Chapter 2: Uzumaki Naruto
"Hi, can I sit next to you?" Uzumaki Naruto, nervously asked as he approached Natsuro.
"Sure, I just got here, and the seat next to me is free." Natsuro replied calmly, showing no particular emotion.
"Great!" Naruto exclaimed, excitedly taking the seat beside Natsuro.
Natsuro and Naruto had technically met before. After realizing he was in the world of Naruto, Natsuro had been curious about the series' main character and had sought him out while wandering around the village. However, Natsuro had only observed Naruto from a distance, not intending to become friends. After all, Naruto was a Jinchuriki, constantly watched by the ANBU. Approaching him would bring no benefits, and might even attract the attention of people like Danzo, which could spell disaster for Natsuro.
Moreover, befriending Naruto would likely lead to being ostracized by the villagers, who saw anyone close to him as untrustworthy. So, during their first encounter, Natsuro had only watched from afar, overhearing the villagers' harsh words and feeling a suffocating sense of oppression. He understood that if he were in Naruto's place, he might have responded even more extremely, possibly plotting to use the Nine-Tails to exact revenge.
After this initial distant observation, Natsuro had no intention of getting closer to Naruto. But one day, he witnessed Naruto being unfairly treated at a shop. Naruto had tried to buy food but was kicked out, and the coins he offered were thrown to the ground and stomped on. The surrounding laughter and the humiliation Naruto faced became too much for Natsuro to bear. Though he didn't intervene directly, he bought the food Naruto had wanted and, after following him to a secluded spot, handed it to him.
"Is this what you wanted to buy?" Natsuro asked.
"Y-Yes." Naruto stammered in response.
Natsuro remembered how Naruto had carefully cleaned the dirty coins with the cleanest part of his clothing before offering them to him in return. Natsuro counted out the amount that exceeded the price of the food and left, trying to keep the interaction purely transactional. He didn't want to get too close to Naruto, knowing it could bring trouble. He was careful not to show any special interest or connection beyond this one act of charity.
Naruto, however, was touched by the gesture. It was the first time he felt someone wasn't treating him with hostility. His spirits lifted, and after that, every time he saw Natsuro in the village, his eyes lit up. But he never approached Natsuro again, realizing that doing so might bring trouble to the only person who had shown him kindness. Naruto, despite his own suffering, didn't want to cause more harm to someone else. So, he just passed by with a disappointed look, and Natsuro felt a mix of emotions—relief that he wasn't drawn into trouble and sadness for Naruto's situation.
As Natsuro now looked at Naruto sitting beside him, he thought about the boy's future personality and sighed. How did Naruto develop such an optimistic and kind-hearted nature despite everything? Considering the Nine-Tails' influence and the constant hostility from the villagers, it was a miracle Naruto wasn't completely broken.
He concluded that it might be due to Asura's reincarnation, but that thought left him uneasy. The idea of someone being forced into a particular destiny, even in terms of personality, was unsettling.
He hoped it wasn't true, because if it were, it would be a tragic fate.
A while later, a young man with tied-back hair and a scar across his nose finally arrived at the classroom and walked to the front. He coughed a few times to get the students' attention, but the noise continued unabated. It wasn't like the old days during the wars; the students were much more unruly now.
He recognized the teacher—Iruka Umino, a chunin. He remembered that Iruka had lost his parents in the Nine-Tails attack and had struggled with his feelings toward Naruto at first. However, he eventually grew to care for Naruto and became an important mentor to him.
Knowing Iruka's character, he decided he would make good use of their teacher-student relationship in the future, seeking out Iruka's guidance.
"I'm Umino Iruka. From now on, I'll be your teacher. You can call me Iruka-sensei. I'll start by introducing myself." Iruka began. "I like Ichiraku Ramen, and I admire people who are positive and hardworking. I don't have anyone I particularly dislike at the moment, and I want to become a great teacher and help my students become excellent ninjas."
After his introduction, Iruka picked up the class roster and began calling names.
"Nara Shikamaru..."
"Akimichi Choji..."
"Yamanaka Ino..."
"Haruno Sakura..."
As Natsuro heard both unfamiliar and familiar names, his expression became complicated when he heard "Haruno Sakura." According to his plans, he would have to apologize to her at some point.