As they approached the academy, more and more parents with their children could be seen. The moment they saw Naruto, their expressions subtly changed. Though restrained by Iruka’s presence, they did not act out excessively nor show obvious disdain, but their eyes held a faint, yet unmistakable, look of disgust and fear. This subtle glance did not escape Naruto’s keen senses.
Whenever children curiously looked at Naruto, their parents would immediately pull them away and turn their heads, sternly warning them not to interact with the blond-haired boy and not even to make eye contact.
Malice surrounded Naruto, who felt a surge of emotion. His grip on Iruka’s right hand tightened slightly for a moment before he quickly regained his composure. Iruka, however, felt a slight tremor.
Although merely a Chunin, Iruka didn’t know Naruto’s exact identity (the Fourth Hokage’s orphan). As a ninja, he had some knowledge about Tailed Beasts and Jinchuriki. Naruto was Naruto; the Nine-Tails were the Nine-Tails. Naruto was just a poor child serving as a vessel for the Nine-Tails. Iruka shouldn’t blame Naruto for his parents’ deaths. Naruto was still only a six-year-old child, an ordinary orphan who also lost his parents on the night of the Nine-Tails attack (according to the data Konoha had prepared for Naruto). Yet, the village treated him as a monster, shunning and hating him.
Thinking of this, Iruka’s expression softened a bit. Unbeknownst to him, Naruto’s momentary emotional surge and tightening grip weren’t out of fear or other negative emotions but because he momentarily couldn’t suppress a flicker of murderous intent within himself.
“I still need to work on my mindset…” Naruto thought to himself with a bit of self-mockery. These ordinary villagers? Naruto didn’t necessarily hate them; they weren’t directly responsible for his difficult life. His body housed the Nine-Tails, and ignorant villagers who didn’t know about Jinchuriki and Tailed Beasts saw him as the Nine-Tails, which was understandable. However, not hating them didn’t mean Naruto liked them. Given the chance, he wouldn’t mind making life harder for these ignorant villagers. The targets of his revenge were the high-ranking officials of Konoha, especially Danzo Shimura, who Naruto was determined to kill.
This had nothing to do with justice but was purely about personal revenge not just for himself but also for his deceased parents. If Obito Uchiha was directly responsible, Danzo’s part was no less significant.
In this life, Naruto wouldn’t be as naive as in the original story, wanting to protect Konoha and even trying to persuade Obito during the final battle, allowing him to be redeemed. Regardless of Obito’s reasons or deceptions, he was on Naruto’s kill list. The Uchiha could be hateful, pitiable, and endearing. But Obito Uchiha was the one who deserved to die the most. He wasn’t like Itachi Uchiha, Shisui Uchiha, or Kagami Uchiha, who were worth respecting. These three, especially Itachi, had their complexities. Itachi, for the village’s sake, chose to annihilate his clan, a difficult and even irredeemable action. He had a great side but also a twisted, almost demonic side, making him a contradictory figure—both admirable and detestable. In the original story, fans had polarized views on Itachi. Naruto felt similarly, admiring and yet unable to understand him. However, since it didn’t directly involve him in this life, Naruto wouldn’t dwell on it too much. Besides these three, the remaining Uchiha? Haha, even Madara seemed more endearing!
“We’re here, Naruto,” said Iruka. After a short walk of about ten minutes, they arrived at the academy gate, surrounded by many parents and their children. Iruka took Naruto to a less crowded area, bent down, patted Naruto’s head, and said with a gentle smile, “Naruto, I’ll go handle the enrollment procedures. Wait here for me, alright?”
“Yes, Iruka-sensei,” Naruto responded with a bright smile, nodding firmly.
“Don’t run off. I’ll be right back,” Iruka cautioned before leaving.
In the world of Naruto, especially among children growing up in a ninja village, early maturity was common. It wasn’t unusual for young children to become ninjas and go to battle. The famed Kakashi Hatake graduated from the academy at five and became a Jonin at twelve. Though rare, it was common for children to become ninjas and enter battlefields by seven or eight years old. But now? Who knows about other villages?
To Naruto, Konoha seemed to have grown weak. Ninja life wasn’t child’s play. Konoha’s academy promoted humane education, which wasn’t wrong. Kirigakure’s education was extreme and abnormal. However, Konoha’s education was too gentle—ninjas starting at six, graduating at twelve, and not shedding blood in those six years seemed ridiculous to Naruto. Ninjas who didn’t shed blood weren’t real ninjas. The Will of Fire in Konoha, though not wrong, had been distorted under the Third Hokage. Gentle didn’t mean weak; restraint didn’t mean retreat. Excessive pursuit of peace only made enemies bolder. The Third Hokage had significant contributions to Konoha’s development but also led to its decline through his lenient policies and failure to eliminate threats like Orochimaru, leading to the Konoha Crush plan.
But these matters had little to do with Naruto. He had no attachment to Konoha. Even knowing his father was the Fourth Hokage didn’t change anything.
Worried about Naruto being alone, Iruka returned within ten minutes after handling the enrollment. Seeing Naruto safe, Iruka sighed with relief. His concern was somewhat overdone; this was the Konoha academy, and even though his parents hated Naruto, they wouldn’t dare act out.
“Let’s go, Naruto. I’ll take you to your classroom.”
“Yes!” Naruto nodded, retaking Iruka’s left hand as they headed into the academy.
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