I'm the Man Who Will Become Hokage

The next morning.

"Kurenai, be careful on the way. Oh, right, did you take your lunchbox? Remember to come home early after school..."

"Mm-hmm, okay, I know."

After bidding farewell to her increasingly "nagging" father, Kurenai skipped happily out of the house.

"My ninja career can finally begin. Well... even if I'm only a ninja trainee!" Thinking of the good friend she had met yesterday, Kurenai's heart brimmed with anticipation for her wonderful school life.

Before long, she arrived at the Ninja Academy and found the right classroom.

Although she had gotten up early, six or seven students had already gathered together by the time she entered the classroom.

And at the center of the group they surrounded was none other than her good friend—Shimizu Soseki.

"Shimizu!" In front of strangers, Kurenai managed to restrain her excitement and greeted him with relative composure.

"Yūhi Kurenai!" Soseki rose from his seat and responded happily, then introduced them to each other. "This is Amamiya Maki, this is Mori Ibiki, and this is..."

"Ah, hello! Nice to meet you. Please take care of me!"

"Please take care of me."

Everyone greeted one another somewhat awkwardly. Only when Soseki guided the conversation did their tones begin to grow warmer.

"It's because Soseki is the link connecting everyone!" Kurenai realized, her gaze toward Soseki gleaming faintly.

Under Soseki's deliberate guidance, everyone quickly found common topics to discuss. Gradually, their relationships grew more harmonious.

The freshmen who entered afterward either headed straight for their good friend Soseki or, driven by herd mentality, slowly joined this small group.

As a result, by the time the class bell rang, all the freshmen except for a few who were withdrawn by nature or simply disdainful of the whole thing had gathered around Soseki.

Most of them did not understand what was happening. They simply found it lively and fun, and their fear of the unfamiliar environment vanished without a trace.

But a small number of clear-headed newcomers noticed the astonishing influence Soseki had in bringing people together.

When Yagami Kei entered the classroom full of excitement, he was surprised to find that the chaotic scene the older teachers had described was nowhere to be seen. Nearly every freshman was sitting obediently in their seat. Only after he stepped onto the podium did they shout together:

"Good morning, Teacher!"

Though the chorus was disorderly and mixed with plenty of giggling, making it sound as though they regarded it as a game, Yagami Kei was still moved to tears.

What wonderful children... As Yagami Kei sighed inwardly, he could not help grumbling to himself. Those seniors had gone too far. How could such adorable students be called demons?!

Didn't their consciences hurt?

"Students." Yagami Kei swept his gaze across the room and spoke gently. "I'm your basic studies teacher, Yagami Kei. You may also call me Teacher Yagami."

"I graduated from the Ninja Academy myself, so I understand your hopes and worries very well. In the days ahead, I'll do my best to help all of you. At the same time, please don't feel intimidated. Just think of me as your senior."

"Next, everyone, let's introduce ourselves." Yagami Kei did not do anything special, instead looking at the freshman seated first in the front row. "Kimura, you can begin."

"Yes!" The freshman in the first seat was visibly nervous. He had gone to the wrong classroom, and by the time he found the right one, only the seats at the front remained. "I... I'm Kimura Shinichi. Nice to meet everyone."

Seeing him sit down as soon as he finished, Yagami smiled awkwardly. "That was... well, a concise and clear introduction. But we have plenty of time, so the students after you can tell us a little more about yourselves, such as your hobbies and dreams."

The freshman seated second was far more outgoing. Before the teacher could call on him, he sprang to his feet. "I'm Takitani Ryosuke! My hobby is fighting, and I'm the man who'll conquer the Ninja Academy and become Hokage!"

Yagami Kei gave an awkward chuckle. "That was certainly a forceful declaration. Next..."

"I'm Serizawa Hayato. No hobbies. My dream is to become Hokage!"

"Hey, you in the back, I said I was going to become Hokage first."

"Are you four years old? Becoming Hokage isn't decided by whoever says it first."

"Stop fighting, all of you! The one who'll become Hokage is Kamitsuki Takuma!"

"Idiots, are you trying to start a fight?"

"Come on, then. Don't be afraid to throw the first punch."

Seeing several freshmen about to start brawling in class, Yagami Kei broke out in a cold sweat. Why had things suddenly begun heading in the direction those older teachers had described?

"Wait, everyone, calm down!"

Unfortunately, not only did no one listen to him, quite a few freshmen even egged them on from the side.

"Ooh, fight! Fight!"

At that moment, Soseki, who had been watching quietly, suddenly stood and said, "Takitani, Serizawa, Kamitsuki, could you listen to a few words from me?"

"Huh? It's Soseki. Sure, go ahead." Takitani Ryosuke scratched his head.

"Hmph, I'm only doing this for Soseki's sake." Serizawa Hayato crossed his arms, his face full of haughty pride.

"Huh? Does Soseki want to become Hokage too?" Kamitsuki Takuma looked conflicted.

It was not just the three of them. The students who had been fanning the flames also suddenly fell silent. This change left Yagami Kei with the strange illusion that Soseki, rather than himself, was the teacher.

Soseki asked softly, "Can you tell me why you want to become Hokage?"

"Of course! Hokage is the title held by the strongest ninja in the village!"

"I want everyone in the village to acknowledge me!"

"I haven't thought that far ahead. I just think that if I become Hokage, my parents won't dare hit me anymore!"

Everyone wore strange expressions. The first two reasons were one thing, but was the third one serious?

"My thoughts may be a little different from yours. In my view..." Soseki showed no sign of awkwardness. His sincere gaze swept across the three of them. "It's not that you can only be recognized by everyone after becoming Hokage. It's that only someone recognized by the people can become Hokage!"

For these freshmen, who had yet to form their own views on life, the words were not exactly earth-shattering. Still, they somehow sounded impressive and reasonable.

Yagami Kei, on the other hand, looked somewhat dazed after hearing Soseki's words. "Only someone recognized by the people..."

Seeing everyone's inexplicably excited expressions, Soseki struck while the iron was hot. "No matter how strong one person is, they are still only one person. Trying to bear everything alone will inevitably lead to failure. I'm sure you've all heard the story of the First Hokage and Uchiha Madara, right? The reason the First Hokage became Hokage was precisely because he had the support of the village and his other companions, wasn't it?"

"If you can't even earn the recognition of your classmates, how can you earn the recognition of everyone else in the village?"

In a sense, it was just like those elementary school essays from Soseki's previous life. If you did not cite a few famous examples, then no matter how flowery your writing was, it would not be very convincing.

After all, children did not like listening to too many lofty principles.

After hearing the first part, the three of them had only been vaguely confused. But once he used the First Hokage as an example, their thoughts quickly changed.

"Um... sorry. You guys can be Hokage instead."

"Forget it, you can become Hokage first. I'll line up behind you."

"It's not like I absolutely have to become Hokage. As long as, after you become Hokage, you make sure my parents don't hit me anymore, that's enough."

Seeing this, Yagami Kei could not help but laugh even as he breathed a sigh of relief. What did these kids think the Hokage was?

"And Soseki..." Yagami Kei's gaze settled on the little boy, gentle as Spring Water. "This child has ideals and vision beyond ordinary people. Perhaps he is the one who truly has a chance of becoming Hokage!"