great ninja like his father!"
"Oh no! What do I do? I like Sasuke-kun, but I like Master Naruto too!"
"It's so hard to choose!!!"
The commotion was undeniable. The kids were practically trying to glue their eyes to Naruto.
"Hmph!"
Sasuke, who had been the center of attention until a moment ago, felt a prick of annoyance.
It wasn't that he actually cared about the fan-girls. It was just childish instinct—the displeasure of having something that "belonged" to him suddenly snatched away by someone else.
"Ahem! Alright, everyone is here now, so let's settle down. I am Iruka Umino, your homeroom teacher for the next six years. I'll also be teaching your theory classes! I hope that in the coming years, you will listen to your teachers, study hard, and live up to the expectations of your parents and instructors to become excellent ninja in the future!"
Iruka placed his hands on the podium, looking seriously at the fifty or sixty children below him. His tone was calm but authoritative.
"Yes, Iruka-sensei!"
Whether the kids actually absorbed his words or not was another story. But as Iruka finished speaking, they all straightened up and replied in unison.
At the very least, a man in a Leaf flak jacket commanded a certain level of respect.
Iruka nodded in satisfaction.
As an educator, he knew teaching wasn't something achieved overnight. These kids had just entered the Academy, and the current Leaf Village was very different from a few years ago. He couldn't set the bar too high right away; he had to guide them step by step.
"Good. Now, let's get to know each other. Barring any accidents, you'll be studying together for the next six years, so it's important to know who your classmates are! Let's start with you, little guy! Just tell us your name, your dream, and something you like!"
Iruka pointed to a boy sitting in the first row on the far left.
"Yes, Iruka-sensei!"
The boy didn't seem shy at all. He stood up excitedly, turned to face the class, and shouted, "My name is Tomoya Okazaki! I love dango! And my dream is to become someone respected by everyone!"
"Good! Next!"
"My name is Yoshitsugu Matsuoka! I love all kinds of cars! My dream is to drive around the whole world!"
"My name is..."
One by one, the introductions continued.
Almost every kid was eager to introduce themselves.
Their likes varied, but their dreams were remarkably similar: become a great ninja, or simply become the Hokage!
It was only natural.
Children born in the Five Great Ninja Villages who entered the Academy usually aspired to become the "Shadow" of their village. It symbolized status, power, and the respect and adoration of the masses.
Only the clan kids like Shikamaru, Shino, and Kiba had introductions that were slightly more unique.
As for Sasuke?
He stayed true to his current style.
"My name is Sasuke Uchiha. I don't particularly like anything. My dream is to become an excellent ninja like my brother!"
It wasn't the cold, traumatized detachment of his later years. It was a deliberately cool pose.
But the girls ate it up. especially combined with his brooding good looks.
"Ah!"
"Wow, Sasuke-kun!"
"So cool!"
Most of the girls had hearts in their eyes.
That was the first wave of excitement in the classroom.
The second wave came, naturally, with Naruto's introduction.
"Hello everyone. My name is Naruto Namikaze. I love Ichiraku Ramen. I don't really hate anything. My dream for the future is to become a great Hokage like my father!"
Same style.
Same words.
The only difference was that his upbringing and environment had smoothed out the rough edges. This "Naruto Namikaze" was less mischievous and brash, and more polite and refined.
"Whoa! As expected of Master Naruto!"
"Master Naruto!"
"That's Lord Fourth's son for you!"
"Amazing! Truly amazing!"
He was the absolute center of attention.
Naruto Namikaze. Sasuke Uchiha.
They were undeniably the core figures of this class, of this generation.
Although the plot had changed, destiny seemed constant. The rivalry had already begun.
Leaving Naruto aside for a moment, Sasuke had already marked Naruto as the one he must beat.
Sasuke, who currently worshipped his older brother Itachi, had set his sights on being number one before he even enrolled. That was the position his brother had easily held. As an Uchiha genius, Sasuke believed he had to follow in those footsteps.
"My name is Menma Uzumaki. I don't have anything I particularly like. My dream for the future is to gain the acknowledgement of many people!"
The turn finally came to Menma.
His demeanor was calm, his voice soft.
Few people in the room paid him any mind. But when Naruto heard Menma's introduction, he instinctively turned his head to look at the red-haired boy. Naruto froze.
A strange, inexplicable emotion welled up in his heart.
For a split second, Naruto felt a sense of familiarity with Menma. It was as if they shared a deep connection.
But the feeling vanished in less than a second, leaving Naruto slightly dazed.
Menma, however, didn't spare Naruto a single glance. After his introduction, he sat back down quietly.
Naruto stared at Menma for a moment longer, but sensing nothing else out of the ordinary, he let it go. Being naturally carefree, he didn't dwell on it.
Maybe it was just my imagination, he thought.