Although he had long known he would become Naruto Uzumaki's teacher, when Iruka truly saw Naruto, a surge of hatred still welled up uncontrollably in his heart.
His own parents had died during the Nine-Tails' rampage.
And Naruto was the Jinchuriki who carried that same Nine-Tails.
The Nine-Tails was the prime culprit.
But what had Naruto done wrong? He had done nothing wrong at all. In fact, Naruto was also a victim.
Looking at the mature Naruto, who wore a refined smile, Iruka's heart trembled.
He was naturally aware of the treatment Naruto received in the village; even he himself had once considered joining the side of the bullies.
Those ugly faces and terrifying curses—even a mature ninja like him couldn't help but feel pained upon hearing them, let alone a young child.
And yet, despite growing up in such a malevolent environment, Naruto still maintained such a smile.
He genuinely loves Konoha with all his heart.
In such a contrast, it was people like them who seemed like the real demons.
A hundred emotions suddenly churned within Iruka.
He withdrew his gaze.
"Well then, who would like to be the first to come up and introduce themselves?"
Soon, the first student stepped forward.
"Hello everyone, I'm Murano Hi. My hobby is eating…"
"My name is Haruno Sakura! I like sweet red bean soup with dango, and I dislike…"
"My name is Akimichi Choji. I like barbecue and eating in general. I hate it when I run out of snacks…"
As the students introduced themselves one by one, it was soon Naruto and Sasuke's turn.
Under the watchful eyes of their classmates, Sasuke was the first to walk up to the front.
Not being particularly adept at socializing, Sasuke presented a rather cool and aloof demeanor.
"My name is Uchiha Sasuke. I like eating dango with my older brother, and training with Naruto and Rock Lee. I dislike people who get in the way. I hope to surpass Naruto and become stronger."
Sasuke's self-introduction piqued many students' curiosity about Naruto.
The Uchiha clan had always been representative of genius, and Sasuke, as the clan head's son, garnered considerable attention.
Before this, the students had all assumed Sasuke would be the number one genius in the class.
But Sasuke himself had said he hoped to surpass Naruto.
Didn't that imply Naruto was even stronger than Sasuke? "Isn't Naruto that…" a student exclaimed, then quickly clapped a hand over their mouth.
Their eyes were wide with shock, unable to reconcile the refined, gentle Naruto with the "monster" their parents spoke of.
With his elegant temperament and legendary identity as the Jinchuriki, Naruto Uzumaki suddenly became an enigmatic figure in the eyes of many girls.
So mysterious… so… alluring.
After Sasuke finished his introduction, it was naturally Naruto's turn.
Naruto walked towards the podium, step by step.
Simultaneously, in the Hokage's Office, all of Konoha's top brass had gathered to observe Naruto.
It was a live broadcast via the crystal ball.
The Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, and the three Elders—these powerful figures had assembled, demonstrating the level of importance they placed on Naruto Uzumaki.
Even though the Third Hokage had repeatedly emphasized Naruto's love for Konoha, the other elders and advisors still wanted to see it with their own eyes. On this special day of enrollment, Naruto's speech would be of paramount importance.
It could very well influence the direction of his future development.
If Naruto displayed any potential threat to Konoha, Danzo would immediately make his move.
However, the Third Hokage was not flustered in the slightest.
He knew that Naruto was one who inherited the Will of Fire.
Naruto had been contemplating his self-introduction since he woke up that morning.
He knew the Third Hokage would undoubtedly use some means to observe his first day at the Ninja Academy, so his every word and action were crucial.
With his speech already prepared, Naruto arrived at the podium. He looked directly at the curious young eyes before him and said calmly and composedly: "My name is Uzumaki Naruto. I like training with Sasuke and Rock Lee, and I enjoy the feeling of becoming stronger. I really like exploring the unknown and learning new ninjutsu."
"As for dislikes… I really dislike being disliked by others, and I don't want my friends to suffer because of me."
"I hope to become good friends with everyone. If you have any troubles, you can also come to me; I'm happy to listen. In the future, I hope to become Hokage, protect everyone, and become a flame that ignites Konoha."
After speaking, Naruto gave Iruka a slight nod and walked down from the podium.
"Wow, he's so charming! He seems like a very reliable person."
"I really want to be his friend!"
Naruto could hear the countless whispers from the students. Almost all the girls were looking at him with expressions of clear fondness.
Indeed, compared to the cool-and-silent type, the warm-and-gentle guys are more popular, huh?
"Uzumaki Naruto… he's a good student," Iruka mused, replaying Naruto's words in his mind, a smile appearing on his face.
No matter how sensitive Naruto's identity was, he was, at the very least, Naruto's teacher and should treat him with complete fairness.
Hokage's Office.
After hearing Naruto's speech, the council of elders fell into a brief silence.
A moment later, the Third Hokage broke the quiet. He puffed on his pipe, his face wreathed in smiles. "Did you see? Under my guidance, Naruto has perfectly inherited the Will of Fire. He will warm everyone, just like Minato did."
Utatane Koharu, however, spoke up. "One can't quite say that. Naruto is too mature for his age. Is it possible he was just saying what we wanted to hear?"
"Moreover, he said he dislikes being disliked and dislikes his friends suffering because of him. Leaving aside his bonds with his friends for a moment, he has undoubtedly endured a great deal of malice in the village. Shouldn't that naturally breed resentment towards the villagers, and perhaps even the village itself?"
Mitokado Homura chimed in beside her, "Indeed. I feel his display of love for the village was a bit too overt, which is rather unsettling. Setting that aside, I quite like his attitude towards his friends."
"Hmph! In my opinion, he should be handed over to Root for training. That would be the only foolproof option. I would cultivate him into a war machine loyal only to Konoha, devoid of any other emotions. In his world, there would only be Konoha. Emotional tethers are fragile and can turn sour at any time," Danzo Shimura said coldly, leaning on his cane.
Hearing Danzo's words, the Third Hokage's eyes turned abruptly cold.
He recalled the rumors Danzo had spread back then—that Naruto was the demon fox who had destroyed Konoha and killed the Fourth Hokage.
It was these rumors that had led Naruto to his current predicament.
At the time, the Third Hokage had considered stepping forward to refute the rumors, but then he had decided to let them escalate, allowing the situation to develop so that he could become Naruto's "only light."
As Naruto grew, the Third Hokage saw Naruto's deep love for Konoha and felt a measure of regret for his past decision.
If Naruto had been allowed to grow up like an ordinary child, he would undoubtedly be a ninja fiercely loyal to Konoha by now, not subjected to the various suspicions of the elder council as he currently was.
No one believed that Naruto could maintain his love for Konoha after enduring so much malice.
These were things the Third Hokage could not change.
He could only say coldly: "Naruto's development is entirely under my control. He will be a ninja who inherits the Will of Fire. Don't forget, I am the Hokage."