Late for Class

Kakashi's POV:

Meanmwhile, in the teachers' lounge, as I stared at Iruka while he told me about his trip to another country, I felt an odd premonition. Perhaps I'm just losing it. "I'm going to be late to my class again," I thought, as Iruka excitedly shared one of his stories. "Excuse me, Iruka, but as much as I'd love to continue our discussion, I have a class to attend," I politely interjected, rising from my seat.

"Oh yeah, the tutoring thing. I keep forgetting that," he said, rubbing the back of his neck. "Well, don't let me keep you from your class," he added, waving me off in a dim mood. Feeling a little depressed by his comment, I tried to respond, but he spoke up again before I could utter a single word.

Raising his eyebrow contemptuously², he said, "Aren't you going to leave?" I paused, nodded, and left, unsure of what else to do. Checking my watch, I hoped not to be too late, aware that Principal "Anger Issues" wouldn't go easy on me if I was tardy.

As I traversed the bustling hallways, thoughts of the peculiar interaction with Iruka lingered. He had been unusually quiet today. Had he wanted to say something to me? Finally reaching the classroom, I muttered to myself about the seemingly endless hallways.

"NARUTO, DIE FOR ME!"

Oh Lord, it seems I'll have my work cut out for me today. Why did Tsunade even sign me up for tutoring? She's probably salty because I beat her in Shōgi¹. Reluctantly entering the classroom, I spotted a pink-haired girl chasing a blonde kid around, making me dread Tsunade's actions.

Ignoring them, I walked to my desk to prepare the assigned worksheets. This class is odd, with an aggressive pink-haired girl, a loud blond boy, a pale kid with midnight black hair, and another kid covered up despite it being spring, playing with a ladybug in a corner.

The overdressed kid noticed me, gently put the ladybug down, and waved. I waved back, feeling a connection. The pale kid also noticed me, nodding slightly before returning to observing the chaos.

"Sit down, you buffoons," the pale kid said sharply, catching the attention of the other two. The pink-haired girl complained about the blond boy, named Naruto, in a high-pitched voice, irritating the pale boy who kept telling her to sit down.

Naruto approached me, declaring, "THE NAME'S NARUTO UZUMAKI, AND I'M GOING TO BE THE MOST FAMOUS." As he realized class was about to start, he asked and received a nod from me. The girl and pale boy continued their exchange. To regain control, I cleared my throat, making the girl jump and sit down nervously.

Now with everyone's attention, it was time for introductions. "Alright, class, let's get started…"

¹ Shōgi, also known as Japanese chess, is a strategy board game for two players. One of the most popular board games in Japan, it means general board game.

² In a scornful way that shows disdain.

"he contemptuously dismisses his son's work"