Even in the midst of a storm, those who refuse to give up will always find a moment to breathe.
As Uzumaki Naruto walked with Iruka-sensei toward the center of the classroom, his instincts—sharpened by years of isolation—quickly sensed the few people in the room who didn't look at him with hostility.
"Where do you want to sit?"
Iruka asked softly.
He didn't call Naruto by name — which was a little impolite — but at least, he didn't call him "the Nine-Tails." That alone was already the greatest respect Iruka could offer. After all, his parents were among those who died the night the Nine-Tails attacked.
Naruto lifted his head, scanning the classroom full of unfamiliar faces, until his gaze landed on someone who felt slightly familiar.
"I want to sit there."
He pointed to the empty seat beside Uchiha Sasuke.
Iruka followed his finger and saw the fan-shaped clan symbol on Sasuke's back. After a brief hesitation, he nodded in agreement.
"Thank you, sensei!"
Naruto flashed a big, earnest grin, then hurried over to the seat, sitting down and giving Sasuke a friendly smile as bright as sunlight.
Sasuke remembered this loud blond kid. But when faced with Naruto's cheerful greeting, he merely glanced at him coldly before turning away, his expression as aloof as ever.
Meanwhile, at the back of the classroom, Choji Akimichi spoke without thinking — and the mood instantly froze.
"Hey, Seimi, what's that green mark on your forehead?"
Choji's tone was innocent, completely without malice. Yet, those words made Hinata's small fists clench tight. Even Shikamaru, who had been half-asleep on his desk, suddenly opened his eyes, a flicker of nervousness crossing his face.
Not good… Choji doesn't know about the Hyūga clan's taboos.
Shikamaru sighed inwardly, hoping Seimi wouldn't make a scene in the middle of class.
To everyone's surprise, Seimi didn't get angry at all.
Instead, he gave a calm smile and said,
"Oh, that's a sealing technique made to protect my eyes."
"Wow, really? That's so cool!" Choji exclaimed, eyes wide in amazement.
Shikamaru exhaled in relief.
Beside them, Hinata slowly relaxed her fists. She turned her head slightly, her pale eyes reflecting Seimi's calm profile.
He… really doesn't mind?
Up front, the introductions continued.
"I'm Uchiha Sasuke. My hobby is training with my brother. The thing I hate the most is—" He paused, quickly changing his words. "—no one right now."
Then came Naruto's turn.
"I'm Uzumaki Naruto! My favorite food is ramen — especially Ichiraku's ramen! I hate waiting three minutes for the noodles to cook! As for my dream…"
His voice faltered for a moment, but then he clenched his fists and shouted with determination:
"My dream is to become Hokage! And not just any Hokage — I'll surpass all the Hokage before me!"
The classroom fell silent for one beat.
Then came the laughter.
"Hahahaha! Did I hear that right? The demon fox wants to be Hokage?"
"He said he'll surpass all the Hokage! That's the funniest thing I've heard all year!"
Naruto stood there, fists trembling, his head lowered. He had expected this. He was used to it. But when the laughter and scorn really came, it still hurt.
Iruka was about to intervene, but his gaze fell on Naruto's stubborn expression — and he hesitated.
Then, an unexpected sound broke through the laughter.
Clap. Clap. Clap.
Hyūga Seimi was applauding.
He smiled as he clapped, louder and louder, until the entire class fell silent again.
When everyone turned to look at him, Seimi tilted his head slightly, feigning confusion.
"Why are you all looking at me? Didn't Naruto say something great? To shout your dream out loud — isn't that the true Fire Will of Konoha shining in him?"
A boy sitting in the front couldn't hold it in and blurted out:
"That demon fox doesn't deserve to be compared to the Will of Fire!"
Seimi's expression changed dramatically, as if he'd just heard something terrifying.
"What… what are you saying? Naruto's sitting here, in our classroom, as one of us! The Hokage himself runs this academy — if Naruto was allowed to enroll, then it's with the Hokage's approval!"
He widened his eyes and pointed at the boy, his voice trembling with mock fear.
"Wait… are you questioning the Hokage? Questioning the Will of Fire itself?"
The boy's face went pale in an instant.
All eyes turned toward him, and for the first time, he understood what it felt like to be under everyone's gaze — the same way Naruto always was.
"I—I didn't mean it like that! I wasn't questioning anyone!"
"Enough!"
Iruka took a deep breath, calming himself before speaking.
"Daishi didn't mean to question the Hokage. But Seimi is right — Naruto is not the Nine-Tails. He's our classmate. From this moment on, I don't want to hear anyone use that word again!"
He glanced around the class, his tone sharp. "Continue the introductions."
Iruka's authority still carried weight. The laughter stopped, and the class obediently returned to order.
As Seimi sat back down, the corner of his mouth lifted slightly.
Bullying kids might be immoral, but sometimes… it was just too effective.
Sometimes, the best way to solve a problem was to make it so big no one dared touch it again.
Hinata blinked, realizing suddenly — Seimi had done it on purpose.
He wasn't just defending Naruto. He had deliberately turned the tables, using everyone's blind reverence for the Hokage to shield him.
She looked at his calm profile and, without meaning to, thought back to that snowy night years ago — when Naruto had stood between her and those cruel voices calling her a "white-eyed freak."
That night, Naruto's warmth had reached her.
And now, Seimi's warmth was reaching Naruto.
When her thoughts returned, it was already Seimi's turn to introduce himself.
"My name is Hyūga Seimi. I like places with a relaxed atmosphere, I don't particularly dislike anything, and my dream…"
He paused for a beat, then smiled faintly.
"…is simply to live."
A breath later, he added silently in his heart:
And to live well.