My Name Is Naruto Namikaze

CHAPTER WORDS:- 1101

Chapter 7: A Fateful Encounter

--------------------------------

Straight through the hallway and courtyard.

Naruto followed Iruka into a building on the far west side of the academy.

This was where the new students gathered every year—a fixed location for all first-year entrants. There was no difference between this and the original series. Naruto had been assigned to the class Iruka was responsible for. Evidently, this class was filled with the most prominent new students of the year. Even though some seemed to come from ordinary families, creating an illusion of balance, this class was undoubtedly the most crucial among the year's new admissions.

Naruto's special identity earned him a spot in this classroom.

As Naruto followed Iruka inside, the room was already bustling with chatter.

Looking around, Naruto spotted numerous familiar figures. This familiarity was based on his knowledge of Canon, as this was his first meeting with almost everyone in this world.

Except for one, a petite, white figure stood out.

In fact, the moment Naruto stepped into the room, his gaze immediately locked onto her.

Her short hair framed her face perfectly, her bright eyes held a timid expression, and a faint air of unease lingered around her. She was the heiress of the Hyūga clan—Hinata Hyūga.

Even in his previous life, Naruto had a great deal of admiration for the Hyūga princess, who lacked any sense of arrogance or superiority. But in this life, a chance encounter a little over a year ago left an indelible impression on him.

"Hinata Hyūga…"

Naruto's gaze softened as it lingered briefly on the small, delicate face of the young girl.

Because she was a Hyūga, even though she had yet to awaken her Byakugan, Hinata's sensory perception was already sharper than that of most children. Almost immediately, she noticed Naruto's gaze. Looking up instinctively, their eyes met. Her own widened slightly in surprise, and just as a faint blush began to rise on her cheeks, Naruto gave her a gentle, reassuring smile and a small nod.

This tiny gesture caused Hinata's face to turn beet red in an instant. Steam seemed to rise visibly from her forehead as she quickly lowered her head. She fidgeted nervously, running her fingers through her hair, her movements so endearing they could melt hearts.

Naruto's expression became even gentler at this reaction.

"Alright, Naruto, just find an open seat and settle in," Iruka said, snapping Naruto out of the moment. Iruka clapped his hands to quiet the room down a little, then turned to the blonde boy at his side.

"Yes, Iruka-sensei," Naruto replied quickly. Without hesitation, he walked to the far corner of the classroom. Choosing the row along the wall, Naruto headed straight to the back of the room and found a seat near the window, furthest away from everyone else.

Since he is the Protagonist, he needs the seat the Protagonists take.

There was no need to attract unnecessary attention or interact more than necessary for now. After all, his identity was still sensitive.

An accidental meeting like the one with Hinata a year ago was inconsequential. The higher-ups in Konoha wouldn't care, and neither would the Hyūga clan's head, Hiashi Hyūga. But if Naruto now attempted to approach Hinata directly, even without any ulterior motives, just wanting to spend more time with her, it could be misinterpreted by the Konoha leadership or even her father, Hiashi.

For now, Naruto's actions needed to remain carefully calculated.

Until he gained a measure of self-reliance, everything he did had to be meticulous.

Play the role of an actor.

That was Naruto's primary goal at this stage. As he walked to the back of the classroom, these thoughts flashed through his mind at lightning speed.

Don't stand out. Follow the plan.

Focus on gradually strengthening his body. Once he reached a certain level, he'd attempt to make contact with the Nine-Tails inside him. Naruto was confident he could win over Kurama—the prideful but not entirely unreasonable Nine-Tails. His knowledge of the Canon gave him significant advantages, providing honestly about what he wants. Other matters were outside his current capacity to consider.

there was one thing he was sure to do, and that was being completely and utterly honest with Kurama, since not only could Kurama read his mind if he wanted to, but being Honest is the key for any conversation with Kurama at all.

As Naruto quietly took his seat, he noticed many familiar faces in the classroom. The Konoha 12, except for Neji Hyuga, Tenten and Rock Lee, were all present. These individuals represented the next generation of the Leaf's prominent clans.

In Canon, the only characters truly born as civilians were Sakura Haruno and Rock Lee. Even Tenten, who seemed ordinary, clearly came from wealth—her vast collection of weapons was evidence enough.

Still, these characters were irrelevant to Naruto for the time being.

Naruto had no intention of forming bonds with them as he did in the original story.

In this life, he wasn't content merely to survive; he wanted much more. Friends? Maybe some of them could become allies, but many might one day be enemies. For now, Naruto didn't find them particularly interesting.

As he walked past a "cool-looking" boy with black hair, Naruto's steps and gaze faltered briefly.

But only for an instant.

The black-haired boy didn't even notice as Naruto continued walking and settled into a distant seat in the classroom's last row.

Uchiha Sasuke

Naruto silently noted the name. His face betrayed no emotion, nor did his behavior seem unusual. Only his gaze lingered for a fraction of a second on the iconic Uchiha fan emblem adorning the back of Sasuke's shirt. this person is intertwined with Naruto.

At the front of the room, Iruka hadn't noticed Naruto's subtle actions. But when he saw Naruto choosing a secluded seat at the very back, his expression flickered briefly before he resumed his usual warm smile.

"Alright, alright, let's settle down."

Iruka clapped his hands again, drawing the attention of the thirty or forty children in the room.

"You're all here. Today marks your first day at the academy. I'm Iruka Umino, your teacher. Congratulations on making it this far. Over the next six years, you'll learn everything a shinobi needs to know—both practical combat and theoretical knowledge. To become an excellent ninja, both are essential. I hope each of you will work hard, follow the guidance of your teachers, and, upon graduation, grow into remarkable shinobi!"

Iruka's steady voice echoed through the room as his gaze swept over the sea of young faces.

(End of Chapter)

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------