Glad You're in My Village

In the back row of the large classroom, Haruno Sakura, a pretty girl with pink hair and a red qipao, shot Naruto a disgusted glance.

As far as she knew, Naruto was always a troublemaker, and today he had actively picked a fight with a classmate.

She quietly turned her head, looking at the aloof, cool, and handsome Sasuke Uchiha beside her, who had been the top student in their grade since childhood. Her eyes crinkled into a smile.

Sasuke rested his elbows on the desk, fingers interlaced under his chin.

He was a perceptive person. The moment Naruto approached the small group, Sasuke had shifted his attention, hearing the entire conversation clearly.

What struck him as strange was that Naruto usually ignored such provocations, but today he had actively engaged, even displaying impressive taijutsu.

Sparring among ninjas was common. At this moment, everyone in the classroom just wanted to know the outcome, or at least how long Naruto could last before being beaten down.

Everyone except Hinata Hyuga, the shy girl with the Byakugan. She sat at her seat, fidgeting, her hands clenched, unsure of what to do.

Looking back at the brawl, a cold smile had appeared on Naruto's face. In the cramped corridor, he agilely dodged the attacks of seven opponents, seizing an opening to deliver a powerful punch.

All seven bore bruises on their faces, yet he remained unharmed, enjoying the fight with a calm demeanor, his muscles instinctively reacting.

The Chakra within him pulsed with vitality during the battle. He was naturally suited for combat, and he would only grow stronger the more he fought!

The gazes of his peers gradually shifted from amusement to disbelief. This change in atmosphere made the seven, who had ganged up on him, feel the sting of their injuries even more acutely.

The humiliated and enraged underdogs finally couldn't bear the shame of the dead last student turning the tables after six years. This was even more painful than Sasuke, the top student, crushing them!

One of them drew a Kunai, and then all seven drew their Kunai!

The glint of the sharp blades was no longer something that fists could block. They slashed towards Naruto's arms and legs, even aiming to trap his neck.

At this moment, Naruto's smile widened, almost splitting his face. The surge of adrenaline finally gave him a genuine thrill.

"Alright! Bring it on!"

He didn't use a Kunai, nor did he even consider blocking. He simply attacked! Charged forward!

With his left hand, he quickly and firmly grabbed the wrist of the person holding the Kunai in front of him, then shoved them forward.

He then spun them around, using them as a shield against the other six, before unleashing a series of precise punches.

Punch to the face! Punch to the face! Another punch to the face!

Finally, he snatched the Kunai, turned the bloodied face of his opponent around, and pressed their head onto his left shoulder. The sharp tip dug into their neck, drawing a trickle of crimson.

The fight could no longer continue.

The moment the other six were forced back by the person being used as a shield, they had completely lost control of the situation.

The disbelief of the onlookers gradually turned into wide-eyed astonishment.

Naruto was still smiling. "Be grateful. Be grateful that you were born in the same village as me. That is your greatest honor."

As he spoke, his eyes seemed unfocused, as if he were declaring an undeniable truth to everyone.

Bored, he pushed away the crying hostage and casually sat down in another empty seat.

The small group stood awkwardly for a few seconds before retreating to their positions in disgrace.

The classroom fell silent and heavy, especially for Haruno Sakura behind Naruto. Her feelings were more complex than ever, realizing he hadn't come to show off to her.

He had won, so why hadn't he flaunted his victory to her?

Although she disliked Naruto, she had always known he liked her.

Even though she felt uncomfortable and would drive him away with disgust when he approached her, she had long grown accustomed to his harassment.

Beep!

The classroom bell rang.

Iruka walked in holding a clipboard. He scanned the room, noticing the unusual silence in a classroom that was normally noisy.

After confirming that all twenty-seven students were present, he cleared his throat and said, "Everyone, look this way and listen carefully."

A row of bruised faces looked up.

Iruka paused but didn't ask any questions. It was normal for young boys to fight. He got straight to the point: "You are all graduates of the academy. You have submitted your ninja registration forms and are now officially ninjas."

"However, you are all new. Therefore, the village will divide you into nine teams of three, each with a Jonin instructor."

The classroom buzzed with excitement again. Students looked around, shouting who they wanted to be with. The loudest cheers came from the girls calling out for Sasuke.

"Quiet," Iruka said, holding up his hand to calm them. "To ensure a balanced distribution of strength among the teams, I have already assigned the lists."

With that, he held up his clipboard and began reading out the names and team assignments.

"Team Seven: Haruno Sakura, Uzumaki Naruto, Sasuke Uchiha."

Naruto hadn't paid much attention to the team assignments initially, but when he heard the result, he raised an eyebrow.

It was because of the word "balanced" that Iruka had mentioned, and Sasuke Uchiha was the universally acknowledged top student.

This meant that, in the teacher's eyes, he was still the weakest, which he found hard to accept.

He raised his hand and said, "Iruka-sensei, I request a class change."

Iruka, having anticipated this, placed his hands on his hips and asked, "Why?"

Naruto stood up and replied, "You said it was to balance our strength, but I don't think it's balanced."

The mischievous child only listened when spoken to sternly, so Iruka explained loudly, "Sasuke has the best grades, Sakura is also a gifted student, and you! You're last!"

Naruto: "But I'm confident I can beat him. It's not unbalanced to have the best fight against the best."

If it were any other time, the classroom would have erupted in laughter and mockery, but at this moment, only two people responded.

Sasuke: "You'll beat me?"

Haruno Sakura: "There's no way you can beat Sasuke!"

Although Naruto had a mature heart, he couldn't deny that Sakura was cute; she was the first girl he had a crush on, his first love.

A man inevitably harbors special feelings for the first person he likes. But for Sakura to deny him for Sasuke's sake made him unhappy.

He looked directly at Sasuke, "Want to fight?"

Meeting each other's gaze, Sasuke nodded without hesitation.

"Stop!" Although Iruka felt Naruto had improved, he still didn't quite believe him, as Naruto had always been full of boasts since he was little.

Most importantly, Team Seven wasn't assigned by him; it was personally designated by the Hokage.

The children's wishes were not important.

He had no choice but to use his adult authority, "Don't mess around! Sit down! I haven't finished reading the list!"

The three sat down, engaging in a silent battle.

Iruka finished reading the last three classes, then clapped his clipboard and said, "The results are decided and will not be changed! The teachers for each class have also been arranged; they will pick you up at the classroom this afternoon. That's all, meeting adjourned, go eat."

Swish!

Naruto and Sasuke stood up simultaneously and walked out.

Iruka immediately blocked them, pointing his finger and saying, "You two stay here and wait quietly!"

The rest of the class took out their bento boxes from their desks, gathered according to the newly formed teams, and went outside to eat.

Although Naruto wanted Iruka to witness his strength, he wasn't in a hurry. Since he was going to win anyway, knowing the outcome was inconsequential.

Sasuke held the same confidence. He returned to his seat, took out the onigiri he had made, and chewed slowly.

Naruto had been away from school for too long and had forgotten to bring his own lunch. He wasn't hungry, so he waited quietly.

But at this moment, something that annoyed him happened.

Haruno Sakura didn't go out to eat. Instead, she walked to Sasuke's desk with her pink bento box, opened the lid, and said, "Sasuke, are you just eating onigiri? My mother made this bento, it's delicious. Would you like to try some?"

Sasuke shook his head heartlessly.

But Haruno Sakura persisted, "Try it. You won't get enough nutrients from just onigiri, and you're still growing."

Naruto felt uncomfortable watching, but interrupting would make him seem petty, so he looked away.

As he turned his head, he saw a girl wearing a loose white hoodie, with short blue-black mushroom-cut hair and pure white eyes, holding her three-tiered red lacquered bento box, slowly walking towards him.

It was Hinata Hyuga.

Reminded by Haruno Sakura's actions, she felt it was reasonable and mustered up the courage to imitate her.

Her cheeks flushed, and she lowered her head, saying, "Naruto, did you not bring a bento? Would you like to eat with me? I can't finish it all by myself."