Chapter 2: Uzumaki Naruto

"Hi, can I sit next to you?" The main character of Naruto, Uzumaki Naruto, approached Kazuki Haruno with a slightly anxious tone.

"Sure, I just got here, and there shouldn't be anyone next to me," Kazuki replied calmly, showing no signs of emotion as he looked at Naruto.

"Great!" Naruto exclaimed joyfully and sat down beside him.

Kazuki and Naruto were somewhat familiar with each other. After realizing that he was in the world of Naruto, Kazuki felt curious about the main character, Naruto. He had previously made a point to seek him out while wandering around.

However, at that time, Kazuki's intention was simply to observe from a distance. He had no desire to become Naruto's friend; after all, Naruto was the Jinchuriki, likely surrounded by many Anbu guards. As an ordinary person, approaching him recklessly held no benefits.

Moreover, there were potential downsides. The Third Hokage likely wouldn't mind Kazuki approaching Naruto after some investigation, but Danzo might take note of it. Although he probably wouldn't pay too much attention, given Danzo's status, any slight provocation could spell disaster for Kazuki.

Additionally, there was the risk of being ostracized by the villagers. After all, anyone who got close to what they perceived as a "monster" would probably be seen as hopeless.

So when Kazuki first saw Naruto, he merely watched from afar, listening to the people around him constantly referring to Naruto as a monster, feeling the weight of their disdain. Even watching from a distance made Kazuki feel suffocated.

If the roles were reversed, even as someone reborn, Kazuki couldn't escape potential mental strain in such an environment, just like the early Gaara…

No, Gaara was weak as a child and too young to understand much, so he couldn't do anything. But if it were Kazuki, he might have acted more extremly, likely plotting to use the Nine-Tails to take revenge on these people.

"You all say I'm a monster? Then I will work hard to become a true monster, and once I'm strong enough, I'll show you what a monster really is!"

Kazuki's true connection with Naruto happened later on when Naruto tried to buy food with more money but was forcibly kicked out, his coins scattered on the ground and trampled.

Seeing this scene and hearing the laughter from those around, Kazuki couldn't take it anymore. Although he didn't stand up to confront them, he later used his own money to buy the food Naruto had wanted and followed him to a secluded spot.

"Is this what you wanted to buy?" Kazuki asked him.

"Y-yes," Naruto replied hesitantly, and Kazuki remembered the nervousness in his voice.

Kazuki then handed the food to Naruto, whose eyes widened in surprise. After a moment, he suddenly remembered something and hurriedly wiped the slightly dirty coins on a clean spot of his clothing before eagerly offering them to Kazuki.

Kazuki counted the coins and found that it was far more than the price of the food. He left with a satisfied expression. To be honest, he didn't care much about the money; he was merely looking for a reason to earn. Just this one time, as long as he didn't appear too close to Naruto, it was fine. Any further connection felt counterproductive to his plans. Even this act felt somewhat impulsive.

However, seeing this in the anime was already upsetting. Now, witnessing it in reality left Kazuki feeling suffocated. He felt he should do something but ultimately realized he was powerless to help. Even if he wanted to assist, he would have to use pressure regarding money to do so. This was Kazuki's way of thinking that Naruto's money was probably not spent out of necessity, and though he pressured him, it was not complete pressure. Yet, in others' eyes, it could look like he wanted to profit from Naruto.

As for forging a deeper friendship, he had to consider his own safety and evade it. If he were alone, perhaps he could take the risk, but he wasn't.

Of course, Naruto didn't know any of this. He was completely indifferent to the money. It was his first experience feeling that someone didn't regard him with disdain, and he radiated a newfound glow.

In the following days, Kazuki encountered Naruto again in the village. Naruto's eyes instantly lit up with joy upon spotting Kazuki. He wanted to approach him, but ultimately hesitated.

Because before he even got close, Naruto sensed the gazes of the people around them. In that moment, he realized that seeking out Kazuki would likely cause trouble for him, just as others had previously disallowed anyone from playing with him…

In the end, he merely passed by Kazuki with a sense of disappointment. Kazuki breathed a sigh of relief, grateful that he wasn't implicated. However, after that day, Naruto never proactively sought Kazuki again.

Kazuki felt a mixture of emotions. What a good kid he was! Even after everything, he still thought of others…

Snapping back to reality, Kazuki looked at Naruto beside him. The reason Naruto was approaching him now was likely because there were no adults around. Children are simple; if adults say not to play with Naruto, even if they parrot that he's a monster, they don't really understand what that term means.

So, in Naruto's eyes, adult malice ran deeper than that of children. Perhaps in school, he might be able to get a little closer to someone who meant him no harm.

Kazuki pondered about Naruto's future personality and sighed. What could have caused such a character to develop? The influence of the Nine-Tails within him, coupled with constant negativity from the outside world, must have contributed to forming such a personality.

Kazuki sighed again. The answer that came to mind might be due to Ashura, otherwise, he couldn't explain it.

But that answer sent a chill down Kazuki's spine. How could a predetermined character not invoke fear?

He hoped it wasn't as he imagined, or it would be too tragic.

After a while, a young man with tied-back hair and a scar on his nose finally arrived late. He stepped up to the podium and cleared his throat a few times.

However, the noise from the crowd below continued unabated, rendering his efforts useless. After all, this wasn't the age of war anymore; the students of the ninja academy were rather unruly.

Kazuki glanced at the teacher on stage. He was quite familiar with him; after all, he was Naruto's initial instructor. His name was Iruka, and he was a Chunin.

Kazuki remembered that Iruka had lost his parents during the Nine-Tails' rampage. At first, he didn't know how to face Naruto, but eventually, he was touched by him and accepted him.

Overall, he was a good and qualified teacher. Since Kazuki knew a bit about Iruka's personality, he planned to make good use of their student-teacher relationship to seek guidance.

"I'm Iruka Umino, and I'll be your teacher from now on. You can call me Teacher Iruka. Next, I will call out your names. Please stand up and introduce yourselves when your name is called. I'll demonstrate first."

"I'm Iruka Umino, my favorite food is Ichiraku Ramen, I admire positive and energetic people, and I currently have no one I dislike. My least favorite food is mixed rice. I hope to become an excellent teacher and educate waves of outstanding students."

After Iruka finished introducing himself, he picked up the prepared roster and began calling names.

"Nara Shikamaru…"

"Akimichi Choji…"

"Yamanaka Ino…"

"Sakura Haruno…"

Kazuki heard both unfamiliar and familiar names until Sakura Haruno was called. His expression became somewhat complicated.

According to his plan, he could only say one thing to Sakura: sorry.

(End of Chapter)