Fujimoto Tōma stared blankly at the worksheet in his hands, his soul halfway out of his body.
What cosmic sin did I commit in my past life to deserve this?He had gone over the material again and again. He had explained everything slowly, clearly, logically. He had even repeated himself—something he hated doing.
Yet the chaotic handwriting on Naruto's test sheet revealed a truth more terrifying than any S-rank mission:
Naruto understood absolutely nothing.
Tōma finally understood why Iruka deserved a monument in the center of Konoha.Six years of teaching this boy… and living to tell the tale.
In theory, Naruto's talent lay in physical memory, not abstract learning. Teaching him like a normal student was pointless. And even though Naruto possessed enough chakra to level a building, his control at this age was terrible. The Nine-Tails interfered too much, making even basic ninjutsu unreliable.
Even if Tōma handed over Shadow Clone Technique, Naruto probably couldn't use it right now. His chakra control just wasn't there yet.
Naruto scratched his cheek awkwardly, clearly realizing he had disappointed Tōma.
Tōma set the paper aside. He needed a different approach."Hey, Naruto. Where do you usually train?"
"Train? Uh… anywhere, I guess." Naruto blinked, not seeing the problem.
"…Fine. Come with me."
They walked to a small clearing just inside the forest—secluded enough that nobody would bother them.
Standing opposite each other, Naruto shifted his feet anxiously."Tōma, d-do we really have to do this?"
"Listen," Tōma said calmly. "If you want to become Hokage, you first have to become a real shinobi. And becoming a shinobi means hard training. Every day. No shortcuts."
"But—"
"No 'but.' If you can't even get past me, how do you expect people to acknowledge you? And you want acknowledgment, don't you?"
Naruto hesitated.
Tōma pressed on, voice colder."If you can't even attack me, then maybe you should give up on being a ninja. I don't want to be friends with someone who won't even try."
Naruto froze.
Those words hit deeper than any punch.If he failed here… if he stayed weak…He would go back to that lonely life, hiding in his bed at night, pretending tears weren't falling.
He clenched his fists.
"No… no way! I won't go back to that!" Naruto shouted.
He rushed forward.
Tōma raised a brow. Wild form, messy footwork, no technique… but the speed was decent. Maybe even better than in the school exams.
Is this because of what I said? Or the Nine-Tails leaking through the seal?Tōma hummed in mild admiration. Despite everything, Naruto really was unpredictable.
Still, compared to Rock Lee? Not even close.
Tōma let Naruto attack him for a while, simply observing. Strength, stamina, and determination—all higher than expected. After Naruto's strike patterns repeated for the tenth time, Tōma decided Naruto had reached his limit.
"All right," Tōma murmured. "My turn."
He moved in.
He didn't target anything vital, but that didn't make the hits gentle. Every blow shook Naruto, forcing the boy's already-tired legs to wobble. Pain twisted Naruto's face, and he nearly teared up.
But Naruto didn't fall.
He refused.
Because losing now meant losing the first friend he ever had.And becoming Hokage meant gaining acknowledgment—starting with this one person before him.
Compared to years of loneliness, this pain was nothing.
"…Why aren't you down yet?" Tōma muttered, genuinely confused.
Naruto stumbled forward, barely standing. He raised one shaking arm… and tapped Tōma's chest with a weak, useless punch.
Tōma didn't dodge.
He let it land.
"Good enough," he whispered.
Naruto gasped, "S-so we're still… friends?"
"Of course." Tōma smiled slightly. "I only said that to push you. Honestly… you're stronger than I expected, Naruto."
"N-naturally! I-I'm gonna be Hokage someday!" Naruto announced proudly—
—and fainted right into Tōma's arms, still smiling.
Tōma caught him, chuckling under his breath."This kid… His willpower puts mine to shame."
Naruto's entire body was bruised, but nothing life-threatening. Tōma had been careful.In fact, this was probably good for him.
With every injury, the Nine-Tails' passive healing would activate—quiet, subtle, constant.Repeated enough, it would toughen Naruto's body far more effectively than Tōma's lightning-style massages.
Honestly… I'm jealous.
If this went well, Naruto might grow even stronger than in the original timeline—maybe strong enough that he wouldn't need the Sage of Six Paths to bail him out later.
Tōma looked down at the unconscious boy and rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
"…Maybe it's worth trying."