When Naruto and Sasuke walked out of the classroom, each surrounded by several freshmen, they found that the corridor outside was filled with ninja academy students who looked slightly older than them.
These people's eyes quickly turned to Naruto.
Seeing this, Naruto frowned. The way those people looked at him was the same as everyone else before them. He looked puzzled, not knowing why the situation had suddenly turned out like this.
At this time, Sasuke seemed to sense his confusion and whispered: "I think almost all the students in the ninja academy now know that you're the son of the Hokage."
"What's going on?" Naruto glanced sideways.
Sasuke shrugged, then walked forward, leaving behind a message: "You'll have to ask the people around you."
This was a very simple truth, just like there is no such thing as an airtight wall in this world. The noon break had been enough time to spread the news of Naruto's identity. As the son of the Hokage, no matter where Naruto went in Konoha, he would encounter situations similar to the current one.
Outside the school gate, Sasuke, who had just walked out, saw Mikoto and Kushina waiting there.
"You've been following me all day. It's so annoying," he said to the girls around him.
Sasuke didn't want his mother to see these annoying people surrounding him. But his words, which were even a bit harsh, had no effect on the girls.
They knew, however, that they couldn't bother Sasuke anymore once they reached the gate. Their parents were also waiting outside the school.
So, after saying goodbye to Sasuke, they each went to look for their own parents.
Sasuke walked over to Mikoto and Kushina. Chiharu was also there with them.
"Brother Sasuke," Chiharu said with a smile after seeing him.
Sasuke nodded slightly, then looked at Kushina beside Mikoto and said, "Aunt Kushina."
Because of some incidents from their childhood, Sasuke, like Naruto, was somewhat wary of Kushina.
"Sasuke, why didn't you come out with my Naruto?" Kushina asked, her eyes fixed on the gates of the ninja academy, with still no sign of Naruto.
"That guy is having a hard time moving right now," Sasuke said.
"What do you mean?" asked Mikoto.
"Go see for yourselves," Sasuke replied. Mikoto and Kushina looked at each other, and walked towards the main entrance with Chiharu.
They immediately saw Naruto being surrounded by a slowly moving crowd.
"What is going on?" Mikoto turned her eyes and asked Sasuke.
Sasuke replied, "Today, the teacher at the ninja academy openly stated in class that Naruto is the son of the Hokage."
Upon hearing this, the two women immediately understood the situation.
"Brother, he looks so tired," Chiharu said, frowning slightly as she looked at Naruto surrounded by the crowd.
Kushina wanted to go and rescue Naruto, but she could tell the students who surrounded him did not have any ill intentions.
"I'll go," Mikoto said, noticing Kushina's somewhat anxious look. She first spoke briefly to the ninja in charge of student dismissal at the gate, and then entered the school grounds.
After a while, the students surrounding Naruto dispersed. Mikoto led the exhausted-looking Naruto out.
"Mom, Chiharu," Naruto said weakly. Kushina and the others had never seen him like this before.
For these students, although the Hokage couldn't be said to be completely out of reach, it wasn't easy to interact with him either. So when these people who respected Minato heard that Naruto was his son, they couldn't help but ask questions out of curiosity.
Dealing with these situations happened to be what Naruto was least good at.
At this moment, Kushina knew that no words could express what Naruto was feeling. When she was first brought to Konoha from the border of the Land of Fire, she had also been treated like an outsider. But it had been okay because of the presence of Mikoto and Minato. Even though she was an outsider, the strange looks she received were only temporary.
Of course, these students couldn't keep pestering Naruto like this forever. But in the future, there would be other situations that would make him even more helpless than this. There was nothing they could do about it.
Perhaps Mikoto knew this better than she did. Mikoto was born into the Uchiha clan and carried this name, so she had to excel in everything at school. Otherwise, not only would she face pressure from within the clan, but she would also be criticized by others.
Just like Obito back then. Although his grades weren't excellent at the ninja academy, he wasn't a bad student either. But the reason why he received some unusual looks was because he had the reputation of being from the "Elite Uchiha" clan.
Kushina reached out and ruffled Naruto's hair, then parted ways with Mikoto and Sasuke at an intersection.
"Sasuke," Mikoto said softly as they were on their way back to their clan.
"What's wrong, Mom?" Sasuke, being more perceptive than other children, quickly realized that Mikoto must have something important to say to him.
"If Naruto encounters this situation in the future, you must give him some advice," Mikoto said.
Sasuke paused, and Mikoto chuckled and said, "I know that although you and Naruto have had many conflicts since childhood, both in your heart and in his, you regard each other as good friends."
"Friend? I don't need that kind of idiot as a friend," Sasuke immediately objected.
Mikoto knew her son's personality very well, so she stopped pushing and casually said, "Don't you think that Naruto now has a lot in common with you?"
"Am I similar to that idiot?" Sasuke's eyes widened slightly, his expression somewhat indignant.
"Yes." Mikoto smiled gently, then said, "I've always known why you started practicing so hard since you were old enough to understand."
"Because your brother is such an outstanding person, it must be very hard for you, right?"
Itachi and Sasuke were brothers, so it was inevitable that they would be compared. The reason why Sasuke had been training so diligently was that he didn't want others to think he was inferior to his brother.
After hearing this, Sasuke gradually fell silent.
"Remember when I told you that although your brother Itachi is very outstanding, you don't have to be like him, because to me and your dad, Sasuke is the only one," Mikoto said.
"And Naruto is now facing the same situation as you. His father Minato is too outstanding, so the pressure on him has been too heavy from the beginning."
"You are friends, so I hope that you can take the initiative to help him. This way, Naruto can understand that he is not just an oddity in everyone's eyes, and not everyone will approach him just because he is the son of the Hokage."
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