Chapter 53: Naruto: They're All Very Useful Guys
On the podium, Iruka's heart was complex as he looked towards Naruto in the distance: "Uzumaki Naruto, aren't you coming up to introduce yourself?"
Uzumaki Naruto?
"He... he's that one?!"
Some students paused upon hearing the name, turning to look at Naruto with surprise, letting out cries of shock.
Amidst the whispers, Naruto walked step by step towards the podium, a gentle smile on his face.
"My name is Uzumaki Naruto. I dislike being ignored, and I dislike the feeling of being powerless."
Facing the curious and surprised classmates, his azure blue eyes seemed to shine, looking directly into everyone's eyes.
"I like learning knowledge, like exploring the unknown, and enjoy the process of being acknowledged by others. So I hope I can become friends with everyone and gain everyone's acknowledgment."
"As for my dream..."
Naruto lowered his gaze, paused silently for a moment, then smiled: "I want to become a great ninja like the Fourth Hokage, become like fire like him, illuminating Konoha, warming everyone."
Finished speaking, Naruto gave Iruka a polite nod, then walked down from the podium, posture tall and straight.
The students looked slightly stunned, their eyes still following Naruto intently until he returned to his seat.
Become like fire, illuminating Konoha, warming everyone?
His tone was very gentle, and he didn't mention grand dreams like becoming Hokage.
Yet it gave everyone an extremely strong feeling of conviction.
As if he would definitely realize his dream, definitely become a ninja like the Fourth Hokage.
"Mommy said, stay away from that one."
"My mommy said that too, but..."
They couldn't connect the gently smiling, mature-aura Naruto with the people-eating monster their parents spoke of.
Meanwhile, on the podium, Iruka watched Naruto's retreating back, his heart trembling.
Is this really a five or six-year-old child?
He naturally knew the treatment Naruto received in the village.
Those people's ugly faces and vicious curses – even he, a ninja, felt an involuntary chill witnessing them.
"Treating a child like this... is it really right?"
Although he had thought this more than once, he also resented Naruto as the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki, and understood Lord Third's difficulties.
Yet in such a malicious environment, Naruto, feared and hated by countless people, still maintained such a warm smile, still able to maintain such high ideological awareness.
He was simply an incomparably firm inheritor of the Will of Fire.
In comparison, Iruka felt he was the real "monster".
Iruka's heart was filled with mixed emotions. He then made his decision.
No matter how sensitive Naruto's identity was, at the very least, he was his teacher and should treat him fairly.
As Naruto walked back to his seat, he heard the whispers of countless students.
If the boys looked at him with curiosity mixed with hostility,
Then the girls looked at him with fondness mixed with curiosity.
Countless thoughts raced through Naruto's mind as he settled into his seat.
Iruka distributed the textbooks. The following lessons were extremely dull, covering only very basic theoretical knowledge.
Very practical wilderness survival skills, but not very useful for Naruto who already had wilderness living experience.
Besides this knowledge, Iruka also taught content related to the Will of Fire, and this subject accounted for a high percentage of the theory grade.
But Menma had already taught Naruto this long ago, and in much greater depth and completeness than Iruka.
Naruto already knew the so-called Will of Fire by heart, even capable of writing a more complete sequel for it.
There was also the use of ninja tools, types, pros and cons, and how to form hand seals...
"Hand seals?"
The Nine-Tails' voice echoed in Naruto's head, tone somewhat disdainful: "What respectable person uses hand seals? Don't you just slap your hands together and get whatever you want?"
The smile on Naruto's face almost faltered.
Some classmates began proactively approaching Naruto to chat.
They all came from various large and small clans in Konoha. Their families hadn't instilled the idea of Naruto being a monster, so they naturally didn't hold the same wariness as ordinary civilians.
On the contrary, they just found Naruto interesting, a good candidate for making friends.
"Naruto, my name is Akimichi Chōji, crunch crunch..." Chōji approached, carrying a bag of chips.
Hesitating for a moment, after stuffing a handful of chips into his mouth, he offered the bag to Naruto.
"Have some."
Looking at the greasy hand before him, Naruto showed no aversion, still smiling gently: "Thank you."
He then naturally took three or four chips from the bag and popped them into his mouth in front of Chōji.
Seeing this, although Chōji felt a pang of regret (for the chips), a simple smile appeared on his chubby face.
Another boy with red inverted triangle markings on his cheeks came over, looking somewhat arrogant: "My name's Inuzuka Kiba! This is my partner, Akamaru!"
"Woof woof!"
The ninja hound on his head barked in agreement.
"Can I pet Akamaru?"
Seeing Inuzuka Kiba nod, Naruto reached out and stroked Akamaru's fluffy head, praising him with an envious tone: "Akamaru is very cute. I wish I had a partner like this too."
Inuzuka Kiba looked somewhat satisfied, scratching Akamaru's chin: "Hehe, right? Right?"
Just then, Haruno Sakura on the other side couldn't sit still anymore.
Although she liked handsome guys like Sasuke, she didn't want to be excluded by her friends.
After glancing reluctantly at Sasuke one last time, she still walked towards Naruto.
"Naruto, I... My name is Haruno Sakura. I hope we can become good friends."
Ino beside him saw this, instantly acting like a puppy protective of its food, leaning closer to Naruto and smiling: "My name is Yamanaka Ino! Although I already said it, be sure to remember this name, okay?"
Compared to the seemingly shy Sakura, Ino was much more enthusiastic and poised.
"Sakura and Ino? I'll keep it in mind," Naruto said gently with a smile.
Hearing Naruto's words, Ino became even happier, while Sakura, though shy on the surface, her inner persona was already bursting with joy.
Chōji also nudged Shikamaru beside him, who was lying like a corpse: "Hey! Shikamaru, stop sleeping!"
"Tch, troublesome."
Although the pineapple-head grumbled, he still sat up straight and came over: "Hello Naruto, my name is Nara Shikamaru."
"Hello."
Gradually, a circle of students gathered around Naruto.
Naruto also gained a preliminary understanding of them.
After initial contact, there were indeed a few worth "befriending".
Naruto thought highly of Nara Shikamaru. He felt that although Shikamaru was lazy, his intelligence should be very high.
Guys like him often see the essence of things.
Of course, they are also better at self-preservation.
The core of the Ino-Shika-Cho trio must be the Nara clan.
Akimichi Chōji wasn't bad either. Although somewhat gluttonous and sloppy, he valued friends greatly and had a simple and honest nature.
And Yamanaka Ino, aside from being a bit boy-crazy, seemed to have no major flaws.
"They're all very useful guys."
Naruto thought this, but felt a strange sense of incomprehension in his heart.
"It seems... I've forgotten something?"
(End of Chapter)
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