Chapter 2 Sunlight

"Ah, it's Taikou and his gang."

A group of three boys, led by Taikou, blocked Naruto's path. One of them, who is shorter than Naruto, shoved him.

"Youkai, I heard your dream is to become Hokage?"

Shikamaru and Choji squeezed through the crowd just in time to hear the question. They thought Naruto would refute it, then loudly declared that he was going to be the man to become Hokage.

However, Naruto remained unusually quiet.

Sunlight streamed through the gates of the Academy, casting a black and white line at his feet.

Naruto stood in the sunlight, his blond hair seemed to have lost its former sharpness, but he didn't shy away, and his gaze is fixed intently on Taikou.

The childishness in him had faded, crushed by indifference.

It was as if he had become a different person. Everything from before was like ashes, blown away cleanly by the summer breeze.

"Your eyes are disgusting. Keep staring, and I'll beat you up!"

[System loading progress 99%]

Another person stepped forward and shoved Naruto, causing him to take a few steps back.

The surrounding people just watched, chatting and laughing among themselves, with no intention of stepping forward to stop it.

"Damn it! Those guys from the small clans are too much!" Choji was so angry that he was about to step forward to stop them.

Shikamaru sighed, then said "What a drag," as he slowly walked towards Naruto too.

[System loading progress 100%]

[Option 1: Push down the three people in front of you and loudly declare that your dream is to become a Hokage stronger than the Yondaime Hokage! Reward: Proficiency in the Three Basic Techniques.]

[Option 2: Deny your dream of becoming Hokage and avoid conflict. Reward: The side effect of Chakra disorder in your body disappears.]

Naruto saw the panel, but seeing that no one around him reacted, he immediately determined that he was the only one who could see it. Relieved, he focused on the options.

The Three Basic Techniques were crucial for the graduation exam at the Academy. Mastering them would ensure his graduation. However, it's also because of the Kyubi's Chakra that the Chakra inside the body became disordered, preventing him from using Ninjutsu properly.

One option was a shortcut, directly solving the immediate graduation issue.

The other addressed the root cause of the Chakra disorder. Even if he still needs to spend time practicing the Three Body Technique afterwards, it looks more worthwhile.

"That… Naruto-kun..." Hinata, who appeared out from nowhere, said timidly.

"Eh? What did you just say? I can't hear you clearly!"

The tall boy named Taikou didn't seem to hear what Hinata said and looked directly at Naruto. As for Hinata, Taikou completely disregarded her.

"Naruto-kun didn't do anything wrong…" Hinata, though scared, mustered her courage to speak.

"What nonsense are you talking about? It's disgusting."

Taikou said rudely, not wanting to listen to Hinata at all.

"I don't want to be Hokage. Unlike you, I'm not that childish. That's your ridiculous dream, isn't it?" Naruto said, "But it's also quite sad."

"With your current strength, you might not even become a Shinobi in the future."

Naruto said mercilessly as he pushed the leading Taikou hard.

"Do you think you can become Hokage? Does anyone in your clan have what it takes?"

"You can't! Neither can they!"

"W-what are you saying?" Taikou stammered as he took a step back and looked at Naruto shock.

Naruto's gaze remained sharp as he stared straight at the leader, Taikou.

"People change, Taikou."

"Go back and ask your father, believe it or not, I can burn your house down tomorrow and nothing will happen to me!"

"Use that muscle-bound brain of yours to think carefully about what you can and cannot do."

"Ptui! What a joke!" Naruto spat in Taikou's face and left with a grim expression.

Anyway, this is not the first or second time he has skipped classes, he was just doing it openly this time.

Taikou was stunned, recalling Naruto's ferocious tone just now, and didn't dare to say a word.

"You're lying! We're not like that!" The ashamed and angry voices of the two people came from behind. Naruto's words seemed to have hit their sore spot.

The boys who wanted to become Hokage were insecure and sensitive. Having their dreams laid bare in the sunlight made them jumpy.

[The reward was successfully distributed.]

After a mechanical prompt, Naruto felt a cool sensation throughout his body, like drinking a cold drink on a hot day.

He tried to sense the flow of Chakra within him. He could now feel the direction of his Chakra flow, which had become active and resonant compared to before.

It was like a spring suddenly boiling, with every cell in his body being nourished by Chakra, bringing a refreshing sense of comfort.

Naruto couldn't help but shout, feeling a sense of elation.

"Shikamaru, did I hear that right?" Choji tugged on Shikamaru's clothes and asked as he watched Naruto leave, "Naruto said he doesn't want to become Hokage anymore?"

"Wasn't that his dream? Why suddenly…?"

"Who knows?" Shikamaru's dead fish eyes shifted, and he said indifferently, "That guy was really scary just now. Besides, what's so great about being Hokage?"

"Busy all the time, no time to relax at all."

"Enough about that. Naruto's gone." Choji said, "If Iruka-sensei catches him skipping class, he's in for it!"

Hinata stood in an inconspicuous corner of the crowd, watching Naruto leave with a conflicted expression. Class was about to start, but she was afraid that something might happen to Naruto.

'Naruto-kun must be in pain right now, right?'

Thinking of this, Hinata clenched her little fists.

At this moment, she really wanted to chase after him, but she lacked the courage. Just stepping forward to help had used up all her bravery. Now, in front of so many people…

Without Naruto, the Academy was unusually quiet. When Iruka learned that Naruto had skipped class, he lost his temper as usual.

No one was messing around with paint buckets, and no one was causing a ruckus in the Academy. Everything seemed very harmonious.

Until sunset, Iruka did not find any trace of Naruto on the Hokage Rock. The most mischievous kid in the class seemed to have vanished from the face of the earth.

Just as Iruka started to panic, a soft voice called out.

"Iruka-sensei?"

"Hinata? What are you doing here?" Iruka turned his head and was slightly stunned.

The girl stood timidly in the orange sunset. She lowered her head and dared not look at him, her face flushed, as if she had been caught doing something bad.

"I...I came to look for Naruto-kun." The girl's voice was barely audible. "Naruto-kun didn't come to class all day... I'm worried…"

Looking at Hinata's very red face, Iruka smiled kindly and said, "Hinata, you are worried about Naruto too, right?"

"Don't worry. I'll make sure to find him. It's getting late. You should go home now, or your father will be worried."

"No, no!" Hinata mustered her courage and said loudly, "Iruka-sensei, I...I want to help you find Naruto-kun!"

Iruka was touched, and the smile on his face froze. He looked at the sky and said gently, " Alright, but only for half an hour. If we don't find him, you must go home, okay?"

"Yes! Thank you, Iruka-sensei!" Hinata nodded excitedly.

"Ah? You were looking for me?" Naruto looked up and looked at the two of them in confusion.

"Hinata, you're here?" Naruto asked in surprise.

"I…" Hinata lowered her head.

"I asked Hinata to help me find you." Iruka explained, "I thought she might know where you were."

"Is that so…" Naruto scratched his head, "Iruka-sensei, are you here because I skipped class?"