Konoha Year 54.
It was time for enrollment at the Ninja Academy.
Naruto woke up bright and early in the morning.
This was the first day of the Ninja Academy, and no matter how mature he usually acted, he couldn't suppress the excitement and anticipation bubbling within him.
After making himself an exquisite breakfast and preparing his bento for lunch, Naruto washed up and got dressed.
He wore a white robe, similar to that of a Shinigami squad captain, with a black inner lining.
Naruto even put on a pair of black-framed glasses.
He looked in the mirror.
The boy in the reflection was refined and courteous. The six cat-like whisker marks on his delicate features, rather than detracting, added a touch of unique, distinctive charm.
"This stinking brat is actually quite handsome," the Nine-Tails commented, uncharacteristically not engrossed in its games, as today was a significant day for Naruto.
The current Naruto possessed a gentleness reminiscent of Minato Namikaze, yet it was different.
The Nine-Tails could sense that Naruto was tough on the inside and soft on the outside; his heart was, in fact, prouder than anyone else's.
Just as he had said before: "I disdain power that is not my own."
That being said, the chakra Naruto uses is still mine.
"Hmph, brat, no matter how proud you are, you still have to rely on this old fox's power."
"Fourth Hokage, just as you wished, I have become Naruto's strength. But remember this, he and I are merely using each other. I hold no sympathy for him whatsoever. To me, he is also just a tool!"
The Nine-Tails snorted coldly.
"I'm not the same as I was before. I too can think now. I will help Naruto grow, and I will personally witness him pass judgment on Konoha."
The Nine-Tails grinned sinisterly.
It didn't believe Naruto's "I want to become Hokage" spiel.
It had a premonition that the future Naruto would definitely give it a big surprise.
To witness that spectacular scene, it decided to lie dormant within Naruto for the time being.
Within Naruto, Aizen was also quietly observing everything.
He adjusted his glasses, a slight curve playing on his lips.
Time passes so quickly.In the blink of an eye, Naruto has reached school age. The mysterious veil of the ninja world can finally be peeked at.
If the chakra system proves worthy of research, then it wouldn't hurt to use a few Shinigami as test subjects.
Aizen's eyes turned cold.
It was getting late. Naruto put on his training weights, packed everything he needed into his backpack, then opened the door and ran towards the Ninja Academy located in the center of the village.
Naruto's appearance quickly attracted the attention of the villagers.
"Huh? Why is he dressed so smartly today?" a few villagers hesitated for a moment, then exchanged hushed words.
Many villagers now used "he" instead of "Nine-Tailed Fox" or "demon" to refer to Naruto.
"It seems like today is the first day of school at the Ninja Academy. He wouldn't be a student, would he?"
"Heavens, he can become a ninja? Isn't that too dangerous?"
"It should be… alright, right? At least, he hasn't hurt anyone so far."
Fortunately, although many villagers wouldn't admit it, Naruto's changes had already left a somewhat favorable impression on them.
These shifts in perception were all subconscious.
Naruto ignored their discussions and hurried towards the Ninja Academy.
The entrance to the Ninja Academy was bustling with people, mostly parents registering their children for enrollment.
When Naruto appeared, more gazes fell upon him—some filled with disgust, some with surprise, and some even with admiration.
"So handsome!" a few uninformed little fangirls exclaimed, cupping their faces and swooning.
But they were quickly told by their parents not to go near Naruto, or misfortune would befall them.
Naruto walked through the crowd and directly handed his personal information to the teacher in charge of registration. The registration teacher's gaze was relatively calm. After quickly processing the documents, he allowed Naruto to pass. Politely thanking the teacher, Naruto then walked towards the classroom, maintaining a perfect, gentle smile all the way.
This led many parents to think, "Putting aside his identity as the Nine-Tailed Fox, he's actually a very polite child."
Of course, these thoughts were merely fleeting.
When Naruto pushed open the classroom door, it was already almost full. His appearance drew the attention of everyone present, even eliciting gasps of surprise from some of the young girls.
"So handsome! Is this handsome boy our classmate?"
"He looks so gentle and has such a refined aura."
"I feel like he's even more charming than Sasuke-kun."
"He smiled at me! Oh heavens, I think I'm falling for him!"
"Indeed, compared to the cool Sasuke-kun, I still prefer this gentle-as-water type."
The sounds of praise within the classroom left Naruto feeling somewhat at a loss.
However, he quickly recovered, offered a gentle smile, and his eyes began to scan the room.
Soon, he saw Sasuke sitting by the window, feigning a look of cool indifference, waving at him.
Surrounding Sasuke were two girls: one blonde, and the other with hair as pink as cherry blossoms.
Sasuke is quite popular, isn't he?
Naruto chuckled to himself and walked towards Sasuke.
"Um, my name is Haruno Sakura. You can call me Sakura."
"My name is Yamanaka Ino, and I…"
Before he even got close, he heard the two girls chattering their self-introductions. Looking at Sasuke, he saw an expression of utter exasperation.
The 'cool guy' persona really is devastatingly effective on girls this age.
"Morning, Sasuke," Naruto greeted him.
"Yeah, morning," Sasuke nodded, looking at Naruto.
From Sasuke's gaze, Naruto caught a hint of a plea for help.
"Th-this handsome boy and Sasuke really are… each remarkable in their own way," Sakura and Ino, who had suddenly become flustered after Naruto appeared, huddled together, whispering.
"Excuse me, could you please let me through?" Naruto asked gently, standing before Sakura and Ino.
Golden sunlight streamed through the window, illuminating Naruto's warm, gentle smile, momentarily stunning Sakura and Ino.
"This way, please," they hurriedly made way, their eyes filled with awe as they looked at Naruto.
Mature, sunny—the image of the boy-next-door from a manga.
This classmate is so perfect.
"How have you been lately?" Naruto asked softly after taking his seat.
"Good. Kaa-san made us bentos. Let's call Lee over to eat with us at lunchtime," Sasuke said, a slight curve to his lips, which elicited even more squeals from some classmates.
Sakura and Ino huddled in their seats to the side, watching the exchange between the two handsome boys with rapt attention.
Their minds raced, thoughts already progressing to the stage of having children with one of them.
Only then did they face a dilemma.
Which one should they choose?
At that moment, Iruka walked into the classroom and wrote his name on the blackboard.
"Umino Iruka."
"Hello everyone, I am your teacher, Umino Iruka. Please come up one by one to introduce yourselves—your hobbies, name, dislikes, and likes." Umino Iruka's gaze swept over each student's face.
Finally, it rested on Naruto's face for several seconds, his expression complex.
"His gaze… it's so strange," the perceptive Naruto frowned.
From that look, he sensed hatred, sympathy, and even a hint of struggle.
Such a complicated gaze.
Who is he?