First Meeting with Iruka

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Hearing Sarutobi Hiruzen's resolute words,

Mitokado Homura was also taken aback. After a brief silence, he slowly nodded and said, "I hope you're right, Hiruzen. Maybe I really am being too sensitive and overthinking things..."

"Hehe, don't worry, Homura. Menma will definitely become one of our village's staunchest pillars in the future, just like Minato and Kushina!"

Seeing that his close friend had ultimately approved of his decision, Sarutobi Hiruzen's aged face broke into a faint smile.

Although, as Hokage, he could make certain decisions unilaterally, it was still best to have the recognition and support of others!

Especially when Mitokado Homura had been his close friend for forty or fifty years!

If even his closest friend couldn't understand and support him, that would be a serious problem!

The night passed quietly.

Then dawn gradually arrived.

April had come.

The breath of spring grew ever stronger.

A gentle breeze blew, carrying slowly drifting cherry blossoms.

They added a touch of warmth to Konohagakure.

Today was the annual enrollment day for the Konohagakure Ninja Academy, and the atmosphere throughout the village had become exceptionally lively.

Early in the morning, countless children could already be heard chattering excitedly throughout the streets!

Even before registration had begun,

many parents were already flocking toward the Ninja Academy with their children!

Menma had risen early as well. After quickly finishing breakfast, he did not head out right away, because Sarutobi Hiruzen had previously told him that someone would come pick him up on registration day and take him to the Ninja Academy!

As for who it would be,

Sarutobi Hiruzen had not said.

But Menma could roughly guess. It was none other than Umino Iruka, the one who had lost his parents on the night of the Nine-Tails' Rampage!

A young Konoha Ninja with a little talent, but not much!

If nothing unexpected happened,

this man would be the first "most important" close person Sarutobi Hiruzen had arranged for Menma!

For Sarutobi Hiruzen to entrust him with such an important task,

it was enough to show that Iruka's abilities and loyalty were trusted by Sarutobi Hiruzen without reservation!

After all, the current Konohagakure was not the Konoha of thirty or forty years ago!

The Nine-Tails Jinchuriki held extraordinary significance for Konoha. Not just anyone was qualified or authorized to approach Menma, much less teach him!

Just look at the treatment the protagonist received while growing up in the Original Work!

Everyone allowed to approach the protagonist had Sarutobi Hiruzen's approval. After graduation, his Jonin instructor was Kakashi, a direct subordinate of the Fourth Hokage and a ninja qualified to become Hokage himself!

Menma would absolutely receive the same treatment in this life.

Sarutobi Hiruzen would never allow someone as important as Menma to slip beyond his control!

Either Hiruzen himself or those he trusted most would be allowed to approach Menma!

Menma had only waited at home for about half an hour.

Knock, knock, knock!

A crisp knocking sound came from outside the door.

Through his perception, which he neither possessed nor could currently control, Menma sensed a Chakra presence outside that was not particularly powerful.

Menma's brows immediately rose.

Has he arrived?

He strode forward to the entrance and gently pulled open the door.

A young man in Konoha's standard-issue vest appeared before Menma's eyes.

That "familiar" gentle face and the scar across his nose.

Umino Iruka!

The moment he saw the visitor,

the man's name surfaced in Menma's mind.

In the Original Work, he had deeply influenced the protagonist. He was the first important supporting character to acknowledge the protagonist and be acknowledged in turn, someone the protagonist regarded as an older brother.

Menma's feelings at this moment were somewhat complicated as well.

Because judging from the Original Work's plot,

Iruka was at least one of the rare people in the Original Work whose recognition of the protagonist was untainted by politics or any other unnecessary factors. He had simply been moved by the protagonist and come to acknowledge him.

He was the protagonist's first White Moonlight!

You're a naturally gentle person. If possible, I hope we can get along well too!

Menma looked up at Iruka calmly, thinking silently to himself as he softly asked, "Um? Are you the person Grandpa Third said would come pick me up?"

"Yes, little Menma. I'm a teacher at the Ninja Academy, and I'll also be your homeroom teacher from now on—Umino Iruka. You can call me Teacher Iruka!"

Iruka bent down slightly, gently patting Menma's little head with a warm expression as he said with a light smile.

Although Iruka's feelings toward Menma were still complicated at this point,

there was still a trace of resentment within them.

But first, as Iruka himself had said to Menma, he truly was a naturally gentle person. Second, Iruka understood very clearly the relationship between Menma and the Nine-Tails. As a Chunin entrusted by Sarutobi Hiruzen with such an important task, it was impossible for him not to know what a Jinchuriki was!

But his parents had died on the night of the Nine-Tails' Rampage, after all!

To say that Iruka held no reservations toward Menma whatsoever would certainly be a lie. He was simply doing a good job of restraining those emotions!

Perhaps, in Iruka's eyes,

Menma was merely a pitiful child as well.

"Yes, Teacher Iruka!"

Naturally, Menma did not know about Iruka's complicated feelings. The Mind's Eye of the Kagura was not so absurdly powerful that it could see into people's hearts. It was merely a powerful Chakra-based enemy detection ability, though Menma could catch slight changes in human emotions.

That was only possible because he was the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki.

The Malice Perception ability came with it to some extent!

He could naturally detect negative emotions, but only a little bit!

Menma was only six years old now!

"Mm, then let's go. It's about time!"

With a gentle expression, Iruka extended his right hand toward Menma.

Even without the Original Work as a reference,

the fact that Iruka could treat Menma this way was truly rare and commendable!

At the very least, he was worthy of his identity as a teacher!

"Mm!"

Without the slightest hesitation, Menma extended his left hand and took Iruka's. The two figures, one large and one small, left the run-down apartment building.

They headed straight for the Konohagakure Ninja Academy.

Along the way, parents taking their children to the Ninja Academy could be seen everywhere, and the overwhelming majority of them were civilians!

The moment these people saw Menma, their expressions changed, and the undisguised malice in their eyes was plain to see.

Only upon noticing Iruka in Konoha's standard-issue vest did they barely restrain themselves and withdraw it.

Menma could naturally sense that naked malice.