Chapter 23 Self-Introductions

"Today is the first day of class. We won't be teaching specific content just yet. Let's get to know each other and learn each other's names. Follow the template I just gave you for self-introductions. Would anyone like to go first?"

What a sense of propriety... Hmm! A familiar style! A familiar taste!

"I'll go first! I'll go first! My name is Inuzuka Jirou. What I like is Kogemaru, and I hate people who eat dog meat. My future dream is to become Hokage!"

As soon as Aoyama-sensei finished speaking, a little boy sitting in the middle of the classroom, dressed in a blue T-shirt, quickly stood up and spoke before most of the other students could react! Kogemaru should be the name of that small brown dog on his head…

Following him, four or five other boys, eager to show off, stood up one by one, afraid someone else might steal their spotlight.

Though the situation was a bit chaotic, at least it wasn't awkwardly silent. Aoyama-sensei secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

"Don't rush, everyone. One at a time. Let's start with the girl on the left in the first row..."

"My name is Harada Saho. I like cats and dislike spicy food. My dream is to become an excellent kunoichi!"

Unexpectedly, the second person to speak was a cat person, in stark contrast to Inuzuka Jirou.

"My name is Kobayashi Kiyome. I like... I dislike... My dream is..."

"My name is Sarutobi Nyoi. I come from the Sarutobi clan. I like grilled meat and sweet potatoes. There's nothing I particularly dislike. My dream is to become the next Hokage." A cocky little boy remarked as he stood up. His arrogance was even more pronounced than Uchiha Toshirou's, causing quite a few classmates to take notice.

As the Hokage with the longest tenure in Konoha's history, the Third Hokage had a massive influence on his clan. Sarutobi Nyoi was clearly a product of this influence.

He took pride in being part of Konoha's prestigious clan and had little regard for the village's other civilians and family scions. Even the Uchiha, Hyuga, and Aburame clans were beneath him. He only slightly respected the Ino-Shika-Cho clan.

This wasn't surprising; after all, in a large forest, there could be all kinds of birds.

Time passed as one by one, the students stood at the podium to introduce their likes, dislikes, and dreams. Aoyama-sensei diligently recorded each in his notebook.

Through their introductions, Toshirou realized that Class 1 (1) was probably equivalent to an advanced class from his previous life. It comprised children from the Sarutobi, Shimura, Ino-Shika-Cho, and other smaller families, as well as some ordinary kids with unfamiliar surnames.

He also noticed that among the boys, seven or eight harbored dreams of becoming Hokage, whether they were from clans or civilians. The girls mostly aspired to become strong kunoichi or medical-nin.

Before long, it was his turn to introduce himself.

After he finished speaking, Aoyama Ryo's eyebrows twitched involuntarily. Everyone's introductions seemed normal enough, but this kid? He wanted to sample all kinds of cuisine, and he was just six years old! Yet he also wanted to drink alcohol and befriend various pretty girls? Although the six-year-olds in the classroom were precocious, they were still kids, mostly innocent. What was with this boy? Was he too mature for his age?

"Wow! This Uchiha guy has a cool dream!"

"Yeah! I've decided. I want to change my dream to be like his. Travel the ninja world, taste all kinds of delicacies, and enjoy fine wine!"

"..."

Hearing Toshirou's introduction brought a buzz of excitement to the classroom, prompting a plethora of comments.

Toshirou wasn't lying; these were indeed his dreams. Having entered a whole new world, he wanted to learn about the customs and specialties of each place, savor different gourmet foods and fine wines.

These were his true thoughts. This world was brimming with natural energy. The exotic beasts and rare forest delicacies continually offered unique taste experiences.

As for befriending beautiful girls... He finally crossed into a two-dimensional world, possibly as the result of karma from many lifetimes. Should he abandon such pleasures for some lofty goals or ambitions, like becoming a behind-the-scenes villain?

Or should he save the world and bring about peace? What nonsense! Aren't the beautiful girls in this world delightful enough? If it weren't for safety concerns, he wouldn't train so hard to become a ninja.

At most, he'd refine some chakra out of curiosity and explore various magical jutsus and sealing techniques. Why would he wake up at dawn every day to train like he did now? He was exhausted...

"This Uchiha student has a unique and grand dream!!!"

Would this boy become someone like Jiraiya in the future? Imagining an Uchiha in traditional dark high-collared attire, with a red and white fan emblem on his back, squatting by a hot spring, peeping...

The image didn't match at all, clashing with the typically proud and stoic Uchiha demeanor!

Indeed, the 28 or 29-year-old man, slightly resembling the bald Saitama-sensei, clearly knew the future. Jiraiya, one of the Sannin, the Toad Sage of Mount Myoboku, the Fourth Hokage's teacher, and the Ero-Sennin Narutos' mentor, was a revered figure...

This was the 38th year of Konoha. Jiraiya, Tsunade, and Orochimaru were all around 28, in their prime. Even the future Yondaime, the fastest man in the ninja world, the Yellow Flash, was just 14, still a youth.

A butterfly in the Amazon rainforest of North America could occasionally cause a tornado in Texas two weeks later just by flapping its wings.

Toshirou, as a traveler, wondered if his presence would trigger a butterfly effect that might erase Sasuke, Naruto, and others from existence! How would the anime continue if that happened? If Madara and Kaguya reemerged, what would he do? Fight them himself?

Unbidden thoughts seemed to sprout endlessly in Uchiha Toshirou's mind... 

(End of Chapter)