Naruto: I Am Uzumaki Naruto!?

Naruto walked toward his seat, his usual easygoing smile in place. "You guys are acting weird today," he said, rubbing the back of his head. "Sure, I changed a little, but it's not that big of a deal, right?"

The entire class twitched at his words.

We're the weird ones?!

What a joke. The weirdest thing here was him! How could someone change so much in just two days?

Inuzuka Kiba couldn't take it anymore. He slammed his hands on the desk and stood up, pointing at Naruto as he yelled, "You're the weird one here!"

His sharp eyes narrowed in suspicion. "How the hell did you do it? How did you suddenly become so… handsome?!"

Naruto paused mid-step, blinking in confusion. "What are you talking about?" He tilted his head. "I don't get it."

Kiba gritted his teeth, his envy barely concealed. "I'm asking how you became so freaking handsome! Explain yourself!"

Naruto scratched his cheek awkwardly. "I didn't really do anything… I just changed into new clothes, grew a bit taller, and trained a little. It's not that big of a deal."

A collective feeling of resentment filled the air.

Not a big deal?!

When everyone else was stuck with their awkward pre-teen phases, he somehow skipped ahead to looking like a refined noble.

All the boys in the class glared daggers at Naruto.

Naruto could only let out a helpless chuckle. "I'm really not lying," he muttered to himself. "The only thing that changed is that I trained a little earlier than expected…"

—

Inside his mind, Naruto called out, Hey, Kurama, do I really look that different?

The Nine-Tails snorted. Hah! Different? You look exactly like that damn Namikaze.

Naruto blinked. Like my dad?

Yeah, Kurama grumbled. Especially when you smile. It's the exact same annoying, bright-eyed grin.

Naruto raised an eyebrow, thinking about it for a moment.

Maybe that explained why everyone was so thrown off…

—

Meanwhile, the odd atmosphere in the classroom lingered even as Iruka entered. He paused, noticing the tension in the air.

"What's going on in here?" he asked, glancing around suspiciously.

No one answered.

Frowning, he shook his head and moved on to roll call.

"Uchiha Sasuke!"

"Here."

"Hyūga Hinata!"

"…P-present."

"Haruno Sakura!"

"Here!"

"Nara Shikamaru!"

"…Troublesome… but yeah, I'm here."

"…Uzumaki Naruto."

"Here!" Naruto stood up with his usual energy.

Iruka turned to him—and then froze.

He stared at Naruto for several long seconds.

Then, his eyes widened in horror.

"Who are you?!"

The classroom fell into complete silence.

"…Huh?" Naruto deadpanned.

—

After a long and frustrating explanation, Naruto finally convinced Iruka that he was, in fact, himself.

Iruka wiped his forehead, letting out a deep sigh. "Two days… can a person really change this much?"

He still couldn't believe it.

But, as a teacher, he had to move on.

"…Alright, let's continue. Today, we're reviewing the Transformation Jutsu," Iruka announced, pushing aside his personal crisis. "The technique is simple in principle, but it's useful in espionage, deception, and combat."

Iruka started lecturing, but…

The class wasn't paying attention at all.

Instead, they kept sneaking glances at Naruto.

Iruka twitched. Are handsome guys really this distracting?

Finally, he sighed and clapped his hands.

"Since nobody's focusing, let's do practical training instead. Everyone, follow me outside!"

—

Excited cheers filled the air as the students rushed toward the training grounds.

But strangely, a three-meter void surrounded Naruto.

No one dared to stand too close.

Not out of dislike—

But out of sheer intimidation.

—

Once outside, Iruka handed out kunai and shuriken to the class.

After demonstrating the proper throwing technique, he turned back to the students. "Alright, now everyone try."

Naruto only glanced at Iruka's demonstration before shaking his head.

Too weak.

After three months of rigorous Sage training, Naruto had mastered weapon-throwing to an insane degree. He could instantly tell that Iruka's technique wasn't at a high level.

Not that he blamed him. After all, Iruka was a standard Chūnin—not a combat specialist.

Just as he was about to start practicing, Naruto caught sight of a familiar figure.

A small girl with indigo hair stood at a distance, stealing nervous glances at him.

A smile spread across Naruto's face.

"Hinata!" he called out, walking over.

The moment he spoke her name, Hinata's entire face exploded into red.

She immediately dropped her gaze to the ground, fidgeting with her fingers.

"Na-Naruto-kun…" she stammered, too shy to meet his eyes.

Then, taking a deep breath, she hesitantly reached into her pocket—

And pulled out a handful of coins.

"I… I can't afford you yet," she said softly, looking up at him with hopeful eyes. "But… I'm saving up…"

Naruto blinked.

"…Huh?"

Hinata's hands trembled as she shyly presented the coins—roughly 10,000 ryō.

The realization hit Naruto like a truck.

"Wait, Hinata… you're actually trying to buy me?"

Hinata froze. Then, realizing what she had just said, she squeaked and buried her face in her hands.

Naruto burst out laughing.

With a warm smile, he reached behind his back and revealed a single, pure white lily.

"Dun dun dun! I actually got something for you instead," he said playfully, handing her the flower. "They're white lilies—just like your eyes."

Hinata gasped, her entire face turning redder than a tomato.

"Y-you like… my eyes?" she whispered.

Naruto nodded firmly. "Of course! Your Byakugan is beautiful—just like ice and snow."

Hinata's eyes shimmered as she hugged the flower to her chest.

This was the first time anyone had ever complimented her eyes.

And it was Naruto-kun.

Overwhelmed with emotion, she felt her knees go weak.

Naruto grinned and opened his arms, waiting for her to throw herself into a hug.

—

But just as she was about to—

A shadow stepped in between them.

Naruto's smile dropped instantly.

Uchiha Sasuke stood before him, arms crossed, his sharp eyes staring Naruto down.

"The dead-last is ignoring class and messing around instead?" he said coolly. "You must think you're too good for basic kunai training now."

Naruto's eyebrow twitched.

Sasuke…

Did you just block my Hinata moment?!

He let out a slow exhale, his expression darkening.

"Oi, Uchiha," he muttered.

Then, with an unamused glare, he asked—

"…Did you take the wrong medicine today or something?"

---

(A/N: Don't Forget To Add In Your Collection And Support via Powerstone)