Just be honest and break the ice. For example, if there's an awkward silence, you can say something like 'I'm a bit nervous, how about you?' This shows vulnerability and can ease the tension.
One common mishap is when there are long awkward silences. Maybe one person is too nervous to start a conversation or they run out of things to say quickly.
'Cicada and Robin' was a classical Chinese text that described a conversation between a cicada and a Robin. The cicada said to the bird,"Although you can imitate human speech, what you say is not what you want to say, unlike my own voice that can express my feelings." The red-robed bird felt ashamed and stopped imitating human speech. This story implied that people should have their own independent thoughts and expressions.
One reason could be that Naruto has been through so much himself and he might think rookies are naive. He's seen the harshness of the ninja world and doesn't want to coddle them. For example, he had to grow up without his parents and faced many life - threatening situations early on.
I'm not sure specifically as I haven't read that particular fanfic. But it might be about Naruto getting angry at the rookie ninjas for some reason, perhaps they made a mistake during a mission or did something that goes against his values.
It creates conflict. The rookies might be initially discouraged or resentful of Naruto's coldness. This can lead to them trying harder to prove themselves, which drives the plot forward as they strive to gain Naruto's respect.
Obviously Naruto is one of the main characters since the title mentions him. And the rookies are also main characters, though we don't know exactly which rookies without reading it. It could be the ones from his own generation like Sakura, Sasuke, etc., or it could be new rookies that Naruto is mentoring.
Perhaps he reveals his dreams for the future of the Hidden Leaf Village that are more personal and not part of his official Hokage - related goals. For example, he might talk about his hopes for how the different ninja clans interact and co - exist in a more harmonious way, something that he has been thinking about but hasn't shared with the group yet.
They would probably be shocked. Since Naruto is such an important figure to them, any big secret would likely cause a stir. For example, if it's about his Nine - Tails secret, they might be initially stunned as they realize how much he has been carrying alone.