Kapitel 7: Fateful Encounter
Straight through the corridors and courtyards.
They arrived on the westernmost floor of the ninja school.
This was the designated gathering place for new students every year.
And it was no different from the original story.
Naruto was brought by Iruka to the classroom he was responsible for. It was evident that among the students in this class, there were many from prestigious families this year. Although there seemed to be a fair distribution of regular children in the class, Iruka's class was undoubtedly the most important one for this year's new students.
Naruto, due to his special status, was directly assigned to this classroom.
And it was when Naruto followed Iruka into the classroom.
Inside, it was already buzzing with activity.
Looking around, all those figures were the most "familiar" to Naruto, in the sense of familiarity from the original story. In this life, however, almost everyone in this room was meeting Naruto for the first time.
Except for that one white figure.
In fact, it was the first place Naruto's gaze landed as soon as he entered the classroom.
Short hair that reached the ears, bright double pupils, that timid expression.
The faint, seemingly unintentional aura of unease.
The princess of the Hyuga Clan, one of the noble families of Konoha - Hinata Hyuga.
Even in his previous life, Naruto had a great fondness for this Hyuga princess, who was anything but delicate.
In this life alone, a chance encounter over a year ago had left a deep impression of this pure, white girl in Naruto's heart.
"Hinata Hyuga..."
Looking at the girl with cheeks almost the size of his palm, Naruto's expression softened slightly in his pupils.
Because she was from the Hyuga Clan.
Even though she hadn't awakened it yet, Hinata's sensory perception was deeper than that of an average person. It was as if Naruto's gaze lingered on her for half a second longer, Hinata immediately noticed Naruto's gaze. When she instinctively raised her head and their eyes met, Hinata's small eyes widened slightly, and her face revealed a hint of surprise.
Naruto responded with a gentle nod.
Just this slight movement.
Hinata's cheeks instantly turned red. Steam seemed to visibly rise from her forehead. As she lowered her head involuntarily, her strands of hair shifted, making her look even more charming.
This made Naruto's expression even milder.
"Naruto, go ahead and find a seat for now."
This brief exchange of gazes, lasting just a few seconds, went unnoticed by the other students in the class, and even Iruka, who stood at the front, was unaware of the little interaction between Naruto and Hinata. He gently tapped the table to quiet down the classroom's noise, then turned to Naruto and spoke softly.
"Yes, Teacher Iruka."
Naruto immediately replied and walked toward the innermost part of the classroom. He followed the side passage along the wall and found a seat in the farthest corner of the classroom.
There was no need for excessive contact or interaction right now.
After all, his identity was quite sensitive.
A chance encounter from childhood.
A special interaction.
The upper echelons of Konoha would not take notice.
The Hyuga Clan wouldn't pay it much mind either.
But if Naruto wanted to get close to Hinata Hyuga now, even if he had no ulterior motives and simply wanted to be closer to her, it would be interpreted with other meanings by Konoha's higher-ups and Hinata's father, Hiashi Hyuga, and others.
In any case, until he had the ability to truly protect himself, he needed to be cautious in every action.
Acting well was his top priority!
These thoughts raced through Naruto's mind as he walked toward the back of the classroom.
Don't stand out too much.
Follow the plan step by step.
Gradually improve his strength according to the established plan.
When his body was strong enough...
Then he would start trying to communicate with the Nine-Tails sealed within him.
As long as he could make contact with the Nine-Tails.
Naruto was fairly confident that he could persuade the somewhat proud Nine-Tails to help him. After all, knowing the plot gave Naruto a lot of room to manipulate events. But for now, other matters were not within Naruto's consideration.
In this classroom, there were many figures Naruto was already familiar with, especially the Twelve Guardian Ninja from the original story. Apart from Naruto, eight of them were in this class. These individuals were the core of the next generation of the major ninja clans in Konoha.
In the original story, these were the true ninja born from civilian families.
It was likely only Sakura Haruno and Rock Lee who appeared to come from civilian backgrounds. But even for someone who seemed ordinary like Tenten, just look at how many resources she spent on weapons. You'd know that this seemingly average girl came from a family with a lot of money. Naruto had no connection to these people for now.
He didn't plan to get close to them like he did in the original story.
In fact, in this life, Naruto not only wanted to survive but also to gain more. Companions? There might be individuals among them who would become his comrades, but more of them might become enemies in the future!
Naturally, at this stage, Naruto was not particularly interested in them.
Except for one moment when he passed by a black-haired youth who seemed quite "cool."
But it was just for that moment.
Even the black-haired youth didn't notice.
Naruto continued to walk, heading straight for the last row of the classroom. He found a seat far away from all the other students and sat down quietly.
"Sasuke Uchiha..."
No more words were said.
His expression didn't change at all.
It was just a normal shift of his gaze.
But when his eyes brushed over the emblem on the back of that boy's clothing for a split second, the name surfaced in his mind.
Down at the podium, Iruka naturally hadn't noticed Naruto's subtle movement. It was only when he saw Naruto take a seat in the far corner of the classroom that Iruka's expression showed a slight change.
This emotional shift was just for a moment.
The next second.
Iruka's face regained its smile.
*Clap, clap, clap, clap.*
He lightly clapped his hands.
Drawing the attention of everyone in front of him.
"Everyone is here. Today is your first day at the ninja school. I am your instructor, Iruka Umino. Let me congratulate you all first. In the six years ahead, you will learn everything about being a ninja here, not just combat but theory as well. To become an excellent ninja, both are indispensable. I hope that each of you will study hard, follow the guidance and arrangements of your teacher, and, after graduation, truly grow into outstanding ninjas!"
Iruka Umino spoke in a composed tone, surveying the three to four dozen children present, and said softly.
(End of this chapter)
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