Although he already knew he would become Uzumaki Naruto's teacher, Iruka could not help but feel hatred after seeing Naruto.
His parents died in the chaos of Kyubi.
And Naruto was the one who carried Kyubi.
Kyubi was the culprit.
But what did Naruto do wrong?
He didn't do anything wrong. In fact, Naruto was also a victim.
Looking at the mature Naruto with a refined smile on his face, Iruka was shocked.
Naturally, he knew how Naruto was treated in the village. Even he wanted to join the bully side.
Even a mature Ninja would feel uncomfortable hearing those ugly faces and horrible curses, let alone a young child.
However, Naruto still maintained such a smile growing up in such a hostile environment.
He loved Konoha.
In such contrast, he was like a real fox demon.
All sorts of feelings welled up in Iruka's heart.
He retracted his gaze.
"Who would like to be the first to introduce themselves?"
Soon, there was a classmate.
"Hello, everyone. I am a Morino. My hobby is to eat."
"My name is Haruno Sakura. I like red bean meatballs soup. I hate it."
"My name is Akimichi Choji. I like barbecuing and eating. I hate to eat up snacks..."
As the classmates introduced themselves, it was soon Naruto and Sasuke's turn.
Under the students' gaze, Sasuke took the lead and walked onto the stage.
Because he was not good at socializing, Sasuke appeared rather cold and aloof.
"My name is Uchiha Sasuke. I like to eat meatballs with my brother. I train with Naruto and Rock Lee. I hate people who are in the way. I hope to surpass Naruto and become stronger."
Sasuke's self-introduction aroused the curiosity of many students towards Naruto.
Uchiha Clan had always been the representative of geniuses, and Sasuke was also the clan leader's son, so he had received a lot of attention.
Before this, the students all thought that Sasuke would be the number one genius in the class.
But Sasuke said that he wanted to surpass Naruto.
Doesn't that mean Naruto is better than Sasuke?
"Isn't that Naruto?" A student exclaimed but immediately covered his mouth.
Their eyes were shocked, unable to combine the elegant and gentle Naruto with the monster mentioned by their parents.
The elegant temperament and the legendary identity of the fox demon, Uzumaki Naruto's color in the eyes of many girls suddenly blurred.
How mysterious.
After Sasuke finished his introduction, it was naturally Naruto's turn.
Naruto walked up to the platform step by step.
At the same time, in Hokage's office, all the higher-ups of Konoha gathered to observe Naruto.
This was a live broadcast through the crystal ball.
Sandaime Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, and the third elder were gathered together. It was enough to see how much importance they attached to Uzumaki Naruto.
Even if Sandaime repeatedly emphasized that Naruto was full of love for Konoha, the other elders, and consultants still wanted to see.
On this particular day of school, Naruto's speech became crucial.
It might affect his future development.
Once Naruto showed any threat to Konoha, Danzo would immediately attack.
However, Sandaime did not panic at all.
He knew that Naruto was the one who inherited Will of Fire.
When Naruto woke up in the morning, he was thinking about his self-introduction.
He knew Sandaime would understand his ninja school through specific means, so his every word and action was crucial.
Naruto, who had a plan in mind, came to the front of the podium and looked straight into those curious little eyes.
He said calmly,
"My name is Uzumaki Naruto. I like to cultivate with Sasuke and Rock Lee and enjoy becoming stronger. I like to explore the unknown and learn new Ninjutsu."
"I hate being hated by others, and I don't want my friends to be angry because of me."
"I hope I can be friends with you. If you have trouble, you can come to me. I am willing to listen. In the future, I hope to be Hokage, protect everyone, turn into flames, and ignite Konoha."
After saying that, Naruto nodded slightly at Iruka and walked down the platform.
"Wow, he's so charming. I feel like he's a very reliable person."
"I want to be friends with him."
Naruto could hear the whispers of countless students. Almost all the girls looked at him with a favorable impression.
Sure enough, compared to the cold-faced man, the warm man was more popular.
"Uzumaki Naruto is a good student." Iruka repeatedly chewed on Naruto's words, and a smile appeared.
No matter how sensitive Naruto's identity was, at least he was his teacher and should face him with an entirely fair attitude.
...
In Hokage's office.
After listening to Naruto's speech, the elders fell into a brief silence.
A moment later, Sandaime broke the silence. He smoked his pipe and smiled. "See that? Under my training, Naruto perfectly inherited Will of Fire. He will be as warm and happy as Minato."
Koharu turned to him and said, "That's not true. Naruto, at this age, is too mature. Is it possible that what he said is what we want to hear?"
"Moreover, he said that he hates being hated by others and his friends being angry. Not to mention that he has let go of the bond between himself and his friends here. He must have suffered a lot of malice in the village. Then he will be dissatisfied with the villagers and even the village."
Homura added, "Yes, I think he is too passionate about the village. It makes people feel a little uneasy. Ignoring this, I quite like his attitude towards friends."
"Well, in my opinion, we should give him to Root to cultivate. That is a perfect choice. I will cultivate him into a war machine that is only loyal to Konoha. There will be no other emotions. In his world, there will only be Konoha. The shackles of emotions are fragile and can change at any time." Danzo, who was holding a crutch, said coldly.
Hearing Danzo's words, Sandaime's eyes suddenly became cold.
He remembered the rumors that Danzo spread. Naruto was the fox demon that destroyed Konoha and killed Yondaime.
It was these rumors that brought Naruto to his current situation.
At that time, Sandaime wanted to stand up to refute the rumors, but later he took advantage of the situation to make the stories more violent so that he could become Naruto's only light.
As Naruto grew up, Sandaime saw Naruto's deep love for Konoha, and he somewhat regretted his decision.
If Naruto grew up like an ordinary child, he must be the Ninja loyal to Konoha.
It was not like being suspected by the elders now.
No one believed that Naruto could maintain his love for Konoha after suffering so much malice.
This was something that Sandaime could not change.
He could only coldly say:
"Naruto's growth is under my control. He will be the Ninja who will inherit the Will of Fire. Don't forget. I am Hokage."