Hinata sat in the front row with her fair face slightly lowered, as if she were reviewing her textbook with great seriousness. But the pale eyes beneath her lashes kept drifting, again and again, toward the back row by the window. She could not help it.
Naruto was there, surrounded by Kiba Inuzuka, Shino Aburame, Shikamaru Nara, Choji Akimichi, Ino Yamanaka, and even Sakura Haruno. They were talking and laughing together as if it were the most natural thing in the world, and the sight made Hinata's slender fingers curl quietly against the edge of her desk.
She envied that warmth more than anything. To be able to speak easily with other people, to have friends, to belong inside a circle instead of standing outside it looking in—those were things she yearned for with all her heart and yet never knew how to reach.
Still, there was no bitterness in that envy. What she felt was something softer, warmer, almost fragile in its sincerity. Naruto-kun...
She repeated his name in silence, and a gentle warmth rose in her chest along with unspoken admiration. In her eyes, simply being able to push through isolation and gather people around him like that was already something extraordinary.
Up front, Sasuke Uchiha sat with his back ramrod straight, arms folded over his chest, utterly at odds with the looser atmosphere gathering in the rear of the classroom. His fingers tapped lightly against his sleeves in restless rhythm while his dark eyes stayed fixed on the classroom door, waiting for the teacher.
The noise around him may as well not have existed. Coldness wrapped around him like a second skin, keeping everyone else at a distance.
Inside him, however, burned a hatred fierce enough to melt stone. His desire to kill Uchiha Itachi churned like magma in his chest, boiling and surging, forever on the verge of breaking through his thin restraint.
And yet, at this stage, he still needed to endure. That awareness was like a frozen bridle cinched tight around his throat, forcing all that fury back into its cage.
He knew perfectly well that with his current strength, charging at that man would be no different from smashing an egg against a mountain. So he had to be patient. He had to make use of every second he spent at the academy, absorb every lesson, and keep stacking strength piece by piece until the day he could finally settle everything with his own hands.
That mix of extreme hatred and extreme self-restraint clashed violently inside his young body. It made him seem more withdrawn by the day, and more tense as well, as though he were constantly fighting a war no one else could see.
Soon, Iruka Umino entered the classroom. The restless chatter of the students died down one by one, and the room settled into order.
When everyone was finally quiet, Iruka clapped his hands and said, "Today, I want to introduce a new teacher. From time to time, he will be coming by to teach practical classes."
A figure in green stepped through the doorway.
"Hello, everyone! I'm Might Guy!"
Naruto's eyes widened on the spot.
What? That was completely off-script. Why was Guy-sensei showing up at the Ninja Academy?
***
Yesterday afternoon.
"Be a teacher... me?"
In the Hokage's office, Might Guy stood there pointing at himself, his rugged face full of disbelief after hearing the Third Hokage's words. For a rare moment, the man who was usually overflowing with confidence looked genuinely at a loss.
Had the old man somehow gotten drunk in the middle of the day?
Behind his desk, Hiruzen Sarutobi sat upright with a gentle, reassuring smile on his lined face. He drew calmly on his pipe, exhaled a slow stream of smoke, and said in an even tone, "Yes. You. Guy."
Seeing that Guy still looked dazed, Hiruzen continued, and this time the admiration in his voice was impossible to miss. "You managed to train Naruto into an excellent student. His strength, and even more importantly his character, have both exceeded my expectations."
"That proves you have your own effective way of guiding young people. Because of that, I believe it's time for you to shoulder a greater responsibility."
The Third Hokage leaned forward slightly, his gaze steady on Guy as he delivered his decision. "Starting next term, I want you to become a jonin instructor and lead a genin team. Pass on your youth and your passion to Konoha's next generation."
Most people, when given such an opportunity, would have been overjoyed or at least stunned speechless for a while. Guy's first reaction, however, was to immediately ask the question that mattered most to him.
"Will Kakashi be teaching a team in the same batch as me?"
A spark leaped into his eyes the instant he said it. In Guy's heart, anything became more meaningful if it was connected to Kakashi, his eternal rival and his most treasured friend.
"No," the Third Hokage said without hesitation. "Kakashi is still serving in the Anbu. He has his own duties and responsibilities."
Guy did not back down. He drew himself up, chest out, and said in a loud, earnest voice, "Hokage-sama! I believe letting Kakashi spend more time around Konoha's fresh young leaves would do him more good than keeping him buried in the darkness of Anbu missions! Those children, overflowing with youthful energy, could help pull him out of the shadows of his past!"
He planted his feet and continued solemnly, "Therefore, I formally request that I be assigned to the same intake as Kakashi Hatake and teach students alongside him!"
For a moment, the Third Hokage only looked at him in silence. He knew very well what kind of persistence hid beneath Guy's hot-blooded surface.
"That can't be arranged for now," Hiruzen said at last, though his tone had softened. Then, after a brief pause, he added, "However... since you're so determined, I can postpone your appointment as a team leader for the time being."
Guy's eyes brightened instantly.
"You may try to persuade Kakashi yourself," the Third Hokage went on. "If he is willing to submit an application to become a jonin instructor of his own accord, then I will consider it."
Objectively speaking, it was not an unreasonable idea. Kakashi was powerful, experienced, and a disciple of the Fourth Hokage. Whether in terms of strength or symbolism, he was indeed a suitable candidate to teach the next generation.
But the Third Hokage was not going to let Guy walk away without conditions.
"However," he said again, his expression turning serious, "while you are trying to convince Kakashi, you will report to the Ninja Academy and take charge of one month of practical training classes every year."
"Consider it preparation. It will let you gain experience in teaching, and it will also help you understand the children who may one day become your subordinates."
"Yes, sir!"
Guy did not find that troublesome in the slightest. On the contrary, it felt to him like a brilliant mission, glorious enough to set his blood on fire. He stood so straight he looked like a spear driven into the floor, his eyes blazing, his fists clenched hard enough to tremble.
Then he roared at the top of his lungs, loud enough to make the windows of the Hokage's office rattle, "I will pour all of my passion and all of my youth into teaching those children! I absolutely will not let you down, Hokage-sama!"
That enthusiasm was so intense it felt as though he might sprint straight from the office to the academy and begin hammering the essence of youth into every student on the spot.
Inwardly, Guy was already burning brighter than a bonfire.
Kakashi, I'm going to be a teacher. But I won't stop training either, so just wait for me! Youth never rests!
The Eight Gates techniques he had painstakingly honed were always, in some sense, meant for Kakashi. He had never once stopped refining them. Whether it was Morning Peacock, Daytime Tiger, or Evening Elephant, some stubborn part of him always felt that his arsenal was still one step short of truly defeating Kakashi Hatake.
Maybe, he thought, I should prepare the ultimate technique for the Eighth Gate in advance.
Morning. Daytime. Dusk.
Guy's eyes lit up. He had it.
When night falls, I will unleash the final symphony of youth in the name of Guy!
He clenched his fist so hard his knuckles cracked, and the name rang through his mind with absolute certainty.
The final move unleashed after opening the Eighth Gate shall be called... Night Guy!