Iruka Umino exhaled slowly, calming his nerves before stepping into Class 1-A.
The moment he entered, chatter filled the room.
"Huh? Why did the teacher change?""Is Kitazawa-sensei only teaching one class?""What a shame… I liked his lesson better."
Iruka blinked in surprise.Wait—he earned their respect in just one class?
No wonder he's called Kitazawa-senpai, he thought with admiration.
Suppressing his awe, Iruka forced a professional smile and walked up to the podium, meeting several pairs of disappointed eyes.
Today's lesson: Chakra Extraction.
Chakra—the foundation of becoming a shinobi. A balanced blend of mental and physical energy.
Once class began, Iruka realized the students were unexpectedly attentive—nothing like the mischievous kids he'd braced himself for.
What puzzled him most was their attitude toward Uzumaki Naruto. It was… unusually friendly.
Who changed their minds—or rather, who taught them this way?
There was only one answer.
Kitazawa.
Iruka sighed softly. Looks like I still have a lot to learn…
An hour passed quickly.
Elsewhere, Kitazawa set aside a pile of student files and headed upstairs.
He hadn't found any matches for the "troublemakers" Hinata had mentioned.
Which meant only one thing—they weren't first-years at all. They were second-year students.
"Kitazawa?"
The sudden voice made him turn. A man about his age stood there, his white hair parted neatly in the middle.
"Mizuki," Kitazawa greeted with a calm smile. "Just finished class?"
"Yeah."
Mizuki approached, smiling brightly. "I heard you're handling first-years this term. How's it going? Any prodigies yet?"
"Hard to say," Kitazawa replied evenly. "I've only taught for half a day."
"I'm sure with your teaching skills, you'll raise another genius like Neji Hyuga."
That wide, sunny grin might have fooled someone else.
But not Kitazawa.
He knew exactly who Mizuki was—a sly, jealous little man.
In the original timeline, Mizuki had been Iruka's friend… until jealousy twisted him.He murdered an injured comrade just to complete a mission.Later, he manipulated Naruto into stealing the Scroll of Seals.After being imprisoned, he joined Orochimaru, branded with a Cursed Seal, and staged a delusional "savior" escape.
So when he mentioned Neji, Kitazawa instantly recognized it for what it was—bragging.
Neji Hyuga, like Itachi Uchiha, was already famous throughout the village for his genius.Another of his caliber? Almost impossible.
"Not bad," Kitazawa said smoothly, meeting Mizuki's gaze. "I believe my students have the same potential."
Mizuki froze, his smile faltering for a split second.
Who gave you the courage to say that out loud?!
In the shinobi world, talent and bloodline ruled everything. Academy teachers could only polish what was already there.
Kitazawa gave him a polite nod. "Anyway, I have work to do. We'll talk later."
He pushed open the door to the second-year staff room and stepped inside.
As the door closed, Mizuki's face twisted with frustration.
"Oh, you think you're so great, huh? Acting all high and mighty… One day, I'll steal that 'Best Teacher' title from you!"
The two of them had joined the academy in the same year.But five years later, their paths had completely diverged.
Kitazawa had been promoted, given raises, and voted Best Instructor three years in a row.Mizuki, on the other hand, was still just… Mizuki.
His chest tightened with bitterness. The lemon tree bears lemons, and I'm the only one stuck under it.
Inside the staff room, Kitazawa greeted the second-year teachers politely, then headed for the student files.As for Mizuki, he didn't even cross his mind.
Come on, I've got a system now. You think I'm losing sleep over that guy?
Half an hour later, Kitazawa held three student folders in his hands.He stared at the photos carefully—yes, these were definitely the brats who had bullied Hinata Hyuga.
He thought for a moment, then smiled.
As a teacher, he couldn't just punish them directly.But… if the goal was to make a point—and to do it in front of Hinata—then there were smarter ways to handle this.
He slipped the files back onto the shelf. Time for a little elementary-school-style justice.
When the bell rang again, morning classes ended, marking the start of lunch and recess.
Kitazawa scribbled three notes and walked to Class 2-C, discreetly slipping one into each of the bullies' desks before leaving as smoothly as he came.
"Kitazawa-sensei!"
Naruto came running, gasping for breath. "I—I wanna treat you to Ichiraku Ramen!"
Kitazawa blinked. "What kind of kid treats an adult to lunch?"
Then he smiled. "How about this time, I treat you?"
"No way! My treat!" Naruto protested stubbornly, pulling out his green frog wallet. "I've got money!"
He wasn't lying. The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, regularly gave him a small allowance.
"I just… wanted to thank you, Kitazawa-sensei," Naruto said sincerely.
He might've been a kid, but he wasn't dumb. He knew Kitazawa had helped him—more than once.
Kitazawa chuckled. "Alright then. This time you treat me, next time I treat you."
The two of them left the academy side by side.
Ichiraku Ramen.
"Old man Teuchi!" Naruto called as he pulled back the shop curtain.
"Eh? Naruto? And… Kitazawa?"
Teuchi stepped out from behind the counter, surprised. "You two came together?"
Naruto's eyes widened. "Wait, you know Kitazawa-sensei?"
"Of course I do!" Teuchi laughed. "He's my neighbor!"
"What?!"
Naruto looked between them in shock.
Kitazawa pointed casually to the left. "The small shop next door—the one selling odds and ends—that's mine. I only open at night, so you've probably never noticed."
If anyone asked which spot in the Hidden Leaf was the safest, most fans would probably say Ichiraku Ramen.
After his parents' deaths, Kitazawa had bought a small house nearby and opened a tiny general store on the side.
Call it cautious, call it superstitious—it worked.
Better safe than sorry. Testing fate doesn't kill you, right?
"Wait—Naruto, you're Kitazawa's student now?" Teuchi said, realization dawning. "Kid, you hit the jackpot. Kitazawa's been voted Best Instructor three years running!"
"Yeah!" Naruto grinned proudly. "Kitazawa-sensei's awesome!"
Teuchi chuckled. "So, what'll it be, you two?"
"I want char siu pork rib ramen!" Naruto said immediately.
"Pork bone ramen," Kitazawa added, glancing at the menu.
Before long, two steaming bowls arrived.
"Itadakimasu!"
Naruto clapped his hands together, grinning from ear to ear as he dug in with enthusiasm.
Kitazawa smiled faintly. The kid really did love ramen.
After lunch, they walked back to the academy.
"See you this afternoon, Kitazawa-sensei!" Naruto waved before running toward his classroom.
Kitazawa headed back to his office.
A knock came at the door.
"Kitazawa-senpai."
It was Iruka again.
"You're not resting?" Kitazawa raised an eyebrow.
"There's something I wanted to discuss," Iruka said earnestly. "Class 1-A needs to elect a class representative—to help with collecting assignments and other small tasks."
[New Mission: Become Class 1-A's Representative.][Reward: Water Affinity.][Accept mission?]
Kitazawa's mouth twitched.
Brother, I can't breathe… what kind of ridiculous mission is this? Are you trying to make life hard for me, fat tiger?