Sunlight

"Ah, it's Zaimoku and his group."

A group led by three boys blocked Naruto's path. One boy, slightly shorter than Naruto, shoved him.

"Monster, I heard your dream is to become Hokage?"

Shikamaru and Choji managed to squeeze into the crowd as well, just in time to hear the question. They had thought Naruto would argue back, loudly declaring that he was a man who would become Hokage.

However, Naruto was unusually quiet.

Sunlight shone through the gates of the Ninja Academy, drawing a line of light and shadow at his feet.

Standing beneath the sunlight, Naruto's blond hair seemed to have lost its usual sharpness. Yet he did not cower or retreat, merely staring straight at the boy.

The childishness had faded from him, ground to dust beneath his indifference.

It was as though he had become a different person. Everything from before had turned to ashes, swept clean away by the summer breeze.

"Your eyes are disgusting. Keep looking at me, and I'll beat you up!"

System loading progress: 99%

Another boy stepped forward and shoved Naruto, forcing him back several steps.

The people around them merely watched as if they were used to it, chatting and laughing among themselves without any intention of stopping them.

"Damn it, those brats from the minor clans are going too far!" Choji could not take it anymore and was about to step in.

Shikamaru sighed, muttered that it was such a drag, and leisurely walked toward Naruto.

System loading progress: 100%

Option One: Knock down the three people before you and loudly tell them your dream is to become a Hokage stronger than the Fourth Hokage! Reward: Mastery of the Three Jutsu.

Option Two: Deny your dream of becoming Hokage and do not continue the dispute. Reward: The side effects of chaotic chakra within your body will disappear.

Naruto saw the panel, but no one around him reacted. He initially concluded that only he could see its contents, and only then did he focus on the options.

The Three Jutsu were an important part of the Ninja Academy graduation exam. If he mastered them, he would definitely graduate smoothly. It was also because of the Nine-Tails' chakra that the chakra within his body was in disorder, making him unable to use ninjutsu properly.

One was a shortcut, directly solving his immediate graduation problem. The other addressed the root cause of his chakra disorder. Even if he still needed to spend time practicing the Three Jutsu afterward, it was still worth it.

"Um... Naruto..." Hinata said timidly, appearing from who knew where.

"Huh? What did you say? I can't hear you!"

The tall boy named Zaimoku seemed not to have heard Hinata at all and looked straight at Naruto. As for Hinata, Zaimoku simply ignored her.

"Naruto didn't do anything wrong." Though Hinata was afraid, she still gathered her courage and spoke.

"What nonsense are you spouting? Disgusting."

Zaimoku ignored Hinata. He had no intention of listening to anyone, and his attitude could only be described as exceedingly crude.

"I never wanted to become Hokage. I'm not as childish as you are. That's your ridiculous dream, isn't it?" Naruto said. "Though it's pretty pathetic, too."

"With your current strength, you might not even become ninja in the future."

Naruto suddenly shoved the leader, Zaimoku, and spoke without mercy.

"Can you become Hokage? Can anyone from your clan do it?"

"You can't! Neither can they!"

"W-What are you talking about?" Zaimoku took a step back, looking at Naruto with a slight stammer.

Naruto's gaze remained sharp, fixed directly on Zaimoku, the leader.

"People change, Zaimoku."

"Go home and ask your father whether he believes that if I burn down your house tomorrow, nothing will happen to me!"

"Use that muscle-filled brain of yours and think carefully! What can be done, and what cannot!"

"Pah! What a piece of trash!" Naruto spat in the boy's face and left with a dark expression.

It was not as if this was the first or second time he had skipped class. It was just that today, he was doing it openly.

Zaimoku froze. Recalling Naruto's savage tone just now, he did not dare say a word.

"You're talking nonsense! We're not like that!" The indignant voices of the other two came from behind him. Naruto's words seemed to have struck their sore spot.

Boys who wanted to become Hokage were inwardly insecure and sensitive. Having their dreams stripped bare beneath the sunlight made them unable to help jumping in anger.

Reward distributed successfully.

After the mechanical notification sounded, Naruto felt a cool sensation run through his body, as refreshing as a gulp of ice water on a scorching day.

He tried to sense the flow of chakra inside his body. Sure enough, he could feel the direction in which it moved. The chakra that had once barely responded to him had become active.

It was like an icy spring suddenly boiling. Every cell in his body was nourished by chakra, and a feeling of complete comfort washed over him.

Naruto could not help letting out a cry, thinking, That feels amazing.

"Shikamaru, were my ears broken just now?" Choji tugged at Shikamaru's clothes and looked at Naruto's retreating back. "Naruto said he doesn't want to become Hokage anymore?"

"Wasn't that his dream? Why did he suddenly..."

"Who knows?" Shikamaru's dead-fish eyes shifted as he replied indifferently. "That guy was pretty scary just now. Besides, what's so great about being Hokage?"

"You're busy to death every day and don't even have time to space out."

"Forget that, Naruto is already gone." Choji said. "If Iruka-sensei finds out he skipped class, he'll be in trouble!"

In an inconspicuous corner of the crowd, Hinata watched Naruto leave with a conflicted expression. Class was about to start, but she was afraid something might happen to him.

Naruto... must be suffering right now, right?

Thinking that, Hinata clenched her small hands.

At that moment, she really wanted to chase after him, but she did not have the courage. Stepping forward to try to help him just now had already used up all her courage. And now, in front of so many people...

Without Naruto, the Ninja Academy seemed exceptionally peaceful. Upon learning that Naruto had skipped school that morning, Iruka flew into his usual rage.

No one carried around paint buckets to cause trouble, and no one shouted and made a scene in the Ninja Academy. Everything seemed harmonious.

Even by sunset, Iruka had not found any trace of Naruto on Hokage Rock. The most mischievous child in the class seemed to have vanished from the face of the earth.

Just as Iruka was starting to panic, a soft, sweet voice suddenly rang out.

"Iruka-sensei?"

"Hinata? Why are you here?" Iruka turned around and paused slightly.

The girl stood timidly beneath the orange glow of the setting sun. She lowered her head, not daring to look at him, her face flushed red as though she had been caught doing something bad.

"I... I'm looking for Naruto." Her voice was as faint as a mosquito's. "Naruto didn't come to class all day... I was worried..."

Seeing Hinata's face red enough to bleed, Iruka smiled kindly.

"Little Hinata is worried about Naruto too, aren't you?"

"It's all right. Your teacher will be responsible for finding him. It's already getting late, so you should go home first. Otherwise, Lord Hiashi will worry about you."

"N-No!" Hinata gathered her courage and raised her voice. "Iruka-sensei, I... I want to look for Naruto with you too!"

Iruka was moved. The smile on his face faltered as he looked at the sky, then spoke gently.

"All right, then. We can only look for another half hour. If we still can't find him, Hinata must promise your teacher that you'll go home."

"Okay! Thank you, Iruka-sensei!" Hinata nodded excitedly.

"Huh? You were looking for me?" Naruto looked up at the two of them in confusion, surprised that Hinata was there as well.

"Hinata, why are you here too?" Naruto asked in surprise.

"I..." Hinata lowered her head.

"I asked Hinata to help me look for you," Iruka said, helping her out. "I thought Hinata might know where you were."

"Oh, I see." Naruto scratched his head. "Iruka-sensei, did you come because I skipped class?"