Iruka-sensei sat at his desk, late afternoon sun spilling across stacks of papers and half-empty ink pots. The classroom was quiet now, emptied of chatter and footsteps.
He exhaled through his nose, flipping open the first pile of student work from today's lesson.
Basic chakra theory. Nothing too advanced.
Still, it told him everything.
He skimmed through the first few — predictable errors, rushed handwriting, some thoughtful effort from students like Sakura and Shino.
Then he got to Naruto Uzumaki.
He paused.
The paper was smudged with ramen broth, slightly crumpled in one corner.
Iruka stared.
Instead of answers, there were doodles.
Little ninja scribbles with "cool headbands" and "super chakra laser punch" labeled beside them. At the bottom, Naruto had scrawled:
"I will be Hokage!!! Dattebayo!!"
(also can I get extra lunch tomorrow?)
Iruka dropped his forehead into his palm.
"It's going to be a long year with this one…"
He smiled despite himself.
Then he reached the next paper.
Ren Uzumaki.
Neat. Crisp. Handwriting sharp like inked lines from a brush.
Iruka began reading… and blinked.
Every answer — flawless.
Not only correct, but phrased in a way that was succinct, thoughtful, and almost too advanced for a six-year-old.
He flipped the paper over.
Even the bonus question — an optional one no one else attempted — was answered. Completely. With diagrammatic explanation of chakra flow.
Iruka sat back in his chair, paper in hand, eyebrows raised.
"This… kid."
Naruto's twin.
Same face. Same name. Same village.
But entirely different.
"Quiet. Almost invisible in class."
"But this… this is a mind trained like a shinobi already."
He looked back at Naruto's page again and laughed softly.
Two pages. Two brothers.
One wild, unfocused storm.
One calm, sharp edge.
And Iruka realized… the year ahead might not just be long.
It might be interesting.