"Vice Class Representatives? Then who's the Class Representative?" Uzumaki Naruto asked, scratching his head in confusion.
"I am the Class Representative," Kitazawa replied calmly.
"Throughout this semester, I will be observing you all. By the next semester, the most outstanding among you will inherit my position."
[Current Task: Become the Class Representative of First-Year Class A.
Task Reward: Water Attribute.
Host has completed the task. Reward issued.]
Kitazawa's heart leaped with joy as the notification flashed before his eyes.
This idiot system is so easy to fool!
The Water Attribute was his at last!
"Alright, let's begin class now."
Kitazawa retrieved a summoning scroll from his storage scroll, laid it on the ground, and unrolled it.
He formed hand seals, and with a poof, a cloud of smoke erupted, revealing a massive pile of wooden stakes and kunai.
"Vice Class Representatives!"
Kitazawa instructed, "Two of you, set up the wooden stakes on the training ground. The other two, distribute the kunai to the class."
"Yes, sir!" Uzumaki Naruto answered enthusiastically.
In his mind, becoming Class Representative would bring him closer to his dream: earning everyone's recognition.
"Now, let's begin the combat training," Kitazawa announced after a fifteen-minute explanation of kunai throwing techniques.
"Your objective is to hit the stationary wooden stakes."
With a sharp thwack, Uchiha Sasuke flicked his wrist, executing the legendary Gun Kata technique.
The kunai curved mid-air, striking the bullseye of the wooden stake with pinpoint accuracy.
"Wow!"
Haruno Sakura led the chorus of gasps from the girls. So cool!
Kitazawa sensed the air thick with showmanship.
This Uchiha Sasuke was proving to be quite the handful.
"I can do that too!" Uzumaki Naruto shouted, unable to tolerate Sasuke's arrogant display.
"Here I go!"
He gripped the kunai tightly and hurled it with all his might.
"Whoa! I hit it!" Naruto exclaimed, surprised and thrilled.
"Naruto, that's my stake," Shikamaru Nara pointed out with a sigh, shaking his head in exasperation. Naruto froze in place.
"Mistakes happen," Kitazawa said with a smile.
"Don't be discouraged. Just keep practicing. And for those who hit the bullseye, I'll give you a snack pack!"
"Snacks?" Akimichi Choji's eyes widened like saucers.
"Yay!"
The students erupted in cheers.
Although children in the Shinobi World matured faster, they were still children, and the allure of snacks remained irresistible.
"Childish," Uchiha Sasuke scoffed softly.
He was no longer a three-year-old; he was almost six!
Fueled by the promise of snacks, the class became exceptionally lively, with everyone brimming with motivation.
"Thank you, Teacher Kitazawa!"
As soon as the bell rang, Akimichi Choji charged forward, securing the first spot and proving the meaning of "a surprisingly agile fat kid."
"Hinata, wait for me before you leave," Kitazawa called out as it was Hinata Hyuga's turn.
"Ah... okay," Hinata replied, her face flushing under the weight of everyone's gaze.
She accepted the snack, immediately lowered her head, clutched the hem of her robe, and stood awkwardly.
"Naruto, this one's for you," Kitazawa said, tossing a snack to Uzumaki Naruto after everyone else had left.
"I can't accept this," Uzumaki Naruto said, refusing the snack.
"I didn't hit the bullseye."
In the original story, his performance at the Ninja Academy had been abysmal, earning him the reputation of being a "dead last."
How to put it?
Uzumaki Naruto was a textbook example of a "stat monster."
He didn't need finesse; brute force was his answer to everything.
Of course, there was another reason: the Nine-Tailed Beast's interference.
In truth, Uzumaki Naruto was a once-in-a-million genius.
"It's just a matter of time," Kitazawa said with a smile. "Your teacher believes you'll definitely achieve it."
"I..."
Uzumaki Naruto felt a warm sensation spreading through his heart.
He clutched the snack, unsure what to say.
"Go home and get some rest. See you tomorrow," Kitazawa said, patting him on the shoulder.
"Okay!"
Uzumaki Naruto turned and headed out of the academy.
When he arrived home, he spotted a familiar figure.
"Third Hokage!"
A look of surprise and delight lit up Uzumaki Naruto's face.