Iruka let out a long breath.
Once he'd calmed his nerves, he stepped into the classroom of Class 1-A.
"Why do we have a different teacher today?"
"Did Kitazawa-sensei only teach us for one class?"
"What a shame… I really liked Kitazawa-sensei's class."
Hearing the chorus of disappointed voices, Iruka froze in place.
'Did Kitazawa-senpai really win them over in just a single lesson?'
He quickly swallowed down his admiration and walked to the podium, facing a room full of let-down faces.
Today, he was supposed to teach them how to extract chakra.
Chakra—the very foundation of being a ninja. It was created by blending spiritual energy and physical energy in just the right proportions.
Once class started, Iruka realized these kids were far more focused than he'd expected. Not nearly as rowdy or disruptive as he'd feared.
But what puzzled him most was their completely different attitude toward Uzumaki Naruto.
'Who trained them… no… who taught them to treat Naruto this way?'
There was no doubt about it—it was Kitazawa's doing.
'It seems,' Iruka thought to himself, 'that I still have a lot to learn.'
Before he knew it, an hour had flown by.
Kitazawa set down the stack of student files he'd been combing through and headed upstairs.
He hadn't found any troublemakers matching Hinata's description among the first-year students' files.
Which left only one conclusion:
'They must be second-year students.'
"Kitazawa?"
A voice suddenly called out.
Kitazawa turned and saw the newcomer approaching. The man was about his age, with white hair parted neatly down the middle.
"Mizuki."
Kitazawa greeted him with a polite smile. "Finished your class?"
"Yeah."
Mizuki stepped closer, curiosity sparkling in his eyes. "So I heard you're handling the first-years this year. Any geniuses in the batch?"
"Hard to say yet," Kitazawa replied, shaking his head. "I've only taught them for half a day."
"But with your talent for teaching, I'm sure you'll cultivate someone like Neji someday," Mizuki said, flashing a bright smile.
'What's he going on about now?'
Anyone else might have been fooled by Mizuki's cheerful demeanor.
But Kitazawa knew better.
In the original timeline, Mizuki was a sly, venomous little snake. A jealous opportunist who'd once been Iruka's friend, only to turn resentful when Iruka became more popular.
He'd even killed his own injured teammate to complete a mission.
Later, when Naruto couldn't graduate, Mizuki manipulated him into stealing the Scroll of Seals. After getting caught and imprisoned, he defected to Orochimaru, hoping to use the Cursed Seal's power to break free like some twisted savior.
So this talk of Hyuga Neji was nothing but subtle boasting.
Neji was already a rising star, as famous in Konoha as Uchiha Itachi, and geniuses of that caliber were exceedingly rare.
But Kitazawa refused to let Mizuki have the last word.
"Not bad," he said coolly. "I believe my students have that potential."
Mizuki's grin wavered, his expression freezing mid-smile.
'Who gave you the guts to say that?'
In a ninja world built on bloodlines and talent, most academy teachers could only hope to be a modest influence on truly gifted kids.
"I've got work to do. Let's catch up later."
Kitazawa waved lightly and pushed open the door to the second-year teachers' office.
The door closed behind him.
Outside, Mizuki's pleasant smile melted into a contorted grimace.
"Ugh… so amazing, so noble… One of these days, I'll snatch that 'Best Teacher' title away from you!"
Kitazawa had been his classmate; they'd both started teaching at the academy at the same time.
But five years had passed—and their paths had diverged like rivers flowing in opposite directions.
Kitazawa was already a senior instructor, earning promotions and raises and winning 'Best Teacher' year after year.
Meanwhile, Mizuki remained just another ordinary teacher, simmering in envy.
He clenched his fists, feeling like garbage in front of a sculpture.
Inside the office, Kitazawa greeted the second-year teachers and immediately began flipping through the student records.
As for Mizuki… Well, Kitazawa couldn't be bothered to spare him another thought.
'I just got a system—and I'm supposed to put up with this kind of humiliation?'
Half an hour later, Kitazawa held three student files in his hands.
He stared at the photos inside for several seconds before finally confirming: these were the three little punks who'd been giving Hinata trouble.
Kitazawa rubbed his chin, thinking.
As a teacher, it wouldn't look good if he simply scolded them outright.
Besides, if he was going to teach them a lesson, it'd be far more effective to do it in front of Hinata.
'All right… Guess I'll handle this like an elementary schooler.'
Kitazawa set the files down and returned to the office.
Soon, the dismissal bell rang.
Morning classes were over—it was time for lunch and an afternoon nap.
Kitazawa picked up three neatly written notes and headed for Class 2-C. He slipped the notes into the desks of the troublemakers, then left with a dignified flourish.
"Kitazawa-sensei!"
Uzumaki Naruto came running, panting for breath. "I… I want to treat you to Ichiraku Ramen!"
Kitazawa blinked in surprise, then chuckled. "How can a kid treat an adult to lunch?"
"No, I'm treating!"
Naruto pulled out his frog-shaped wallet and declared firmly, "I've got money!"
It wasn't an empty boast.
The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, regularly gave him an allowance.
"I want to thank you, Kitazawa-sensei," Naruto added.
Despite being just a kid, he wasn't clueless; he knew full well that Kitazawa had helped him multiple times already.
"Fine then."
Kitazawa thought for a moment. "You treat me this time, and I'll treat you next time."
The two of them walked out of the school gates together.
Ichiraku Ramen
"Teuchi-san!" Naruto called out, practically glowing with excitement.
Teuchi pushed aside the curtain and stepped out, eyebrows lifting in surprise. "Naruto… Kitazawa? How'd you two end up together?"
"Teuchi-san, you know Kitazawa-sensei?" Naruto exclaimed, eyes wide.
"How could I not know him?" Teuchi chuckled. "Kitazawa's my neighbor."
"Huh?!" Naruto's jaw dropped.
"The general store next door belongs to me," Kitazawa explained, pointing to his left. "But I only open in the evenings. That's why you've never noticed."
If anyone ever asked where the safest place in all of Konoha was, many hardcore Hokage fans would answer: Ichiraku Ramen.
After Kitazawa's parents passed away, he'd bought a house nearby, renovated it, and started selling odds and ends.
'Better safe than sorry. Besides… it's worth a try.'
"Wait… Naruto, are you one of Kitazawa's students now?" Teuchi asked, realization dawning on him. "Then you're in luck. Kitazawa's been voted Best Teacher three years in a row."
"Yep!" Naruto beamed. "Kitazawa-sensei is awesome!"
"So, what'll you both have?" Teuchi asked with a grin.
"I want char-siu pork rib ramen!" Naruto shouted without hesitation.
"Tonkotsu ramen," Kitazawa said, glancing at the menu.
Before long, two steaming bowls were placed in front of them.
"Itadakimasu!" Naruto clapped his hands together and dove in with his chopsticks, eyes shining.
Kitazawa could tell just how much the kid loved ramen.
After lunch, they returned to the academy.
"See you this afternoon, Kitazawa-sensei!" Naruto yelled, running off toward his classroom.
Kitazawa headed back to the office.
"Kitazawa-senpai."
Iruka appeared at the door, knocking politely before stepping in.
"Aren't you going to take your nap?" Kitazawa raised an eyebrow.
Iruka shook his head. "Actually… there's something I wanted to discuss. Class 1-A needs to elect a class representative—to help collect homework and handle other small tasks."
Current Mission: Become the Class Representative of Class 1-A.
Mission Reward: Water Release.
Kitazawa felt the corner of his mouth twitch.
'I can't breathe, brother. What kind of mission is this? Are you trying to make my life difficult?'
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