Will of Fire

Naruto looked up and discovered that the new student had a handsome face and a dashing demeanor, with fiery red hair that looked like a burning flame.

"Hello everyone, my name is Akimichi Denji. I'm new this semester, I hope you'll all take care of me."

Akimichi Denji flashed a smile and gave a simple introduction.

Uzumaki Naruto's eyes widened. A new student?

Does this mean he hasn't learned ninjutsu or chakra refinement yet?

Doesn't that mean I can finally get rid of the "dead last" label?

Akimichi Choji just looked up, bewildered. He seemed a bit surprised as to why this person shared the same Akimichi surname as him, as he had never seen him within the clan. Moreover, he looked so much like his father, yet his father hadn't mentioned anything about this to him.

But Choji wasn't the type to dwell on such things. After the thought drifted through his mind like a passing cloud, he began to wonder what snacks he should buy with his allowance during lunch.

Three-colored dango it is!

Akimichi Denji walked to his seat and found that his desk mate was a little girl with blonde hair wearing fishnet stockings.

He understood immediately; this was the "Pig" of the Ino-Shika-Cho trio, Yamanaka Ino.

Counter-intuitively, although the Akimichi clan members were physically massive—comparable to Ryoko and as wise as Arnold—they were actually the "Butterfly" clan of the Ino-Shika-Cho trio.

The fundamental reason was that when the Akimichi clan unleashed their ninjutsu, butterfly wings would sprout from their backs, condensing into chakra wings to amplify their techniques.

This was known as the Butterfly Transformation.

And the beautiful Yamanaka Ino belonged to the "Pig" clan of the trio, often referred to as Ino-Pig.

Though called a pig, she would grow up to have a curvaceous, stunning figure. Even though she was still young, her fair face and delicate features indicated that she was destined to be a beauty.

Yamanaka Ino, on the other hand, exclaimed inwardly, Where did this handsome guy come from?

She turned her head, glancing at Akimichi Denji's face from the corner of her eye. She noticed he had inherited Akimichi Choza's red hair, which, paired with his confident smile, looked unrestrained and bold—quite different from the usual Konoha look, possessing a unique charm.

Although his face appeared fair and tender from having spent years in the Land of Rain away from the sun, it happened to hit all of Yamanaka Ino's aesthetic preferences.

He's a different type of handsome than Sasuke! This one is the sunny type!!

But I already have Sasuke, what should I do?

Yamanaka Ino felt troubled.

Akimichi Denji turned his head slightly. Yamanaka Ino felt a bit embarrassed and turned away, seemingly shy about being caught staring.

However, Akimichi Denji ignored her and looked at his interface. Above Yamanaka Ino's head, a line of text had appeared: [Yamanaka Ino's Sentiments].

Focusing his mind, a faint description appeared beneath the small text: [Yamanaka Ino seems to be experiencing her first crush and is secretly distressed by her feelings.]

Akimichi Denji felt secretly delighted. His guess was correct; previously, he had walked on the road for ages without seeing anyone whose wish he could fulfill.

But now, upon entering the classroom, he found that almost everyone had one above their head.

Above Uzumaki Naruto's head: [The Dead Last's Worry]: Naruto seems troubled by his grades because he is the dead last in the class.

Above the wish was a line of red text: [Long-cherished Wish: The Shame of the Demon Fox].

This was the first time he had seen someone with a long-cherished wish. Should he say it? Is this the power of a protagonist?

Regarding the "Shame of the Demon Fox."

Having read the original work, he could naturally guess a thing or two; it was nothing more than being troubled by his identity as the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki and being bullied by the "upstanding citizens" of Konoha.

However, this was not something that could be solved in a short time.

It concerned Naruto and the Nine-Tails, so the village would be watching closely; he couldn't act rashly for now.

I'll plan it slowly.

He looked toward Sasuke.

Wish: [Brother's Recognition]: Sasuke seems to desperately crave his brother's recognition.

Almost everyone had their wishes floating above their heads.

Denji knew he had come to the right place; this would be his loyal fish pond.

"Next, we will discuss the Will of Fire."

On the podium, Iruka-sensei wrote four large characters on the blackboard.

The content of this class was not originally supposed to be about ideology, but because a new transfer student had arrived, the Third Hokage had vaguely hinted that this person's identity was sensitive, with rumors suggesting he was a spy from the Land of Rain.

Having received the Third Hokage's hint, Iruka had temporarily changed the lesson to the Will of Fire, wanting to test everyone's resolve.

"In your opinion, what is the Will of Fire?" Iruka asked.

Naruto raised his hand first, rushing to answer:

"The Will of Fire is—to become Hokage!"

The whole class went silent for a second.

Then, they burst into raucous laughter.

"What kind of nonsense is the dead last spouting!"

"You, becoming Hokage?"

Naruto's face flushed red, but he did not sit down. He clenched his fists and shouted at the top of his lungs:

"I will definitely become Hokage! A Hokage stronger than anyone else!"

Umino Iruka looked on with disdain; he had never liked this "demon fox."

The others ignored him, merely letting out sneers.

Naruto sat down, his face beet red.

The others took turns explaining their thoughts in order.

When it was Sasuke's turn, he spoke up, "It is protection."

Iruka's eyes widened slightly.

"Protecting what?"

"Protecting the name of the Uchiha, protecting everyone in Konoha."

Sasuke's voice was calm and firm, "My brother is in the Anbu. He says the Uchiha is the strongest clan in Konoha and has a duty to protect the weak. The Will of Fire is to become strong and protect Konoha."

It was Hinata's turn.

"Hinata, don't be afraid. Tell us your thoughts."

Hinata stood up slowly, her fingers twisting together, her face flushed to the tips of her ears.

"I... I think..."

Her voice was tiny, like the hum of a mosquito.

"The Will of Fire... is... is..."

Akimichi Denji turned his head to look at her.

He likely did not know what this casual gesture meant to a shy girl.

Realizing Denji was watching, Hinata became even more stuttery.

"It is... like a flame... warming everyone..."

She finally finished.

Hinata's face was as red as a boiled shrimp as she plopped back into her chair, her heart drumming like a beat.

The others scrambled to finish their answers.

Iruka turned his head and nodded, seemingly approving of his answer, before turning again.

He turned to Akimichi Denji and asked, "Student Denji, what do you think the Will of Fire is?"

Iruka had not forgotten that this was the main event of the day; as a returning member of the Akimichi clan, it was necessary to gauge where Akimichi Denji's inclinations lay.

Akimichi Denji stood up steadily, organizing his words.

"I grow up with red hair, so the Will of Fire sounds like it should be red, too.

But in the Land of Rain, fire is a rarity; the most common thing is rain.

From as far back as I can remember, the rain there never stopped, as if it were endless.

Rainwater would soak into your clothes, and there was no stopping it. It would seep into your skin, stealing away all your warmth and leaving me shivering from the cold.

It was freezing there; clothes would never dry, bread would grow moldy, and if you accidentally got a wound, it would rot.

My mother died because her wounds rotted.

There was no rice, no meat, and we were hungry every day. When we had nothing to stave off the hunger, we would drink rainwater mixed with mud."

"It wasn't until I came to Konoha that I learned not all places have rain that never ends.

I walk on the streets of Konoha, and the sunlight shines upon me. It's warm and cozy—a feeling I've never had before."

"Konoha gave me this warmth, and I want to keep it.

I think... the Will of Fire is to become fire yourself, to bring warmth to others, and to ensure that no one else has to shiver from the cold ever again."