Chapter 4: Friend A

It was almost time. The last weekend before our academy life had finally arrived. The last few years had been a monotonous haze—eat, train, read, draw, train, sleep, lather, rinse, repeat. I could have killed for some more variety in the fictional book department, and possibly would have, if not for intermittent interruptions from Naruto's… tomfoolery.

Our escapades were the only indicators I wasn't stuck in a loop besides my personal growth body- and skill-wise.

Training consisted of exhausting myself without using any chakra for the first half and then forcing myself to keep going with the help of chakra for the second half. While upping my baseline muscle mass didn't generate an exponential improvement, it did have a noticeable effect.

I originally told Naruto to keep exercising at his own pace as a challenge to myself. By now both my bodily and chakra-based endurance had increased to the point where I managed to keep up with him without keeling over by the end of our sessions.

On the mental side of things, my chakra sensitivity had simultaneously increased and decreased. Using my pathways to enhance movement was no longer painful, and I could pinpoint Naruto from half a few hundred metres away without a line of sight. I even occasionally caught the slightest whiffs of what I assumed were ANBU chakra signatures near our house.

I still had yet to actually see any of them, which was a bummer because I would have loved to tease Kakashi a bit—assuming him being Naruto's guard wasn't just fanon.

Honestly, just having anyone else to regularly talk to would have been nice. Naruto and I basically just had each other plus Teuchi and Ayame who I wouldn't exactly count as friends.

They were nice people, and their ramen was the best fast food I'd come across in either of my lifetimes. However, Teuchi acted more like a distantly related uncle, and Ayame—five years our senior—didn't really want to play with little boys.

Getting to know and befriending civilian kids in general wasn't really an option thanks to the villagers' unwarranted paranoia of the Kyuubi. Meanwhile, clans were too guarded for outsiders—especially known troublemakers like us—to be allowed entry. It turned out parents didn't want their kids hanging out with perpetual pranksters.

On the bright side, at least Naruto had succeeded in his quest of attaining infamy.

I had no such goals to excuse my behaviour, I just thought it was a fun way to pass the time every once in a while and broke the otherwise monotone nature of my daily life. Especially nowadays where we'd gotten good enough they couldn't prove anything.

Oh, those few instances of graffiti? Yeah, he grew out of it. I swear we're nothing but upstanding citizens, officers.

Sure, some people still glared at me and called me a nuisance, but didn't go any further than that. Not anymore, anyway. The few cases of getting overcharged for purchases had been nipped in the bud before they could become commonplace. Unlike Naruto—patron saint of cheer and forgiveness—I actually threatened people with legal repercussions when they messed with me.

The Uchiha Police Force may have had a collective stick up their asses, but that stick was very useful when it came to laying down the law. Though I was pretty sure Inabi—the poor guy who had somehow been saddled with all my disputes—absolutely detested me at this point.

It was worth the effort, though. Without paying exorbitant prices for our basic necessities we could easily afford a range of self-indulgent purchases, such as high-quality art supplies and various board games—the latter of which had been Naruto's idea.

All in all, I couldn't complain about my lot in life.

"Whatcha thinkin' about?" Naruto asked, yanking me back to reality after he finally moved one of his shogi pieces.

"Forty-two," I replied. "How do you feel about Monday?"

"It's gonna be great! We'll finally learn some awesome jutsu and get to know all kinds of people our age," he answered.

I gave a non-committal hum in response that turned into a hiss when I noticed he'd forked my rook.

"So what, you aren't excited?" Naruto asked, smirking as he captured the piece.

"Their parents will surely have a tough time keeping them away from our corrupting influence," I remarked. "Assuming our classmates even want to talk to us."

"There's no way shinobi kids will be as lame as the rest! Betcha soon enough we'll have a whole army of helpers."

That was highly unlikely.

"Heh, sure will," I lied, and after taking a long look at the shogi board added, "Wanna go our typical route and eat some Ramen after?"

"Yay!"

Having arrived outside peak hours, Naruto and I were the only two customers at the ramen stand. Ayame wasn't there—probably in school—but Teuchi was more than happy to serve us. I doubted he'd ever turn us down considering how much food we normally ate.

"I hear the Academy starts in two days. Are you two excited?" Teuchi asked.

"Of course!" Naruto exclaimed, bits of noodle flying from his mouth. "Our teachers won't know what hit 'em."

"No talking with a full mouth," I said. "And maybe don't plan pranks on the people who decide whether you get to progress in your career or not."

"I take it as a compliment that you can't stop eating," Teuchi assured. "Do you know who your teachers will be?"

"Not a clue. I like getting surprised," I was an interesting question. The Manga never went into who taught Naruto besides Mizuki and Iruka.

"No you don't, you liar!" Naruto argued. "You left angry notes all over my fridge the last time I took one of your eggs."

"That wasn't a surprise, it was theft. That egg had a very specific purpose. And then you just wound up using it for a prank!" I snarked. "Anyway, I enjoy surprises that don't negatively impact me in any way. Like that surprise birthday party you guys threw me."

I still couldn't believe Naruto tried breaking into the Hospital records office just to figure out my birthday. Thank goodness Kawasaki had been there to defuse things.

"Well, let's hope that your teachers turn out to be a positive surprise," Teuchi said, handing me another steaming bowl of deliciousness.

Sunday came and went, mostly spent sleeping in and lazing around reading and drawing manga. I argued for us to take the day off training so we'd be in top condition in case there was an entrance evaluation.

It turned out I was worried for nothing. They essentially just gave us a short health checkup and measured our chakra levels.

We were then directed down a set of corridors. Their walls and floor were eerily reminiscent of our apartment's—probably made of the same Hashirama-quality wood. I pushed aside the sliding door to Lecture hall 1 and stepped inside. It was a lot more spacious than expected.

"Woah… Sato, there oughta be enough room in here for a hundred people!"

Naruto was certainly excited. I myself was confused. Had Naruto's graduating class not been a lot smaller? We took a seat in the far back of the hall and I peered around. We were one of the first people to arrive and the only other kids were already busy talking amongst themselves.

Class was due to begin in about half an hour, and over the course of our wait more and more students streamed in. We weren't quite a hundred—I'd counted—but close enough to it that people eventually even sat down near our spot.

My new neighbour was a kid with short dark hair and thin brows. Probably some extra, since I couldn't really place his face. Though as usual, 3D made things hard to judge.

"Everybody settle down," an unknown teacher finally said to the class of future mini ninjas. "My name is Suzuki Makoto. I will be teaching you mathematics and tactics. Before we can begin with the lesson, I'm required to undertake a roll call. Feel free to tell me a bit about yourselves when I call your names. Or don't—I don't actually care."

Wow, this guy's a hoot.

The teacher dryly prattled off the list of names, noting down those that responded. Thanks to Choji acting as a prime example, most students followed the same pattern of stating their hobbies, and reasons for enrolling.

I kept my ear open for any names I recalled from the main cast, but it was rather difficult to concentrate due to Naruto's budding excitement. He was practically bouncing in his seat by the time my name came around.

"Ibui, Satoya?"

"Present."

I did not care to elaborate. Naruto eyed me speculatively and smirked, which immediately set me on high alert. So much so, that I spaced out and barely caught the tail end of Kiba's introduction.

Besides the main cast, there were few people of note. Basically everyone gave variations on 'I found out I had the aptitude and figured being a Ninja was super cool'. Except for Akuma that is—the mad lad had the gall to say that being a Ninja was stupid and he was only here to prove his strength to his father.

"I'd much rather become a blacksmith, but he keeps telling me I'm not strong enough. Here I can become strong and find future clients too!"

Akuma got estranged looks from everyone except myself. I was far too busy trying to suppress my laughter. Only six years old and he already acted like a snarky teen. Judging by first impressions, he'd be a good candidate for friendship—free to influence without causing too much canon divergence.

The teacher, to his credit, didn't even bat an eye and casually kept reading his list of names. The introductions went on pretty much as I expected regarding the Rookie 9. Though I missed Shikamaru thanks to holding in my laugh.

"Uchiha Sasuke?"

"Yes! I like exploring and I love training with my Nii-san. I want to become a strong ninja like him one day!"

That was so adorable. Who knew I'd ever think that of Sasuke?

Too bad you'll ruin his cheer by allowing the massacre, ey, Satoya?

My mood soured. I honestly hadn't given it much thought until this point. I'd long concluded that trying to stop it from happening was a lost cause. Now though? Seeing Sasuke all happy and untainted by the horrors to come?

Don't even think about it. There's nothing for a child to do. You'll just get yourself abducted, interrogated, and killed by Danzo.

Before I could sink further into depressing thoughts, it was finally Naruto's turn to introduce himself.

"Uzumaki Naruto?"

"Future Hokage of Konoha at your service!" he loudly announced, making everyone swivel their heads to his seat. "I joined the Academy to one day have the strength to improve the world. I like ramen, exercise, and playing games with my friend Satoya."

Naruto then pointed his finger at me, freezing the blood in my veins.

"He likes reading a ton. Please, any of you talk to him about books so I don't have to."

I covered my head and planted it on the desk in front of me, silently hoping that it'd swallow me up to never return. It didn't work, but thankfully the attention didn't last. The roll call ended with Ino Yamanaka.

"Alright, that's everyone accounted for," Suzuki finally said. "Now, I know you're all excited to learn Ninjutsu."

"Yeah!" Naruto and Kiba—I think?—shouted in tandem.

"However, you will be doing none of that here today. In fact, we won't be starting chakra techniques until next semester. Until then it will be lots of theory. Reading, writing, mathematics, and hand signs, with taijutsu added to the afternoons."

Oh boy, this'll be super boring then.

"That's not fair!" Naruto yelled in protest.

"Naruto-kun," the teacher said, wrinkling his nose, "I realise it may seem unnecessary to you, but even shinobi must start with the basics. A healthy mind is the precursor to a healthy body after all."

"I'm plenty healthy," Naruto said under his breath.

If the Teacher heard it he chose not to comment. "Now let us finally begin with our first lesson."

Time to snooze.

I rested my head on my arms and closed my eyes.

"Hm, seems I chose wisely."

"Eh?" I questioned, staring up at the kid to my right.

"It looks like you're the least troublesome of our classmates. Ergo, I chose wisely sitting next to you."

There's only one person I know of who'd say that.

"Shikamaru Nara, right?"

He grinned. "You have a good memory, Satoya Ibui."

Dammit Satoya, quit attracting important characters!

To be fair, how was I supposed to know Shikamaru started school with short hair?

"Right… Well, I'll just go back to sleeping if that's alright with you," I said.

He nodded in understanding and followed suit. Even if I didn't want to befriend him, there was no need to antagonise Shikamaru either. I wound up dozing through most of the lessons. None of the day's subjects were any more interesting than the first.

I'd really shot myself in the foot with all that time spent in the library. Even history—a subject I started out with essentially zero knowledge of—was spoiled. I probably knew more information than would be taught in the Academy, considering I'd read through a collection of contemporary witness reports.

Our teacher really only explained the bare minimum. Events so banal I would have already known them just from watching the anime. Uchiha and Senju founded Konoha. The Will of Fire is great. Hashirama was a hippie. Madara was a fascist. Yadda yadda yadda.

At least her retelling of their battle was interesting enough. I'd actually forgotten that Madara enslaving Kurama to his will had been the inciting incident behind Hashirama distributing the other Bijuu among the villages. Ensuring a balance of power and ending the warring states era was great and all. However, a glance at any historical records immediately highlights what a shit idea that was in the long term.

The First Shinobi World War started a mere three years after Hashirama died, and retellings of that time period left me honestly baffled at the man's naivety.

After graciously accepting their 'gifts' from Hashirama, all the other villages figured it'd be a shame to not use them. Jinchuuriki had practically limitless stamina, so how about wedeploy them on all fronts?

Yeah, what a great idea. Let's utterly traumatise and emotionally destroy our sentient nuclear weapons. What could go wrong?

There were many recorded instances of Jinchuuriki slaying their own comrades, but what happened at the end of the war truly cemented them as a band of bloodthirsty battle-crazed demons of mass destruction.

A confrontation between Suna and Iwa. One thousand shinobi went in, zero came out. It is commonly known that Suna lost Nanabi in that fight, and though someone must have survived, it is assumed the remaining Jinchuuriki were later executed by their own villages due to fear of their instability.

The five Kage collectively agreed on an armistice treaty shortly after.

Konoha actually came out doing relatively well, all things considered. They had deployed their own Jinchuuriki sparingly, since Mito Uzumaki was far too precious to risk—Nepotism at its finest.

Back to the Shodai himself. There were only a scant few tidbits of information regarding the final year of his reign, and specifics of his death had all been conspicuously struck from the public record. Which is why by the time our lesson finally neared its end, I asked our teacher an innocuous question.

"How did the first Hokage die?"

Kyoko huffed and answered, "Hashirama Senju died eight years after his duel with Madara due to an untreatable illness."

Well, that sure answered a whole lot of nothing. I supposed I should have expected that. Not like he could have been taken down by a bunch of chumps like the second Hokage.

As WebMD would so helpfully say, "It's probably cancer."

Though the morning was tedious at best, I eagerly awaited our afternoon Taijutsu instruction. My endorphin-addicted mind was itching for a good workout.

To my chagrin, Naruto and I—who had mostly been fighting on instinct for the last two years—could barely hold a 'correct' stance. We were somehow berated even more than the other clanless kids with zero prior experience because we'd ingrained all kinds of bad habits.

At least if Takanori-sensei was to be believed.

"Your stance is horrible, again!"

Jeez, you'd think all that training would actually have amounted to something.

In my defence, the clan kids all had unbelievably well-polished fighting styles. Even Shikamaru was flawlessly executing a series of basic katas.

"Hold your arms firm!"

"Yes, sensei!"

Sparring only started in about two weeks. Until then class was all about making sure we knew how to defend ourselves without getting injured too badly. Plus a bit of weapon throwing practice. At least Naruto and I were quite proficient at that.

Oh great. You might be able to scratch Madara's shoulder pad before he pulverises you.

"Alright everybody, thirty laps around the court!" Takanori announced.

Finally I had a moment in the limelight. Naruto and I easily outpaced our fellow students—clan or no clan.

It wasn't like the other kids weren't fit, but my muscle definition was quite unusual for a Ninja, especially a child. To think acquiring a beach body only took dying and getting reincarnated in a world where my life literally depended on my level of fitness.

The thirty laps were followed up by an obstacle course where we were kept under fire by thrown rubber balls, and following that was balancing practice on a kind of rickety bridge that got wobbled back and forth.

I wasn't awful at those, but still far from the top of the class. Turns out self-teaching really couldn't compare to dedicated tutors, no matter how much effort one put in.

Looks like little Satoya still falls into the realm of fodder.

At least I'd be kept busy during my academy days. It beat being bored out of my mind. It also had the added benefit of not needing to pretend I was any worse than I was so I wouldn't become rookie of the year. Even small and non-edgy as he was, Sasuke remained leagues above me.

If my filler memory served me correctly, he even taught himself to use the Great Fireball technique at this age. If only I'd been born into a clan… or at least with an overpowered doujutsu like the Sharingan.

A rubber ball smacked me in the face. I'd been standing still on the bridge for too long.

"Stay focused Satoya-kun!"

"Yes, sensei," I sheepishly replied.

It's like we're in the army or something… oh wait.

School ended at about three o'clock. Since today's meal plan involved only a small amount of prep time—veggie fried rice—I still had a few hours to kill. I peered around the Academy grounds and spotted Naruto in an animated discussion with Kiba—Perfectamundo.

It was time to forge some connections of my own, and I knew just the person to ingratiate myself with. I caught up to my target near the academy gates, dragging his feet as he walked home alone.

"Hey Akuma, wait up!"

The kid straightened his slouch a bit and defensively crossed his arms. "Yeah?" he answered. "What do you want?"

"Just wanted to ask if I could visit your dad's forge. Smithing sounds really cool to me." I replied.

It wasn't even a lie. Smithing had been one of my many passing academic interests, though this was the first opportunity to actually see anything in person. Perhaps if I befriended Akuma's family I'd get some discounted equipment in the future?

He took a step back, but his body relaxed. "Hm. Dad said networking was an important part of the job, so I guess I shouldn't say no," he replied. "Just… please don't be a bother."

Mission successful.

I was led into Konoha's market district—crowded as ever thanks to the arrival of a sizable merchant caravan. I snorted at the name Ogura Enterprises. Written like 'small warehouse', truly a fitting name for a trader. I reached out to tap Akuma's shoulder so I could share the joke, but he was too far ahead, pressing through the masses to clear a path for me to more comfortably walk.

It was almost like he was trying to ditch me, turning around often to see if I was still there. In fact, he seemed rather nervous for some reason. Maybe he was just worried I'd get lost in the crowd? I quickened my pace and grabbed his hand for reassurance, but he yanked it free and jumped up like a startled cat.

"Sorry!" I shouted over the bustle. "Won't happen again!"

We arrived at his dad's shop soon after. I was surprised by how clean and orderly it looked. I couldn't even smell the slightest whiff of smoke.

"I'm home! I brought along a classmate."

"A classmate you say?" sounded a deep, rumbling voice. "Has my precious Akuma-chan finally made her first friend?"

Her?He's a she!?

I did a double-take, staring her down from top to bottom. Her copper hair was cropped short and stuck straight up. She had brown, sharp eyes. Her cheeks sported numerous freckles.

None of that really helped tell. Had the teachers called her a her?

"It's just a classmate, dad. He wanted to come see the forge."

"He?" A bald, burly, gloriously bearded man stormed into view. "Who is this boy that's come to beguile my daughter?"

This man was a straight-up dwarf, upscaled to human height. I couldn't help but feel intimidated when he leaned down for a close inspection.

"Dark hair, pale skin… You an Uchiha? Grey eyes are unusual."

"Satoya Ibui is the name, sir. I am not part of any clan and know of no living relatives."

His eyes widened in Recognition—Uh oh.

"You're one of those troublemakers, ey? I've heard of your shenanigans," he grumbled, "Even if you're the lesser of two evils, do you really think I'd allow you to corrupt my daughter with your devious ways?"

I bit down on my instinctual tongue-lashing. "Uhh, no Sir. I'm not planning on expanding my… business."

He glared at me. "Oh? Then what is it you want with my daughter? Do you fancy her?"

That caught me completely off-guard. "Sorry, what?"

"I've seen more than enough obsessive ninja over the years," he said. "I know your type."

I blinked many times in succession as my brain attempted to process what I'd just been told. "I'm… six, sir. Do you even understand biol"—I caught myself—"I'm too young for that."

"Ah-ha. And if you are so young and innocent, why would you know what I am worried about?"

"There are all kinds of instructional books in the library," I reasoned. "It doesn't take a leap of logic to conclude you were talking about s—"

"Enough! Am I supposed to believe you really only came here to watch me work the forge? Someone like you, who knows nothing about smithing and aspires to become a shinobi?"

Time to pull out all the stops and engage forbidden powers: Customer Service Prattle no Jutsu!

"Nakao-sama, I completely understand where you are coming from. I trust you only wish what is best for your kin, as any good parent would. It is only natural to be suspicious. What can I do to alleviate your fears?"

He clearly hadn't anticipated such a masterfully crafted response, stunned into speechlessness as he computed my words.

"Dad, stop it!" Akuma growled. "You were literally the one who told me to establish connections. Can't you trust me?"

Her father flinched back as if slapped. "Akuma-chan… alright. I trust you,"—he looked back to me—"So what can I do for you, boy?"

I took a breath and cleared my throat. "I've always searched for ways to improve myself. From theoretical knowledge, to physical activity, to creating artwork. When Akuma-san mentioned this forge, I couldn't contain my curiosity. For what greater art is there than that born of both strength and wisdom?"

He mulled over my words, eventually nodding his head. "Alright, maybe there's more to ya than mischief. However, if you want to be more than a mere customer, you better pay attention and work hard! I won't teach someone lacking motivation and grit!"

Wait wait wait. Teach? Who said anything about teaching? I may have gone a bit overboard with my flowery speech. Was declining his offer still an option? He might just toss me into the furnace at that point…

Screw it. Why not learn smithing? I truly had been looking for some extra variety in my daily activities. This way I could also make sure any futuristic design ideas I wanted to get my hands on wouldn't possibly spread to the world at large.

"Alright, I will do my very best! Like no one ever has,"—I couldn't stop myself from going further—"To train myself is my real test, to forge things is—"

Akuma shoved me aside and glared up at her father. A spark lit up in her eyes as she took a deep breath.

"So you'll teach the first person I bring here, while it took me a whole year to convince you to teach me?" she shouted in askance.

"Well, he's a very fit young lad. And seems generally interested," Akuma's father defended meekly. "Plus if I'm already taking time to teach you it's not like an extra spectator would hurt."

"Oh I'm sure you would've taught a girl if I had brought her here," she said accusingly. "I'm sick of you looking for male apprentices. I'll prove I have what it takes and I'll even become a kick-ass kunoichi to boot."

Uh oh, did I just inadvertently create a new protagonist?

"And you!" she pointed an accusing finger. "You'll never be as good as me, I swear upon my mother's grave!"

Great. Dead mother, wants to prove herself, and now even has a rival.

I went out of my way not to interact with important characters and seemingly just created one out of thin air. Fate truly was a harsh mistress.

When I came home that evening, Naruto was waiting for me at the top of our building's steps.

"Where were you?" he asked with a pout. "You just left me behind back at the Academy!"

"Woah buddy," I put my arm around his shoulder, pulling him along into my apartment. "I saw the way you kicked things off with Kiba. Didn't want to intrude on a blossoming friendship."

"You coulda said something," Naruto grumbled, adding something else under his breath.

"What was that?" I asked.

"I saw you eyeing Akuma-chan all day. You left me for her."

I raised my brow in disapproval the same way my mom used to. "Jealousy, Naruto? I expect better of you."

He scowled at the floor, prompting me to nudge my hip into his side. "You know you'll always be my number one, right? Just because I make other friends doesn't mean I don't still care about you. Broadening your horizons and expanding relationships is natural."

His scowl eased somewhat, but he still didn't meet my eyes. "My heart has enough room for more than one person, just like I know yours does too. Didn't you enjoy yourself at least a little bit hanging out with Kiba?"

Naruto breathed out his remaining tension. "Yeah, after I realised you weren't coming back, we visited the Inuzuka clan compound together"—a light smile painted his lips—"I got to play with a few puppies and Kiba even showed me his ninken, Akamaru! They were so cute and fluffy. Kiba said I could come visit at any time."

What a wonderful job you've done raising Naruto's social competence, Satoya. Do you even realise how badly this could mess everything up!?

"Sounds nice," I responded, belying my thoughts with a fond chuckle. "And his parents didn't mind?"

"Nah, though Tsume, uhh, sternly reminded me not to cause chaos," he said, rubbing his head. "What about you, what'd you end up doing with Akuma?"

"I visited her dad's smithy and got to work at the forge a bit."

"Wow that's so cool! Did you make some awesome weapons?"

"We didn't make anything impressive yet. I barely managed to shape the metal at all." I took out the unevenly flattened piece of iron I was allowed to bring home with me.

"BWAHAHAHA, It looks like a turd!"

"It does not!" I yelped. "It's a perfectly normal piece of metal!"

How dare he say such an outrageous thing. It was my first attempt! At least I did something more productive than playing with puppies today.

"Mhm, whatever you say, Sa~to," he replied—the cheeky brat.

"If you don't let up your teasing, no Strudel this week!" I threatened.

Naruto was immediately cowed and kowtowed. "My sincerest apologies, Chef."

I silently thanked my Oma for her grandkid wrangling lessons. "Apology accepted," I said, helping him up and tousling his hair. "What did you think of our other classmates?"

"Most kids ran away from me when I got close," he said, frowning. "But not all of them! Shino is like a quieter you. Shikamaru is a lazier you. Choji is awesome and friendly and has a lot of delicious snacks. Kiba is obviously super nice and uhh—OH! There was this one girl with pink hair—"

"Sakura?" I interjected, partially just so Naruto had time to breathe.

"Right, Sakura-chan! She asked about you because of the reading books thing, but that was after you left."

Sakura wanted to talk to me? I supposed it wasn't too far-fetched since she was quite the bookworm in canon. Though, there was a whole different issue with this situation. Naruto was developing all these connections to the Rookie 9 far too soon. Had I really jump-started his Talk no Jutsu capabilities?

I fucking told you, dumbass. Maybe next time pay attention to him in class instead of snoozing all day. Really get a feel of how much you've already ruined.

I masked my internal strife with an easy-going smile. "Sounds like you've already met some great comrades."

Naruto furrowed his brows. "You okay, Satoya?"

"Huh?"—I checked over my body—"What do you mean?"

"It's just… never mind," he said, shaking his head. "How did you like our teachers? I feel like none of them like me very much. Heikichi-sensei kept singling me out for every mistake I made in practice. It's not like I was worse than average."

Ah yes, hate for the demon fox ran deep even among ninja circles. Especially the older ones who were still haunted by stories of the first war. It was too bad Iruka hadn't shown up yet—probably due to him being mainly a Ninjutsu teacher.

"Takanori kept berating me too. I wouldn't worry too much," I said. "Keep your head held high and I'm sure it will get better eventually."

"And if it doesn't?"

I grinned. "If it doesn't, then you just need to work extra hard to prove them wrong."

Naruto nodded along to my statement. "Yeah, who cares about some stupid teachers? I'm gonna be the greatest Hokage there ever was and nobody's gonna stop me!"

At least that part of the plot was still on track.