[Where the leaves dance, the fire lives on. The firelight will continue to illuminate the village and cause new leaves to sprout.]
[Young people are the hope of the future, and the older generation should trust and protect them. Their sacrifice is not meaningless but inspires the young to become the pillars of tomorrow.]
[The burning flame of fallen leaves symbolizes the heroic sacrifice of the older generation, while the new leaves represent the young.]
[This was the message delivered by the Third Hokage at the opening ceremony of the Ninja Academy.]
[The freshman students listened intently, their eyes filled with starlight.]
[But Naruto was slightly surprised. The old man who treated him to fish was actually the Third Hokage.]
[The old man is the Hokage.]
[Naruto finally understood what the so-called Will of Fire was.]
[However, this only made him feel more uneasy. His real experiences told him that the people of Konoha didn't embody the Will of Fire at all.]
[Moreover, the Third Hokage claimed he was just a passing grandpa, which made Naruto uncomfortable.]
[This old man is not honest.]
["Everyone, remember the Will of Fire."]
["You are the future hope of Konoha."]
[Iruka, standing on the podium, was full of energy.]
[Meanwhile, Naruto, seated at his desk, felt tormented.]
[He didn't expect the Academy to teach such useless things.]
[Every few days, Iruka enthusiastically repeated the Will of Fire. Naruto didn't know if he was there to get stronger or just to get calloused ears.]
It's over!
Seeing Naruto's disgusted expression on the screen, the villagers of Konoha felt a cold shiver down their spines.
Hey! When Iruka spoke about the Will of Fire, everyone else listened seriously, but that blonde kid looked outright annoyed.
He clearly scoffed at what Iruka said.
Ohnoki: "Hahaha, it seems the old monkey's routine doesn't work on Naruto over there."
Fourth Raikage: "I saw that irritated look on his face. Not only didn't it work, but it made Naruto hate this stuff even more."
Terumi Mei: "Of course. Every time Iruka mentions the Will of Fire, Naruto is reminded of his past experiences. It brings back bad memories, making him feel more disgusted."
Bad move!
Up on the high platform, Hiruzen felt a wave of unease.
In that world, it seemed he had truly overlooked something crucial.
But strangely enough, the Naruto they knew didn't seem to mind these things.
Sakura: "Naruto, you..."
Just about to speak, Sakura waved her hand awkwardly.
At least the Naruto standing in front of her wouldn't show such disgust just because of Iruka's lecture.
Ino: "Naruto, did you really feel that way back then?"
Temari: "Yeah, I'm curious too. Is the Naruto on the screen really the same as you?"
Naruto: "Huh? What?"
Audience: "..."
What kind of reaction is that?
Sasuke: "Tch! It's pointless asking him. I bet this guy was asleep the whole time back then. He probably doesn't even know what the Will of Fire is."
Naruto: "Damn it, Sasuke, does it really matter? If it's for my friends, I'd go through fire and water."
Kushina: "Alright, alright, stop arguing. Obviously, they are two different Narutos. Their perspectives and behaviors are bound to be different."
Orochimaru: "Heh heh heh, a mother's words can be so spot on."
[The lecture was finally over.]
[Iruka clapped his hands: "Alright, let's review the shuriken throwing technique I taught you all a while ago."]
["Now, everyone follow me to the training grounds."]
[Shuriken throwing.]
[Finally, something serious.]
[Naruto rubbed his ears and followed the group to the Academy's training grounds.]
[...]
["Okay, we'll take turns."]
["When your name is called, come forward and demonstrate for everyone."]
["First up..."]
["Shino."]
["Sorry, teacher. In our clan, we don't use shurikens. We use bugs."]
What? Bugs?
[Everyone's attention turned to the boy wearing sunglasses.]
Who is this? Using bugs is terrifying.
["Ah...that's right..."]
["Sorry about that."]
[Iruka smiled awkwardly: "Kiba..."]
["Teacher, our clan uses a combination of ninja and dog techniques."]
["Right, Akamaru?"]
["Woof."]
[This scene caught Naruto's interest.]
Family?
[I don't even know my parents. How could I know what a family is?]
[But today, he seemed to grasp a bit of what it means.]
["It seems every clan has its unique traits."]
[Naruto focused his attention on Akamaru on Kiba's head.]
[At least the kid with the dog was different. He was the only one in class who brought a pet to school.]
[So their clan is connected to dogs.]
[At that moment, a slightly arrogant voice rang out: "Are you saying that certain clans don't need to learn basic skills?"]
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh...
[The sound of shurikens cutting through the air could be heard.]
Bang, bang, bang...
[Three shurikens hit the bullseye on the target.]
[Everyone looked up to see three neatly placed shurikens, all on point.]
["Wow!"]
["As expected of Sasuke."]
["How cool!"]
["Sasuke, you're amazing!"]
["Isn't Sasuke from the Uchiha clan?"]
["I heard they're all geniuses. Looks like it's true, Sasuke is incredible."]
[...]