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"I... lost," Neji said, his voice filled with defeat.
He couldn't believe that as a genius of the Hyuga clan, he had just been bested by a child two years younger than himself. Even though his opponent was from the Uchiha clan, the sting of failure weighed heavily on Neji, making him feel a deep sense of frustration.
Sasuke, however, paid no mind to Neji's despair. He knew Neji needed this loss. It was the kind of setback that could drive someone to become stronger. Turning to Hinata, Sasuke said, "Hinata, let's go complete the enrollment procedures together."
Just then, Sasuke felt a gaze from the shadows. He turned and spotted a boy with messy blond hair, wearing worn-out clothes and with a dirt-streaked face. It was Naruto.
When Naruto realized Sasuke was looking at him, he quickly lowered his head in shame. Ever since he was a child, the villagers had scorned him, calling him a demon fox and telling him he should die.
The villagers had only allowed Naruto to live because of the Third Hokage's kindness.
Naruto had no parents, and his surname, Uzumaki, meant nothing to the people in the village. He didn't have a home either, living instead in a rundown part of the old district. He had no money, and the most delicious food he had ever eaten was stale bread.
Some people, like Shiranui Genma, had once tried to help him, out of respect for the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze. But Danzo quickly put a stop to that.
"There's a demon fox inside Naruto," Danzo had said. "The villagers hate the demon fox, so we must give them an outlet for their anger, and that is Naruto."
"But, Danzo-sama," one of Minato's former guards had protested, "Naruto is the Fourth Hokage's child. Minato died protecting the village."
"Hmph," Danzo had retorted. "It's Kushina's fault for not controlling the Nine-Tails. If the Nine-Tails died, it was their mistake, so they are not heroes—they simply fulfilled their duty. And you are not to tell Naruto about his heritage. If he learns who he truly is, he might resent himself and his life."
Frightened by Danzo's warning, the former guards of the Fourth Hokage dared not help Naruto openly anymore.
When it was time to complete the admission procedures, Itachi helped Sasuke and Hinata. All the other children were accompanied by their parents, but Naruto was alone.
The admissions teacher asked, "Name?"
"Uzumaki Naruto," Naruto replied quietly.
The teacher pushed up his glasses and sneered, "Are you the fox demon?"
Naruto hung his head in shame.
Sasuke tugged on Itachi's sleeve, and Itachi quickly stepped in. "I will vouch for Naruto," Itachi said. "If Naruto causes any trouble at the school, I will take responsibility."
The teacher frowned. "According to the regulations, you and Naruto are not related, so you cannot be his guarantor."
Itachi's voice grew cold. "Have you forgotten who Naruto's father was?"
At that, beads of sweat appeared on the examiner's forehead. He cleared his throat and said, "Ahem, well, if it's an Uchiha making the request, I suppose an exception can be made."
With that, Sasuke, Naruto, and Hinata were assigned to the same first-year class at the Ninja Academy.
As they entered the classroom, Sasuke noticed many familiar faces—Tenten, Rock Lee, Kiba Inuzuka… all children of the same age.
Sasuke chose a seat in the last row. Hinata hesitated for a moment before sitting next to him. Naruto also took a seat beside Sasuke.
"Why did you help me?" Naruto asked in a low voice.
In the original series, Naruto is the protagonist, a character who embodies hope and resilience. Sasuke knew that Naruto had untapped potential, second only to his own. Naturally, Sasuke wanted to befriend Naruto, knowing that he could become a valuable ally in the future.
"Hi, I'm Uchiha Sasuke," Sasuke said with a small smile. "From now on, we're friends."
Naruto blinked in surprise, feeling his nose sting with emotion. No one had ever wanted to be his friend before. Until now, people only threw rotten vegetables and eggs at him when they learned he was the "fox demon."
This was the first time someone wanted to be his friend.
Naruto's face was dirty, the dust masking the three whisker marks on his cheeks. But he smiled brightly and said, "I'm Uzumaki Naruto! From now on, we're friends!"
Naruto's heart swelled with happiness as he realized that he finally had a friend to cherish.
A ninja wearing a Konoha green vest entered the classroom. "Hello everyone, I am your teacher, Iruka Umino, a chunin of Konoha."
"If all goes well, I'll be your teacher for the next three years," Iruka continued. "I'll guide you until you become true ninjas."
"Before we begin, I want to tell you about the origins of the Ninja Academy. Our academy in Konoha was founded by the Second Hokage, Senju Tobirama, to ensure stable education and efficient talent cultivation. The system of the Ninja Academy has been imitated by other villages, but ours was the first."
"The three-year course outline includes theoretical knowledge, physical training, personal experience, Konoha history, and ninjutsu practice. Once you graduate and become genin, you can advance to chunin, jonin, or even special jonin. The possibilities are endless."
Iruka passionately explained the curriculum, but Sasuke found himself growing sleepy. As the son of a prestigious clan, he had already learned most of the ninjutsu and ninja world knowledge before entering the academy.
For Sasuke, attending the Ninja Academy was merely a formality—a way to enjoy his childhood. If he wanted, he could surpass his brother, Itachi, and complete the three-year course in just half a year, graduating early. But Sasuke had no intention of doing that.
He wanted to graduate with his classmates, especially Hinata, and be placed on the same team as her.
That evening, after school, Itachi was already waiting to pick up Sasuke. Naruto had no family to come for him, and Hinata looked around hopefully, but no one came to pick her up either. She looked a little disappointed.
Sasuke turned to Itachi and said, "Onii-chan, you can go home. I want to hang out with Hinata and Naruto for a while."
"Be safe," Itachi replied with a nod, before leaving. As long as Sasuke wasn't in danger, Itachi wouldn't interfere with his decisions.
Sasuke handed Naruto and Hinata each a dango skewer. Naruto's eyes lit up. "Is this for me? Thanks, I'll dig in!"
Hinata wanted to eat it too, but she remembered that her father didn't allow her to have too many sweets. However, seeing the hopeful look in Sasuke's eyes, she hesitated only for a moment before taking a bite.
"Mmm, it's delicious!"
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