The days at the academy passed in a blur, and before Naruto knew it, a month had gone by.
The once-foreign environment of the classroom had now become a place he was somewhat familiar with, though the air of rejection still lingered.
At first, he had hesitated to engage with his classmates, but as time went on, his energy and enthusiasm couldn't be contained. He had, after all, made up his mind to become the best ninja in the village!
Naruto had also come to an important realization—Sakura Haruno was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen.
Her pink hair, her bright green eyes, the way she spoke with confidence—it all captivated him. He didn't really understand what these feelings meant, but he knew one thing for sure: he wanted her attention.
No, he needed her attention! And so, he embarked on a rather ambitious—yet completely reckless—mission: Operation Impress Sakura.
His first attempt had been during taijutsu training. The class was outside, Iruka-sensei explaining the importance of basic hand-to-hand combat.
The moment he mentioned demonstrating a technique, Naruto jumped forward, puffing out his chest.
"Iruka-sensei! I'll show everyone my amazing ninja skills!" he declared loudly, his grin stretching from ear to ear.
Iruka sighed. "Naruto, we haven't even started the lesson yet."
But Naruto wasn't listening. He turned toward the nearest tree and ran up to it, attempting to land a flying kick on the trunk. He had seen a ninja do something similar before, and it had looked awesome.
Unfortunately, reality was not as kind as his imagination. His foot barely reached the bark before gravity decided to betray him, sending him crashing to the ground in an unceremonious heap.
Laughter erupted around him. Naruto groaned, rubbing his bruised backside, but his spirit remained unshaken. He quickly scanned the crowd for Sakura's reaction.
She wasn't even looking at him.
She was looking at Sasuke.
Naruto scowled. That guy! Always brooding, always quiet, and yet, all the girls seemed to flock around him. What did he have that Naruto didn't? He needed to step up his game.
His second attempt came during kunai-throwing practice.
He had spent the entire morning hyping himself up, picturing himself flawlessly landing all the targets, impressing Sakura with his cool demeanor.
When it was finally his turn, he confidently picked up a kunai and threw it with all his might.
It didn't even hit the target.
In fact, it landed dangerously close to Iruka-sensei's foot.
"NARUTO!"
"Ahahaha—sorry, Sensei!" he yelped, scratching the back of his head sheepishly.
Sakura sighed dramatically, rubbing her temples. "You're such a loser, Naruto."
That one stung.
But did it stop him? Of course not. If anything, it made him more determined. If grand stunts didn't work, maybe making her laugh would! And so, he developed a new strategy—classroom antics.
He started pulling pranks in class, hoping to catch her attention. Sometimes, it was harmless—placing a rubber snake in Kiba's bag (which backfired because Kiba loved it).
Other times, it was more daring—like sneaking up behind Shikamaru and flicking his forehead, only for Shikamaru to not even react beyond muttering, "Troublesome."
But the most disastrous attempt was the time he decided to balance on top of his chair, arms crossed, looking as cool as possible.
It lasted exactly three seconds before he toppled backward, crashing into the desks behind him and sending a domino effect through the classroom. Books flew, papers scattered, and Choji's bag of chips exploded in the air like confetti.
Iruka's veins bulged. "OUTSIDE. NOW."
And just like that, Naruto found himself sitting outside the classroom, cross-legged, pouting as he listened to the lesson through the door.
Was it worth it? Well, he caught a glimpse of Sakura's eyes on him as he was dragged away, and she might have smirked. That was a win in his book.
Despite his constant mischief, Naruto wasn't completely alone. Over time, he had begun to form a bit of a…complicated relationship with some of his classmates.
Shikamaru and Choji tolerated him the most, with Choji occasionally offering him snacks when no one was looking. Kiba would laugh at some of his pranks but wouldn't admit to actually liking Naruto's company.
Hinata, on the other hand, was the only one who never mocked or scolded him, though she seemed way too nervous whenever he was around.
And Sasuke?
Naruto still wasn't sure what to make of him. He wanted to hate him—he really did. But at the same time, there was something about Sasuke's quiet confidence that made Naruto want to prove himself even more.
So, despite his endless failures, his rejections, and the countless times he was sent outside the classroom, Naruto never gave up.
He would keep trying.
After all, the road to becoming a great ninja wasn't meant to be easy!