Iruka Umino exhaled slowly.
He steadied his nerves before stepping into the classroom of Class 1-A.
"Why did we switch teachers?"
"Does Kitazawa-sensei only teach one subject?"
"That's a shame. I liked Kitazawa-sensei's class better."
Iruka was mildly shocked.
He conquered these students in just a single lesson?
As expected of Kitazawa-senpai.
Suppressing his admiration, Iruka walked to the podium, facing the disappointed gazes of numerous students.
He planned to teach them how to extract chakra.
Chakra was the foundation of a ninja—the product of physical energy and spiritual energy perfectly blended together.
As the lesson progressed, Iruka found the students to be surprisingly attentive, not at all the mischievous brats he had imagined. But what confused him most was their attitude toward Naruto Uzumaki.
Who made them act like this... oh wait, who taught them to act like this?
Without a doubt, it was Kitazawa.
"It seems I still have a lot to learn," Iruka mused.
An hour flew by.
Kitazawa put down the student files in his hand and walked upstairs.
He hadn't found any troublemakers fitting the description among the first-year files.
In that case, there was only one truth.
They weren't first-years; they were second-years.
"Kitazawa?"
A voice suddenly called out.
Hearing it, Kitazawa turned to look at the newcomer.
He was about the same age as Kitazawa, but his hair was a distinct shoulder-length white with a tinge of blue.
"Mizuki."
Kitazawa greeted him with a smile. "Just finished class?"
"Yeah."
Mizuki walked up, his expression friendly. "I heard you're in charge of the incoming freshmen this year. How is it? Any geniuses?"
"I'm not sure yet," Kitazawa shook his head. "I've only taught for half a day."
"But I'm sure with your excellent teaching ability, you'd be able to handle a genius like Neji Hyūga perfectly," Mizuki said with a laugh.
What on earth is he babbling about?
If it were anyone else, they might have been deceived by Mizuki's cordial demeanor.
But Kitazawa knew the truth. In the original story, Mizuki was a despicable, cunning, and fiercely jealous petty villain.
He pretended to be Iruka's friend but secretly resented his popularity. To complete a mission, he had once murdered an injured comrade with his own hands. When Naruto failed to graduate, Mizuki was the one who manipulated him into stealing the Scroll of Seals. Later, after being imprisoned, he would defect to Orochimaru and stage a "savior-like" jailbreak using the power of a Cursed Seal.
Mizuki bringing up Neji Hyūga was actually a subtle brag.
Neji, like Itachi Uchiha, had long been hailed as a prodigy of Konoha. Under normal circumstances, finding a second genius of that caliber was nearly impossible.
"Not bad."
Kitazawa nodded, speaking with supreme confidence. "I believe my students have that potential."
Mizuki froze. The smile vanished from his face.
Who gave you the courage to say that?
In this ninja world that relied heavily on talent and bloodlines, the quality of an Academy teacher was, at best, icing on the cake.
"I have something to do. Let's talk later."
Kitazawa pushed open the door to the second-year main office.
The door clicked shut.
"You're amazing! You're so noble! One day, I will take that title of 'Best Teacher' from you!"
Mizuki immediately dropped the mask. His face twisted into an ugly grimace of pain and envy.
Kitazawa was his classmate; they had started teaching at the Academy at the exact same time.
But five years later, their situations were worlds apart.
Kitazawa had received promotions, raises, and the "Best Teacher" award every single year. Meanwhile, Mizuki was still just an ordinary instructor.
Mizuki felt the sting of jealousy—like eating a lemon straight from the tree, with only him tasting the sourness.
Kitazawa greeted the second-year teachers and began flipping through their student files.
As for Mizuki? He didn't care.
I just bought a System. Do I really have to suffer fools like him?
Half an hour later, Kitazawa held three student files in his hand.
He stared at the photos for a few seconds, confirming they matched the description of the brats who bullied Hinata.
Kitazawa pondered for a moment and hatched a plan.
He was a teacher, so directly scolding them would be inappropriate. Even if he did scold them, it had to be done in front of Hinata to achieve the maximum effect.
So... he would handle this like an elementary schooler.
Kitazawa put the files down and returned to his office.
The bell rang.
Morning classes were over; it was time for lunch and a nap.
Kitazawa took three notes he had written, went to Class 2-C, secretly stuffed them into the desks of the three bullies, and then left with elegant strides.
"Kitazawa-sensei!"
Naruto ran over, panting slightly. "I... I want to treat you to Ichiraku Ramen!"
A child treating an adult to a meal?
Kitazawa paused, then laughed. "I'll treat you."
"No, my treat!"
Naruto pulled out his frog wallet (Gama-chan), his face dead serious. "I have money!"
It wasn't a lie. The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, regularly gave him a living allowance.
"I want to thank you, Kitazawa-sensei," Naruto added earnestly.
Although he was a child, he wasn't stupid; he knew Kitazawa had helped him multiple times today.
"Alright."
Kitazawa thought about it and nodded. "You treat me this time, and I'll treat you next time."
The two walked out of the school gates.
Ichiraku Ramen.
"Old Man Teuchi!" Naruto shouted happily. He was familiar with this place.
"Naruto, you... Kitazawa? How did you two end up together?" Teuchi pushed aside the curtains and walked out, looking surprised.
"Old Man Teuchi, do you know Kitazawa-sensei?" Naruto asked, wide-eyed.
"How could I not know him?" Teuchi laughed heartily. "Kitazawa is my neighbor."
"What?" Naruto's eyes bulged.
"The general store next door is mine," Kitazawa said, pointing to the left. "But I only open at night, so you wouldn't know."
If you asked a fan where the safest place in Konoha was, many would say Ichiraku Ramen.
After his parents died, Kitazawa bought the building next door, renovated it, and sold miscellaneous goods.
This was called preventative measures. It wouldn't kill him to try.
"Naruto, did you become Kitazawa-sensei's student?" Teuchi realized the connection. "Then you're really lucky. Kitazawa has been rated the Best Teacher for three years running."
"That's right!" Naruto nodded vigorously. "Kitazawa-sensei is awesome!"
"What do you two want to eat?" Teuchi asked with a smile.
"I want Miso Chashu Ramen!" Naruto shouted instantly.
"Tonkotsu Ramen," Kitazawa said, glancing at the menu.
Before long, two steaming bowls were served.
"Itadakimasu!" Naruto clapped his hands together and excitedly grabbed his chopsticks.
Kitazawa could tell the boy genuinely loved ramen.
After lunch, the two returned to school.
"See you this afternoon, Kitazawa-sensei!"
Naruto ran off toward his classroom.
Kitazawa returned to his office.
"Kitazawa-senpai."
Iruka knocked on the door and walked in.
"Not taking a nap?" Kitazawa raised an eyebrow.
"There's something I need to discuss with you," Iruka said directly. "Class 1-A needs to elect a Class Monitor to assist us with things like collecting homework."
[Current Mission: Become the Class Monitor of Class 1-A.]
[Mission Reward: Water Release.]
[Accept?]
Kitazawa's mouth twitched violently.
Bro, I can't breathe.
What kind of ridiculous mission is this? I think you're deliberately messing with me, you pig.