"What's your name?" Kitazawa asked patiently, sighing inwardly.
With Uzumaki Naruto's initial acceptance, this mission would be a breeze.
After all, in his world, only two people currently acknowledged him: Sarutobi Hiruzen and Six Path Teuchi.
"I... I'm Uzumaki Naruto," the boy replied, feeling a flicker of warmth.
His spirits lifted, and he asked, "What about you?"
"Kitazawa," Kitazawa replied.
"Big Brother Kitazawa, hello!" Uzumaki Naruto said, his voice tinged with excitement.
"Don't call me 'Big Brother'," Kitazawa said, a twitch at the corner of his mouth. "You should call me 'Teacher'."
"Teacher?" Uzumaki Naruto's eyes lit up. "Are you the teacher for Class 1-A?"
"Mm-hmm," Kitazawa nodded.
"That's great!" Uzumaki Naruto exclaimed, his face beaming. "I'm in Class 1-A too!"
"I'll take you to register," Kitazawa said, reaching out to pat Naruto's shoulder.
"Thank you, Teacher Kitazawa!" Uzumaki Naruto hopped off the swing, but after taking a few steps, his expression suddenly froze, and he lowered his head.
He had sensed the nearby glares of disdain, and this time, even Kitazawa was caught in the crossfire.
"Teacher Kitazawa, I can register myself. You don't need to worry about me," Uzumaki Naruto said, stopping in his tracks.
"If you care too much about what others think, you'll only become their prisoner," Kitazawa replied.
Kitazawa didn't turn around as he spoke calmly.
Uzumaki Naruto stared blankly at his retreating figure.
He understood a little, but not entirely.
"Keep up," Kitazawa said, raising his hand and wiggling his fingers.
Snapping out of his daze, Uzumaki Naruto instinctively quickened his pace to catch up.
First-Year Class A.
When Uzumaki Naruto entered the classroom, the entire room fell silent, all eyes turning to him.
Among them was Umino Iruka, the teacher in charge of registration.
Uzumaki Naruto instinctively wanted to lower his head, but for some reason, Kitazawa's earlier words flashed through his mind.
Summoning his courage, he met the gazes head-on.
"Iruka," Kitazawa said with his usual smile.
"Senior Kitazawa," Umino Iruka replied, suppressing his emotions.
In the original story, Iruka's parents had died during the Nine-Tailed Beast's rampage.
Now, Uzumaki Naruto was also considered a monster, so Iruka initially harbored resentment toward him.
"He's Uzumaki Naruto, a new student in Class 1-A," Kitazawa said, his expression calm. "Process his enrollment."
Umino Iruka retrieved the roster, registered Naruto, and handed him his textbooks and class schedule for the first semester.
With enrollment complete, the two left the classroom and headed toward the school gate.
"Tomorrow's the first day of school. Don't be late," Kitazawa reminded him.
"Got it!" Naruto nodded emphatically. "Thank you, Teacher Kitazawa!"
"See you tomorrow," Kitazawa said, waving goodbye.
As the Nine-Tailed Jinchūriki, Uzumaki Naruto was under constant surveillance by Sarutobi Hiruzen and the Anbu.
He couldn't afford to appear too purposeful.
Fortunately, Kitazawa was a teacher, not an Uchiha clan ninja.
Otherwise, he might have woken up the next day with eight kunai in his back, having committed suicide.
"Goodbye, Teacher Kitazawa!" Naruto turned and skipped away, his mood buoyant.
[Host has completed the mission. Rewards issued.]
Countless streams of information flooded Kitazawa's mind.
In an instant, he had completely mastered the Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique, progressing from beginner to expert.
Kitazawa immediately performed a dramatic face-changing act.
This really an ...attentive system.
Though the Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique was often mocked for never having killed anyone, for an ordinary Chūnin like Kitazawa, it was already a lethal move.
"What's with the grin? So happy?"
A sudden voice startled him.
Kitazawa instinctively turned.
Standing nearby was a stunning, long-haired woman with a graceful figure.
Her face wore a smile, and in the sunlight, her ruby-like eyes sparkled brilliantly.