Winter passed and spring came, and Konoha was covered in a soft layer of new green. As the cherry blossom season ended, the tender leaves on the branches grew more lush, and the days grew warmer.
Today was a rare weekend, with no training missions and no classes scheduled. Iruka was walking down the street towards the village's stationery store to buy some practice ninja tools and teaching materials.
As a teacher at the Ninja Academy, he had now spent a year with the little rascals in his class. This was the first class he had ever taught. To be honest, this past year with the kids had been more enjoyable than he had imagined.
First, there were the few more troublesome students in the class. Choji, who would sneak snacks in class when the teacher wasn't looking. Whenever Iruka called on him, he could always see him frantically swallowing his food.
And in taijutsu class, Choji displayed an unexpected "timidity." Whenever sparring practice began, he would always find excuses to avoid it.
At first, Iruka thought the child was just timid and afraid of fighting. But as they spent more time together, he gradually discovered that was not the case. It was that the little fatty was too kind, so kind that he was unwilling to hurt any of his classmates, even in training.
Another student who gave Iruka a headache was Shikamaru. This guy, who was always lazily slumped over his desk, seemed to lack motivation for anything.
In class, he would always find all sorts of comfortable positions to nap in. On exams, he had even set a staggering record of "zero points." Every time he saw the blank test paper Shikamaru handed in, Iruka couldn't help but sigh.
However, as he learned more about the characteristics of the Nara clan, Iruka began to wonder if this child was really as "incompetent" as he appeared. The Nara clan was famous for its intelligence; how could they possibly raise a fool?
With this question in mind, Iruka decided to test him privately. He found Shikamaru, without telling anyone else, and just gave him a test paper and enough time to complete it.
The result was astonishing—a perfect score! When Iruka asked why, Shikamaru lazily explained, "It's just too much trouble to write. Those questions are too easy for me."
Kiba was always restless, like he had a rabbit in his pocket. He couldn't sit still, would often get distracted in class, and would occasionally skip school to play with stray dogs.
Ino was alright, just a bit too flamboyant. She would sometimes pout for a long time if someone interrupted her.
As for Sakura... Iruka was always a bit unsure about her. The child was quiet, took diligent notes in class, and tried her best to keep up in taijutsu, but her gaze was always on Satsuki Uchiha. There was an emotion in her eyes that Iruka couldn't understand.
Hinata was the model good student. She always sat up straight, her notes were neat and tidy, and even her handwriting was carefully elegant. She was just too shy. When called upon to answer a question, her voice was as quiet as a mosquito's buzz, but it was clear she was trying her best to overcome it.
Satsuki Uchiha—the heiress of the Uchiha clan head, was terrifyingly talented. She was just too proud. If any of the students in the class tried to talk to her, she would most likely give them a cold glance and then turn back to chat with Naruto.
In the entire classroom, only when she was facing Naruto Uzumaki would the frost in her eyes completely melt. It had even reached the point where she was so clingy that she was wherever Naruto was.
And the last one... Iruka's expression grew complex. The image of Naruto Uzumaki's blond hair appeared in his mind.
The rumors about him in the village had never stopped. The term "demon fox" was like a stubborn disease, always finding its way into his ears.
At first, Iruka really didn't know how to face this child. Reason told him that the Nine-Tails' crime should not be blamed on a child, but he just couldn't get over the hurdle in his heart. It was like an invisible lump blocking him.
Later, he gradually came to see Naruto's situation clearly. Every time this child went out, he would encounter the villagers' evasive glances and hear the whispers that were deliberately lowered but still clearly audible.
Although Iruka's own childhood was lonely, he had never tasted the bitterness of being hated by almost the entire village—it was a loneliness that even the sun seemed to avoid.
But Naruto didn't seem to care at all.
Those unfriendly gazes, those insinuating comments, he acted as if he didn't see or hear them. He showed up to class on time every day with his schoolbag, greeted his teacher seriously, and as a student, he was actually very easy to manage, even exceptionally outstanding.
He was exceptionally talented, his strength far surpassing that of his peers. Except for the first time he sparred with Satsuki, where his intensity had made Iruka break out in a cold sweat, he had never shown a hint of arrogance in class.
Unlike Satsuki, who was cold to everyone, as long as someone spoke to him without prejudice, he could chat with them with a smile. And he always treated him, his teacher, with respect.
Because of this, Iruka always felt a little guilty. He knew that rumors shouldn't affect his perception of a child, but in the early days, he had still paid him some unnecessary extra attention, not as naturally as he did with the other students.
Thinking about this, and then looking at Naruto's always cheerful face, as if he had never been wronged, Iruka's guilt deepened.
Soon, the sign of the stationery store appeared at the corner of the street. Iruka pushed the door open. Before he could greet the shopkeeper, his gaze was caught by a familiar back not far away.
"Naruto?!"
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