A Different Naruto

"Kiba Inuzuka! Weren't you pretty capable in our last spar? Dare to go again?"

"Why wouldn't I?"

"Sasuke Uchiha, I challenge you!"

In this world where strength reigned supreme, the noisy breaks after class felt very long.

Many people took this chance to arrange matches at the Ninja Academy's exclusive Training Ground, venting the boredom that theoretical lessons had brought them.

Whether it was Sasuke, who put on a cold front like Hinata, or the Plot Characters Ryosuke knew so well, none of them shied away from challenges.

As long as someone issued a challenge, they would almost always accept it. Very few refused.

Scenes like this, which would have been called fighting in Ryosuke's previous life, were permitted in this world.

The Ninja Academy's rules tacitly allowed these duels. Teachers were even assigned to keep watch over the Training Ground so no child lost their head and went too far.

But even with so many teachers watching, there were always times when they could not intervene in time.

Some students had even been forced to suspend or drop out because of severe injuries.

Usually, the academy would mediate in such cases and make the student who had gone too far offer a certain amount of compensation, but they would not be expelled because of it.

Where there was conflict, there would be injuries. That was common in this world.

But as for such matters...

"Ryosuke, after I refined my Chakra, why does it feel so hard to control? Can you do it?" Naruto sat beside Ryosuke with a troubled look, complaining to him.

"I can't."

Ryosuke shook his head. After giving that brief reply, he turned his attention back to the ninja handbook in front of him.

Though he seemed to be reading, he was actually thinking about something.

Why was Naruto not joining the hot-blooded, combative kids in class to fight at the Training Ground? Why was he instead staying in the classroom with Ryosuke, studying alongside several girls who pursued good grades in theory classes?

So far, most of the plot had still followed the original timeline.

His presence had not caused any drastic changes.

But now, it seemed he had been thinking too simply.

As the one fated by this world, any slight change in Naruto would have an enormous effect on its future timeline.

Naruto, who should have been mischievous and troublesome, trying to attract attention and establish his presence through pranks, was actually sitting obediently in the classroom with Ryosuke, studying the ninja handbook and learning theoretical knowledge with him.

This change was truly far too great.

If he was no longer that hot-blooded, innocent, lively boy, could the Naruto before him still master his greatest Secret Technique in the future—the Talk-no-Jutsu?

But why?

With that question in mind, Ryosuke considered everything he had done from the past until now. To be honest, he had never even had the chance to meet Naruto before, so there was no way he could have influenced him.

Then the only possibility was the academy.

Could this change really have happened just because Ryosuke sat here and Naruto had become his deskmate?

No. That was not it.

Soon, when Ryosuke saw Sakura Haruno in front of him talking to Hinata, he seemed to understand something.

Ryosuke suddenly spoke, asking Naruto beside him, who had his eyes closed as he struggled to control his Chakra, "Naruto, what do you think of Sakura?"

Naruto had been doing his best to follow the instructions in the ninja handbook, controlling his Chakra as it circulated through his body.

But Ryosuke's question immediately broke his concentration. All the Chakra he had barely managed to control dispersed, scattering through his meridians.

"What are you doing, Ryosuke? I was just about to complete one full circulation!" Naruto scratched at his head in frustration. But since Ryosuke was his deskmate and held no ill will toward him, he did not sound all that angry.

Seeing him like this, Ryosuke smiled apologetically and asked again, "A question just occurred to me. What do you think of Sakura?"

"Sakura?"

Naruto froze for a moment, as though he had not processed the name.

Then he realized. "Oh... you mean Sakura Haruno? She... she's pretty impressive. She ranked second in the theory exam."

Then Naruto grew curious. "Why are you asking?"

"It's nothing. Go on." Ryosuke waved him off and lowered his head to read again, leaving Naruto beside him rather baffled.

But there was nothing he could do. He had few friends—one could say he had practically none.

Naruto still cherished and tolerated someone like Ryosuke, who was willing to talk to him and did not reject him.

So that was it.

After confirming that Naruto had not developed feelings for Sakura Haruno in this world, on this new timeline, Ryosuke immediately understood what had happened.

Perhaps because of Hinata's change, she had formed a good relationship with Shikamaru and the others in their group of four, and they interacted often.

As a result, Sakura Haruno had missed the chance to "save" Naruto.

And Naruto had not fallen for that pink-haired girl during that rescue, much less caused jealous trouble over Sasuke Uchiha because Sakura Haruno liked him.

A person's personality could change because of the people around them.

In Ryosuke's impression, Naruto was carefree, active, and mischievous because he had inherited Kushina's personality.

But in truth, a major reason Naruto's personality came to resemble Kushina's was that he had met Sakura Haruno—and specifically, her violent side.

Then, under the influence of the girl he liked, Sakura Haruno, he became active and outgoing. He began getting to know people like Shikamaru, and he became especially close with Kiba Inuzuka.

Kiba Inuzuka's personality was similar to Sakura Haruno's, only more pronounced—carefree and utterly unruly.

So after becoming friends, the two of them often skipped class together in the original timeline.

And later... Iruka taught him tolerance.

All of these people had influenced young Naruto's personality in the right ways, at the right times.

But now, Naruto had not been influenced by Sakura Haruno, nor had he become friends with Shikamaru and the others.

In other words, aside from being optimistic and enthusiastic about becoming Hokage under the Third Hokage's influence, he still had his original personality in every other regard.

That was, withdrawn and introverted.

Could a Naruto like that still become as sunny as in the original story, a little sun?

With that question in his heart, Ryosuke turned his head and stared at Naruto beside him, whose eyes were tightly shut as he trained hard to become Hokage.

Then he looked at the remaining students in the class, paying particular attention to the rejection and disgust in some of their eyes.

A brilliant smile bloomed across his face. He looked forward to Naruto's growth, to seeing whether this little guy would still become that foolish boy who was willing to give silently without asking for anything in return.