Sarutobi Hiruzen's Speech

Umino Iruka looked at the blond boy before him with a complicated expression. Although the Hokage had told him about Naruto beforehand, he still instinctively thought of his parents, who had died during the Nine Tails Rampage. The hatred in his heart surged uncontrollably.

He kept reminding himself that Naruto was only a child. He had done nothing wrong. The one truly responsible for all of it was the Nine-Tails inside him.

Iruka took a deep breath and said sternly, "Naruto, today is the first day of school. You need to tell me why you're late."

Sensing the hostility that had suddenly risen from him and then abruptly faded, Naruto gave him a strange look. He already knew who this man with the horizontal scar across his nose was.

Umino Iruka, a fairly decent teacher.

Naruto gave him some face and answered, "I was practicing ninjutsu yesterday and went to bed too late, so I overslept."

Iruka frowned, then recalled what the Hokage had told him yesterday. Though Naruto was only around six years old, he trained exceptionally hard and was already stronger than ordinary Chunin. His talent was even more terrifying than Kakashi's had been when he became a Chunin at eight.

Iruka could not help rubbing his forehead with a sigh. The Hokage had really given him a difficult problem. Naruto was already so strong, so what was he doing at the Ninja Academy? Iruka was only a Chunin himself, and not even the combat type. What if, when the time came to discipline Naruto, he got beaten up instead?

By then, quite a few children had noticed what was happening over there.

"Uncle, can I go to the classroom first?"

Seeing Iruka frown and sigh again, Naruto did not want to stay there and stand out with him.

Iruka came back to his senses and asked, "Hm? Why are you in such a hurry to get to the classroom? The Hokage is still giving his speech."

"Speeches are too boring. I'm going to the classroom to claim a good seat."

He wanted to claim a spot suitable for sleeping. As for Sarutobi Hiruzen's speech, it was just the same old Will of Fire rhetoric repeated over and over. There was really nothing interesting about it.

"This..."

Naruto had been so blunt that Iruka froze for a moment, and his expression became even sterner.

"Naruto, the Hokage's lessons about the Will of Fire are very profound. They are very meaningful for you all."

Naruto had already turned away. He raised a hand and waved it at Iruka. "It's fine, Uncle. I know the Hokage well. I understand all that stuff."

Naruto quickly disappeared from the square, leaving Iruka alone in the wind, utterly bewildered.

"That guy really has no manners."

"He's that one, right?"

"Yeah, that one. My parents told me not to get close to him."

"That's right. If you get close to him, he'll definitely eat you."

Countless hushed voices rose from the crowd. Most of the children who saw the scene began whispering among themselves, though a few were different.

"Shikamaru, is he Uzumaki Naruto?"

A chubby little boy with two swirl-like markings on his cheeks asked the listless pineapple-haired boy beside him.

"Yeah. Our parents told us to take better care of him at school, but he doesn't seem easy to get along with."

Nara Shikamaru could not help yawning. He then turned to look at the glamorous Third Hokage on the stage. This was troublesome too. Who knew how much longer he would keep talking?

"Let's treat him to chips later."

Akimichi Choji thought of the chips in his backpack, his expression reluctant. Then Yamanaka Ino appeared in his field of vision.

Her golden ponytail swayed gently in the wind. Her mouth was slightly open, her face faintly flushed, and her eyes sparkled. Ino was completely captivated.

"Ino, are you okay?" Choji worriedly patted his friend on the shoulder.

Ino immediately snapped back to her senses, wiped her mouth, and said embarrassedly, "I didn't expect there to be another handsome guy besides Sasuke. And he even looks kind of bad."

"Uh..."

Choji scratched his head and gave a foolish grin. Shikamaru still looked listless, inwardly grumbling, Girls are such a pain.

Two others showed unusual attitudes toward Naruto.

One was a little girl with black hair and pale eyes, as delicate as a porcelain doll. Looking at Naruto's departing back, she revealed a happy expression. The class assignments had actually been decided long ago. She and Naruto-kun were in the same class. She wanted to become true friends with Naruto-kun.

The other was a cool-looking boy with black hair, black eyes, and choppy bangs.

Sasuke stared solemnly in the direction Naruto had disappeared, fierce fighting spirit blazing in his eyes. That blond-haired guy was strong. More importantly, even his brother, Uchiha Itachi, considered that blond-haired guy strong.

As an Anbu, Uchiha Itachi had naturally learned about Naruto from his colleagues. At only six years old, he already possessed the strength of a Chunin. He was probably the most talented student among this year's intake.

"Cough, cough, cough."

On the stage, Sarutobi Hiruzen cleared his throat and used Chakra to amplify his voice, drawing the many students' attention back to himself.

A smile remained on his face, as though Naruto's actions had not affected him in the slightest.

"Children, the village is our shared home. Every villager living in it should be our family. We should not be hostile toward them, much less exclude them. If a family member strays onto the wrong path, what we should do is guide them, not hurt them..."