Ninja School Focus Interview
Interview with Inuzuka Ogawa from Class 6-A
When I was little, my grandfather used to say to me:
"Ogawa, whether you become a ninja or whatever, you must aim for first place and strive to improve."
Now, I have something I want to say to my grandfather in heaven.
Grandpa...
Have I lived up to your expectations?
[No. 1 on the list of people least likely to have a girlfriend]
[No. 1 on the list of most disliked boys]
[No. 1 on the list of most rejected confessions]
The above is a self-assessment from Inuzuka Ogawa, who has impressively achieved a triple crown.
This content is taken from the second special edition of the Ninja Focus Interview:
[Inuzuka Ogawa's endless failed confessions? The truth behind his losing streak!]
Rejected once again, Inuzuka Ogawa slumped back to his seat, looking utterly dejected.
As soon as he sat down, Uchiha Ryo, sitting beside him, snickered.
"Inuzuka Ogawa, your confession failed again!"
Ogawa's eyes widened in disbelief. "How can you slander me like that?!"
"What slander? I saw you confessing to a girl from the next class just two days ago, and she turned you down on the spot."
Ogawa's face turned red, veins popping on his forehead. "Inviting someone to dinner doesn't count as a confession!"
His protest only made the class burst into laughter, filling the room with a lively atmosphere.
Just then, their teacher, Uncle Nishimura, walked in, his face as serious as ever. He was holding a thick stack of papers, making the students groan. The second period was his class—just like every other class lately.
Because of the ongoing war, most of the ninja instructors had been sent to the battlefield, leaving Uncle Nishimura to handle all the school's lessons.
"Alright, you brats, back to your seats."
As the students settled down, Nishimura set the papers on his desk.
"Ah, come on! Another test? Already?" someone groaned, seeing the thick stack of paper.
"No, we're not having a test," Nishimura replied. "Today, we're going to talk about your dreams. Write them down carefully."
Dreams? Didn't we already do this back in first grade? Tatsumi thought to himself.
Nishimura gestured to the papers in his hand. "Here are the dreams you all wrote down when you first joined the academy."
"Six years have passed, and soon you'll be graduating to become full-fledged Genin."
"I imagine many of you have forgotten what your original dream was."
As he handed out the papers, Nishimura continued, "Take a look at what you wrote back then. Then, on the same paper, write down your current dream."
Tatsumi nodded. Dreams were a beautiful thing because they held people's purest hopes, kindness, and ambitions.
But the reason dreams were called dreams was that they existed only in dreams. A rational, well-planned goal wasn't a dream—it was an ideal.
That's why Tatsumi didn't particularly like the word dream. He preferred ideals because, with effort and proper planning, ideals could become reality.
Still, he couldn't even remember what he had written six years ago.
"Minato, what did you write back then?" Tatsumi asked.
Minato smiled and was about to answer, but Tatsumi waved him off. "Actually, never mind. I already know."
Minato didn't need to say it—his dream had always been to become Hokage.
Tatsumi assumed Nawaki had written the same thing.
Whether it was a dream or a realistic ideal, Minato and Nawaki were both aiming for the Hokage seat.
However, their competition was fierce. With Orochimaru as their teacher, plus Kushina, Hyuga Himeji, and others in the mix, it wouldn't be an easy path.
Oh, and let's not forget one other dreamer—Shimura Danzo.
Now that Tatsumi thought about it, Danzo was actually quite inspirational.
He was just like those older men in his past life who kept retaking college entrance exams for years.
If Konoha had newspapers, the headline would probably read:
"XXX-Year-Old Veteran Ninja, Shimura Danzo, Enters the Hokage Elections for the Fourth Time in 50 Years! Despite Constant Defeat, He Perseveres. We Look Forward to Seeing His Dream Come True!"
And in the end, he actually did achieve his dream—though it was short-lived.
Unfortunately, his story ended in tragedy. He was ultimately assassinated, with the terrorist group Akatsuki claiming responsibility.
Then again, according to some conspiracy theories, Danzo was actually taken out by an old friend—someone who resented him for stealing the Hokage position.
One way or another, his story served as a cautionary tale about the importance of counter-terrorism.
Tatsumi snapped out of his thoughts and turned to Mikoto.
"Mikoto, what did you write back then?"
Mikoto smiled but didn't answer.
As for Kushina, Tatsumi didn't bother asking. She had transferred in during the second grade, so she hadn't written anything six years ago.
Curious about his own old dream, Tatsumi finally received his paper from Nishimura.
The moment he saw his handwriting, he froze.
"May the ninja world achieve nuclear peace."
Tatsumi's face turned slightly red.
Damn, I really was dramatic back then.
He glanced over at Mikoto, who was hiding her paper.
Her face turned slightly pink. "Don't... don't look!"
Tatsumi chuckled.
"Mikoto, I like you the most."
"To what extent?" she asked, still clutching her paper tightly.
Tatsumi thought for a moment before replying, "Like a bear in the spring."
"A bear in the spring...?" Mikoto tilted her head. Her fair cheeks glowed under the sunlight. "What does that mean?"
"In the spring, you're walking alone in a field when a cute little bear comes up to you. Its fur is soft like velvet, and its eyes are round and gentle."
"It looks at you and says, 'Miss, hello, would you like to roll around with me?'"
"You hug the little bear, and the two of you roll down the hillside, playing all day in the clover fields. Doesn't that sound wonderful?"
Mikoto thought for a moment before nodding. "It does."
"That's how much I like you," Tatsumi said with a smile.
Mikoto's face turned bright red. She hesitated, then finally slid her paper toward him.
"Okay... okay, but only for a second!"
Tatsumi quickly glanced at it before she yanked it back, covering her face with both hands.
Even her earlobes were flushed.
"I want to protect the person I love."
That was what she had written six years ago.
And now, underneath it, was her current dream:
"I have found the person I love! I want to protect Tatsumi, even if it costs me my life!"
Tatsumi fell silent for a moment before reaching out and gently patting Mikoto's head.
"Thank you for liking me so much," he said sincerely.
Damn it, this hurts.
Sitting nearby, Minato clutched his chest, suffering from 100,000 points of singlehood damage.
He needed to do something—fast! Otherwise, this scene would only inflict even more damage.
Desperate, Minato's eyes darted around the room. Finally, he spotted Tatsumi's blank paper.
"Hey, Tatsumi! You haven't written anything yet! The teacher will be back soon!"
"Oh, right."
Tatsumi picked up his pen and, under Mikoto's curious gaze and Minato's hopeful one, he wrote his new dream:
"I want to be a bear in the spring."
- Ninja School Arc: End.
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Finally, the Ninja School Arc has come to an end.
Next Arc: ?????
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