Haruto Kamiya looked at the pink‑haired girl preparing to introduce herself, his expression subtly complicated. She could be considered one of the central heroines of the Naruto story.
Although Naruto eventually married Hinata Hyuga, Hinata's actual presence in the plot had been relatively small, leaving the role of "main heroine" unofficially in the hands of Sakura Haruno.
Of course, if someone insists that Sasuke Uchiha is technically the "heroine," then… well, they're not entirely wrong.
Sakura Haruno didn't have a great reputation among fans, but there was no denying that her strength placed her at the top among ordinary people. Her work ethic and intelligence were real advantages.
Her bad reputation, from what Haruto remembered, likely stemmed from her romantic fixation on Sasuke. To most viewers, her affection looked like shallow infatuation. Her reasons felt even less substantial than those of Karin Uzumaki, who also admired Sasuke later on.
Another point that hurt Sakura's reputation was Sasuke's defection. Unable to stop him herself, she cried and begged Naruto instead. While Naruto would've chased Sasuke regardless, Sakura's desperate plea made her seem manipulative to viewers. She just didn't make a great impression.
Truthfully, Haruto hadn't liked Sakura much as a child in his previous life either. His reasons back then were even simpler: he viewed things from Naruto's perspective. If she wasn't kind to Naruto, he wouldn't like her. As he grew older, he mellowed out. He didn't dislike her anymore, and even appreciated certain qualities.
Haruto now felt a faint sense of guilt toward Sakura, because—ironically—his goal was tied directly to her. More precisely, her position.
She was the only person in the rookie generation whose role Haruto realistically had a chance of replacing. Everyone else belonged to formations or clans that made substitution nearly impossible.
First was Team 10: Nara Shikamaru, Akimichi Choji, and Yamanaka Ino—the traditional Ino–Shika–Cho formation that had been passed down through generations. They were inseparable.
Next was Team 8: Kiba Inuzuka, Shino Aburame, and Hinata Hyuga. Each possessed unique abilities. Hinata's Byakugan and status as a Hyuga main‑family member made her irreplaceable. Kiba and Shino came from clans with distinct combat styles. Even if their clans weren't as influential as the major ones, the uniqueness of their ninken and kikaichū techniques made them extremely difficult to replace.
If Haruto wanted to take one of their spots, he would need to demonstrate extraordinary talent in reconnaissance—far beyond anything a civilian child typically could. Even then, the likelihood of being assigned to a different team was high. The uncertainty made this path unworkable.
That left Team 7, where Sakura Haruno was placed. Naruto, as the Nine‑Tails' jinchūriki, and Sasuke, as the last surviving Uchiha in Konoha, were irreplaceable.
After weighing all possibilities, the only viable target Haruto could aim for was Sakura's position. She came from an ordinary family, and although she had strong theoretical talent, it couldn't compare to Haruto's. Her only unique advantage was that she was a girl.
And that mattered. While Konoha's team structure wasn't officially mandated, teams were usually formed as two boys and one girl. So to replace Sakura, Haruto needed not only to outperform her academically but also to become the strongest in the entire class to force the Third Hokage's hand.
If Haruto were the standout genius of the class, his chances of being assigned to the elite team would increase dramatically. At that point, it wouldn't be about whether he could join the team, but how the Third Hokage would justify placing such a prodigy anywhere else. They couldn't realistically bury a multi‑talented genius in a regular squad.
Fortunately, although the most common team format was two boys and one girl, it wasn't a strict rule. Teams of three boys or two girls existed.
Since Haruto's goal was to become strong, naturally he aimed for the elite team. Even within the elite group, the differences were vast. Team 7's Kakashi Hatake, despite years of stagnation, was still an elite jounin. Team 10's leader, Asuma Sarutobi, was upper‑mid among jounin. Team 8's Kurenai Yuhi was a standard jounin with a specialization in genjutsu.
If even the elite teams showed such disparity, the regular jounin leading other squads would be far weaker—some merely tokubetsu jounin.
So no matter what, if Haruto wanted to reach his goal, he needed to enter the elite team. Sakura Haruno… he could only apologize to her in his heart. He admired her, but his priority was himself.
Sakura's growth potential was clear in the original story. She became one of the new "Three Legendary Sannin" of Konoha. While Naruto and Sasuke, boosted by overwhelming power, would surely surpass the previous generation, Sakura's potential would never reach Tsunade's level. She could only become a "Little Tsunade."
Tsunade, after all, was the princess of the Senju clan, blessed with extraordinary physical attributes. Sakura's natural physique couldn't match that. If she had chosen a different training path, she might have surpassed Tsunade, but since she followed the same path, it was virtually impossible.
That was Sakura's ceiling. But what about Haruto's?
He wanted to try. As an ordinary person, he wouldn't pursue special bloodlines or kekkei genkai. He wanted to see what height an ordinary human could reach. Could he surpass the peak of ordinary talent—someone like Jiraiya or Might Guy during the Eighth Gate? Or would he fall short, unable to even surpass Sakura?
Either way, he needed to try. If he had been reborn in this world, and nothing else seemed interesting, then he might as well pursue its unique peak.
"I'm Haruto Kamiya."
At that moment, Iruka finally called his name. Haruto stood and introduced himself.
"I'm Haruto Kamiya. I don't have a favorite food. My favorite people are myself and my mother. My least favorite food is cilantro. I don't particularly dislike anyone yet. My goal is to become the strongest ninja."
His introduction caused little reaction. The idea of becoming "the strongest ninja" didn't inspire much in children who didn't understand its weight. Many aimed to become Hokage, and in their minds, the Hokage was the strongest ninja. So Haruto's declaration didn't stand out.
But when it came time for Naruto, Haruto watched the boy declare a similar goal—with "Hokage" replacing "strongest ninja." The surrounding children burst into mocking laughter. Haruto sighed. Although the malice here was far lighter than in the streets, the influence of adults on children was still painfully obvious.
During breaks, Haruto didn't attempt to socialize. Sitting next to Naruto, he didn't expect anyone to approach him. Haruto didn't look particularly special—his appearance was fine but not remarkable, black hair ordinary, height slightly above average for his age.
Noticing Naruto fidgeting beside him, wanting to talk but worrying he would cause trouble, Haruto finally whispered, "In class, we don't have to be as cautious as in the village. But don't act too close either. Just act like normal classmates."
Haruto reasoned that Danzo's influence probably didn't extend inside the classroom. He hadn't heard of any classmates from the Shimura clan. Casual interaction with Naruto shouldn't be risky.
After all, Naruto needed a deskmate. As long as Haruto didn't show excessive closeness, no one would be suspicious.
Besides, for Haruto's plan to work, he needed to display enough talent in a short time to catch the attention of the Third Hokage. If he succeeded, even Danzo would hesitate to target him for a while. The only question was when such an opportunity would arise.
Naruto's eyes brightened at Haruto's words. Nervously, he asked, "Then… can we be friends?"
Haruto looked at him—looked at the hope in his eyes—and remembered the cruelty Naruto had endured. He smiled.
"Of course."
But Haruto quickly withdrew the smile, returning to a cold expression. He glanced around.
It was best if others saw him as an unlucky kid forced to sit next to Naruto, not someone eager to befriend him.