Tōma paused for a moment.
Even Iruka-sensei, at least in the beginning, hadn't known how to face Naruto properly. It showed in small details. He called Tōma "Tōma-kun" naturally, but Naruto was always "Uzumaki-kun." Polite. Distant. Careful.
It wasn't hard to understand.
Iruka's parents had died during the Nine-Tails incident. That kind of scar didn't fade easily.
Thinking of that, Tōma looked at Iruka seriously and said, "I think Naruto is a good person."
Iruka blinked.
Naruto?The way Tōma used his given name made Iruka unconsciously startled. So they really are close…
"I see," Iruka replied after a brief pause. "That's… good, then."
He clearly wanted to move on.
"Iruka-sensei," Tōma continued calmly, "I met Naruto before I enrolled. Please don't react. Just watch for a moment."
Before Iruka could ask what he meant, Tōma formed a hand seal.
With a puff of smoke, a familiar blond figure appeared in front of the counter.
Iruka's eyes widened.
A Transformation Technique? Already?
Not only that, it was clean. Stable. From this distance, even he had trouble telling it wasn't the real Naruto. Though shocked, Iruka kept quiet, following Tōma's instructions.
Soon, more customers entered Ichiraku.
The moment they saw "Uzumaki Naruto," their expressions changed. Disgust. Discomfort. Some muttered insults under their breath before turning around and leaving without ordering.
Iruka watched the scene unfold, chest tightening.
Then the transformation dispelled.
"That's what Naruto lives with," Tōma said quietly. "Every day. Honestly, the fact that he's still like this now… that's incredible. If it were me, I wouldn't have turned out the same way."
Iruka stayed silent for a long time.
"…You're right," he finally said. "Naruto-kun really hasn't had it easy."
"He didn't do anything wrong," Tōma continued. "He couldn't have. The people who hate him are blaming him for something that belongs to the previous generation. And from what I know, Naruto doesn't even have family anymore. Pushing that hatred onto a child like that… I think it's unfair."
Iruka nodded slowly.
He didn't argue. He didn't explain the truth behind the villagers' hatred.
Deep down, he'd known this already. He just hadn't been able to get past it himself. But after seeing that reaction firsthand, he understood something clearly.
If he kept avoiding the issue, he didn't deserve to be a teacher.
Letting out a long breath, Iruka relaxed, then smiled at Tōma.
"Let's leave that aside. You learned the Transformation Technique this quickly, and you're already this skilled? If I didn't know better, I'd think you'd been practicing for years."
"They're basic techniques," Tōma replied simply. "Not difficult."
As he spoke, his hands moved again.
Iruka's pupils shrank.That hand seal speed—
Before he could finish the thought, Tōma completed both the Clone Technique and the Substitution Technique in clean succession.
Iruka froze.
That level of proficiency, just in ninjutsu alone… in wartime, this would've been enough to graduate early as a genin.
This isn't just talent.
This is the real thing.
"Tōma, Iruka, your ramen's ready," Teuchi called as he set the bowls down.
"Iruka-sensei, we should eat," Tōma said, completely unfazed.
"…Y-yeah," Iruka muttered, still in shock as he picked up his chopsticks.
Tōma knew exactly what he was doing.
If he had background or a clan, he might have hidden part of his ability. But he didn't. As a civilian-born shinobi, visibility mattered. Showing talent meant resources, attention, and better guidance.
Right now, that was survival.
If one of the Sannin had shown even a hint of interest, Tōma would've revised his plans on the spot. But reality was reality. Orochimaru was gone. Jiraiya was wandering. Tsunade wouldn't return for years.
So this was the correct move.
After finishing their meal, Tōma and Iruka parted ways. Iruka still looked dazed as he left.
Mission accomplished.
News of Tōma's aptitude would reach the Third Hokage soon enough. Even if the Hokage was only the academy's nominal head, that still meant something.
Tōma headed toward the training grounds.
Talent didn't replace fundamentals. Physical training still meant chakra capacity. That couldn't be neglected.
He skipped further practice of the Three Techniques for the day since his reserves were nearly empty. Instead, he planned ahead. Tree-walking. Eventually water-walking. Both demanded control, not brute chakra.
With today's progress, he felt confident he'd pick them up quickly.
And after that… sparring with Lee. Real combat experience. Shadow Clone training. Chakra shape transformation. Nature manipulation.
The list was growing.
Strangely, that didn't worry him.
It meant progress.
When Iruka arrived at the Hokage's office later that day, the Third looked up from his desk.
"Oh? Iruka," he said mildly. "Something on your mind?"
Iruka briefly noted the crystal ball beside him, its surface still faintly warm, but didn't dwell on it. He reported everything about Fujimoto Tōma.
The Third Hokage listened quietly, eyes narrowing in interest.
"…I see. That does sound like a promising seedling," he said after a moment. "There's no need to change his teacher. You're more than capable of guiding him at this stage. However, you may introduce techniques slightly beyond the academy curriculum."
"Yes, sir," Iruka replied, relieved.
After he left, the Third exhaled smoke slowly.
That kind of potential… it reminded him of Minato.
A shame he no longer had the time or stamina to personally teach another student like that.
Jiraiya and Tsunade would've been ideal, but one was unreachable, the other missing.
Still…
If the boy's growth continued, perhaps someday, when his chakra matured, he could be given that technique early.
Just like Minato once was.
"If Konoha could gain another 'Yellow Flash'…" the Third murmured, smiling faintly."That would be something worth looking forward to."