"I'm Yamanaka Ino."
Ino stepped right up to Beize and tilted her head. "Are you our teacher?"
"I am."
Beize flashed a warm smile. "Name's Beize."
"Nice to meet you, Teacher Beize. Looking forward to learning from you."
Ino stuck out her hand boldly, all confidence.
Kids in the ninja world grew up fast, and she was no exception—total sucker for a pretty face.
Truth be told, everyone was. A hot guy or girl walks by, and you can't help but sneak a peek. Some folks are just more obvious about it.
"Teacher Beize, I'm Haruno Sakura!"
Sakura popped her round head out from behind Ino, grinning wide.
"Great to meet you both."
Beize gave a small nod.
Hinata watched them from her seat, envy flickering in her eyes.
"Hahaha! The great me has arrived! Where I go, I conquer! Fire Shadow's as good as mine!"
A short-haired kid burst through the classroom door, striking a dramatic pose like he was in his own epic tale.
But then he spotted Beize and froze, face turning red.
"Uh, hey, teacher... The great... I mean, I'm Inuzuka Kiba."
Kiba scratched his head awkwardly, mumbling his intro.
"Grab a seat anywhere."
Beize shrugged it off.
This was the age for daydreams. It'd be years before they learned how brutal the world really was.
Beize scanned the room—no sign of that dog Akamaru yet.
The Inuzuka clan didn't have any fancy bloodline limits, but they had those secret fusion jutsu with dogs that made 'em fierce.
"Yes, sir."
Kiba glanced around and bolted for a back-row spot by the window.
If he could, he'd dig a hole and hide. Felt just like getting caught slacking off in class, staring at a novel, only to look up and meet the homeroom teacher's death glare through the window.
"Shikamaru! Choji! Over here!"
Ino waved her slim arm, calling out loud.
Shikamaru, with his pineapple-shaped hair, glanced over and pulled a face—total reluctance.
Three cute girls plus a teacher? That lineup screamed trouble.
And he hated trouble more than anything.
Choji, a bit on the chubby side, didn't overthink it. He just munched on his bag of chips and shuffled over.
"Teacher Beize, want some?"
Ino reached for the chips, offering.
"Nah, I'm good."
Beize shook his head, eyeing Choji's heartbroken expression. "I prefer fries anyway."
*What a nice guy!*
Choji let out a relieved breath.
Beize had no clue he'd just earned a "good person" point. He didn't stand on ceremony, chatting easily with the kids and blending right in.
Time ticked by, and the classroom filled up.
First day of school—nobody knew each other yet.
Except around Beize's spot, where things were lively.
The only one who seemed out of place was Hinata.
She stayed quiet the whole time, barely speaking unless Beize pulled her into the conversation.
"Alright, looks like it's about time. We can catch up more later."
Beize stood and headed to the front.
"So handsome *and* sweet—total dream guy!"
Ino gushed, eyes sparkling.
"Too bad he's way older."
Sakura shook her head with a sigh.
"Yeah..."
Ino sounded disappointed.
"Look! Hot guy alert!"
Sakura suddenly perked up.
Ino whipped her head toward the door on instinct.
A boy strolled in, hands jammed in his pockets, radiating cool indifference.
The girls in the room buzzed with excitement.
Uchiha Sasuke didn't spare them a glance. He picked a seat and dropped into it.
His eyes landed on Beize.
*Wonder how strong this teacher's supposed to be. Can he even match a tenth of my brother?*
Beize narrowed his eyes slightly.
Sasuke was all about the cool act now. After the clan massacre, though? That'd turn into real isolation.
But Beize wasn't dwelling on that. No, what caught him off guard was the new quest popping up out of nowhere.
[Current Quest: Earn preliminary recognition from your classmate, Uchiha Sasuke.]
[Quest Reward: Fire Style: Phoenix Flower Jutsu.]
[Accept?]
Same vibe as the Naruto one, but way tougher.
Sasuke still had his parents around, plus a big-brother prodigy like Uchiha Itachi watching his back.
Beize was just your average chunin. Winning the kid over wouldn't be a cakewalk.
But impossible? Nah.
Sasuke and Hinata had that in common—they both craved their dad's approval. For Sasuke, that meant Uchiha Fugaku.
*Guess the key's that Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu.*
Beize pondered.
Suddenly, the room went dead silent.
Then came the whispers.
The big arrival: Uzumaki Naruto.
The quiet shattered into chatter.
Naruto caught everyone's reactions and deflated a bit.
Even at school, nothing had changed for him.
"Naruto, find a seat."
The familiar voice hit Naruto like a spark. He looked up at Beize on the podium and nodded hard.
"Quiet down."
Beize's tone sharpened.
The noise vanished in an instant, though the stares lingered.
Beize glanced around and let out a soft "Huh."
There was the last of the rookie nine: Aburame Shino, decked out in his long robe and sunglasses.
When'd he sneak in?
Beize racked his brain—zero memory.
"Class is starting now. But like always, we'll kick off with introductions."
Beize grabbed some chalk, scribbled his name on the board, then added, "We'll go row by row, starting from the front. Come up one at a time."
He stepped aside to make room.
The students filed up.
Besides the Konoha eleven rookies, the rest felt like total strangers to Beize.
The other three—Hyuga Neji, Tenten, and Rock Lee—were in second year.
"I'm Nara Shikamaru. No big dreams. Just wanna live a chill life."
Shikamaru yawned through his intro.
"I'm Uchiha Sasuke. Lots of things I hate, not much I like. My dream? Become a ninja like my brother."
Sasuke's face stayed stone-cold—except when he said "brother." Then a hint of awe slipped through.
"I'm Uzumaki Naruto! Love instant ramen and real ramen. Hate waiting three minutes for the instant stuff to cook."
Naruto stood tall on the podium, sucking in a deep breath. With total conviction, he declared, "I've got a dream: to surpass the Hokage!"
Beize nodded faintly.
Spot-on with the original Naruto's intro.
In a way, the kid's obsession was kinda scary.
"Who's kidding who?"
"What a joke! As if that monster could ever be Hokage?"
"Surpass the Third? No way in hell!"
Sure enough, Naruto got hit with the laughs and jeers.
"Funny to you? All I see is a kid who's got the Will of Fire burning bright."
Beize strode up to the podium, face dead serious. "You all wanna be Hokage? Well, the second you mocked Naruto, you lost your shot."
Every sound cut off like a knife.
(End of Chapter)