[That day, Iruka was enthusiastically teaching the class.]
[Naruto was listening with great focus.]
[Although he thought that Iruka didn't seem like a guy who knew any powerful ninjutsu.]
[But, for Naruto, he understood very well that having a solid foundation would definitely benefit him in the future.]
[Secret codes, physics, chemistry, mathematics, hypothetical problem-solving, and more...]
[Naruto hadn't expected the world of ninjas to be this interesting.]
[To think that one could even make hypotheses based on problem assumptions and guide their actions.]
[Interesting!]
[Naruto smirked, but then his thoughts suddenly turned irritable: "Interesting, my foot..."]
[To this day, he couldn't solve the issues within himself, and it made him very troubled.]
[He wanted to ask Iruka for help, but remembering the way he had been treated before, Naruto quickly dismissed the thought.]
[The Third Hokage had been looking quite busy these past two years. Ever since he gave Naruto the scroll, he hadn't seen him again.]
[Naruto even wondered if the old man might have already passed away.]
[And the guy with the braid who taught him shuriken throwing—Naruto hadn't seen him since that time either.]
[He then stretched lazily and glanced at the empty seat.]
["Wow! Look, Naruto is looking in my direction."]
["Nonsense, he's looking in my direction."]
["....."]
[After two years of growth, Naruto's intense training had made him a bit stronger.]
[On top of that, his strict attention to his appearance made him almost as popular with the girls in class as Sasuke.]
[Especially after outshining Sasuke in shuriken throwing two years ago, Sasuke would always have a stern look whenever they met, making him seem less approachable than Naruto.]
[Unfortunately, the empty seat Naruto was looking at was Sasuke's.]
["This guy is so strange. Someone who usually studies so diligently is skipping class today."]
[Naruto thought to himself but didn't dwell on it much.]
[Maybe he was sick, and without Sasuke's constant cold stare, the class environment felt a bit more comfortable to Naruto.]
Nani!?
This scene left Naruto's classmates dumbfounded.
Naruto.
He had actually become a popular guy in the class.
No way, this must be a mistake.
But, those enthusiastic girls were definitely calling out Naruto's name, not Sasuke's.
Right, Sasuke was absent today.
Suddenly, everyone snapped out of it.
Uchiha Sasuke never skips class, except for that one period during the Uchiha clan's incident.
And no one was more baffled than Naruto himself.
He stared blankly, looking at everything on the screen in disbelief.
Why!
Why did I get scorned by the girls back then, while he got all their admiration?
And the worst part is, it's like our roles have completely switched.
Naruto: "Damn it! Why do I feel like our lives are totally different?"
Sasuke: "....."
Sakura: "....."
Ino: "Naruto, you both started similarly, but the difference is that he focused all his energy on training."
Shino: "If you want to know why, girls tend to like cool and strong guys. Naruto, you're not unattractive, but your constant pranks make you less appealing to them."
Kiba: "Not fair, I'm not satisfied either! Why is Naruto the popular one in that other world? Shouldn't it be me, Kiba-sama?"
Hana: "Shut up, you idiot brother. Don't embarrass yourself!"
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[At the back of the classroom.]
[After studying all morning, Naruto felt a bit tired.]
[He looked out the window.]
[Today, Sasuke was also absent from class.]
[Naruto had a bad feeling.]
[A few nights ago, when he was training as usual in the back mountain, a masked ninja stopped him, insisting that he stay in for the night.]
[Strangely enough, that masked ninja with purple hair even stayed at his home, keeping an eye on him all night.]
[The next day, Sasuke didn't show up to class.]
[Naruto wasn't sure if the two events were related, but he couldn't shake the feeling that something was definitely up.]
["Today's afternoon session will be self-study."]
["Everyone, make sure to read the history books of our Konoha village that I've given you."]
["In the afternoon, I have a meeting to attend. You must all stay in the classroom and don't wander around."]
[Naruto glanced at Iruka.]
[The teacher's expression seemed troubled.]
[Naruto's sense of foreboding grew stronger.]
["Hey, have you guys heard?"]
[Shortly after Iruka left, whispers came from the classroom.]
["Sasuke and the Uchiha clan, something big happened."]
["Huh? What?"]
["I overheard my dad talking with his friends. I heard that his family was killed, and he's the only one left."]
["What! Stop talking nonsense."]
["Didn't you see Mr. Iruka's face? It didn't look good. I think he knows about it."]
[What!? The Uchiha clan was wiped out?]
[Naruto, who overheard the news, was instantly shocked.]
[He still remembers very clearly that a large part of Sasuke's pride, when he entered school, came from his family.]
[And he had heard that almost all of them were elites of the Hidden Leaf Village.]
[Such a powerful clan being wiped out is shocking, and what's more outrageous is that it happened right in the Hidden Leaf Village.]
[As soon as he processed the news, Naruto's expression darkened.]
[If even the Uchiha clan can be wiped out in the Hidden Leaf Village, what kind of world is this ninja world?]
[Naruto was stunned.]
[Life in the Hidden Leaf Village has always seemed very peaceful. Except for the villagers' bad attitude toward him, everyone else always has warm smiles when encountering other matters.]
[And yet, a powerful clan disappearing overnight...]
[This kind of news hit Naruto like a bolt of lightning.]
["If Uchiha Clan can be killed that easily, then what about me?"]
[Thinking of this, Naruto couldn't help but tremble a few times: No, there's no time to waste, I must become stronger—strong enough that no one in this world dares to bully me.]