The corridor seemed to stretch endlessly before Naruto, each footstep echoing louder in his ears than the last. He moved with an awkward grace, wavy brown hair bouncing against his shoulders, violet eyes darting from the curious stares of passing students and teachers. They whispered, heads tilting, trying to place this unfamiliar girl who walked with an air of concealed chaos.
"Easy, Naruto," Anko murmured from behind him, her voice a sly purr. "I had a little chat with that nosy brat, Ino and two others. Trust me; they won't be spilling your secret anytime soon." Her grin was all teeth.
Naruto shuddered, not from fear but a strange sort of relief that twisted in his gut. 'Better to have Anko for you than against you,' he thought.
As they stepped closer to the looming classroom a pout formed on Naruto's lips as he whispered, "I could have just been myself if you didn't already register me!" Anko, standing beside him, couldn't help but let laughter ring out in the busy hallway, attracting various glances. Naruto's pout persisted till Anko reached out to ruffle his hair playfully.
As they reached the threshold of the classroom, and the chatter within fell to a hush. A sea of faces turned toward him, some blank with confusion, others narrowed in suspicion. The female classmates he had seen so many times were now a gallery of judges, their gazes sharp as kunai. His heart hammered against his ribcage, threatening to blow his cover with each thudding beat.
"Everyone, attention please!" Anko's voice cut through the silence like a shuriken, demanding focus. She swaggered to the front of the room, hands on hips, purple hair swaying defiantly. "This here is my new apprentice," she said, gesturing grandly at Naruto.
The class, as well as Naruto, reacted like they'd been hit with a substitution jutsu—mouths agape, eyes wide. A few of the students exchanged knowing looks, smirks tugging at their lips, as if pieces of a puzzle had just clicked into place.
Naruto shifted from foot to foot, trying not to fidget under the weight of so many stares. He felt exposed, a lone leaf caught in a gust of wind, about to be swept away from the sturdy branches of anonymity.
Then, a hand landed gently on his shoulder—a lifeline thrown amidst the storm of attention. He looked up into Anko's eyes, finding not the usual mischief but a spark of something warmer, steadier. Her nod was subtle, but it spoke volumes: You're not alone.
A silent sigh escaped him, invisible to the class but loud in his own ears. With Anko's hand as his anchor, Naruto braced himself against the tide of his classmates' curiosity. Maybe, just maybe, he could ride out this wave.
"H-hi, my name is Tamashiro Bunko a-and I will take kunoichi class from now on," he stammered out. His voice, higher pitched than usual in his transformed state, still sounded strange to his own ears, but he managed to push through the sentence without his voice cracking.
Murmurs rippled through the class. Someone in the back row snickered, "A civilian? Really?" But the hushed voices were soon drowned out by a chorus of welcoming cheers and bright, encouraging smiles. The tension in Naruto's shoulders ebbed away, melting like ice under the sun, leaving a warmth that spread through his limbs.
"Welcome, Tamashiro-kun!" a girl near the front called out, her grin genuine as she clapped her hands together.
"Looking forward to seeing what you've got," another added, nodding at him with a spark of challenge in her eyes.
Naruto managed a tiny smile, one that felt a bit more like him and less like the character he was playing. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all. With friends—or at least, not enemies—in sight, the storm inside calmed to a gentle breeze. He could do this. He would do this. After all, he was Naruto Uzumaki—no matter what face he wore. And he never backed down from a challenge.
The sun was already dipping low, casting long shadows across the classroom as Anko's voice tapered off into silence. The lesson concluded, more and more students shuffled out, their footsteps echoing faintly in the corridor beyond.
After putting away some papers Anko approached Naruto and placed a hand on his shoulder. She beamed at him with unspoken pride as they said their goodbyes and made plans to meet up at the dango shop.
Left standing in the classroom Naruto's mind was a whirlwind of mangroves and mission protocols. "Man, that's a lot to remember," he muttered, giving his cheeks a brisk slap. "But it's all for the hat!"
He took a deep breath, feeling his resolve harden. Jiji said knowledge was as crucial as any jutsu. With that in mind, there was no fact too small, no lesson too tedious.
Just as he was about to leave, a gentle tug on his sleeve froze him mid-step. He spun around, his currently brown hair spinning with him, only to find Hinata's pale gaze cautiously meeting his own.
"Uh, hey there..." His voice trailed off, unsure what had emboldened the usually timid girl to approach him like this.
Inside her head, Hinata could feel her heartbeat thundering in her ears. She had watched Naruto from a distance, always in awe of the courage that seemed to radiate from him. Remembering how he had stepped in to save her from those bullies, she felt a swell of gratitude she could no longer keep bottled up.
"Anko-sensei... she told me who you are." Hinata's words tumbled out in a rush, her cheeks tinged with pink. "I mean, because of my Byakugan, I can see your chakra..."
Naruto blinked, his vibrant eyes wide in disbelief as he struggled to comprehend what he just heard. "You shouldn't—" His voice faltered, realization dawning that it wasn't her fault. "Nevermind. So, uh, what did you want?"
She fidgeted with the hem of her jacket, her eyes darting away for a moment before finding his once more. "I just wanted to say thank you, for that time with the bullies," she confessed softly, her voice barely above a whisper.
"Ah, don't mention it!" Naruto waved a hand dismissively, but his heart pounded a little faster at the acknowledgment. It was rare for someone to thank him for anything.
"Ya know, Hinata," he began, the corners of his mouth curling into an enthusiastic grin as he ruffled the back of his wavy hair in a habitually sheepish gesture. "I'm actually kinda glad it was you Anko-sensei spilled the beans to."
Hinata's eyes widened, her face lit up like a sunbeam breaking through storm clouds, her eyes widening in astonishment. As she processed Naruto's candidness, she was caught between the urge to look away and the desire to keep her gaze locked with his.
"Uh, I mean," Naruto continued, stumbling over his words for a moment before finding his stride again. "I don't really know anyone else in class all that well. But you—you were pretty nice that one time, even if it was super scary and all."
He stretched out his hand towards her, palm open and inviting. "So, what do ya say? Wanna be friends?"
For a heartbeat or two, Hinata seemed to hover on the edge of indecision. Then, her lips curled into a shy smile that lit up her entire face, her eyes sparkling with a warmth that could've melted the heart of even the most hardened rogue ninja.
"Y-Yes," she stammered, her voice nearly lost in the vastness of the classroom. Placing her own small hand in his, she added softly, "I'd like that very much, Naruto-kun."
Naruto let out a sigh, his breath a silent testament to the weariness that seemed to hang on him like a cloak. A nagging sensation tugged at the back of his mind – the feeling one gets when a thought is just out of reach, forgotten but insistently important. He shook his head; now was not the time; maintaining his guise as Tamashiro Bunko had sapped all his mental energy. He hadn't been foolish enough to drop the act, not when prying eyes could be lurking anywhere. A flicker of pride sparked within him—yeah, he was getting sharper, Hokage, here we come!
Outside, the hues of orange and red slowly vanished, replaced by ever more present darkness. He needed to hustle if he wanted to scarf down dango with Anko. With violet eyes scanning for stray observers, "Bunko" slipped through the doorway.
A sudden tug on his sleeve yanked him into what seemed like a storage room. His heart hammered against his ribcage as he stared, wide-eyed, at the two girls before him—Ino, with her assertive stance and hair clip shining like a beacon amidst her blond locks, held a peculiar intensity in her eyes. Beside her, the usually reserved Sakura seemed to be fighting a battle between curiosity and caution.
Ino jabbed a finger in his direction, her expression firm. "You are Naruto, aren't you? Mitarashi-sensei told me." Her voice dropped a notch, betraying a hint of hesitance when mentioning Anko's name.
Before he could react Ino stepped closer, her arms folded across her chest, pouting as if she had tasted something sour. "Oh, and that flower was just business, okay? We needed more foot traffic at the shop."
The truth about the flower stung, leaving him a tad deflated even as his brain raced to keep up. He knew he had forgotten something! "Uh, yeah, about the transformation thing…," he began, his hands flailing defensively as Ino's sharp look met his. "I... um, thought I had to be a girl for kunoichi class?"
For a moment, Ino just blinked, her gaze darting to Sakura. Then, without warning, laughter burst from her like water from a broken dam. Sakura joined in with a softer titter, and Naruto's cheeks burned hotter than the setting sun outside.
"Hey! It's not funny!" he protested, puffing his cheeks out. "And that wasn't the only reason I—"
Ino's laughter trailed off as she wiped away a tear, still grinning like she'd won the lottery. Naruto, caught between annoyance and embarrassment, could only scowl and cross his arms over his dress-length shirt, hoping his other motive wouldn't spill out.
Ino's laughter died down as she peered at Naruto, her head tilted, and one eyebrow arched high. "So, what's this other reason, huh?" she asked, the curiosity sparkling in her eyes.
Naruto fumbled for words, his thoughts a scrambled mess. He didn't want to admit why he'd avoided showing up as himself, not here, not with them staring at him like he was some kind of open book. But Ino was already advancing, her determination written all over her face.
"Come on, spill it," she prodded, taking another step forward.
Just as Naruto braced for impact, ready to weave some tale or dart away, Sakura's hand landed gently on Ino's shoulder. Their eyes locked, and without a sound, a silent conversation took place.
"Fine, we'll drop it," Ino finally sighed, throwing her hands up in mock surrender. She turned back to Naruto, who was still poised for escape. "We won't rat you out, okay?"
Naruto blinked, taken aback. "Why not?" His voice was a mix of suspicion and relief.
"Because," Ino muttered, rolling her eyes. The memory of Anko's threat hung over her like a dark cloud. If word got out, she'd be the laughingstock of the academy. A bead of sweat trickled down her temple despite her cool front.
"Because why?" Naruto pressed curious, sensing there was more to her sudden change of heart.
"Ugh." Ino's inner turmoil bubbled to the surface, though she fought to keep it hidden. She glanced at Sakura, who offered a small, reassuring smile—the kind that said 'I've got your back.' It was enough to bolster Ino's resolve.
"Look, we've got an arrangement now, okay?" Ino managed, masking her unease with bravado. "You're gonna help me with my jutsu, and I'll help you... not get caught."
Naruto's eyes narrowed, searching her face for any sign of deceit. But what he saw was genuine concern—a rare glimpse of vulnerability from Ino. It was enough for him to let his guard down, just a notch.