Before Shibi Aburame could remind him, Shinho Aburame had already planned to make new friends.
More precisely, he was prepared to complete a few more achievements.
After Shibi left, Shinho and his younger brother, Shino Aburame, entered the Ninja Academy.
The place was packed with students and parents, buzzing with excitement. The whole scene was one of joy and prosperity.
Suddenly, Shinho stopped in his tracks.
Shino Aburame took a few steps forward, then turned back, puzzled.
He followed Shinho's gaze and saw a blond boy standing in the corner, radiating an indescribable sense of loneliness.
"That's Uzumaki Naruto," Shino said directly.
The villagers of Konoha treated Naruto as a monster, but that wasn't the case for them.
As members of one of Konoha's notable clans, and given that Shibi had once been a teammate of Minato Namikaze, he had corrected this misconception for his children.
However, due to the Third Hokage's orders, Shibi hadn't revealed Naruto's true identity.
'There's a lion hidden in his eyes—more precisely, a fox.' Shinho suddenly thought to himself.
It was a compliment, of course.
Naruto appeared downcast, but his eyes were filled with a strong, burning passion.
In the original story, Naruto won the acknowledgement of everyone in Konoha—a testament to his almost frightening determination.
Most people who faced such treatment would have already turned bitter and dark.
Perhaps it was because of the influence of Asura's chakra.
[Uzumaki Naruto.]
[Current Achievement: "Just Made a Friend."]
[Passive Achievement: Unknown.]
As Shinho was observing Naruto, Naruto lifted his head.
He was sensitive to stares and often picked up on people's hostility.
But this time, there was no malice.
Standing not far from him were two boys dressed similarly, both wearing sunglasses.
The one in front was clearly the more noticeable—handsome and composed.
The one behind him was almost invisible.
Naruto scratched his head.
'Do they… not fear me?'
He had already been through one year at the Academy, but none of his classmates had liked him.
Thanks to the Third Hokage's arrangement, he was repeating the year.
Just as Naruto was feeling confused, the boy in front of him started walking towards him.
Naruto froze, the confusion on his face turning into unease.
'Does he not know that I'm a monster?'
"I'm Shinho Aburame," Shinho said, standing before Naruto. "Wanna be friends?"
Having read the original story, Shinho knew that dealing with Naruto didn't require subtlety. The direct approach worked best.
Of course, if Naruto had been an Uchiha, Shinho would have kept his distance. He had no desire to be noticed by two creepy old men.
But he was from the Aburame clan—a loyal supporter of the Hokage. Loyalty was their brand.
"Huh?"
Naruto's eyes widened, and he looked around in confusion. "Are… are you talking to me?"
"Yes, you."
Shinho nodded calmly.
"I'm Uzumaki Naruto!" Naruto hesitated for a few seconds, then broke into an excited grin. "Nice to meet you!"
[Achievement unlocked: Uzumaki Naruto "Just Made a Friend." Reward: Bronze Skin Gu.]
[Bronze Skin Gu: A Rank 1 Gu that enhances the Gu Master's skin, increasing defense and allowing them to endure more damage.]
That was easier than expected!
Shinho hadn't anticipated it being that simple.
With Moonlight Gu for offense and Bronze Skin Gu for defense, he had a classic combination on his hands.
Most ninjas were fragile, after all. No matter how strong they were, a kunai in the right place could still kill them.
No wonder Danzo Shimura once tried to stab through Susanoo with a kunai.
[Uzumaki Naruto.]
[Current Achievement: "Dominate the Ninja Academy."]
[Passive Achievement: Unknown.]
Shinho paused, surprised by Naruto's newly unlocked achievement.
Now that's a challenge.
Everyone knew that Naruto was the dead-last student at the Academy.
In the original story, he even had to steal the Scroll of Seals after failing to graduate.
But even if it's difficult, it's still an achievement to pursue. There's no flipping the table now.
Besides, the harder the task, the better the reward.
"Let's head to class," Shinho said, snapping back to reality.
"Y-yeah, sure!"
Naruto was still in a daze.
Was it really that easy to make his first friend?
The Third Hokage hadn't lied to him!
Meanwhile, on the second floor of the school building, two figures stood quietly, observing the scene below.
"Shikaku, who's that boy?" asked Hiruzen Sarutobi, exhaling smoke from his pipe.
"Shinho Aburame," replied Shikaku Nara.
He had come to drop off his son, Shikamaru, but had run into the Third Hokage.
"Ah, I see," Hiruzen said, recalling the name. "Shibi's son."
He hadn't met Shinho Aburame in person but had heard of his unbelievable talent for medical ninjutsu.
This boy was promising!
Tsunade's importance to Konoha's medical corps couldn't be overstated.
But ever since she had developed hemophobia, she had been unable to serve as a medical ninja.
Now, with the right push—and a little encouragement from the Will of Fire—if Shino formed a good relationship with Naruto, he might just become one of Konoha's future pillars.
That is, assuming Tsunade agreed to take him as an apprentice.
Shinho, Naruto, and Shino Aburame entered the classroom.
Naruto's heart immediately skipped a beat.
The sudden quiet was overwhelming.
Every eye in the room was on him, and quiet whispers filled the air.
Naruto instinctively turned to look at his two new friends.
He feared they might change their attitude because of the attention.
But they didn't.
The two of them remained calm, as if they hadn't noticed the stares at all.
Naruto started to wonder if their sunglasses were blocking their view.
"Only a dog barks wildly when it's scared."
Shinho, without missing a beat, walked toward an empty seat, his face composed.
Naruto blinked, his eyes wide with confusion.
He was too young to fully understand what Shinho meant.
Shino Aburame, accustomed to his older brother's strange wisdom, wasn't fazed.
He just worried that one day, his brother might get himself in trouble for talking like that.
'It looks like I'll really need to become the strongest bug controller.'
Naruto sat down, still unable to shake the stares and occasional cruel whispers.
He quickly glanced at Shinho, a mix of emotions in his gaze.
"If you have a question, just ask."
Shinho picked up on Naruto's troubled expression and spoke up.
There was something unsettling about Naruto's intense look.
Recalling how Naruto often referred to Sasuke Uchiha as "that's so gay" in the original story, Shinho could only think: Watch out, Konoha's future is going south!
"They… they say I'm a monster," Naruto blurted out, not wanting to hide the truth.
He was afraid that Shinho had only befriended him because he didn't know the full story.
"And so?" Shinho replied casually.
"Huh?"
Naruto looked baffled.
"You really don't get it, do you?" Shinho shook his head.
At that moment, a new presence entered the room, diverting the students' attention.
Especially the girls.
Sasuke Uchiha walked in with his hands in his pockets.
His expressionless face and cool demeanor drew attention, emanating an aura of aloofness.
"It's him!"
Naruto's eyes lit up.
He had met Sasuke before and remembered him well.
Just like Shinho, Sasuke's gaze had been calm and devoid of malice when he looked at Naruto.
Well, not exactly normal—more like he didn't acknowledge Naruto's existence at all.
Sasuke ignored the classroom buzz and sat in the front row, maintaining an air of superiority the entire time.
Shinho Aburame could have caused a similar stir by walking in alone, but Naruto had stolen the spotlight.
The door opened again.
This time, three students entered together.
Choji Akimichi was munching on a bag of chips, the sound echoing through the room.
Shikamaru Nara looked half-asleep, barely able to stay awake.
But Ino Yamanaka scanned the room, and when her eyes landed on Shinho Aburame, she immediately abandoned her two friends.
"She… she's coming toward us," Naruto muttered, blinking in disbelief.
"I'm Ino Yamanaka."
Ino stood confidently in front of Shinho, extending her hand with a friendly smile. "I forgot to introduce myself last time."