Is This What Warmth Feels Like?

Naruto arrived at the school.

By then, many new students had already come to register. They gathered in little groups of twos and threes, whispering among themselves, smiles blooming across their faces.

Naruto's arrival seemed somewhat abrupt, making him stand out like a crane among a flock of chickens.

Naruto was too tall!

After two years of training, he stood over 1.6 meters tall and had a broad build. It felt like a sixth grader had somehow wandered into a kindergarten class.

It was a very peculiar feeling.

So the children immediately noticed Naruto's arrival. They stopped talking one after another, their gazes shifting toward him... or, more accurately,

toward the backpack on Naruto's back.

That pink backpack,

paired with Naruto's sturdy build,

really... really nailed the whole vibe!

Someone could not help twitching at the corner of their mouth.

Naruto caught their expressions from the corner of his eye and nodded inwardly. It looks like Grandpa Third really has great taste. Those guys were intimidated by my new backpack!

Thinking that, Naruto liked the backpack Grandpa Third had given him even more!

However,

unfortunately, even with the backpack from Grandpa Third, these people still did not want to approach him or talk to him. Otherwise, Naruto would not have minded letting them touch it.

Of course, only touch it.

After analyzing it like that, Naruto concluded that if he truly wanted these people to cast aside the barriers in their hearts and treat him sincerely, he would still have to work hard at Hardening.

With those thoughts in mind, Naruto found a corner and stood quietly, waiting for the teacher to arrive.

Not long afterward, a man wearing a Ninja Headband and a green ninja vest entered the classroom. The whispers immediately stopped, and everyone turned their eyes toward him.

Toward the Ninja Headband on his forehead.

It was a kind of glory, the glory of being acknowledged.

They had come to the Ninja Academy to earn that glory and become outstanding ninjas.

"Good morning, everyone. From now on, I'll be responsible for your studies at the Ninja Academy. My name is Umino Iruka. Please take care of me."

Umino Iruka did not possess the stern air typical of teachers. Instead, he wore a kind expression, as though the children before him were not his students, but his friends.

The students seemed moved by the friendliness with which he treated them as equals. They all bowed and greeted him. "Good morning, Iruka-sensei."

"Mm."

Umino Iruka nodded, his gaze sweeping over the young and inexperienced faces before him. These children were Konoha's future, and he had to take good care of them.

With every face he passed over, a student file surfaced in Iruka's mind, overlapping with that face to form a vivid, independent individual.

Mm, that is...

Suddenly, Iruka's gaze stopped. There was a student in the corner, unusually tall for his age, carrying a pink backpack that looked utterly out of place on him. His eyes were like still water, without the slightest ripple.

Naruto Uzumaki!

Umino Iruka remembered that name clearly. When he had first seen this student's file, many thoughts had arisen in his heart.

What kind of attitude should he take toward this student?

But soon, a relieved smile tugged at Umino Iruka's lips. Yes, after losing his parents, Iruka had once hated blindly as well.

But as time passed, as he gradually grew up and experienced more things, he came to understand that such hatred was a sign of immaturity.

How could he pin everything on a child? And when he thought about it carefully, this child was far too much like him.

They were both orphans.

He should not be hated.

Umino Iruka also remembered how, after losing his parents, he had especially longed for the recognition and care of elders and companions.

Naruto Uzumaki would not be any different, would he?!

Although Naruto Uzumaki's appearance did not quite match what he had imagined upon first seeing him, seeing the boy standing alone in the corner without anyone talking to him made Umino Iruka sigh.

Then he made up his mind. In the days ahead, he would pay special attention to this student.

Next came the students' self-introductions.

Self-introductions were important. They not only revealed whether someone was lively or introverted, but also gave others a basic understanding of them, laying the groundwork for making friends.

Naruto listened attentively to everyone else's introductions and firmly committed all their names to memory, because these people would all become his friends in the future.

Friends naturally deserved extra attention!

Soon, it was Naruto's turn to introduce himself. The moment he stepped onto the platform, he saw several gazes abruptly change. It was obvious enough that he could practically feel it in the air.

So he only gave a brief introduction, so brief that it consisted of nothing but his name.

Umino Iruka naturally noticed this as well, but he did not call it out immediately. That would not have been the best approach. Using his authority as a teacher to force the issue would not ease the relationship between the students and Naruto; it might even cause a backlash.

Thus, Umino Iruka decided that after school, he would speak with Naruto alone and hear what was in his heart.

There were no real lessons on the first day at the Ninja Academy. The teacher and students simply got to know one another, familiarized themselves with the classroom, received their books, and then everyone went home to their families.

Naruto did not have a mother, so he could only go home.

But just as he stepped out of the school gates, he heard someone call out behind him.

"Naruto, wait a moment."

The voice was familiar and gentle. It belonged to the teacher he had just met, Umino Iruka.

Naruto turned around and saw Iruka-sensei some distance away, waving as he walked toward him.

Did I do something wrong?

An absurd thought flashed through Naruto's mind, but he tossed it to the clouds the next second. He, Naruto, had always been a well-behaved child. He never bullied his classmates.

"Naruto, let me treat you to a meal."

Umino Iruka walked up to Naruto, rubbed his head, and suddenly said this.

He wanted to take the opportunity to chat with Naruto over a meal.

"Iruka-sensei, why are you treating me to food?" Naruto was puzzled. He had a huge appetite. Could Iruka-sensei's salary afford it?!

"Ha, I just want to treat Naruto to a meal. So tell me, what do you like to eat?" Umino Iruka said openly.

Naruto thought for a moment. "I want roasted rabbit!"

"Uh..." Umino Iruka secretly felt his pocket. It seemed he had not brought that much money, so he could only say awkwardly, "Naruto, children shouldn't eat roasted rabbit. It'll give you heatiness. Let's go eat ramen instead."

You were treating, so you had the final say.

Naruto followed Iruka-sensei to the ramen shop.

"Two bowls of Ichiraku Ramen." Iruka was clearly a regular here. After greeting the owner familiarly, he led Naruto to sit off to one side.

Naruto looked at Iruka-sensei sitting across from him and suddenly felt his nose sting.

This was the first time anyone had treated him to a meal.

And Grandpa Third had been the first person willing to speak to him.

Is this what warmth feels like?

Naruto thought.

He felt a warm current flow into his body. That feeling

was so real!

It made him like it very much!

Author's Note:

Regarding Iruka's attitude toward Naruto in this chapter.

I would like to offer an explanation here.

As for Iruka's character, in the original manga, he did not treat Naruto differently in his actions or behavior at first. However, deep down, he still harbored misgivings because his parents had died due to the Nine-Tails.

In my story, however, while he still does not treat Naruto differently, he invites Naruto to eat ramen the very first time they meet, expressing his goodwill toward Naruto.

This is how I see it: in the original anime, the overwhelming reason Naruto was not driven to darkness in that environment was Iruka's kindness and recognition.

And Iruka knew that Naruto, as the Nine-Tails' vessel and the Fourth Hokage's son, was someone who was expected to become a "hero." Moreover, just like Naruto, he was an orphan, and both of them longed for recognition from their companions.

Therefore, Iruka's presence in Naruto's life could be called a ray of light.

A ray of light that cut through the darkness.

So I considered whether I should directly copy Iruka's attitude toward Naruto from the original work or make some minor changes and improvements. I quickly chose the latter.

A fanfiction must have its own thoughts about the characters. In my view, Iruka's period after his parents' deaths must also have been bleak. But under the care of Grandpa Third, as well as other elders and friends, he may have developed a deeper understanding of growth and life.

When faced with life's hardships, one could either stubbornly fight it or earn life's forgiveness.

And my choice was to let Iruka earn life's forgiveness and become a pure ray of light illuminating Naruto's life.

In short, this is an upgraded, 2.0 version of Iruka.

I hope everyone likes him.

Lastly, please give this new little seedling of a book some recommendation votes. It urgently needs everyone's support.

Please vote!