During the morning break between classes, whispers spread through the classroom.
"Did you hear? There's going to be a new teacher today!"
"Really?"
"Yeah, and I heard he's a young male teacher. I hope he's handsome!"
The girls chatted excitedly in hushed voices.
In contrast, most of the boys were slumped over their desks, listless, with only a few actually paying attention. As for the rest—
"Shikamaru, I'm out of snacks… want to sneak out next class and buy some?" Choji said.
"Idiot. It's the new teacher's first class. He'll take attendance," Shikamaru sighed quietly.
After that, his gaze drifted toward Naruto not far away.
Naruto looked especially downcast today.
That face… those cold eyes… still lingered vividly in his mind.
He didn't understand.
Why did everyone look at him like that?
Bang!
"Damn it, damn it, damn it!"
Naruto shot to his feet and shouted, completely ignoring that he was still in the classroom.
At that moment—
A figure stepped in through the doorway.
Naruto froze, then, as if pricked by a needle, he suddenly jumped onto his desk, forcing himself to act brave.
"You actually chased me here? Want to fight me, huh?!"
But—
What greeted him was the handsome man's helpless expression, cold eyes, and the rising chorus of screams around him.
And—
"Naruto, you idiot! Show some respect to strangers!"
Sakura's furious shout.
Naruto shrank back. The person above him didn't even spare him a glance, walking straight to the front and turning to write on the blackboard.
Then, he faced the class and smiled—gentle and striking.
"This is my name. Starting today, if nothing unexpected happens, I'll be spending the next five years with you."
Last night, Kanzaki Shin had specifically practiced his smile.
He was confident—
This smile was flawless.
And sure enough, the next instant, even louder screams and cheers erupted across the classroom.
In contrast, Naruto, still standing on his desk, clenched his teeth harder, muttering under his breath but not daring to speak aloud.
Shin's gaze swept over him, pausing briefly as his expression subtly stiffened.
Naruto noticed it immediately.
He was all too familiar with that kind of change.
Rage filled his eyes.
Shin wasn't surprised.
Coming into the classroom first had two purposes: one was to get acquainted, and the other was to make an impression on Naruto.
Whether villain or hero, as a supporting character, if you wanted screen time, you had to latch on.
Find every opportunity to interact, stir Naruto's emotions, and push him toward standing in opposition.
After enough of that, there would always be usable footage.
He just didn't know how long each episode would be.
Shin glanced at the time, then smiled.
"Class is about to start. Since this is our first lesson, I'd like to hear your opinion. Do you want to chat, or go outside for practical training?"
His gaze focused especially on the boys.
Very quickly—
"Training! I want to challenge you!"
A loud, arrogant voice rang out.
Shin smiled sharply.
As expected.
The first one to shout would definitely be him.
One after another, students stood up, their intentions clear.
Shin's lips curved slightly.
"Then let's go."
The next moment, the class bell rang.
On the training field, boys and girls stood in separate lines.
Shin smiled gently. "Then, Uzumaki Naruto, you said you wanted to challenge me?"
"That's right! Because I'm the man who's going to become Hokage!"
Naruto jumped forward, full of pride.
Shin chuckled softly. "Don't talk about dreams like they're reality. It only makes you look weak."
"I'm not dreaming!"
Naruto shouted.
Shin simply smiled without comment, stepped forward, and formed the seal of confrontation.
Naruto stepped forward and did the same.
The next moment, he charged in with a shout, his fist thrust straight ahead, while Kanzaki Shin didn't move at all.
"What is the teacher doing?"
Nearby, Sakura and Ino grew anxious.
The two glanced at each other instinctively, then huffed and turned away.
Not far off, a black-haired boy stared intently at Shin.
At the exact moment Naruto's punch was about to land, his pupils shrank, his face filled with shock.
"How is that possible?!"
A clone?
But—
So fast!
Naruto had been excited, but just as he was about to hit, the figure in front of him flickered, twisted, and vanished.
Could someone reach that level with pure speed alone?
He froze in disbelief.
The next instant, a figure appeared behind him, grabbing him mid-punch and lifting him effortlessly.
Was this really the level of a Ninja Academy teacher?
Uchiha Sasuke was stunned.
Around them, gasps echoed.
"So fast!"
Almost no one had seen Shin's movement, including Sasuke.
"Only looking forward and not behind… a reckless brat like you…"
Shin leaned closer. "I could beat a hundred of you!"
"Damn it!"
Naruto roared, kicking and punching wildly.
But with his clothes held up and his limbs too short to reach, he couldn't hit Shin at all. Instead, it looked rather ridiculous.
"No one starts as Hokage. If you want to become one, you need to see clearly whether you're qualified first."
Shin tossed him aside and added mockingly, "Someone like you… should learn how to survive first."
Naruto looked unwilling, but as he glanced around and saw the shock and admiration on everyone else's faces, he lowered his head in frustration.
The gap was simply too big.
Shin turned to the others and smiled. "Anyone else want to try?"
"Sensei."
Uchiha Sasuke stepped forward. "Please teach me."
Shin scanned the group before fixing his gaze on Sasuke.
After beating him, it should be enough.
He nodded lightly and formed the seal of confrontation.
After forming the seal, Sasuke dashed forward rapidly.
The teacher in front of him tilted his body slightly, easily evading the punch.
It missed.
In the next instant, Sasuke dropped low, rolled backward, braced himself with his hands, and counterattacked with a kick.
A kunai tied with a rope shot forward faster, wrapping precisely around his ankle.
With a flick of Shin's wrist, Sasuke instantly lost his balance.
Although Sasuke quickly formed the seal for a release technique, an even greater force had already arrived—
He was lifted into the air just like Naruto.
The surrounding students were stunned, except—
"Hahaha! Stupid Sasuke, you got lifted up too!"
Naruto laughed loudly, as if he had won.
Sasuke clenched his teeth and turned his face away, saying nothing.
Shin then set him down.
"Sasuke's reactions, tactics, and fundamentals are all excellent. Today's loss is simply because there's a ten-year gap between us."
"When you reach seventeen, you'll definitely be stronger than me."
Kanzaki Shin spoke with complete sincerity.
Sasuke froze for a moment, not knowing how to respond.
Meanwhile, Naruto exploded in anger. "Damn it! Why are you praising him?!"
"Sorry, Naruto. Teachers tend to favor outstanding students, and Sasuke truly is excellent."
Shin maintained his perfect, gentle smile. "If you think that's unfair…"
"Then work desperately to become just as excellent. When that happens, the one who feels it's unfair will be someone else."
As he spoke, his gaze swept across the rest of the class.
At that moment—
A faint sound, like a camera powering down, rang in his ears, audible only to him.
Lines of text appeared in his vision:
[Naruto: Part One Episode 1 filming complete!]
[Editing in progress…]
[Cut successful!]
[Performance Report:
Total screen time: 5 minutes 23 seconds
Screen share: 27%]
[As a villain character, exceeding 10% screen time increases your salary.]
[Notice: Naruto: Part One will air tonight at 8 PM. Playback functionality will be enabled, along with live comments.]
[Please adjust your performance and acting style based on audience feedback.]