"I'm Yamanaka Ino."
Yamanaka Ino walked up to Kitazawa and asked openly, "Are you our teacher?"
"I am."
A gentle smile appeared on Kitazawa's face. "Kitazawa."
"Teacher Kitazawa, please take care of us."
Ino extended her small hand without any hesitation.
Children in the ninja world matured early—and she was also a full-fledged looks enthusiast.
More accurately speaking, everyone liked good-looking people. Some just made it obvious, others didn't.
"Teacher Kitazawa, I'm Haruno Sakura!"
A round little head popped out from behind Ino.
"Nice to meet you both," Kitazawa said, nodding slightly.
Watching their enthusiasm, a familiar trace of envy appeared in Hyūga Hinata's eyes.
"Hahaha! I've arrived! I see, I conquer! I'm definitely becoming Hokage!"
A short-haired boy suddenly burst in through the classroom door, shouting dramatically.
Only after yelling did he notice Kitazawa standing there, and his expression instantly turned awkward.
"H-hello, Teacher. I—I'm Inuzuka Kiba."
Kiba scratched his head as he introduced himself.
"Sit wherever you like," Kitazawa said casually.
At this age, children were full of fantasies. Only after growing up would they understand how cruel the world really was.
Kitazawa glanced around and didn't see the dog named Akamaru.
The Inuzuka clan didn't possess a Kekkei Genkai, but they had secret techniques that allowed them to fight alongside their canine partners.
"Yes, Teacher."
Kiba looked around and chose a seat near the window in the back row.
If he could, he would've liked to dig a hole and bury himself.
It felt exactly like slacking off in class, then suddenly turning around and locking eyes with the homeroom teacher staring through the window.
"Shikamaru! Chōji! Over here!"
Yamanaka Ino waved her slender arm and called out loudly.
The pineapple-haired Nara Shikamaru glanced over and immediately wore a look of reluctance.
Three pretty girls plus a teacher—just looking at that lineup felt troublesome.
Trouble was the one thing he hated most.
A slightly chubby Akimichi Chōji didn't think that far ahead. Holding a bag of chips, he walked over.
"Teacher Kitazawa, want some?"
Ino reached toward the chips and asked.
"I'll pass."
Kitazawa shook his head, looking at Chōji's pained expression. "I prefer fries."
He's a good person!
Chōji instantly relaxed.
Unaware that he'd just received a good-guy card, Kitazawa didn't put on airs and quickly blended in with the students.
As time passed, the classroom gradually filled up.
Since it was the first day of school, most students were unfamiliar with one another.
Only around Kitazawa was the atmosphere lively.
The only one who seemed uncomfortable was Hyūga Hinata.
From start to finish, she remained quiet.
She only spoke softly when Kitazawa directly addressed her.
"Alright, that's enough chatting for now. We'll talk more later."
Kitazawa stood up and walked toward the podium.
"He's handsome and gentle—totally my ideal type!"
Yamanaka Ino said excitedly.
"Too bad he's too old," Sakura shook her head.
"Yeah…" Ino replied regretfully.
"Look! A handsome guy!"
Sakura suddenly exclaimed.
Ino instinctively turned toward the door.
A boy with his hands in his pockets walked in, his expression cold and aloof.
A stir spread among the girls in the classroom.
Uchiha Sasuke ignored them all and chose a seat.
His gaze landed on Kitazawa.
I wonder how strong this teacher is, Sasuke thought.
Is he even one-tenth as good as my brother?
Kitazawa narrowed his eyes slightly.
Right now, Sasuke was just putting on a cool act. After the massacre, that would turn into real emotional isolation.
But that wasn't what caught his attention.
A new task had appeared.
[Current Mission: Obtain the initial recognition of your classmate, Uchiha Sasuke.]
[Mission Reward: Fire Release — Phoenix Flower Technique.]
[Do you accept?]
It was the same type of task as Naruto's—but the difficulty was on a completely different level.
After all, Sasuke's parents were still alive, and he had an older brother who was a peerless genius—Uchiha Itachi.
Kitazawa was just an ordinary chūnin. Gaining Sasuke's recognition wouldn't be easy.
But it wasn't impossible.
Like Hyūga Hinata, Sasuke also yearned for his father's approval—Uchiha Fugaku's acknowledgment.
"It seems the key lies in the Great Fireball Technique," Kitazawa thought.
Suddenly, the classroom fell silent.
A heavyweight had arrived.
Uzumaki Naruto.
Silence was quickly followed by murmurs.
Seeing their reactions, Naruto couldn't help feeling dejected.
Even after coming to school, nothing had changed.
"Naruto, find a seat and sit down."
That familiar voice made Naruto's heart tremble.
He looked at Kitazawa on the podium and nodded hard.
"Quiet."
Kitazawa's tone was firm.
The chatter instantly vanished—though the gazes did not.
Kitazawa scanned the room and let out a soft sound of surprise.
He spotted the final member of the group—Aburame Shino, wearing a long coat and dark glasses.
When did he get here?
Thinking carefully, Kitazawa realized he truly hadn't noticed at all.
"Class is about to begin, but as usual, we'll start with self-introductions."
Kitazawa picked up a piece of chalk, wrote his name on the board, and said,
"Starting from the front row. Come up in order."
He stepped aside, making space.
One student after another went up.
Aside from the Nine Rookies of Konoha, the rest all felt unfamiliar to him.
The remaining three—Hyūga Neji, Tenten, and Rock Lee—were in their second year.
"My name is Nara Shikamaru. I don't really have any dreams. I just want to live a peaceful life."
Shikamaru yawned as he spoke.
"My name is Uchiha Sasuke. There are many things I hate, nothing I particularly like. My dream is to become a ninja like my brother."
Sasuke said coldly.
Only when he mentioned brother did his expression shift slightly, revealing a hint of admiration.
"My name is Uzumaki Naruto. I like instant noodles and ramen, and I hate waiting three minutes for them to cook."
Naruto stood on the podium, took a deep breath, and declared firmly,
"My dream is to surpass the Hokage!"
Kitazawa nodded slightly.
This was almost identical to Naruto's self-introduction in the original story.
In a way, his stubbornness was terrifying.
"What a joke!"
"Delusional! How could a monster become Hokage?"
"Trying to surpass the Third Hokage? Impossible—absolutely impossible!"
Without question, Naruto was met with ridicule.
"Is that funny?"
Kitazawa walked onto the podium, his expression stern.
"All I see is an outstanding inheritor of the Will of Fire."
He looked at the class.
"You all want to become Hokage—but the moment you mocked Naruto, you lost that qualification."
The classroom fell completely silent.
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