Chapter 3: Kazuki Haruno

Kazuki Haruno watched the figure with pink hair who was about to speak, his expression a mix of complex emotions. She could be considered the heroine of the Hokage series.

Though Naruto's final wife was Hinata Hyuga, her role in the story was rather limited, which left the spotlight on Kazuki's classmate, Sakura Haruno.

Of course, if one considers Sasuke Uchiha as the "heroine," then... that's a perspective worth acknowledging.

Sakura, despite her less-than-stellar reputation in the original series, was undoubtedly among the top tier of ordinary people in terms of strength. Her hard work and intelligence were commendable.

Kazuki's understanding of her poor reputation stemmed mainly from her infatuation with Sasuke Uchiha. To the audience, her feelings appeared shallow, lacking the depth seen in other characters like Karin Uzumaki, who had more substantial reasons for her feelings toward Sasuke.

Another reason for the unfavorable view of Sakura was her emotional plea to Naruto during Sasuke's defection. While Naruto's character would still act without Sakura's insistence, her actions implied a certain emotional manipulation, making her less appealing in the eyes of the audience.

Interestingly, Kazuki himself disliked Sakura during his previous life, but his reasons were even simpler: he viewed it from Naruto's perspective, and her treatment of Naruto left him with no affection for her. However, as he matured, he grew to appreciate her character more, though he wouldn't call it love.

Kazuki felt a sense of indebtedness to Sakura, mainly because his goal revolved around her, or rather, her position in the social structure.

After all, Sakura was the only person he considered potentially replaceable. Any other role he thought of involved identities that seemed impossible to assume.

First, there was Shikamaru Nara, Choji Akimichi, and Ino Yamanaka from Team 10, who were essentially inseparable as part of the traditional Konoha trio.

Then there were Inuzuka Kiba, Shino Aburame, and Hinata Hyuga from Team 8, each possessing unique abilities. Hinata's Byakugan was irreplaceable, while Kiba and Shino had family backgrounds that didn't seem particularly prestigious, yet their skills were hard to replicate.

If Kazuki wished to take their place, he would need to demonstrate extraordinary talent in reconnaissance, and the chance of being assigned to another team remained uncertain. Moreover, he would have to prove himself within the six years of school, which was a long shot. Thus, he could rule them out.

Lastly, there was Team 7, comprising Naruto, the Nine-Tails, and Sasuke, the last surviving Uchiha. There was no way he could replace them.

After contemplating all this, Kazuki could only set his sights on Sakura. She came from an ordinary family, and while she had good theoretical skills, they paled in comparison to what Kazuki needed to surpass. Her only apparent advantage was being a girl.

This wasn't a joke; Konoha's team assignments often followed an unofficial rule of two boys and one girl. Therefore, to take Sakura's place, he needed to exceed her in theoretical prowess and also be the strongest in the class.

By doing so, the likelihood of being placed in an elite class would significantly increase. It wouldn't be about whether he could join, but rather how the Third Hokage would arrange the teams. It would be unreasonable to place a highly talented individual into a regular class. Thankfully, while most classes were composed of two boys and one girl, there was no strict requirement for such pairings—teams with three boys or two girls and one boy had been seen before.

Kazuki aimed to become stronger, aspiring to join the elite class. After all, even in elite teams, the disparities were glaring. Kakashi Hatake from Team 7, despite being out of practice, was still a jōnin, while Asuma Sarutobi from Team 10 was considered above average among jōnin. Kurenai Yuhi from Team 8 was merely a jōnin with expertise in genjutsu.

If elite teams were like this, there was no need to think about the other teams' jōnin leaders, as even a regular jōnin would be an achievement, let alone a special jōnin.

Thus, regardless of anything else, Kazuki needed to strive for the elite class. As for Sakura, he could only offer an apology; while he appreciated her, his priority was himself.

Moreover, Sakura's potential in the original series was already quite evident. The new generation of Konoha's Legendary Three would undoubtedly see Naruto and Sasuke surpassing their predecessors, but Sakura's limit was clear—she could never exceed Tsunade, at best becoming a lesser version of her.

Tsunade was a princess of the Senju clan, endowed with exceptional attributes, while Sakura's were far from that. If she had taken a different path, she might have surpassed Tsunade, but since both pursued the same route, surpassing Tsunade was practically impossible.

With Sakura's ceiling defined, Kazuki wondered about his own limits. As an ordinary person, he wouldn't scheme for any special lineage or bloodlines. He wanted to see how far he could go as a regular person—could he surpass the pinnacle of ordinary talent, like Jiraiya, or even Guy, who briefly unlocked the Eight Gates? Or would he fall short of Sakura's level?

No matter what, he had to try. Having been reborn into this world, he figured there was no more interesting goal than to pursue the unique characteristics of this realm.

"Shindaichan Kazuki Haruno."

At that moment, Iruka finally called out Kazuki, who stood up to introduce himself simply.

"I'm Shindaichan Kazuki Haruno. I don't have any particular favorite food. The people I care about are myself and my mother. I dislike cilantro, and for now, I have no one I particularly hate. My dream is to become the strongest ninja."

Kazuki's introduction didn't stir much reaction. After all, the idea of becoming the strongest ninja felt abstract to them. Many aimed to be Hokage, and in their eyes, the strongest ninja was probably the Hokage.

However, when it was Naruto's turn, Kazuki watched as he energetically proclaimed a similar goal, merely swapping the term "strongest" for "Hokage." The surrounding children laughed at him, and Kazuki sighed. It was much better than the street, but the impact of adults on children was clearly visible.

During breaks, Kazuki had no intention of socializing, so sitting next to Naruto meant few people approached him. After all, Kazuki appeared to have no noteworthy qualities—he looked decent, but not extraordinary. His black hair was unremarkable, though he seemed taller than most kids his age.

He noticed Naruto glancing at him, wanting to talk but fearing it might disturb him. After a moment of thought, Kazuki quietly said, "In class, there's no need to be as cautious as in the village, but we shouldn't act too close. Let's just maintain a regular classmate relationship."

Kazuki thought about how, as Konoha's future, it was unlikely that Danzo's influence would reach their classroom. He hadn't heard any Uchiha surnames among his classmates, so a normal relationship with Naruto should pose no issue.

After all, Naruto needed a desk mate, and as long as Kazuki didn't act overly familiar with him, it would be fine.

Furthermore, to achieve his goal, he had to demonstrate enough talent in a short time to catch the Third Hokage's eye. If successful, even if Danzo targeted him, his safety would at least be assured for a while. He just wondered when that opportunity would arise.

Hearing Kazuki's words, Naruto's eyes lit up, and he asked excitedly, "So can we be friends?"

Kazuki looked at Naruto, noting his hopeful expression and recalling how the boy had been treated earlier. He smiled.

"Of course!"

However, Kazuki quickly masked his smile, returning to a more indifferent demeanor as he scanned the room. It would be best to maintain that expression most of the time, projecting the image of someone reluctantly stuck sitting next to Naruto.

(End of Chapter)