Chereads / Naruto: “The Sleeping Ninja!” (Dropped) / Chapter 3 - The Will of Fire...and a Nap (Remake)

Chapter 3 - The Will of Fire...and a Nap (Remake)

*****A week passed*****

Iruka-sensei, his face flushed with exasperation, pointed a finger at Naruto, who was sprawled across his desk, snoring softly. "Naruto! You're supposed to be learning about the Will of Fire, not dreaming about ramen!"

Naruto, startled awake, blinked at Iruka-sensei with a confused expression. "Ramen? What ramen?"

"The ramen you're dreaming about, you knucklehead!" Iruka-sensei exclaimed, exasperated. "You've been snoring like a hungry bear all through my lecture!"

Naruto, suddenly understanding, grinned sheepishly. "Oh, right. I love ramen."

"Well, you better love learning too, because we have a test next week!" Iruka-sensei announced, his voice regaining its authority.

The classroom buzzed with nervous whispers. A few students even started to panic, clutching their textbooks. One girl, however, let out a loud sigh of relief. "Thank goodness! I was starting to think we'd be stuck listening to Iruka-sensei's stories forever."

Rumi, however, simply rolled her eyes. "A test? Seriously? I already know I'm going to ace it," she thought to herself. "I just hope Naruto doesn't try to cheat off of me again."

Sasuke, however, remained stoic, his gaze fixed on the window. Naruto, however, saw this as an opportunity to reignite their rivalry.

"Sasuke, you better watch out!" Naruto declared, puffing out his chest. "I'm gonna ace this test and prove I'm better than you!"

Sasuke merely raised an eyebrow, his expression unreadable. "As if," he muttered, turning away.

Naruto, undeterred, continued to boast. "I'm going to learn everything Iruka-sensei teaches, even if it means staying up all night!"

Sasuke snorted, his eyes gleaming with amusement. "You'll be lucky if you stay awake for five minutes."

Naruto's face flushed red with anger. "Don't underestimate me, Sasuke! I'm not just some clueless goofball!"

Sasuke, a smirk playing on his lips, tilted his head. "Oh really? Then prove it."

The other students, watching the exchange with amusement, started to whisper among themselves. "Naruto's going to fail miserably," one boy said, shaking his head.

"Yeah, he's never going to beat Sasuke," another girl agreed.

Iruka-sensei, watching the exchange with a weary smile, sighed. "You two, just focus on the test. And Naruto, please try to stay awake for more than five minutes."

Naruto, still fuming, glared at Sasuke. "Just you wait, Sasuke! I'll show you what I'm made of!"

Sasuke, a mischievous glint in his eye, simply shrugged. "I'll be waiting."

****1 day later****

The air crackled with the energy of chaos as Naruto, a whirlwind of blonde hair and mischievous glee, sprinted down the bustling streets of Konoha. Behind him, a chorus of shouts echoed, "Quick! Someone catch that brat! He defaced the Hokage faces!"

Naruto, however, was unfazed. He cackled, his voice bouncing off the buildings, "I'll be Hokage someday! And then I'll draw on my own face all I want!"

His laughter trailed off as he skidded to a halt before the Hokage's office, a mischievous glint in his eye. "Time to pay a little visit to the old man!"

Inside, the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, sat calmly puffing on his pipe, a serene expression on his face. He was deep in thought, contemplating the latest paperwork, which involved a rather large sum of money mysteriously missing from the village treasury.

"Knock, knock," a gruff voice announced.

"Come in," Hiruzen replied, not bothering to look up.

The door creaked open, revealing an Anbu ninja with a mask covering his face. "Lord Hokage," he began, his voice a low monotone, "there have been reports of..."

Hiruzen, still lost in his thoughts, absentmindedly waved a hand. "Yes, yes, I know. Naruto's been up to his usual shenanigans. Just tell him to..."

Suddenly, the door burst open with a bang, revealing a grinning Naruto. "Hokage-jiji! I'm here to challenge you to a duel!"

Hiruzen, startled, nearly choked on his pipe. "Naruto, what in the world..."

Naruto, however, was already in mid-pose, his hands forming seals with lightning speed. "Prepare yourself for my ultimate jutsu... Sexy Jutsu!"

A puff of smoke erupted from Naruto's mouth, swirling around him like a mischievous genie. When the smoke cleared, a blonde woman in a skimpy, fog-covered outfit stood in Naruto's place, batting her eyelashes at Hiruzen.

Hiruzen, his eyes wide with shock, sputtered, "Naruto! You... you..."

His words were cut short as a crimson torrent erupted from his nose, staining his pristine white robes. Hiruzen slumped back in his chair, his eyes rolling back into his head. He fainted.

Naruto, however, was in hysterics. "Ha! I beat the Hokage with my Sexy Jutsu! I'm the strongest ninja in the village!"

The Anbu ninja, who had been watching the entire scene unfold with a mixture of amusement and disbelief, coughed awkwardly. "Uh, Lord Hokage? Are you alright?"

Hiruzen, still unconscious, remained silent. The Anbu ninja sighed, shaking his head. "This is going to be a long day."

The Hokage's office, usually a bastion of calm authority, resembled a battlefield after Naruto's latest escapade. Papers were scattered across the floor, ink blots marred the pristine carpet, and a faint aroma of burnt ramen lingered in the air.

Hiruzen, his face a mask of weary resignation, sat amidst the chaos, a crumpled handkerchief pressed against his nose. "Naruto," he sighed, his voice hoarse, "you've caused enough trouble for one lifetime. I swear, you're more trouble than a pack of rabid squirrels."

Naruto, perched precariously on the edge of the Hokage's desk, grinned sheepishly. "Sorry, Hokage-jiji. I just wanted to test out my new Sexy Jutsu. It's a real crowd-pleaser, you know."

Hiruzen, his patience wearing thin, pinched the bridge of his nose. "Naruto, that jutsu is not a crowd-pleaser. It's a disaster waiting to happen. And next time, please refrain from using it on your elders, especially when they're trying to concentrate on matters of national security."

Naruto, unfazed, shrugged. "But Hokage-jiji, you looked so surprised! It was hilarious!"

Hiruzen, defeated, slumped back in his chair. "Naruto, you're incorrigible. I'm sending you back to Iruka-sensei. He's the only one who can handle your brand of chaos."

"Aw, come on, Hokage-jiji! I was just trying to be a good ninja!" Naruto protested, his voice laced with mock indignation.

"Good ninja? You're more like a walking disaster zone!" Hiruzen retorted, his voice rising an octave. "Go on, now! And try to behave yourself for once!"

Naruto, with a final wave and a wink, sauntered out of the Hokage's office, leaving behind a trail of scattered papers and a lingering scent of burnt ramen.

Meanwhile, back in the classroom, Iruka-sensei was attempting to teach a lesson on the history of the Leaf Village. His voice, however, was drowned out by the cacophony of whispers and giggles.

"Alright, class, settle down!" Iruka-sensei called out, his voice strained. "This is important. You need to know the history of our village to understand its values and traditions."

"But Iruka-sensei, why do we have to learn about boring old stuff?" a student whined. "Can't we learn about cool ninja techniques instead?"

Iruka-sensei, his patience wearing thin, sighed. "You need to understand the past to build a better future. Now, who can tell me about the founding of the Leaf Village?"

A chorus of murmurs filled the room. One student, a timid boy with glasses, raised his hand hesitantly. "Iruka-sensei, I think the Leaf Village was founded by..."

Before he could finish his sentence, the classroom door burst open with a bang. Naruto, his face beaming with mischief, swaggered into the room.

"Iruka-sensei!" he called out, his voice echoing through the classroom. "Guess what? I just had a very interesting conversation with the Hokage!"

Iruka-sensei, his face hardening, slammed his fist on his desk. "Naruto! What did I tell you about interrupting class?"

Naruto, his smile faltering, shrugged. "Sorry, Iruka-sensei. I just wanted to share my latest adventure."

"Adventure? You call causing chaos an adventure?" Iruka-sensei scoffed. "You're lucky the Hokage didn't lock you in the dungeon for the rest of your life."

Naruto, his face falling, mumbled, "But Iruka-sensei, I was just trying to be a good ninja."

"A good ninja? You're more like a walking disaster zone!" Iruka-sensei exclaimed, his voice rising in frustration. "You've been causing trouble all morning! First, you defaced the Hokage faces, then you used your Sexy Jutsu on the Hokage, and now you're interrupting my class!"

Naruto, his eyes wide with surprise, stammered, "But Iruka-sensei, I thought you liked my Sexy Jutsu!"

Iruka-sensei, his face turning a shade of crimson, choked on his words. "I... I... Look, Naruto, I don't care if you think it's funny. It's disrespectful and it's embarrassing. And I'm not laughing."

Naruto, trying to lighten the mood, pulled out a crumpled piece of paper from his pocket. "Iruka-sensei, look what I drew!" he exclaimed, holding up the paper. "It's a portrait of you! Isn't it amazing?"

Iruka-sensei, his eyes narrowed, peered at the paper. It was a crude drawing of a stick figure with a exaggerated nose and a single, lopsided eye. He couldn't help but chuckle. "Naruto, that's... that's not me."

"Oh, come on, Iruka-sensei! You know you secretly love it," Naruto said, grinning mischievously.

Iruka-sensei, his lips twitching, tried to maintain a stern expression but a chuckle escaped him. "Naruto, you're incorrigible. But you're also a good kid at heart. Just try to use your energy for good, okay?"

Naruto, his grin widening, nodded enthusiastically. "I'll try, Iruka-sensei! But no promises."

Iruka-sensei, his face softening slightly, sighed. "Just try to stay out of trouble for a while, okay?"

Naruto, with a final wave and a wink, shuffled back to his seat, his eyes twinkling with mischief. He knew he was going to get into trouble again, but for now, he was content to enjoy the moment.

As Iruka-sensei continued his lesson, he noticed Rumi, a bright and studious student, slumped over her desk, fast asleep. He sighed, his patience wearing thin. "Rumi! Wake up! This is important!"

Rumi, jolted awake, shot up in her seat, her eyes wide with panic. "Iruka-sensei! I'm so sorry! I was just... uh... practicing my new sleeping technique!"

Iruka-sensei, his eyebrows raised, was not convinced. "Sleeping technique? Rumi, you were snoring like a sleeping dragon. You were clearly not practicing anything."

Rumi, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment, quickly pulled out a small, intricately carved wooden box from her bag. "Actually, Iruka-sensei, I was using this special sleep-enhancing device my grandfather gave me. It's called a 'Dream Weaver'. It allows me to absorb information more efficiently while I sleep."

Iruka-sensei, speechless, stared at the box. He had never heard of such a device, but Rumi's confident demeanor and the intricate carvings on the box made him question his skepticism. He cleared his throat, unsure how to respond. "Well, Rumi, that's... that's very impressive. Just try to stay awake during class from now on, alright?"

Rumi, her face breaking into a wide smile, nodded. "Yes, Iruka-sensei. I'll try my best."

Iruka-sensei, still slightly bewildered, shook his head. He had never encountered a student like Rumi before. She was a mystery wrapped in a puzzle, but one thing was certain: she was a force to be reckoned with. He twitched his mouth, a faint smile playing on his lips. He had a feeling she was going to be a remarkable ninja one day.