Yesterday's Tomato Monster!

Strangely, though, that [Ding-] rang out, then nothing followed.

Uzumaki Hayashi mentally prodded the system, but it kept playing dead, refusing to give him so much as a punctuation mark.

Fine. I'll remember this and settle the score later.

He tucked that little question away and obediently followed Umino Iruka, stopping beside the teacher's desk.

The classroom hadn't noticed the two newcomers yet and was still in an uproar.

A student near the door caught a glimpse of the figures at the front. He froze, then took a closer look and went pale, frantically elbowing his deskmate.

"Iruka-sensei's here!"

The words seemed to sprout legs, racing through the classroom in a flash.

The room, already wild a moment earlier, erupted a second time-students sprinted back to their seats, scrambled for spots, and scooped up books, chair legs scraping and squealing across the floor.

Within a few breaths, there was dead silence.

Only two people hadn't moved.

In the back row, one boy was still sprawled toward the window in the same position as before, without even turning his head.

He was wondering whether he should try his luck in that back alley on the east side of the village after school. Iruka-sensei's arrival had nothing to do with him anyway.

In another row by the windows, Sasuke Uchiha rested his cheek on one hand without so much as lifting his eyelids.

So the teacher was here. Whatever racket the classroom made was none of his business.

Until-

An irrepressible stir slowly rose through the newly quiet classroom.

Gasps and whispers blended into a low buzz.

"Who's that?"

"A transfer student?"

"S-so pretty..."

Puzzled, Naruto Uzumaki finally turned away from the window.

Sasuke Uchiha finally raised his eyes as well.

Then they both saw-

Umino Iruka standing at the front.

That wasn't important.

What mattered was the person standing beside Iruka-sensei.

Morning air streamed through the open doorway, sweeping back a head of red hair. Though his features hadn't fully matured, his face was already exquisitely beautiful, and he stood there quietly.

That's the big brother from the back alley yesterday-the one who gave me money and had such soft hands!

Naruto Uzumaki shot upright, banging his elbow against the edge of the desk with a thud without even noticing the pain.

That's the person who was practicing ninjutsu under the moonlight at the training ground last night!

Sasuke Uchiha's hand froze in midair beside his cheek.

One sprang halfway up from the back row, while the other straightened rigidly in his seat. Both raised their hands at once, pointing at the Redhead beside the teacher's desk.

"Weren't you the one yesterday-"

"Weren't you the one yesterday-"

Their voices collided, even the trailing notes sounding identical.

Umino Iruka frowned, sweeping them with the stern gaze he routinely used to reprimand students.

Both boys shut up at once. Their raised hands stiffened, then withdrew in unison.

Naruto Uzumaki turned to glare at Sasuke Uchiha.

Sasuke Uchiha was glaring right back.

-You know him?

-What's it to you?

Unfortunately, neither could say those words aloud, so they could only stab at each other with their eyes.

Yesterday? What happened yesterday? Iruka wondered, though he let nothing show. There was still proper business to attend to.

He turned sideways, beckoned the child over, led him to the front, and patted the edge of the desk.

"Quiet, everyone. We have a new classmate joining us today. Go ahead and introduce yourself."

At the front, Uzumaki Hayashi took a deep breath.

Fine. This needs clearing up sooner or later. No time like the present.

He opened his mouth, about to tell everyone he was a boy.

[Ding-]

The system, which had chimed once when he entered and played dead ever since, finally deigned to follow up.

[Mission issued: Save Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha, victims of prolonged bullying, and soothe their hearts.]

[This is a long-term mission with generous rewards. Host, please maintain your current identity and continue the mission.]

[Upcoming reward: B-rank ninjutsu at one hundred percent-raise any one B-rank ninjutsu to one hundred percent proficiency.]

Uzumaki Hayashi stood frozen at the front, his mouth hanging open.

Seriously? Normally, whatever I ask, all you give me is [Host, please explore proactively]. Nobody plays dead more diligently than you, but now you decide to speak up on your own?

And "maintain your current identity"?

He got the message. This lousy system meant that even if people had misunderstood, he should keep up the act for now.

Wait, Naruto Uzumaki I get, but Sasuke Uchiha counts as a "victim of prolonged bullying" too? That kid just has to sit there and every girl in class stares herself silly. Who's bullying whom?

Does this system count "having no one for company" as bullying too?

With no introduction forthcoming, an entire classroom of eyes stared expectantly at him.

Watching from beside him, Umino Iruka softened.

It's his first day, after all. He's still nervous. Of course he is. A child who grew up wandering out there would never have faced a crowd like this. Who wouldn't get scared with so many people staring at them?

He cleared his throat, about to offer the boy a way out-

Unfortunately, the boy at the front had already held several rounds of mental deliberations and reached a unanimous decision.

Right now, I have to keep things as they are.

A B-rank ninjutsu at one hundred percent proficiency-that's practically a free gift. Besides, my Vacuum Sphere is still stuck at "beginner." This would max it out in one go, without any training at all.

If I clear things up now, the reward will definitely be gone. Then I'll have to grind away at my ninjutsu, and who knows how long that'll take.

Besides, the system said this is a long-term mission with generous rewards. Who wouldn't want that?

And anyway, they're the ones who misunderstood. It's not like I'll lose a chunk of flesh over it.

Living in the Shinobi World means making things as comfortable as possible. If I can skip training, I'll skip it. While I'm at it, I can use this introduction to win over the whole class.

This is a good deal no matter how I look at it.

"Hello, everyone."

Uzumaki Hayashi raised his head, his voice bright and clear.

"My name is Uzumaki Hayashi."

"My current goal-is to create a world where everyone can be happy!"

"As for hobbies, I haven't found any yet. I hope we'll all get along."

Those words struck Umino Iruka's heart with a gentle but unmistakable force.

To create a world where everyone can be happy.

A twelve-year-old child who had suffered for so many years out there stood before his class for the first time, and what he asked for wasn't a full stomach or warm clothes, but happiness for everyone.

How much love must this child carry in his heart?

Iruka froze, then fell silent for a moment. His face remained as stern as ever, but inwardly, he was already applauding the child's words.

In the Hokage's office building, a crystal ball glowed.

With his pipe between his teeth, Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi watched the entire scene through the ball.

When the child had faltered at the front earlier, he had assumed it was stage fright and had been considering whether to send Iruka a message.

Yet in the blink of an eye, the boy had recovered all on his own. He stood straight and spoke steadily, and with his striking looks, it was hardly surprising that he had captivated everyone at once.

For an ordinary Ninja Academy student facing an entire class on the first day, simply keeping their legs from trembling would have been an achievement.

Hiruzen Sarutobi slowly exhaled a plume of smoke and narrowed his eyes.

No stage fright, a composed bearing, and room in his heart for everyone.

This was the perfect embodiment of the Will of Fire in his eyes. This child's depth of character already far surpassed that of an ordinary ninja student.

In the back row, Naruto Uzumaki stared without blinking.

To create a world where everyone can be happy. No wonder. No wonder he stopped to save me in that back alley.

That's just the kind of person he is.

He lowered his head and quietly rolled that surname over his tongue.

Uzumaki. The same surname as mine.

That indescribable sense of closeness grew a little stronger in his heart.

In another row by the windows, Sasuke Uchiha leaned back in his chair.

A world where everyone can be happy.

After that night, the word "happiness" had already burned to ashes for him.

Yet when that person stood at the front and spoke those words, his eyes shone so brightly that he didn't look as though he could possibly be lying.

"To create... a world where everyone can be happy..."

He heard himself murmur under his breath.

At the front, Umino Iruka was the first to clap.

The students blinked, then a wave of applause swept through the classroom.

To be fair, most of them weren't moved by those words.

Their new classmate was simply too beautiful. The Redhead stood at the front with his red hair, looking as though he had stepped out of a painting. The boys clapped until their hands went red, and even the girls didn't hold back.

Several boys craned their necks as they clapped, trying to see where their new classmate would be seated.

Uzumaki Hayashi walked away from the front amid the applause.

The classroom was already packed. Only one seat remained-by the window in the back row, beside that blond boy.

Of course. That was the only spot in the whole class where nobody was willing to sit beside someone.

He carried his bag over, pulled out the chair, and sat down calmly. Beside him, Naruto Uzumaki instantly went rigid.

"U-um..."

Uzumaki Hayashi turned toward him, his eyes curving in a smile.

The rest of Naruto's words lodged in his throat. His face flushed scarlet, and he whipped back around, burying his entire face in his arms with only a tuft of blond hair showing.

The first lesson at the Ninja Academy was dull beyond imagination.

Umino Iruka stood at the front, explaining the origins of chakra and the history of the Ninja Academy in a voice without a hint of inflection.

Uzumaki Hayashi listened for a while with his head propped on his hand, his eyelids steadily drooping.

I spent so many years in school in my last life, and now I have to start all over in a Ninja Academy classroom. Even a god couldn't stand this.

He simply rested half his face against his arm and let his gaze drift out the window, his mind wandering far away.

Unfortunately, the moment the bell rang, something was wrong.

At some point, a whole ring of heads had crowded around the window outside.

Children from other classes jostled together, standing on tiptoe and gripping the windowsill, their necks stretched long as they peered into the classroom.

Their gazes all pointed in exactly the same direction-straight at him.

That morning, half the Ninja Academy had seen Umino Iruka bring a beautiful red-haired transfer student through the school gates. Among children, news traveled faster than the wind.

Pinned to his seat by all those stares, Uzumaki Hayashi felt his back prickle.

What are you staring at? Never seen a transfer student before?

He was just about to turn his head back-

A boy pushed to the front of the crowd and pointed through the window, his finger aimed straight at Linshi's hair.

"You're that Tomato Monster from yesterday!"