"Wake up, Naruto. You need to get ready for your first day of school."
Bleary, blue eyes cracked open to survey the blond's tiny apartment. They snapped fully open several seconds later when their owner recognized the wrinkled face smiling down at him. "Jiji! What're you doing here?" As the whiskered blond stretched and took in his favorite old man, his whiskered face screwed up in confusion. "Where's your clothes, Jiji?" Sarutobi's chuckle became a full-bellied laugh when, after a second's consideration, the young boy's tone assumed a measure of outrage. "Did someone do a prank on you?! We gotta go find your clothes, 'ttebayo!"
The Sandaime Hokage spread his arms wide to model his outfit to the young boy. He had traded his pristine white and red ceremonial robes for a loose-fitting, pale orange jacket worn over a rumpled, tan exercise outfit. Both articles of clothing had seen better days, as evidenced by their frayed hems and baggy fit. "You don't like my outfit, Naruto? I decided that, since I took this morning off to take you to your first day of school, I would wear something more casual. I don't want to take any attention from you on your big day." Kakashi had explained the story he chose to explain the concept of a prank to Naruto, so the old man had some inkling as to the boy's thought process. "I need to take more time away from my duties as Hokage if you think that is the only clothing I own."
Naruto cocked his head to the side as he pondered the old man's comment. "What? You can stop being the Hokage, Jiji? But there's gotta be a Hokage! Who does it when you don't want to?" Suddenly, the blond realized the opportunity a vacant office presented to him. "Wait, I can do it, 'ttebayo! Let me be Hokage when you don't want to, Jiji!" In his excitement, Naruto started bouncing on his bed and waving his sleeping cap in the air.
"Calm down, Naruto." The Sandaime chuckled. "I didn't mean to say that I stop acting as the Hokage. However, it's important to regularly take time to rest, so every week I make sure to do something not related to my duties. Sometimes I write poetry or practice calligraphy; other times I eat a meal with the people I care about. This week, I decided to come have breakfast with you and walk you to your first day of school." The whiskered boy's eyes shone with excitement as Sarutobi continued. "After you finish with class for the day, we can get lunch and go back to the tower. You can come help me with my duties and tell me about your first day of school. How does that sound?"
Naruto nodded vigorously. "You mean it, Jiji?" Blue eyes shone as their owner bounded forward to squeeze the old man tightly. "I can help you be Hokage?"
"I would be glad to have you as an assistant, Naruto." The Sandaime Hokage returned the hug and, after a minute, broke away to turn towards the kitchen. "Now, I think it's about time for you to get ready for the day. Why don't you get dressed, while I start cooking breakfast?"
"Okay, Jiji!" The blond jumped off the bed, throwing his sleeping cap on the rumpled covers as he dashed toward his closet, happily chattering the entire way.
As the rambunctious four-year-old went about preparing for the day, Sarutobi made his way into Naruto's small kitchen to start work on their breakfast. After several seconds digging through the refrigerator, the wrinkled face brightened as its owner found an assortment of green onions, chopped carrots, and some salted fish. Naruto apparently remembered his promise and was at least attempting to maintain a healthier diet. Though, the old man reflected, the collection of instant ramen cups scattered around the trash can suggested that the boy hadn't come close to giving up on his favorite food. Pulling out the healthier options, the village leader began to prepare breakfast.
Several minutes later, the Sandaime Hokage of Konohagakure no Sato surreptitiously finished scraping the charred remains of his attempt at breakfast into Naruto's trash can just before the blond emerged from the bathroom. Turning to his energetic charge, the head of the Sarutobi clan made a mental note to have the ANBU restock Naruto's refrigerator and finish cleaning the pan while the boy was in class. It wouldn't do for the blond to realize his Jiji's utter ineptitude in the kitchen. Instead, the old man smiled at the whiskered face. "On second thought, Naruto, it's a special day. Let's go out for breakfast."
"Hiya Nee-chan! Can I get a table?"
Naruto bounced from Konoha's main thoroughfare into a small teahouse. When Jiji suggested this place for breakfast, the skinny blond had raced ahead to secure the pair a table for when the old man finally arrived. Blue eyes cast around as Naruto took a subtle sniff. Though eggs didn't have a strong smell, Naruto still thought there should be more of a scent, since Jiji had said the breakfast here was 'eggs-cep-shun-al'. Shrugging, the blond decided not to worry about it and settled for scanning the entire restaurant. He trusted the old man and was willing to try any kind of breakfast at least once. After several seconds of looking around and getting the odd whiff from some other patron's breakfast, the blond realized that he hadn't heard a response from the hostess.
Turning back toward her, Naruto found the woman greeting a young couple who cast angry glares at him as they were shown to their seat. Naruto puzzled over the matter briefly before he realized what the woman might be expecting. When the hostess returned, the young blond bowed deeply for effect. "Sorry nee-chan, I didn't use my manners. Jiji helps me remember sometimes, but it's hard to do all the time. Can I please get a table?" The blond was surprised when he straightened and found that the hostess had walked away from the entrance to the tea house and began to clear the empty dishes from an elderly couple's table.
The blond felt his temper rising before a wrinkled hand clapped onto his shoulder. "Well Naruto, did you get us a table?"
Jiji's voice was low and soothing, but it didn't dispel the four-year-old's irritation. Looking up at the old man, Naruto pointed accusingly over at the hostess. "Jiji, she's not listening to me! I tried to get us a table. I asked with all my best manners, and I bowed and everything, and she still didn't listen."
A small frown crossed the old man's face before it smoothed to nothingness. Looking down at his companion, Sarutobi smiled gently. "I'll see what I can do to get us a space. Can you wait here for a second, Naruto?"
With that, the old man made his way slowly back to where the hostess was bringing a fresh pot of tea out to the waiting couple. He touched her gently on the shoulder to get her attention and caught the teapot when she started in surprise and dropped it. Returning the lacquered pottery to her grasp, he spoke softly in the young woman's ear. Naruto could recognize the moment when she realized who Jiji was, because her face lit up, and she started bowing her head repeatedly, this time without upsetting the teapot in her hands.
A gentle smile grew on the Hokage's face, and he gestured toward the front door, still speaking too quietly for the blond to hear. Naruto watched as her brown eyes followed the pointing finger until they settled on his whiskered face. Giving his biggest smile, the four-year-old waved merrily at the young woman. He tried to pretend that he hadn't seen the disgust that flashed across her face when she realized where Jiji was pointing.
Setting down the teapot, the woman bowed to the Sandaime and gestured toward a curtain at the back of the restaurant. As Naruto walked over to join the waiting Hokage, he saw a strange, mournful look flash over the wrinkled face when their hostess' brown eyes were turned away, only to be carefully hidden when she straightened to favor the pair with a forced smile. "This way, Hokage-sama and… guest."
Once the hostess sat the pair at the small table behind the curtain and took their breakfast orders, she retreated, dropping the curtain to separate the small alcove from the rest of the establishment. Naruto's face was screwed up in thought, but blue eyes snapped up when his Jiji's weathered hand reached over and grabbed his small, soft one.
"What's on your mind, Naruto? You're being surprisingly quiet after how excited you were this morning." Sarutobi could guess what the blond was thinking, but getting Naruto to verbalize his thoughts might allow the old man to address them and salvage the morning.
The little boy worried his bottom lip between his teeth for a second before he looked the old man straight in the eye, his blue eyes harder than the old man had ever seen them. "Jiji, I want you to tell me the truth, 'ttebayo. Am I dumb?"
Sarutobi floundered for a second before he regained his equilibrium and rushed to answer the boy. "Of course not, Naruto. Why would you think that? You know that both Kakashi and I regularly praise you for how clever you are. Do you think we'd lie to you?"
Naruto searched the old man's face for a second before he turned away and pouted. "I just don't get it, Jiji! People look at me like they don't want to see me. Sometimes they act like I'm not even there, dattebayo! They're mean to me when you're not with me, and they don't let me play with them. You said that my birthday is the same day that the Kyūbi attacked, and that's why people don't like me. But I can't remember anyone else's birthday, Jiji! How come everyone remembers my birthday so they can be mad at me for it? It's not fair, dattebayo!"
Well, the old man thought wryly, there goes the chance to distract him. Sarutobi tented his fingers as he looked at his young charge, considering his options. It was still too early to share the truth of the boy's situation, but perhaps there was an alternative approach that might work to direct his attention in the meantime. "Naruto, I want to assure you that you are not 'dumb', as you put it. You are an active learner with an agile mind. You are sly and tricky, and one day you might even be able to pull a prank that will fool your older brother. I hope, though, that you'll never resort to pulling pranks on your Jiji!" The old man was immensely gratified when Naruto looked at him, offered a small smile, and nodded in promise. "I am so proud of you, both for how hard you work and for how kind you are. Everyone in your family knows how much you care for us."
"Then why, Jiji?" Naruto's question was quiet and sad. "Why doesn't everyone else let me be part of their family? They don't let me be nice to them. They're mean before I even do anything."
For a moment, the pair sat in tense silence, then the illusion of isolation was broken as their server swept aside the curtain and brought in their breakfast. When she had swept out again, the somber atmosphere returned, only to be broken by the grumbling of Naruto's belly. The blond blushed brightly even as his hands inched toward the sweet rolls sitting on the table between the two.
Sarutobi smiled warmly at the boy, watching as three rolls disappeared into the four-year-old's mouth. "I'd like to tell you a story, Naruto. I think it might help you to understand." At the blond's nod, the old man continued. "Do you remember what a Jōnin is? And what Genin are?"
Naruto's face screwed up as little hands pressed on the sides of his head, trying to pull the answer from where it was buried. "A Jōnin is a really good ninja, right? And they teach Genin how to be ninja, 'ttebayo." The boy's voice dropped to a stage whisper. "My daddy was a Jōnin before he was Hokage, and Kaka-nii is a Genin."
"Very good Naruto, I'm proud of you for remembering. One thing is not quite correct with what you said, though. Kakashi was a Genin for part of his time working with the Yondaime. However, he has since improved as a ninja and is now a Jōnin." Chuckling at the boy's awestruck expression, the Sandaime continued his explanation. "After you become a ninja, you will be a Genin. When you prove yourself, you can be promoted to the rank of Chūnin. The best ninja from among our Chūnin eventually become Jōnin. To make sure that our Genin are well trained, I assign Jōnin to instruct a team of three Genin. This has been the way that Konoha teaches new generations since the time of the Shodai."
Naruto's hand waved to get the old man's attention, even as the boy tried valiantly to swallow the three partially chewed sweet rolls in his mouth. After several seconds spent gulping down the milk their server had brought with the pastries, he could breathe enough to ask his question. "Jiji, what about the Hokage? Do Jōnin become the Hokage?"
The old man smiled fondly at the boy. "Well Naruto, you know that there is only one Hokage at a time, right? When the previous Hokage dies or decides to stop being Hokage, the daimyo and a group of leaders from Konoha decide together who the next Hokage will be. If the previous Hokage chose someone to succeed them, it is highly likely that person will be chosen for the role. While there is no rule that explicitly says so, the Hokage has always been chosen from the village's Jōnin."
As the boy settled down, Hiruzen told his story. "Many years ago, I taught a group of Genin, much the same way that Namikaze Minato, the future Yondaime, taught Kakashi's team. They grew up to be strong and powerful ninja and performed many heroic feats, which saved many lives. One of my students, Senju Tsunade, had a younger brother who died early in the Second Great Shinobi War. She was sad that he died, but eventually she met another man who helped to heal her heart. He loved her, and she loved him dearly. However, near the end of the war, the man she loved was attacked and died while she tried to save him. After the war, I let her leave the village to heal, but since she left, she has never come back here. Now, why would she choose not to come home, Naruto? Why would she avoid the village?"
At the old man's question, Naruto's face turned contemplative. He grabbed another sweet roll but elected to eat this one slowly as he considered the old man's question. Watching the boy think, Sarutobi took the opportunity to pour himself a cup of tea and began eating his own pastries. After several more minutes, as the sweet roll supply began to run low, and the Sandaime had started worrying about ending the discussion prematurely so that Naruto could be at school on time, the whiskered boy looked back to the old man. "Is it …?" The blond's voice was hesitant, but he pressed forward with his thought, nonetheless. "Did she not want to come back 'cause every time she was here, she remembered them? She'd see something and remember them, and then she'd be sad again, dattebayo. So, she decided to not be here, so she wouldn't be sad."
Hiruzen nodded sadly. "That's exactly what she thinks. However, it hasn't turned out that way for her, and she continues to feel the pain of her loss, much like Kakashi did before you claimed him as your brother. Tsunade-hime's experience aligns with what I believe: that it's only by moving forward and finding new people to treasure that we are able to overcome the pain of loss." The old man leaned over and winked at Naruto conspiratorially. "That's what I did. My wife died the night of your birth, Naruto. I was terribly sad to lose her, but I found a wonderful little boy who chose me to be his Jiji. His smile has helped me to be less sad and to remember the happy times with my Biwako." The old man inclined his head to indicate the blushing blond before continuing. "You were the only baby born the night of the Kyūbi attack, Naruto. With so many sad things to remember from that day, people don't want to be reminded."
The pair sat in silence for a moment before Sarutobi cleared his throat to get Naruto's attention. When the bright blue eyes swung up to his face, the Sandaime smiled and began to speak. "Putting the sad talk aside Naruto, there are several other topics that I wanted to discuss with you this morning. You know that you're starting at the academy, but do you know what that means?"
Naruto nodded his head, blond locks bobbing up and down vigorously. "Yeah, Jiji! I'm gonna learn how to be a ninja, dattebayo. We're gonna learn how to do awesome ninja jutsu and how to be super sneaky and fight off dragons so I can rescue a princess."
The old man chuckled merrily at the blond's enthusiasm. "Unfortunately, Naruto, you'll have to wait until at least next year before you start rescuing any princesses. First, you'll have to learn the basics. Today you're starting at the civilian academy. You're going to learn how to read, write, and count. Only after you can do those things will you be able to start on your ninja training."
"Ah, come on Jiji!" Naruto pouted at the revelation. "I don't need to know how to do that stuff, 'ttebayo. I've gotta learn how to be a ninja so I can be Hokage."
The old man raised an eyebrow at his young charge. "Oh? Then I guess you aren't interested in the present that Kakashi told me he would bring back for you?"
As expected, the prospect of a treat from his older brother got Naruto's attention quite quickly. "What do you mean, Jiji? Kaka-nii didn't tell me he was bringing me anything. What is it? What's he bringing? I bet it's an awesome -"
"Calm down, Naruto." Sarutobi reached over and grabbed the boy's shoulder to forcibly calm him before the blond began shouting and disrupting the rest of the tea shop's customers. "I don't know exactly what Kakashi is bringing for you, but when I assigned him his latest mission, he asked for me to tell you that he was going to be bringing you back a puzzle. Apparently, if you want to solve this puzzle, you're going to need all the skills from this year at the academy."
At that comment, Naruto's face lit up. "Well come on then, Jiji! We gotta get to the academy, dattebayo! I gotta be ready for Kaka-nii's puzzle."
With a smile on his face, the old man allowed himself to be pulled from the booth. As they stopped to pay the bill, his grin widened as he noticed the remaining sweet rolls stuffed in the pocket of Naruto's pants. The blond had managed to sneak them without his Jiji noticing. The boy was going to be a wonderful ninja if he could sit through the first years of classroom instruction at the academy. Though, the Sandaime mused, perhaps he could come up with a solution to allow Naruto an answer to the question of his status as a pariah while encouraging the boy to remain attentive in the classroom.
"Did you see? It's that boy."
The whispers began as soon as Naruto skipped onto the school grounds for the civilian academy. Many of the parents pulled their children closer, surreptitiously creating a wall that blocked the whiskered blond from his peers. Many of the children remained oblivious, but Naruto noticed the blockade. The energetic blond's smile dimmed as he heard the whispers.
"… can't believe that Hokage-sama would allow …"
"… heard that there will be ANBU guards to make sure he stays in control …"
"… still feels like a mockery to see that wearing his face. I'm sure …"
"… Bunko-san's husband said that it's part of the seal. Yondaime-sama used himself as a template …"
The calloused hands that clapped on Naruto's shoulders startled the blond, and he jumped before realizing who it must be and looking sheepishly at the Sandaime smiling down at him. "Sorry Jiji, I ran ahead of you. I just couldn't wait, dattebayo."
"There's nothing to apologize for, Naruto. It's wonderful to see that you are so excited for school." Taking a moment to look away from the gleaming sky-blue eyes, the old man looked around at the assembled parentage. Many of them were eying him with barely concealed shock; their conversations had dimmed to nothing when they saw him come up and join Naruto. Apparently, it hadn't passed to the village's rumor mill that their 'demon' enjoyed not only the Hokage's protection, but his affection, too.
The veteran Hokage steeled himself to forcibly insert Naruto into the group of children when the school bell rang. Instantly, the yard was a flurry of activity as children and parents lined up to see the headmistress staring from the steps of the school at the assembled crowd. It did not escape Sarutobi's notice that he and Naruto were given a wide berth within the throng.
Eventually, the crowd brought itself to order, and the short, rotund woman on the building's front steps began to speak, scanning the assembly from behind thick-rimmed glasses. "Good morning students and families. My name is Tanaka Shigeko, and it is my pleasure to welcome you to another year at Konoha's Civilian Academy." The woman's voice was crisp and precise, projected over the crowd as one who expected and enjoyed the obedience of those under her charge.
Sarutobi saw her eyes settle on the pair and, in the moment where her eyes locked with his, the wrinkled woman's carefully composed face blanked to an expressionless mask. She wasn't happy to see him or Naruto here, then. Tanaka-dono had taken it as a personal affront when the Hokage had vetoed her rejection of Naruto's enrollment at the academy. The 'discussion' between the two after that decision had been less than civil. Though, the old man mused, it really was her fault for not reading the application completely to see that it was the Sandaime, himself, who was sponsoring the boy. Shaking his head, Hiruzen brought himself back to the present in time to hear the old woman finish her speech by proudly referring to the assembled students as "buds, to one day become vibrant leaves on the tree that is Konoha".
As the crowd applauded respectfully, the headmistress stepped to the side as one-by-one, teachers stepped from the entryway to call their classes from the crowd. Glancing down at Naruto, Sarutobi chuckled to himself at the blond's antics. So excited was the whiskered boy that he was failing to maintain any kind of composure and stood, vibrating at the Sandaime's side. At last, all the older children had been called, and the crowd had thinned so that only the first-year students remained. Naruto watched in bug-eyed excitement as a group of a half dozen adults stepped into view. The lady in the center had thick, brown hair, and her gentle face wore a soft smile. The old man on her right almost looked asleep: his entire face sagged down to the ground. Naruto giggled to himself when he saw the liver-spotted head dip once or twice as the old gentleman fought to stay awake and his eyes were dim and barely focused. It was the woman who spoke up to address the crowd. "Welcome students and families, my name is Sato Akari. Beside me are Abe Gina, Chiba Rei, Nakamura Fujio, Matsumoto Takeo, and Yoshita Sumiko." As each instructor was introduced, they stepped forward and raised a hand while smiling at the crowd. "We will be teaching this year's first-years. Would all students please come to the steps? We will separate you into our individual classes before we move to the classroom."
Sarutobi leaned down and whispered in his charge's ear. "You'd best go, Naruto." Allowing himself a smile at the suddenly wary look on the boy's whiskered face, the Hokage knelt and addressed the blond gently. "It's okay to be nervous. Just remember to treat your teachers with respect and use the manners that you and I have worked so hard to learn. I will be here to pick you up at one o'clock, when you finish for the day."
Naruto gave a quick, tight squeeze around the old man's waist before sprinting off toward the rapidly growing crowd at the steps of the school. The Sandaime watched as Sato-san pulled out a list and began to read off names. "Ando Daichi-kun" A young boy with dark brown hair raised his hand and waved it overhead. "You are in Fujio-sensei's class." As Daichi scampered to the appropriate line, the pretty brunette continued down the list. When she reached Naruto's name, sharp old eyes watched the young woman's breath hitch when she connected the name on the list with the whiskered face in the crowd. Nevertheless, she declared that Naruto was to be part of her classroom and finished sorting the rest of the students into their respective classes.
When the sorting was finished, the assembled students stood in six haphazard lines. When permission was given to wave goodbye to the assembled parentage, nearly two hundred small heads turned, and the entire mass waved to the smiling crowd with varying levels of enthusiasm. Then, without further ado, the teachers led their respective classes through the double doors and into the school building.
As Hiruzen watched Naruto's golden head disappear into the building, the old man hoped profusely that Naruto would be able to form lasting relationships in his class. The least that the excitable blond deserved was the opportunity to make friends his own age.
"Please find a seat in the classroom, and then we'll get started."
Naruto's wide blue eyes roved over the room as he tried to take in every aspect of his new classroom with a healthy amount of awe. Having never been in any schoolhouse, he was entranced at the desks and the posters on the wall. The brightly colored murals drew his attention, so he didn't notice when the purple-haired girl in front of him stopped to talk with her companions. As such, the small blond walked into her and knocked her onto the ground.
"Watch where you're going, dummy!" A purple ponytail swished as the girl's small face scrunched up in rage.
"Sorry," Naruto bowed his head, just like Jiji had told him to do. "It's just so cool in here. I didn't mean to run into you. I guess I still have a lot to learn about being a ninja. I'm Uzumaki Naruto." The whiskered boy offered a bright grin to the still fuming girl on the ground and held out his hand to pull her back to her feet.
"I didn't ask who you were. Get away from me." the girl hit the offered hand away and stood up, brushing off her skirt disdainfully. Then, raising her nose and performing an abrupt about-face, she beckoned to her two companions. "Come on, Kasumi, Fuki." The taller girls she had been talking with earlier took flanking positions around the purple head and, as one, the group marched haughtily up the steps to a seat on the back row where the leader planted herself in the center seat. As Kasumi and Fuki settled into seats on either side of their leader, all three took the opportunity to glare balefully at the blond.
At this point, the entire class had stopped to watch the altercation. Naruto grinned apologetically and hurried to a seat, eager to escape the uncomfortable scrutiny of his new peers.
Slowly, the classroom filled until every seat was occupied. When the last student took their seat, the brunette instructor stood at the front of the class and smiled at the assembled students. Naruto squirmed uncomfortably when he realized that, despite her gaze sweeping over the group several times, the young woman never looked at him directly. "Ohayō mina-san. As you may have heard before, my name is Akari-sensei, and I will be your instructor until we finish our first term of school here at the academy. Then, you will have several weeks to play in the heat of the summer before we come back to new classes in the fall. I'm excited for all the wonderful things we're going to learn this term. Together, we're going to learn to read and write the hiragana and katakana alphabets. We're going to learn how to count and perform basic mathematics. We'll take a number of field-trips to important sites throughout Konoha, and we'll study some of the plants and animals that live near the village."
Naruto's hand shot into the air, just as Jiji and Kaka-nii had instructed him to do when he had a question. With all the learning they were going to be doing, he was surprised that nothing had been said about chakra or ninja training.
The young woman, however, seemed not to notice Naruto's excitedly waving hand and continued with her introduction. "I expect each of you to pay attention so that you can learn the skills you will use for the rest of your life…"
As she continued explaining classroom rules and expectations, Naruto found his frustration rising. The blond had somehow managed to keep seated, but his hand waved wildly as he tried to catch the young teacher's attention. Eventually, the blond couldn't contain himself any longer. "Akari-sensei, when are we gonna learn about chakra and ninja stuff? I want to learn how to be Hokage, 'ttebayo."
What warmth had been in the woman's face disappeared as she was forced to acknowledge the blond or lose the attention of the entire class as the whiskered child screeched to get her attention. "As I just finished saying, I expect that you wait until you are called on before asking a question. I also said you should introduce yourself to the class the first time you're called on. Were you listening to what I said?"
Naruto grinned abashedly at the woman and began to rub the back of his head. "Gomen, Akari-sensei, I didn't hear that. I'm Uzumaki Naruto. I just wanted to ask –"
"If you can't pay attention when I'm speaking, you'll miss important information, Uzumaki. Now, in the future, I expect that you wait until I call on you before you ask a question. If you can't do that, you'll have to stand in the hallway as punishment." The previously warm voice was cold and hard as Akari-sensei cut across Naruto's explanation.
Feeling a bit defensive at the way that his question was being ignored, Naruto's voice lost much of whatever respectful tone it had managed to hold onto up to that point. "I had my hand up in the air to get your attention, sensei. Besides, I just wanted to ask what kind of ninja stuff we're gonna do." The blond plopped down in his seat and crossed thin limbs petulantly.
Akari-sensei glared at the blond for a brief second before she noticed another hand rising hesitantly from a seat on the left side of the classroom. "Yes? What is your question?"
The pink-haired girl seemed to shrink into herself as the attention of the entire class fell on her. "Ano, Akari-sensei, my name is Haruno Sakura. I was wondering if you could answer his question about ninja training." Here she gestured to Naruto, who perked up considerably when he realized that someone else wanted to learn about being a ninja, too.
The brunette teacher smiled gently as she tried to make eye contact, though the girl's bowed head made it impossible. "Well, Sakura-chan, thank you for asking your question correctly. Unfortunately, we won't be doing any ninja studying this year or next." At the collective groan from the class, the young woman smiled and went to the blackboard. Quickly, deft hands drew the village's swirling leaf for the students to see. Turning back to the class, she gestured with her chalk to the board. "Who can tell me what this symbol means?" Naruto's hand shot into the air, and several of his peers also raised their hands. "Yes? What is this that I've drawn?" Akari-sensei indicated the purple-haired girl who Naruto had knocked over earlier.
The girl rose from her seat with perfect posture and answered while staring at the blackboard. "Hai, sensei. I am Kiriko Ami. That's the symbol of Konoha, sensei."'
"Very good, Ami-chan," the instructor responded. Ami preened at the teacher's praise. Returning to the board, the teacher drew two stick figures on either side of the village's emblem. "Now, the village is comprised of two groups of people: the ninja and the civilians. Both groups fill many roles to help the village run smoothly." The young woman then proceeded to explain how ninja offered protection to the civilians, while the civilian population ran much of the infrastructure that kept the village operational, all the while adding details to her sketches on the board. "Both ninja and civilians are important to the village, but they have different skills, right?" She turned to see that she had managed to capture the attention of her entire class. "While it is true that the two groups use very different skills, they build upon the same basic knowledge that we will learn here."
"But sensei," a beefy boy with a bulbous nose and a shaved head waved his hand from the back of the room. "My big brother said that there's kids from the clans who don't have to go to school with us. Don't they need to learn this stuff, too?"
"Please wait until you're called on and introduce yourself before you ask a question," Akari-sensei's stern gaze caused the boy to shrink into his seat. "We don't want to follow Uzumaki's example of not paying attention, do we?"
Naruto buried his head in his arms at the teacher's comment. It wasn't his fault she hadn't called on him. He had tried to use his manners, but Akari-sensei was a meanie.
"Sorry sensei, I'm Ueno Jun. Why aren't there any kids from the clans here, sensei?" Bowing a little, Jun sat back down obviously eager to have his question answered.
"Jun-kun asks a good question. Who here knows about the clans in Konoha?" A smattering of children raised their hands. Naruto kept his down, still sulking at the earlier comment. "Konoha has a number of ninja families that are very wealthy and possess secret techniques passed down from previous generations. These families are known as clans. Hokage-sama has ordered that all children be educated for two years before they are enrolled at either the civilian or the ninja academy. However, the clans almost always choose to hire their own teachers instead of sending their children to this school. After two years, either here at our schoolhouse or with private tutors, everyone who wants to be a ninja must attend the ninja academy. Those of you who go on to study there will likely meet a number of children from the different clans."
Many hands raised to continue the discussion, but Akari-sensei ran a damp towel over the board to erase her drawings. "I'm glad you're all so excited to learn. That enthusiasm is going to serve you very well for the rest of our time together. Unfortunately, we need to leave our discussion about the ninja academy for later. There's a lot to learn before you get there. For now, we need to continue discussing our classroom rules…"
As Akari-sensei continued with her lecture, Naruto refocused his attention on what the young brunette was saying to the class. He was determined to pay attention to everything Akari-sensei said from here on out. Thus, he missed one of the other boys in class tearing small strips off the notebook sitting on the desk in front of him. The bandana-capped boy grinned and nudged his friend in the side before he rolled the paper into a small ball and flicked it at the back of Naruto's head. The small projectile soared harmlessly past the blond, but the young delinquent was not deterred. After the third attempt, the small paper pellet connected with the whiskered boy's head. Naruto flinched around, blue eyes scanning the classroom for the source of the projectile. When he caught sight of his tormenter's forced innocent face, the whiskered boy frowned, but returned his attention to the front of the classroom, lest he miss more crucial information.
This continued for several minutes, with Naruto growing progressively more irritated. When the projectiles started getting wet, Naruto lost his temper. "Stop it!" The blond stood up abruptly and whirled to face his tormenter. "I want you to stop throwing things at me!"
"Uzumaki!" Akari-sensei barked from the front of the class. "I have had to get after you once already for disrupting class. Sit down or you will have to go sit in the hall."
"But, sensei, he -" Naruto's attempt to defend himself was cut off by the curly-haired woman.
"I do not tolerate disrespect, Uzumaki." Normally warm brown eyes glared fiercely at the blond, who recoiled at the venom he observed there. "You were instructed to sit down and, having failed to do that, you must bear the consequences. Go, wait in the hallway as I finish our explanation of rules for all the students who are here to learn. I will deal with you when we get to break."
Naruto stood, shocked for a moment before he stomped down the steps of the classroom to the ground floor. The blond looked back up at the rows to see his personal antagonist smirking. Cobalt eyes narrowed into a glare before Akari-sensei's command of "Now, Uzumaki!" saw the blond slouching out the door to sit in one of the chairs next to the classroom's entrance.
The heavy wooden door slammed shut behind him as Naruto sat, stewing in impotent rage. The blond's anger quickly subsided, however, as he thought back over his day. Smiling sadly to himself, a forlorn thought entered the young boy's mind. School was nowhere near as fun as Jiji had told him it would be.