Chapter 3: The Duty of a Transmigrant

"Yo, Zhixiang."

On the way to school, Inuzuka Kiba greeted Zhixiang. Despite only recently becoming classmates, Kiba had already taken note of this nearly invisible presence in their class.

"Hey, Akamaru, say hello."

"Woof!"

At Kiba's prompt, the small dog on his head barked once at Zhixiang before resuming its nap.

"Is this Akamaru?" Zhixiang asked, eyeing the pup on Kiba's head. He reached out to pet it, finding the young Akamaru irresistibly cute.

Woof!

Sensing Zhixiang's approaching finger, Akamaru snapped at it, causing Zhixiang to pull back quickly to avoid being bitten.

"Huh? Akamaru, you shouldn't bite people!" Kiba scolded, holding the pup in front of him.

Zhixiang looked thoughtfully at his right index finger—the same one he had used to incubate the Phosphorus Destruction Insects and "bless" the "kind animals." Could it be that this finger had "blessed" too many "kind animals," making Akamaru wary?

This morning, Zhixiang had skipped his usual training to search the forest for more "kind animals." He successfully bred enough Phosphorus Destruction Insects to cover his entire body. Thanks to the feedback ability of the insects, his physical condition improved, and his chakra reserves significantly increased.

"Kiba, it's okay. Maybe Akamaru just doesn't like the scent of my insects," Zhixiang reassured.

"Really?" Kiba replied, half-believing, as they continued walking together.

...

Upon arriving at school, Zhixiang and Kiba entered Class 1A, the elite class of the Ninja Academy. It was composed of ninja clan descendants and talented commoners. Many familiar faces were already there: Nara Shikamaru, Yamanaka Ino, Akimichi Choji, Haruno Sakura, Uzumaki Naruto, and Zhixiang's brother, Aburame Shino.

Entering the classroom, Zhixiang found a secluded spot, removed his sunglasses, and took out a family book from his bag. Unlike Shino, he didn't keep a mysterious aura. He wore sunglasses to better integrate with the Aburame clan and eventually inherit its legacy. In a clan where everyone wore sunglasses, not wearing them would make him stand out unless he had exceptional strength.

"Good morning, Zhixiang."

Hinata Hyuga shyly greeted him, her face flushed with nervousness as she sat down beside him.

"Good morning, Hinata," Zhixiang replied, looking up briefly before resuming his study of the family's insect breeding techniques.

Seeing Zhixiang didn't mind her sitting next to him, Hinata was overjoyed. She took out her medical book and began reading. It was a book Zhixiang had given her, claiming it contained knowledge to make her stronger. Although the dissection images initially frightened her, she had grown accustomed to them over time.

Thanks to Zhixiang's deliberate interference, Naruto and Hinata didn't know each other in this world. After Zhixiang played the hero in place of Naruto, Hinata gradually grew closer to him. Zhixiang didn't thwart Naruto's heroic moment because he had any improper thoughts about Hinata. It was purely because:

Ending Boruto is every ninja world transmigrant's duty!

Moreover, Zhixiang wasn't particularly fond of the manga's portrayal of Hinata. This referred to her personality, not her body. In the series, Hinata revolved solely around Naruto, lacking her own thoughts and ambitions—a soulless character. Zhixiang preferred the rebellious Hinata from the movies, who, despite her bad temper, had her own soul and a proud figure.

Of course, this didn't stop Zhixiang from pursuing Hinata. Personality could be adjusted over time.

Suddenly, the classroom buzzed with excitement. The king of cool, Sasuke Uchiha, had arrived. As the son of the Uchiha clan leader, he had inherited his mother Mikoto's good looks and, mimicking Itachi, maintained a cold demeanor that made him incredibly attractive to the girls in class. As soon as he entered, some declared they wanted to have his babies. Yamanaka Ino and Haruno Sakura's faces flushed with excitement.

No wonder the ninja world matured so quickly. Six- and seven-year-olds already had crushes—it was unbelievable. Seeing Sasuke, Zhixiang turned to see Naruto's reaction. 

"Tch, so what if he's good-looking," Naruto grumbled, glaring at Sasuke with a scowl. 

As the reincarnations of Indra and Asura, their rivalry was inevitable. They despised each other, fought each other, and ultimately developed a bond, just like Uchiha Madara and Senju Hashirama. Madara, who seemed disinterested in fighting the Five Kage, became animated like a housewife seeing her long-lost husband when he faced Hashirama.

...

"Naruto, sit down."

"Class is starting."

Iruka entered, carrying a stack of assignments, and began the lesson.