Chapter 5: THE VIRTUES OF A GENTLEMAN

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"He's coming, he's coming!"

"What should we do?!"

The whole classroom was staring at Yuuki Yuichi and Kurenai Yuhi, but in the corner, two boys with scoundrel-like appearances looked terrified.

"Do you think he'll beat us up here?"

"I hope not..." One of them swallowed nervously, his legs shaking.

Every time they saw Yuuki Yuichi, they were reminded of the past.

Before, they were playing with their friends, laughing at Might Guy when he did something awkward. Then this guy, Yuuki Yuichi, showed up and beat them up without saying a word.

Even worse, their whole group—four or five of them—couldn't take him down. Ever since then, he had become their nightmare.

Every time they ran into Yuuki Yuichi, no matter what they were doing, they would be dragged into a fight and beaten.

It was pointless to complain to their parents because even their parents would ask them to thank Yuichi instead.

Who could understand that?

As Yuuki Yuichi pulled Kurenai toward them step by step, their fear intensified.

"My two classmates, long time no see." Yuuki Yuichi greeted them with a smile.

"Uh, long time no see," they stammered, trembling.

"It's been a while, huh? So, what are you doing sitting in our seats?" Yuuki Yuichi asked as he stopped in front of them, frowning. "Have you forgotten the virtues I taught you?"

The two boys gulped and quickly replied, "No, we haven't forgotten!"

Then, without another word, they scrambled out of their seats. Yuuki Yuichi nodded in satisfaction.

These two were pretty smart. Just a few words, and they were gone. It was all thanks to the "gentleman's virtue" he had taught them before.

Back then, after seeing them mocking Might Guy, he couldn't help but teach them a lesson. And when they went crying to their parents, it was laughable—what could complaining possibly accomplish?

Their parents came to confront him, and Yuuki Yuichi, with a righteous look, brought up Yuhi Shinku, who was out on a mission at the time. He explained that this was part of the special training method Yuhi Shinku had devised for him. To become a true ninja, they had to endure hardships and training that ordinary people couldn't bear. This way, they wouldn't be easily sacrificed during missions.

In Konoha Village, almost every civilian wished to become a ninja or at least wanted their children to become one.

Once Yuuki Yuichi mentioned that this was a training method from a high-ranking ninja like Yuhi Shinku, the parents who had come to complain ended up thanking him with smiles on their faces.

"Yuichi, is this really okay?" Kurenai Yuhi asked timidly, her face full of concern. "Dad told us not to cause trouble."

"It's fine." Yuuki Yuichi pushed her toward the seat by the wall and sat beside her. "Uncle Shinku told us not to cause trouble, and we didn't. They voluntarily gave us their seats."

He turned to the two boys who had just vacated the seats and smiled. "Isn't that right? You two agreed, didn't you?"

The two boys, not far from their seats, frantically nodded their heads, too scared to say anything else.

"No, no, we weren't forced!"

"You're a great guy who teaches us virtues. There's no way you'd snatch seats!"

"See, Kurenai?" Yuuki Yuichi patted her head gently. "There are still plenty of good people in Konoha."

"Not everyone has a temper like Uncle Shinku."

"Oh..." Kurenai nodded, still somewhat confused.

She didn't argue when Yuuki Yuichi mentioned her father's temper because, in her mind, it was kind of true. He always liked to knock Yuichi on the head, which she found rather annoying.

As the two of them were whispering, a middle-aged man with glasses walked into the classroom. He coughed lightly and knocked on the podium a few times to get everyone's attention.

Once the classroom quieted down, he introduced himself: "Hello, everyone. I'm your homeroom teacher. Over the next few days, I'll be teaching you the basics of ninjutsu."

"My name is Umino Ikkaku. I like dango, I hate butterflies, and my dream is to become a responsible teacher."

Yuuki Yuichi immediately stood up and greeted him, "Hello, teacher!"

From the back, Kakashi rolled his dead-fish eyes, feeling speechless for a moment.

Umino Ikkaku glanced at Yuuki Yuichi. Just from this brief interaction, he could tell this student was going to be a handful, based on his years of teaching experience.

Meanwhile, Yuuki Yuichi wasn't thinking too much about it. Hearing the name "Umino Ikkaku," he couldn't help but recall the famous Iruka-sensei from the future Seventh Hokage's stories.

This must be Iruka's father.

"Ahem." Ikkaku coughed, locking eyes with Yuuki. "There's no need to be so formal."

"Now, let's begin with introductions," Ikkaku said, scanning the room. "Who would like to go first?"

"Me!" A boy with goggles and the Uchiha clan emblem on his back jumped up and rushed to the front.

Umino Ikkaku sighed inwardly. This class seemed to be full of troublemakers.

"My name is Uchiha Obito. I hate green peppers, but I like…" Obito paused dramatically, "ramen!"

"My dream is to become the Fourth Hokage! I'm determined!"

He laughed wildly, but a voice interrupted him.

"Keep dreaming! You can't be Hokage just because you say you will!"

A boy with a monkey-like face stood up and retorted, "I'm going to be the next Hokage!"

"My name is Sarutobi Asuma, and I will prove my strength!"

From the back, Yuuki Yuichi clicked his tongue. Right now, Asuma was still in his rebellious phase.

"Just wait! I'll show you—I'll be Uchiha's first Hokage!" Obito yelled, hopping up and down in frustration.

"Alright, alright, Obito, take your seat." Umino Ikkaku rubbed his forehead, already feeling the strain. Not even five minutes into class, and he had identified three troublemakers.

Who knows what the rest of the year will be like?

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