Konoha Ninja Academy.
Naruto Uzumaki slowly walked into the classroom with his old schoolbag, washed so often it had faded pale, on his back.
The moment he appeared, the lively classroom grew much quieter.
A few children glanced at him, quickly turned away, and continued talking to their friends, only in much lower voices.
"The Demon Fox is here..."
"Stay away from him."
The whispers reached Naruto's ears, but he kept a smile on his face and waved into the classroom:
"Good morning, everyone!"
No one answered.
Only a few children gave him looks of disgust.
Shikamaru, Choji, and Ino were gathered together too, occasionally glancing at Naruto with obvious hostility in their eyes.
Naruto knew why.
Shikamaru's father, Shikaku Nara, and Ino's father, Inoichi Yamanaka, had both died at the hands of the Uchiha.
But what did that have to do with him?
He wasn't an Uchiha.
Naruto couldn't understand it, but his smile remained as he walked to the window seat in the back row and sat down.
His deskmate was Hinata Hyuga.
The little girl was looking down at her textbook. Her white eyes were slightly red and swollen; clearly, she had been crying not long ago.
"Good morning, Hinata!"
Naruto leaned closer, flashing a mouthful of white teeth.
Hinata raised her head. When she saw Naruto, she managed a faint smile on her pale face:
"N-Naruto-kun... good morning."
Noticing her red, swollen eyes, Naruto scratched his head and asked in a lowered voice:
"Are you... still thinking about your dad?"
Hinata trembled slightly, lowered her head, and twisted her fingers together as she choked out:
"My father... did it for the clan..."
"Uncle Hizashi said Father was a great man, that he gave the Hyuga Clan a new beginning..."
Naruto didn't quite understand what "a new