The Ninja Academy was as plain and unremarkable as ever that day.
Classes began, classes ended, he listened, he zoned out, and he watched the young troublemakers squabble. Every day passed in much the same way.
Still, if there was anything worth mentioning, there was one incident.
During a break, Uzumaki Hayashi went out for some fresh air. Before he reached the corner of the hallway, he heard a commotion on the other side.
Two upperclassmen had cornered a tiny underclassman against the wall. One stood with his hands on his hips, the other with his arms folded, both wagging their heads and spraying spit-
"Know what respect means? When you see your seniors, you pay tribute!"
Well, damn.
Uzumaki Hayashi got the picture.
Even now, there were still clueless little nobodies trying to show off their "will of the overlord."
With skills like that, they actually had the nerve to call it the will of the overlord? Even the will of fire would call the cops in the middle of the night if it saw this.
He stopped, lifted his eyes, and swept a blank look over the two of them.
Halfway through their tirade, the two upperclassmen followed the little kid's gaze and turned-
The instant they recognized that face, both of them went white.
Red hair.
Who in the school didn't recognize that face? The one who had sent someone flying with a kick on the training ground, used B-rank ninjutsu in front of the entire school, and had ANBU come take a classmate away and expel him. The one rumored to belong to the Third's family-
"Th-the one with connections is here-!"
"Violent Tomato Girl! It's Violent Tomato Girl-!"
The two scrambled away in sheer terror, disappearing down the hallway in the blink of an eye. Only the tiny underclassman remained, clutching the pocket money they hadn't managed to steal, utterly dumbstruck.
Uzumaki Hayashi: "..."
The one with connections?
Fair enough.
That label actually amused him a little. The rumor that he was the Third's illegitimate granddaughter was ridiculous, but useful-with someone backing you, things got easier. He wouldn't mind a few dozen more misunderstandings like that.
But Violent Tomato Girl?
The smile on his face slowly faded.
He could accept "violent." He could hold his nose and grudgingly accept "tomato," too.
But what the hell was that "girl" doing there?!
He had been in Konoha for months now, and not only had that misunderstanding never been cleared up, it had grown more and more elaborate. Couldn't these people pay more attention to what he actually did and stop focusing on things that didn't matter?!
Just like that, Uzumaki Hayashi's expression went from sunny to overcast.
From the seat beside him, Naruto watched the whole thing with mounting alarm.
What's... wrong with Hayashi? Wasn't he fine a moment ago? Who upset him?
He opened his mouth to ask, but one look at that face was enough to stop him. He silently swallowed the question.
As the school day neared its end, the setting sun slanted through the windows, washing the classroom in gold and red.
Uzumaki Hayashi packed his things, stood up, and glanced beside him-
Naruto was fast asleep on his desk. In the sunset, every strand of his spiky blond hair stood out clearly, sticking up with unapologetic defiance.
On a strange impulse, he reached out and ruffled it.
It actually felt pretty nice. Soft and fluffy.
He withdrew his hand and turned to leave.
Then Naruto suddenly turned his head toward him.
Who knew where he had learned it, but the kid opened his eyes wide, blinked a few times, and did his best to look sweet and adorable.
"What is it, Hayashi?"
Uzumaki Hayashi nearly lost his composure.
Since when had this kid learned to act cute?
He quickly took half a step back, gave a dry cough, and found himself an excuse:
"Uh, your hair looked like it would feel pretty nice to touch."
Then he turned and left, his steps so quick that he vanished in a flash.
Inside the classroom.
Naruto Uzumaki stayed frozen in his seat with his head turned, not moving for a long while.
The tips of his ears slowly reddened.
"He said... my hair feels nice to touch~"
He covered his face and wriggled happily a couple of times.
Not far away, three pairs of eyes locked onto him at once.
Sasuke Uchiha gave a faint scoff and turned away.
Shikamaru Nara rested both hands behind his head and let out a long sigh through his nose.
Kiba Inuzuka finally couldn't hold back and fired the first shot:
"Quit showing off, Naruto! You just happen to sit next to him!"
"What did you say-?! Say that again if you've got the guts!"
The classroom immediately filled with the sounds of cheerful roughhousing once more.
Outside the school gates, Uzumaki Hayashi walked down the road, slowing with every step as he became increasingly certain something was off.
He couldn't help reflecting on himself.
Why exactly had he touched Naruto's hair just now?
Why couldn't he keep his hands to himself? The kid had been sleeping peacefully, and he had gone over and ruffled his hair. What was that about?
Wait.
No.
As a veteran player, how could he not know what "headpat" meant?
That was Headpat Village!
Back in the duel arena, sending a single headpat emote meant a century-long feud that wouldn't end until someone died! He had put up with the servers running on potatoes-but now that he had transmigrated, why was this mysterious force still hounding him?!
At that thought, Uzumaki Hayashi deflated again.
Forget it.
He had already done it. What else could he do? Go back and explain to Naruto, "Sorry, I shouldn't have ruffled your hair"? That would only make things worse.
Besides, with Naruto's one-track mind, he would probably forget all about it in no time. There was no need to explain.
The most important thing right now was tonight-
He was going to find out just what that old Third was up to!
By the time he went home, grabbed a quick bite, and headed out again, dusk had fallen.
Konoha wore a different face at night. Streetlights came on one after another, lighting up the streets. Steam billowed out from behind the curtains at Ichiraku Ramen, and Uncle Teuchi's calls carried far down the road. Lanterns hung outside the taverns, where ninja fresh from turning in their missions headed inside in twos and threes, arms slung around each other's shoulders.
As Uzumaki Hayashi walked, he sorted through the possibilities in his head.
What was the Third being so mysterious about?
He counted them off on his fingers.
First, it was most likely about his Jonin instructor. Kakashi had personally said that day that he would go apply to the Third. A night had already passed, and given Kakashi's efficiency, the application had probably been submitted. The Third might well have called him over tonight to finalize that.
Second, it might be about Ice Release. He still remembered the old man saying, "Grandpa will figure something out for you from here." He had already given him the scrolls, but perhaps he had something else up his sleeve—in which case, Hayashi could milk him for another round of benefits.
Beyond that, he couldn't guess.
The more he thought about it, the less certain he felt. The outline of the Hokage Building had already risen out of the darkness, its upstairs lights still shining.
Outside the Hokage's office.
Uzumaki Hayashi stopped and took a deep breath.
He was already here.
He raised his hand, about to knock-
But before his knuckles even touched the door, the Third's voice came from inside.
"Is that Hayashi? Come on in."
Before you continue