Chapter 4
Today was the first day of Ninja Academy.
After finishing breakfast, Natsuki headed out alone toward the academy. On the way, he passed by many parents walking their noisy kids to school—chattering non-stop, making quite the ruckus.
Of course, there were also some orphans, walking alone just like him.
Natsuki didn't pay much attention. Once he arrived, he went straight to the bulletin board, found his assigned class, and casually scanned through the names of his classmates.
"Oh ho—Uchiha Sasuke, Uzumaki Naruto, Hyūga Hinata, Nara Shikamaru, Akimichi Chōji, Yamanaka Ino, Haruno Sakura, Inuzuka Kiba, Aburame Shino... So I'm really in the same class as the future powerhouses, huh? That works. Time to build some connections. After all, Konoha's future leadership mostly comes from this bunch. It's best to form some early relationships."
But of course, early friendships had to be approached carefully. Some people were okay to befriend now, others... better left alone.
Take Uchiha Sasuke, for example.
The Uchiha clan's relationship with the village was currently tense, and his older brother was... unhinged. Getting too close to Sasuke might drag him into trouble.
Then there's Naruto.
He was a Jinchūriki—getting too friendly might draw attention from the Third Hokage or Danzo. Not to mention, Naruto was a loud, hyperactive idiot. Befriending him might just make you dumber. And give you headaches.
The rest? Haruno Sakura and Yamanaka Ino were fangirls. Hyūga Hinata was too shy. Inuzuka Kiba's dog liked to pee on everything.
All pass.