Seats

As the final moments approached, a major figure arrived: the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi.

He was accompanied by a blond boy and a blond girl, who flanked him like a golden boy and girl.

It was clear he had come specifically to escort Naruto Uzumaki and Senju Kotoha to school.

For a politician like Hiruzen Sarutobi, such a small gesture to bridge the gap with the Nine-Tailed Fox jinchūriki was an opportunity he would never miss. After all, it cost nothing—no price to pay, just simple companionship—to easily secure the trust and gratitude of an ignorant child.

Thanks to the Third Hokage's presence, Naruto Uzumaki was exceptionally excited and grateful. Senju Kotoha, however, remained indifferent and composed.

In the original plot, even after the Third Hokage died and the truth was revealed, Naruto still clung to the gratitude and sentimentality of his childhood, doing everything in his power to protect Konoha Hidden Village and fulfill his dream of becoming Hokage.

In terms of results, the Third Hokage's strategy was undoubtedly a success. By playing the emotional card, he maintained control over the Nine-Tailed Fox, a powerful weapon, while fostering a deep attachment in Naruto toward both himself and the title of Hokage.

However, using such manipulative tactics—creating a predicament for someone only to "save" them later to earn their gratitude—was utterly shameful when used against a child.

Because of the Hokage's appearance, the crowd spontaneously cleared a path, allowing the Third Hokage to walk to the very front.

At this moment, the Third Hokage appeared incredibly approachable, constantly greeting those around him. One would never guess he was one of the culprits who had forced Hizashi to his death.

With the Hokage's endorsement, the crowd stopped mentioning Naruto's identity as the Nine-Tailed Fox or questioning Senju Kotoha's background.

This made Naruto Uzumaki idolize the Third Hokage. In his simple mind, if he became Hokage, no one would ever call him a "Nine-Tailed brat" again, and he would finally gain the recognition of the masses.

With the Hokage in attendance, the Ninja Academy entrance ceremony began.

The entrance ceremony at the Ninja Academy was extremely simple: students found their respective instructors and then lined up on the playground to watch the proceedings.

Afterward, the Third Hokage stepped onto the podium and delivered a speech about the so-called Will of Fire.

Many of the children below were stirred to passion, seemingly willing to sacrifice their lives for the village on the spot.

Listening to the Third Hokage's speech, Ito Makoto felt a sense of profound strangeness. Was this Third Hokage serious?

"Where the leaves dance, the fire burns. The light of the fire will illuminate the next generation."

It sounded quite convincing, containing the philosophy of sacrificing oneself for the sake of the children.

Yet, under the Third Hokage's governance, the reality was exactly the opposite.

The graduation age for Ninja Academy students was never high; the standard age was twelve. However, Might Guy, who only knew taijutsu, graduated at seven, and Uchiha Obito, known as a dead-last, graduated at nine. Ordinary children who weren't dead-lasts certainly graduated no later than nine.

These children were sent to the battlefield at such a young age that their survival rates were predictable.

This also resulted in the extremely short average lifespan of a ninja, which did not exceed forty years.

However, the Third Hokage's generation—including Shimura Danzō, Utatane Koharu, and Mitokado Homura—were all known for their longevity, a rarity in the ninja world. The Third Hokage was already over sixty.

Such instances of the village leadership collectively surviving to old age were extremely rare throughout the ninja world.

The price for this achievement was the sacrifice of countless young people and children.

And he had the nerve to talk about caring for the next generation and sacrificing for the children? It was a joke; it was clearly the children sacrificing themselves to protect the old men.

Watching the Third Hokage speak without blushing or losing his breath, Ito Makoto silently gave him a thumbs-up. As expected of a politician, his skin was truly thick.

Following this, the entrance ceremony concluded, and the students were led to their classrooms.

Under the teacher's guidance, the students began to choose their seats.

The chairs in the classroom were arranged in three columns—left, center, and right. Each column had three rows of three chairs, perfectly accommodating twenty-seven students.

Ito Makoto found a seat in the back row by the window; as the saying goes, the back row by the window is the hometown of kings.

Sakura followed Ito Makoto to the back and sat directly beside him.

"Sakura, why did you come over here?" Ito Makoto asked, somewhat puzzled. Logically, shouldn't Sakura be looking for Sasuke? In the story, Sakura had always been infatuated with Sasuke.

This wasn't him being pretentious; he truly viewed Sakura as a younger sister. There were no other ulterior motives.

Although he had often joked about "loli is justice" while watching anime in his previous life, now that he was in reality, he had no interest in lolis.

After all, what was a three-year-old loli? In his previous life, that was a child who might have just stopped wearing split-crotch pants and couldn't even speak clearly. Who would have designs on a child that age? Even in this world, where children developed faster and matured earlier, three was still just a little brat.

Ito Makoto's soul was that of an adult; even if his body had shrunk, his aesthetic preferences remained focused on older women. Even if Sakura was the heroine and would grow up to be a beauty, he still viewed her as a younger sister.

"What, is it not allowed? A-Cheng, could it be that you dislike me?" Sakura tilted her head and questioned him.

Seeing the dangerous glint in Sakura's eyes, Ito Makoto gave a sheepish smile.

"No—no, not at all."

Since gaining chakra, Sakura's punching power had been increasing, almost changing day by day.

If she got angry and punched him, even with his Senju Clan body and rigorous taijutsu training, he wouldn't be able to handle it and would be in immense pain.

Moreover, because his genius talent had been noted by Mika, Mika tended to turn a blind eye to Sakura's occasional outbursts. If he went to complain, his mother might even call him petty.

Coupled with his adult soul, the restraint within him made it impossible for him to bicker with Sakura, whom he saw as a little sister.

Ito Makoto and Sakura were the first to pick their seats, and the others began to settle in one by one.

In the original plot, Sakura, Sasuke, and Naruto sat in the same row. Now, without Sakura, Yamanaka Ino, who was captivated by Sasuke's handsomeness, naturally wanted to sit with him.

But just as she tried to pull her friends along, as if by fate, Naruto snatched a seat first, sitting right next to Sasuke. With only one seat left in that row of three, Ino couldn't abandon her friends, so Yamanaka Ino was dragged away by Yamanaka Masami to sit elsewhere. The remaining seat was snatched up by Hinata.

Senju Kotoha walked to the back row and sat down next to Sakura. Ueda Shin, who had originally wanted to take the seat next to Sakura, was squeezed out and had to find a random seat elsewhere.

Why did Senju Kotoha sit here? Ito Makoto grew suspicious; could it be that she suspects I am a transmigrator?

Ito Makoto recalled his actions. Throughout the entire process, he had not exposed any words or deeds that would betray his status as a transmigrator. He hadn't used any special powers either. His Sharingan and Rinnegan were both concealed behind sunglasses, making it impossible for outsiders to discover them.

There shouldn't be any flaws. He fell into deep thought.

Seeing that all the students had found their seats, Umino Iruka stood on the podium and said with a smile, "Students, I am your homeroom teacher, Umino Iruka. For the next few years, I will be by your side as you go through your studies at the Ninja Academy. If you have any difficulties or needs, you can come directly to me."

"Then can I also come to you if I want to eat Ichiraku Ramen?" Naruto Uzumaki asked excitedly.

"That is also possible," Umino Iruka said with an awkward expression, "it's just that a teacher's salary isn't very high, so you all need to be careful not to empty out my wallet!"

"What an idiot, don't cause trouble for the teacher!" Sasuke glanced at Naruto and said.

"Hey! Who are you calling an idiot?" Naruto Uzumaki instantly bristled, glaring at Sasuke as if they were natural-born enemies.