Senior Students and Seniors

"Oh, right. I almost forgot."

As he slowly approached Itachi, Yu seemed to suddenly remember something. A devilish smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.

"I told you last time that if you did it again, I'd punch right through your head..."

After he finished speaking, Yu gently raised his right index finger and pointed it at Itachi's head like a gun.

"N-no... don't kill me..."

Staring at Yu's finger pointed at his head,

Itachi's face had completely crumpled with fear.

He could easily imagine that if Yu actually unleashed that attack, his head would be smashed like a watermelon.

"Bang!!"

Yu looked at Itachi, who was on the verge of wetting himself, with amusement.

A sly glint flashed across Yu's face, and he deliberately made a "bang" sound.

At once,

Itachi fell to the ground.

His eyes rolled back and he foamed at the mouth. Yu had actually scared him unconscious!

"Tch... You really are a scaredy-cat."

"I have no idea how someone like you will ever become a ninja..."

Yu looked at Itachi, who had been scared unconscious right in front of him.

He curled his lip disdainfully and turned his gaze to the pineapple-head boy beside him, who was completely dumbstruck.

"By the way, I haven't asked your name yet."

Ever since they met, Yu had felt that the boy looked familiar.

But it seemed like something was missing from his face, and he couldn't quite put his finger on what.

"I... I-I..."

"My name is Iruka. Umino Iruka..."

When he noticed Yu looking at him, the pineapple-head boy seemed to snap out of a dream. He stammered so badly he could barely get a sentence out.

Though he was two or three years younger than Yu,

he had just witnessed the astonishing strength Yu had displayed.

The pineapple-head boy had never imagined that a newcomer who had just enrolled in the Ninja Academy could be that powerful.

Iruka?

So that was who he was!

As soon as the pineapple-head boy gave his name, Yu suddenly understood.

He was missing the horizontal scar across his nose. No wonder Yu hadn't recognized him.

Umino Iruka—the Chunin teacher at Konoha Ninja Academy in the original story, and the homeroom teacher of the main characters Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura.

He was also Naruto's first mentor in life. His parents, both Konoha Jonin, had died during the Nine-Tails' attack.

Though his strength was only average, he played a crucial role in shaping the path Naruto Uzumaki took as he grew up.

"Iruka, huh..."

Yu studied the timid boy standing before him, a helpless look appearing on his handsome little face.

"You get bullied by two classmates from the Ninja Academy? You're pretty useless, aren't you?"

It was true that Iruka's parents were both Jonin in Konoha.

But in the original story, Iruka's strength was only enough to make him an ordinary Chunin instructor at the Ninja Academy.

He couldn't even beat Mizuki, that deadbeat who was also a Chunin instructor there.

From the perspective of a transmigrator, Iruka's strength really was a bit disappointing.

"I can't help it..."

"Not everyone is born with a talent for being a ninja like you, Yu."

Feeling Yu's disdainful gaze, Iruka gave a bitter smile.

He had been born with only mediocre talent as a ninja. He really was a disgrace to his parents, who had both been Jonin in Konoha.

"Besides, my dream..."

"Is to become a teacher at the Ninja Academy one day. I'd be perfectly happy with that!"

But as soon as Iruka brought up his dream for the future, a look of longing immediately lit up his young face.

All right, all right... As long as you're happy!

You happy, you good!

Watching the glow of his dream shine across Iruka's face, Yu couldn't help rolling his eyes.

Since Iruka would be the future main characters' homeroom teacher, Yu couldn't bring himself to discourage him.

"Mitaraishi Anko and Uzuki Yugao, huh..."

Yu shifted his gaze to Mitaraishi Anko and Uzuki Yugao beside him.

Noticing that the liquid holding the two girls' feet in place was gradually spreading apart, Yu smiled.

"Anyway, thanks for your help today."

After all, the two girls had gone out of their way to stop Itachi and the others, trying to protect him, a new student at the Ninja Academy.

They hadn't really been able to help, but he still ought to thank them, right?

Well, it was a matter of basic manners.

"Rude brat!"

As soon as Yu spoke, a vein popped on Mitaraishi Anko's forehead. Gritting her teeth, she said, "You should call us senpai or seniors!"

"Sure, Anko. See you later, Anko."

Yu ignored Mitaraishi Anko's angry glare. With a teasing smile, he turned away. "I should get back. I'll leave the mess here to you and Senior Yugao..."

"See you around!"

With that, all the girls and Iruka were left watching Yu wave as he walked away.

"Damn..."

"What an arrogant little brat!"

Anko glared furiously at Yu's retreating figure, grinding her teeth. "He calls Yugao 'senior,' but he just calls me Anko..."

"Giggigigi..."

Seeing Anko gritting her teeth beside her, the charming Yugao couldn't help covering her mouth as she chuckled.

Her gaze remained fixed on Yu's figure as it gradually disappeared beneath the setting sun, and an unfamiliar ripple stirred in her heart.

Yakushi Hane, huh...

What an interesting person.

Time slipped by like sand through one's fingers, and the days passed one after another.

Ever since enrolling at the Ninja Academy, Yu had been studying ninja theory and the basics there.

He had already mastered the Transformation Technique, Clone Technique, and Substitution Technique.

These were the most practical basic ninjutsu in a ninja battle. They were simple, but could often turn the tide of a fight.

After enrolling, just as everyone had expected,

the Uchiha Clan's genius, Shisui, had begun to show off his remarkable talent as soon as he entered the Ninja Academy.

Whether it was ninjutsu, Taijutsu, ninja tools, or ninja theory, Uchiha Shisui had scored near the top of the class in every subject.

But what no one had expected was that

although Uchiha Shisui was exceptionally talented, he had only taken second place at the Ninja Academy.

The top spot had been firmly claimed by an obscure civilian ninja named Yakushi Hane.

It was certainly enough to make everyone do a double take.

So much so that people who didn't know what was going on began asking around, curious about who this kid named Yakushi Hane was.