Will of Fire

Naruto looked up and saw that the new student was handsome, with striking features and a head of fiery red hair.

"Hello, everyone. My name is Akimichi Denji. I'm looking forward to getting along with all of you this new semester."

Akimichi Denji smiled and gave a brief introduction.

Uzumaki Naruto's eyes widened. A new student?

Did that mean he hadn't learned any ninjutsu or the Chakra Refinement Technique yet?

Does this mean I can finally shake off the dead-last label?

Akimichi Choji looked up in confusion. He seemed a little puzzled. Why did this person share his surname? He didn't think he'd ever seen him in the clan. And he looked so much like his father, too. His father had never told him about this.

But Choji wasn't the sort to dwell on things like that. The thought floated through his mind like a cloud, and then he started thinking about lunch—what snacks he could buy with his pocket money.

Three-Color Dango, after all!

Akimichi Denji walked to his seat and saw that the girl sitting beside him had golden hair and wore fishnet stockings.

He knew who she was: Yamanaka Ino, a girl from the Pig branch of the Ino-Shika-Cho clans.

Contrary to what one might expect, although the Akimichi were huge—comparable in size to Ryoko, and as smart as Arno—they belonged to the Butterfly branch of Ino-Shika-Cho.

This was because when the Akimichi used their ninjutsu, butterfly wings made of concentrated chakra grew from their backs, enhancing their techniques.

The technique was called Butterfly Transformation.

Meanwhile, the beautiful Yamanaka Ino belonged to the Pig branch of Ino-Shika-Cho and was often teased as "Ino-pig."

Though they called her a pig, she would grow up to have a curvy figure. She was still young, but her fair skin and delicate features already showed she was destined to be beautiful.

Ino gasped. Where did this handsome guy come from?

She turned her head and stole a glance at Denji. He'd inherited Akimichi Choza's red hair, and with his confident smile, he looked carefree and bold. His appearance was different from the usual Konoha look, giving him a charm all his own.

He'd spent years in the Land of Rain without much sunlight, which had left his skin fair. But that only made him more her type.

He's handsome in a different way from Sasuke! This one's the sunny type!

But I already like Sasuke. What should I do?

Yamanaka Ino fretted to herself.

Akimichi Denji turned his head slightly. Ino felt a little embarrassed and faced the other way, as if she were ashamed he might have noticed something strange about her.

But Denji paid her no mind. He turned to look at the panel, where a line of text had appeared above Yamanaka Ino's head: [Yamanaka Ino's Affection].

When he focused, a faint description appeared beneath it: [Yamanaka Ino seems to be experiencing the stirrings of love and is secretly troubled by her feelings.]

Akimichi Denji was quietly excited. His guess had been right. Before, he could walk around for ages without seeing a single wish he could fulfill.

But now, the moment he stepped into the classroom, he found that almost everyone had one above their head.

Above Uzumaki Naruto's head was [Worried About Being Dead Last]: Naruto seemed troubled about his grades because he ranked last in class.

There was another line beneath the wish, written in large red letters: [Long-cherished Wish: Shame of the Demon Fox].

This was the first time he'd seen anyone with a long-cherished wish above their head. He had to admit, as expected of the protagonist.

As for "Shame of the Demon Fox"...

Having read the original story, Denji could guess what it meant. Naruto was probably troubled by his status as the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki and bullied by Konoha's fine citizens.

But there was no way to resolve that right away.

It involved Naruto and the Nine-Tails, so the village would be watching closely. He couldn't act recklessly for now.

He'd have to take it one step at a time.

He looked at Sasuke.

Wish [His Brother's Approval]: Sasuke seemed to really want his older brother's approval.

Almost everyone had a wish floating above their head.

Denji knew he'd come to the right place. This would be his very own pond, full of fish.

"Next, we'll be discussing the Will of Fire."

At the front of the classroom, Iruka-sensei wrote four large characters on the blackboard.

This lesson hadn't originally been meant to cover ideology. But with a new student joining the class, the Third had subtly hinted that the boy's identity was sensitive and that there were rumors he might be a spy from the Land of Rain.

After receiving the Third's hint, Iruka had changed the lesson to cover the Will of Fire at the last minute. He wanted to see where everyone stood.

"What does the Will of Fire mean to you?" Iruka asked.

Naruto raised his hand first and eagerly called out,

"The Will of Fire means—becoming Hokage!"

The whole class fell silent for a second.

Then they burst out laughing.

"What nonsense is the dead last talking about?"

"You think you can become Hokage?"

Naruto's face flushed red, but he didn't sit down. He clenched his fists and shouted,

"I'm definitely going to become Hokage! A Hokage stronger than anyone else!"

Umino Iruka looked even more disdainful. He'd never liked that "Demon Fox."

The others ignored Naruto and just snickered.

Naruto sat down, his face bright red.

Everyone took turns explaining their answers.

When it was Sasuke's turn, he said, "It means protecting."

Iruka's eyes widened slightly.

"Protecting what?"

"Protecting the Uchiha name and everyone in Konoha."

Sasuke's voice was calm and firm. "My older brother is in Anbu. He says the Uchiha are the strongest clan in Konoha and have a duty to protect the weak.

"The Will of Fire means growing stronger and protecting Konoha."

Then it was Hinata's turn.

"Hinata, don't be afraid. Tell us what you think."

Hinata rose slowly, twisting her fingers together. Her face had already turned red to the tips of her ears.

"I... I think..."

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

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

Denji turned to look at her.

He might not have realized what that casual glance meant to a shy girl.

When Hinata noticed Denji watching her, she became even more tongue-tied.

"It's... like a flame... warming everyone..."

At last, she managed to finish.

Hinata's face was as red as a boiled shrimp. She dropped back into her chair, her heart pounding like a drum.

Everyone eagerly took their turn answering.

Iruka turned and nodded, seeming to approve of his answer, then turned again.

He looked toward Akimichi Denji and asked, "Denji, what do you think the Will of Fire means?"

Iruka hadn't forgotten that Denji was the real focus of the lesson. As a returning member of the Akimichi clan, it was important to find out where he stood.

Akimichi Denji stood up calmly and gathered his thoughts.

"I was born with red hair, and the Will of Fire sounds red, too.

"But in the Land of Rain, fire is rare. The most common thing there is rain.

"Ever since I can remember, it rained nonstop, as if it would never end.

"The rain soaked through my clothes. There was no stopping it. It seeped into my skin and took away all the warmth, leaving me shivering.

"It was cold there. Clothes never dried, bread went moldy, and even a small wound could rot.

"My mother died because her wound rotted.

"There was no rice, no meat. We were hungry every day. When we had nothing to eat, we drank rainwater mixed with dirt."

"It wasn't until I came to Konoha that I learned it didn't rain constantly everywhere.

"When I walked down the streets of Konoha, the sunlight fell on me. It was warm—a feeling I'd never had before."

"Konoha gave me that warmth, and I want to hold on to it.

"I think... the Will of Fire means becoming a flame yourself and bringing warmth to others, so they don't have to shiver in the cold anymore."