Uzumaki Naruto… Naruto…
Hyuuga Hinata secretly observed Naruto, her young face slightly flushed. ΨΨ
After Iruka assigned seats, he clapped his hands to interrupt the children's chatter.
"Alright! Everyone, settle down! Today, on your first day of class, I'll teach you the most basic yet most important aspect of being a ninja…"
"That is chakra!"
Iruka wrote the word in large letters on the blackboard, tapping it lightly to draw all the children's attention to him.
Chakra!
Naruto focused intently on Iruka's lesson, absorbing every detail about chakra.
During break time, Naruto furrowed her brow, pondering how to refine chakra.
"Hey!"
The Uchiha brat, ignored by Naruto for a while, slammed the desk in frustration, interrupting her thoughts.
"What?"
Naruto narrowed her eyes, glaring coldly at Sasuke, who hadn't yet experienced the Uchiha massacre.
"We're desk mates, so can you at least acknowledge me?" Sasuke glared angrily, a hint of hurt in his eyes, like a spoiled child.
"Sorry, I don't think we have anything to talk about. Besides, haven't your parents told you?"
"What?"
"Stay away from me."
"Ah!"
Before Sasuke could react, Naruto shoved him off his chair onto the floor.
The other children turned at Sasuke's cry, leaving him red-faced. He clenched his teeth, forcing a nonchalant expression, but his face was flushed with suppressed anger.
"Tsk!"
Enough already!
Naruto clicked her tongue, closing her eyes to avoid looking at the sulking Sasuke.
Uzumaki Naruto…
Iruka stood at the doorway, watching Naruto with a nostalgic look. His mind drifted back to the night of the Nine-Tails attack, when his parents had died trying to stop it.
"Hey! Iruka! What are you thinking about?"
"Ah! Mizuki! Don't scare me like that!" Iruka's thoughts were interrupted by Mizuki passing by.
Is that little girl the jinchūriki with the Nine-Tails sealed inside her…
Mizuki glanced at Naruto, who was slumped on her desk, eyes half-closed. A malicious smirk tugged at his lips, which Naruto, sensitive to ill intent, immediately noticed.
Mizuki, the one who lured Naruto to steal the Scroll of Seals in the original story, couldn't have succeeded if Naruto hadn't let him. Given her skills, there was no way he could've stolen it otherwise.
Recalling how the original Naruto repeatedly declared his dream of becoming Hokage, Mizuki's intentions were clear.
That perverted old man who spied on bathhouses with a crystal ball—if he got his hands on the Scroll of Seals, he'd truly be senile. As someone with the power of a nuke, being trained as a regular ninja was already a stretch, wasn't it…
Looks like the original Naruto's Shadow Clone Technique is out of my reach. No matter, I just need to grow strong enough to leave Konoha. The rest is up to Kurama.
For now, at the Academy, it seems I can only learn the Three Body Technique. I'll have to rely on taijutsu…
If things go like in the original, I should be assigned to Kakashi's Team 7. Then I can learn jutsu from him and use the chaos of Orochimaru's attack on Konoha to escape.
But nothing's guaranteed. I'll take it one step at a time.
Mizuki approached Naruto while Iruka was away.
"Sensei, is something wrong?"
Knowing Mizuki was no good, Naruto feigned confusion, her young face puzzled.
"Why aren't you playing with the others?" Mizuki asked, feigning concern, his smile making Naruto's stomach churn. She had to resist the urge to vomit on his face.
Having Sasuke as a desk mate was annoying enough, and now Mizuki was bothering her during break. Enough already.
"I'm fine playing alone." Naruto forced a weak smile, her blue eyes slightly reddened, the epitome of a heartbreakingly adorable loli.
Mizuki mistook her sadness as genuine, suppressing his malice. He hugged Naruto, who stiffened momentarily. Mizuki took it as a sign of her never being treated gently, smirking triumphantly.
This bastard dares to hug me!
In that instant, Naruto nearly kicked Mizuki in the groin. Her suppressed impulse caused her stiffness, which Mizuki misinterpreted.
Unaware his true nature was already known, Mizuki plotted to win Naruto's trust, making her an obedient student.
Is he trying to use me? Maybe I can… Naruto closed her eyes, feigning vulnerability, letting Mizuki think he'd opened her heart. He stroked her hair, unaware she was calculating how to exploit him.
After Mizuki left, Naruto fought her nausea, returning home after school. She washed her hair five times, still feeling disgusted, even considering cutting it off.
In her inner world, Naruto griped, pulling at Kurama's fur, her eyes bloodshot. "That bastard Mizuki dared to hug me and touch my hair! Just thinking about it makes me sick! Goosebumps everywhere!"
She rolled up her sleeve to show Kurama the goosebumps, which were so tiny even his sharp eyes couldn't see them. Did she think he had the Byakugan?
Seeing Kurama strain to look, Naruto burst into laughter, clutching her stomach.
Kurama realized he'd been pranked, rolling his eyes and kicking Naruto away.
"Hmph!"
Don't think I'm a pushover!
Moments later, Naruto rushed back in, excitedly announcing, "Kurama! Kurama! I learned the Transformation Technique!"
"Watch me transform!"
She formed hand seals, and with a puff of smoke, she turned into a miniature Nine-Tails fox, child-sized, proudly swaying her nine tails.
"How's that? Just like you, right?"
Kurama sighed at Naruto's eager expression. Shouldn't that face be for your teacher? Why show it to me? I'm just a tailed beast.
"Yeah, amazing!" (Flatly)
Kurama flicked Naruto's forehead, dispelling the transformation. She rubbed her head, lying on the ground, glaring at him.
"Couldn't you be gentler?"
"I was gentle!" Kurama felt a stomachache watching her.
"Nothing else? Go back. I'm going to sleep." Kurama yawned, growing impatient.
Bragging about the Transformation Technique to him—did she think his centuries of life meant nothing?