Dream

(Chapter Three: Dream)

The class assignments were soon sorted out, and Ye Han took the seat his teacher had assigned him. He spotted a few familiar faces among his classmates—the kids he used to play with. Hyuga Hiben was in the class too.

The classroom was a little noisy, as the children happily chatted with the familiar faces they saw. It was their first day of school, after all, and everyone was excited. Ye Han took the opportunity to look over his classmates.

Before long, a man around thirty years old stepped up to the podium. The students quieted down. "Ahem! Settle down, everyone. Let me introduce myself. My name is Nakamura Hino, and I'll be your homeroom teacher. I'll be responsible for your studies over the next few years. There's still a lot I'd like to say, but first, let's welcome the Fourth Hokage to speak to us!" With that, he led the applause.

When the students heard that the Fourth Hokage was going to speak, they joined their teacher in applauding. In Konoha Village, the Hokage was the leader and the most respected person in the village. They had all learned that from their parents growing up.

Ye Han was slightly taken aback when he heard "Fourth Hokage." He knew who the Fourth Hokage was—arguably the best-looking man in Naruto. But he had died before the story even began, killed during the Nine-Tails' attack on Konoha. Did that mean the Nine-Tails hadn't attacked Konoha yet?

Soon, a handsome man with blond hair and a sunny expression walked in through the classroom door. He wore a white cloak trimmed with a flame pattern, with the words "Fourth Hokage" embroidered on the back.

The man gradually matched the image of the Fourth Hokage Ye Han had seen in the anime. A gentle aura radiated from him. Ye Han had once been a fan of the Fourth Hokage, and now that he was seeing him in person, he couldn't quite describe how it felt.

Namikaze Minato scratched his head and introduced himself with a smile. "Hello, everyone! My name is Namikaze Minato, and I'm currently the Fourth Hokage of the village. The children gathered here are the village's future hope. You should all study hard. After you graduate, you'll become Genin and true shinobi, protecting the village and your families. If you work hard, perhaps the next Hokage will come from among you."

The classroom fell quiet for a moment. Minato said awkwardly, "Oh! Did I kill the mood? When I was a kid, my dream was to become Hokage, too."

"No, Lord Hokage! We all dream of becoming Hokage, too!"

"That's right! Becoming Hokage is my dream!"

"I'm definitely going to be Hokage!"

The classroom came alive all at once. Ye Han stayed seated, smiling as he watched the lively children freely talk about their dreams. He felt a little envious.

He had a cheat of his own, but there were so many powerful people in the future. The moment he stepped into the shinobi world, his life would be hanging in the balance. Besides, he didn't think he was cut out to be Hokage. He was a bit lazy and liked to eat.

Namikaze Minato took in the expressions on all the students' faces, then smiled. "It looks like many of you share my dream. I believe that if you work hard, one day you'll achieve it. Now, let's introduce ourselves. I'd like to learn everyone's names. As Hokage, I should remember every child in the village, and I'd like to get to know you all. You can also use this chance to get acquainted with one another. Shinobi need to work together, and you never know which of you might become lifelong partners. Let's start over here."

As soon as Minato finished speaking, the first boy in the front row by the wall spoke up. "My name is Yamazaki Kawa. I'm four years old, and I want to become Hokage and protect the village."

"Very good. But you'll have to work hard to achieve your dream."

The next girl stood up. "My name is Fukuda Yumiko. I'm four years old, and I want to become a great kunoichi like Lady Tsunade."

"Lady Tsunade? She's an exceptionally powerful kunoichi." Minato thought of Tsunade, and how she was always sending his teacher Jiraiya flying. His smile turned a little odd.

One by one, the students introduced themselves. The boys mostly wanted to become Hokage or great shinobi, while most of the girls looked up to Tsunade.

Before long, it was Ye Han's turn. He stood up. "Uchiha Ye Han. I'm four years old. My dream is... to stay alive." He sat down as soon as he finished.

Several children whispered among themselves when they heard Ye Han's surname. The Uchiha clan was one of Konoha's two great clans, and it was incredibly powerful.

Minato was slightly taken aback by Ye Han's answer. He hadn't expected a child to have such a dream. Beside him, the homeroom teacher, Nakamura Hino, quietly told him, "Ye Han's parents died in the war. He's all alone now."

Minato nodded. Many children had lost their parents in the war. He himself was an orphan. "I'll do everything I can to make sure every villager can live a happy life," Minato said solemnly, looking at Ye Han with an encouraging gaze, as though he wanted to give him the courage to keep living well.

Ye Han rolled his eyes. He just wanted to survive in this dangerous world. What did the Fourth Hokage have to go and empathize with him for?