I Came, I Saw, I Conquered!

Time flew by. Misaki led young but dependable Hayato into the halls of the Ninja Academy. After handing him over to his teacher, she hurried away.

She wasn't worried about her child, but in her eyes, Hayato was already a little hero she could trust.

Meanwhile, since it wasn't appropriate to claim his rewards while he was still at the Ninja Academy, Hayato decided to focus on the school first.

Following his teacher's directions, he headed straight for the classroom.

The door swung open, and Hayato looked around. Only a few students were scattered about. Without hesitation, he made his way to the seat at the far end of the upper-right corner.

The seats were arranged in tiers, rising higher toward the back like those in a university lecture hall.

It wasn't time for class yet. After taking his seat, Hayato looked out the window, enjoying this rare moment of peace.

Before long, a clear female voice came from beside him. "Um, hello."

Hayato turned, his gaze falling on the girl.

She had side-swept bangs and glossy black hair that fell to her shoulders. Wearing a long, round-necked shawl over a short skirt, she looked especially fresh and lovely.

The girl leaned over and asked, "Is anyone sitting in the seat beside you?"

Hayato gave a slight shake of his head. "No."

At that, the girl's face lit up with a delighted smile. She sat down beside Hayato and said, "Hello, I'm Kurenai Yuhi. Looks like we'll be desk mates from now on."

Hearing her introduce herself, Hayato suddenly realized she was another familiar face. He held out his hand in greeting. "Hello, I'm Hayato Uchiha. It's nice to meet you."

Kurenai paused, then held out her right hand as well. She thought to herself, So his name is Hayato. What a nice name.

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Hayato withdrew his hand. He noticed that more than half the children had gathered in the classroom, and it had grown lively.

Just then, another voice rang out. "Hey, Kurenai, why don't we sit up front?" A boy walked over to her with an eager smile and gently nudged her elbow with his right hand, as if trying to lead her away.

"Quit it, Asuma. I like it here." Kurenai waved off Asuma's invitation with her right hand and continued talking with Hayato.

A strange sense of disappointment welled up in Asuma. He glared at Hayato, visibly displeased. When it became clear that Kurenai wasn't going with him, he simply sat down to her left.

The row of desks had exactly three seats. Hayato sat on the far right, Kurenai in the middle, and Asuma on the far left. Seeing Kurenai and Hayato chatting so animatedly, Asuma puffed out his cheeks and sulked.

A little while later, a male teacher walked into the classroom. He wore a Konoha Forehead Protector and a Konoha Chunin vest.

He clapped his hands, and the classroom fell quiet. Everyone turned their attention to the front.

The teacher smiled warmly, making the room feel as though spring had arrived. "Hello, everyone. Today is the first day of school, so let's start by introducing ourselves. I'm your homeroom teacher, Shuichi Sarutobi. I'll be teaching you for the next few years."

After briefly introducing himself, Shuichi invited the students to come up one by one and introduce themselves.

"You can talk about your interests and dreams. Let's start with the student closest to the podium and go down the rows. All right?"

The thick-browed boy who had been called on excitedly ran up to the podium. He patted his chest with his right hand and spoke with confidence.

"My name is Might Guy. I like intense training. As for my dream, I haven't thought of one yet." After speaking, he flashed a row of bright white teeth that seemed to gleam.

The others followed suit, going up to the podium to briefly introduce themselves.

"My name is Gekko Hayate..."

"My name is Aoba Yamashiro..."

"My name is Genma Shiranui..."

Watching his classmates take turns at the podium, Hayato couldn't help smiling with interest.

Most of the students in this class would go on to become famous ninjas. Even the members of Konoha's strongest gatekeeper duo, Izumo Kamizuki and Kotetsu Hagane, were among them.

Before long, Hayato's gaze fell on Obito, who stood at the podium wearing goggles and beaming with sunshine. His eyes grew thoughtful.

Who could have guessed that this sunny boy would one day become so bitter and disillusioned with the world?

Obito adjusted his goggles and spoke earnestly. "I'm Obito Uchiha. I like helping people in need, and my dream is to become Hokage!"

A few more students went up to introduce themselves. Soon, it was the turn of another person Hayato was interested in—Kakashi.

"Hello, everyone. I'm Kakashi. I don't have any particular interests, and I haven't thought of a dream yet." Kakashi still wore his usual dead-fish stare and spoke listlessly. But when his eyes met Hayato's, a glint flashed in them.

Hayato thought to himself, I didn't expect Kakashi to look so down in the dumps and have no interests at all right now. Later, though, he'd become a huge fan of those little Make-Out books.

Time kept passing, and soon it was the turn of the students at Hayato's table. Asuma walked up to the podium. "I'm Asuma Sarutobi. I like playing shogi, my favorite food is sausages, and my dream is to become a ninja who surpasses the Lord Third!"

After Asuma finished introducing himself, Shuichi added, "Class, Asuma is the son of the Lord Third."

As a member of the Sarutobi clan, Shuichi certainly knew who Asuma was.

But Asuma paid no mind to Shuichi's remark and walked straight back to his seat. He vowed to himself, One day, I'll prove that I'm me—Asuma Sarutobi, not just somebody's son.

Meanwhile, the civilian students in the class who hadn't known about Asuma's background began whispering among themselves.

After Asuma came Kurenai. She stood up and said with a smile, "My name is Kurenai Yuhi. I don't really have any particular interests yet. My dream is to become a powerful kunoichi like Lady Tsunade. I hope we all get along!" Then she trotted back to her seat.

At last, it was Hayato's turn. He walked slowly to the podium with unhurried steps, as if each one fell to the beat of his confidence.

He slipped both hands casually into his pockets, a nonchalant smile on his face that nevertheless hinted at a deep and thoughtful nature.

His voice was steady and strong, seeming to cut through the noise and reach everyone's hearts. "I'm Hayato Uchiha. I have a wide range of interests, from reading ancient texts to training in ninjutsu—I dabble in it all. As for my favorite food, udon is an indulgence I can't give up. Its distinctive texture and rich broth always leave me wanting more."

When he spoke of his dream, he paused briefly, a look of determination and anticipation flashing in his eyes.

He slowly drew one hand from his pocket, as if performing a sacred ritual.

Then he spread his arms in a posture fit for a ruler of the world and declared, his voice impassioned and powerful, "As for my dream, I came, I saw, I conquered! I'll use my eyes to witness every corner of the Ninja World, my hands to conquer every challenge, and my wisdom and courage to write the legend of Hayato Uchiha!"