"Damn, what kind of ridiculous name is Ito Makoto?" a boy suddenly blurted out. The remark instantly drew everyone's attention.
It was Ueda Shin, the suspected Transmigrator. Surprisingly, he hadn't said it in the language of this world. He'd spoken in the language of Ito Makoto's previous life.
That confirmed it: Ueda Shin was a Transmigrator. He could speak that language, and he'd reacted to the name Ito Makoto. Maybe he came from the same world.
At the same time, Ito Makoto took the opportunity to quietly observe everyone's reactions from the front of the classroom.
Most people looked confused and had no idea what he was saying. Only Senju Kotoha and Yamanaka Ino showed a trace of surprise. That made it even more likely that they were Transmigrators.
Ueda Shin knew he'd spoken the language of his previous life, but he didn't seem interested in hiding it. Eager to show off, he shouted,
"Idiot! What's so great about being a Chunin? You say that's your dream? Is there something wrong with your brain?"
"If you want to be strong, you should at least aim to be a Jonin or the Hokage. Saying you want to be a Chunin is just embarrassing."
Ito Makoto didn't argue. Other people's opinions didn't matter. And if a potential enemy like Ueda Shin misunderstood him, that was even better.
But Iruka interrupted Ueda Shin's mockery. He hadn't understood the first thing Ueda Shin said, but he understood the words that followed.
"I don't think there's anything wrong with wanting to become a Chunin." Iruka patted Ito Makoto on the shoulder. "Grand ambitions can be inspiring, but practical, down-to-earth wishes shouldn't be ridiculed either.
"Neither is better than the other. Both can point you in the right direction in life. Besides, I'm a Chunin myself. Jonin are certainly powerful, but they started as Chunins too. Chunins are also pillars of the village."
Seeing Iruka stand up for Ito Makoto, Ueda Shin clicked his tongue in disdain, clearly unconvinced.
Ito Makoto returned to his seat without a ripple of emotion. Ueda Shin's mockery had barely been a breeze brushing past him.
After experiencing the conflicts between the Uchiha Clan and the Hyuga Clan firsthand, he'd learned not to be moved by this kind of verbal provocation. Compared to schemes involving gouging out eyes, imprisoning people, and forcing them to die in someone else's place, Ueda Shin was playing at being a child.
Back at his seat, Sakura couldn't help trying to comfort him.
"I think becoming a Chunin is a fine goal. Aunt Mika is a medical Chunin, and she can still hold her own. Becoming a ninja like her is my dream too."
What an unexpected bonus. Ueda Shin had done him a good turn: he'd revealed himself and helped Sakura get over her anger. What a nice guy.
He assured Sakura he was fine, then continued keeping an eye on the other people of interest.
"My name is Nara Shikamaru. I like taking naps, and my dream is to live a leisurely, peaceful life."
Ito Makoto gave Shikamaru a thumbs-up. That dream aligned perfectly with his own preferences. He wanted to live a leisurely life too, but things never went as planned. To face the challenges ahead, he'd been forced to get mixed up with Might Guy.
"My name is Yamanaka Ino. I like flower arranging, and my dream is to fall in love with a handsome guy."
Hearing Ino, Iruka-sensei couldn't help wiping the sweat from his brow. Were kids really this precocious nowadays?
"My name is Akimichi Choji. I like barbecue, and my dream is to have an endless supply of snacks."
A simple wish.
Next up was one of the key figures: the Transmigrator, Ueda Shin.
He sprang to his feet. Then his lower body turned into flames, and he flew up to the front of the classroom before resuming his normal form. He'd put on quite a display of his movement technique.
The only one suffering was Iruka, who'd been roasted by the flames and was now sweating all over.
"My name is Ueda Shin. I'm a man, I like women, and my dream is to become the Hokage, marry countless beautiful women, and build a huge harem."
Ito Makoto was stunned. So were all the students. Even Iruka was stunned.
What kind of shameless thing was he saying? This was a classroom at school. What did he think this place was? It was bad enough to have those thoughts, but he'd actually shouted them out in class. Did he have no shame at all?
At his brazen declaration, every girl in the class looked disgusted.
"Pervert!" Sakura and Senju Kotoha muttered in unison.
"Ueda Shin, you still have to respect a girl's wishes when it comes to romance. Besides, Konoha is monogamous. Even if you become the Hokage, you can't have a harem."
Iruka tried to explain as best he could. He really didn't understand kids these days. He was only sixteen, yet he already felt out of touch with them.
"Doesn't matter. I'll become the Hokage sooner or later. Then I'll change the marriage laws."
Ueda Shin thumped his chest proudly.
What the hell was this? Even Ito Makoto was at a loss for words. Was this Transmigrator, Ueda Shin, treating the world like a game and everyone in it like NPCs? He didn't care about anyone else at all. Everything revolved around him.
Iruka was at a loss too. He hadn't expected his first time teaching to involve such a difficult situation. The kid didn't just have wicked ideas—he already had a concrete plan, and he wanted to put it into action someday.
How could such a young child have such bizarre ideas? Had he read too much Icha Icha Paradise and mistaken the world for the one in the books?
If so, Lord Jiraiya was truly guilty beyond redemption. Iruka grumbled to himself.
But by now, he knew it was time to bring down the educator's iron fist.
He punched Ueda Shin on the head and shouted,
"Where did you get such wicked ideas, you little brat? Shut your mouth and think about what you've done!"
But it was no use. Ueda Shin's head turned into flames, and the punch went right through.
Then he turned completely into flames and flew back to his seat.
"So it's just as I thought! You can't understand the ideas of someone bringing about a great change. Iruka-sensei, you're too stubborn and old-fashioned."
Ueda Shin tapped a finger against his forehead, putting on a profound air.
"No matter how many obstacles stand in my way, I'll make my dream come true."
Iruka covered his face with the list in his hands.
"Ueda Shin, bring your parents to school tomorrow."
"Iruka-sensei, I don't have any parents."
What? Was he an orphan too, like Iruka? Iruka felt a pang of sympathy. But he immediately pushed it aside. That was all the more reason not to let the boy keep growing up so twisted. He was a promising talent.
"Then go run laps on the field. Right now. Don't stop until I say so."
Iruka roared.
"Yeah, yeah, I got it." Ueda Shin picked at his ear, unconcerned, and walked out of the classroom.
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