---
"Cut it out, you pretentious brat!"
"Yeah, this is a ninja academy! Is looking cool going to help you pass?"
"Hmph, today's just the first day. Let's see how long he can keep up that act."
"..."
Seeing this, many of the students grew annoyed, already deciding to humiliate him in class whenever possible.
They all knew that Ye Dou wasn't from the Hyūga or Uchiha clans, meaning he had no powerful family backing him. As long as their own strength was sufficient, they wouldn't need to worry about retaliation.
To put it bluntly, they were just bullying the weak while fearing the strong—unlike with Sasuke Uchiha or Hanabi Hyūga, where they had to be careful about potential consequences.
After all, both the Hyūga and Uchiha clans were prestigious noble families in Konoha. Even the village elders had to show them respect, and the academy instructors wouldn't dare cross them.
"Can I sit here?"
As soon as Ye Dou sat down, Hanabi Hyūga pulled her older sister, Hinata, along with her.
Even though she was asking, she had already taken a seat beside Ye dou before waiting for a response.
Hanabi was different from Hinata—she was bold, confident, and persistent. Otherwise, she wouldn't have secretly left the Hyūga compound every day to find Ye dou in the forests behind the village, just to watch him train.
"We'll be classmates from now on. Nice to meet you!"
Seeing Ye dou remain silent, Hanabi tugged on her sister's sleeve and added, "This is my sister, Hinata Hyūga. We're twins!"
"U-Um… hello, nice to meet you…"
Hinata shyly glanced at Ye dou. She had heard from Hanabi about this boy—the one her sister often snuck out to watch. Curious, she peeked at him with her pale lavender eyes.
But she only dared to steal glances, too timid to maintain eye contact.
Meanwhile, Hanabi continued talking, trying to start a conversation, but Ye dou never acknowledged them. He acted as if the Hyūga sisters didn't even exist.
Hinata clenched her fists in frustration, thinking her sister was being too eager.
She wanted to say something but lacked the courage. Instead, when Ye dou casually glanced at her, she immediately lowered her head, her hands trembling slightly.
So intimidating…
Now she somewhat understood what Hanabi had meant. This boy, even though he was their age, was different from anyone she had ever met. There was something terrifying about him.
Thinking this, she couldn't help but admire Hanabi, who had the nerve to approach someone like Ye dou so boldly.
---
The first day at the academy passed quickly.
For Ye dou, however, it was a waste of time. Most of Iruka's lesson was spent introducing students to chakra extraction, and he didn't even mention the basic Three Academy Jutsu (Bunshin no Jutsu, Henge no Jutsu, and Kawarimi no Jutsu).
Ye dou was displeased with this. A whole day of potential training time had been lost.
So, when the school bell rang, he ignored his classmates, ignored the teachers, and left the classroom without hesitation.
He had no intention of wasting any more time. The moment he returned home, he would begin his daily training.
At the school gates, many parents waited eagerly to pick up their children, waving with smiles and asking how their first day had gone.
As Ye dou passed through, some parents instinctively pulled their children closer, whispering warnings not to approach him.
"Lady Hanabi, Lady Hinata, it's time to return home. Lord Hiashi is waiting for you."
Hanabi wanted to follow Ye dou, but the Hyūga servant stopped her. She could only watch his back disappear into the distance.
Her mood soured without warning. She clenched her fists, pressing them against her chest as if that would ease the discomfort inside her.
---
The Son of Prophecy
"Hey, your name's Ye dou, right? I'm Naruto Uzumaki! We're classmates now!"
On his way home, someone ran up beside him—not long after he had left the academy.
Sky-blue eyes, spiky blond hair, a pair of goggles resting on his forehead, and three whisker-like marks on each cheek—his appearance was distinct.
He was Naruto Uzumaki.
For Naruto, today was a day worth celebrating. He had finally entered the ninja academy—the first step toward his dream of becoming Hokage.
It was a distant goal. He hadn't even learned a single ninjutsu yet, and today was the first time he had heard about chakra extraction.
But he believed that one day, he would become Hokage and earn the village's recognition.
However, what made him happiest was discovering that among his classmates, there was someone else like him—Ye dou.
Just like Naruto, Ye dou had no parents, no family to see him off in the morning, and no one to pick him up after school.
And just like Naruto, it seemed like the village didn't welcome him.
Naruto knew it was wrong to feel happy about this, but he couldn't help it.
He felt like he had finally found someone who understood his loneliness. Surely, they could become friends—talk about anything and everything.
After all, they were both alone.
"Hey, Ye dou! Which way's your house? If it's on the way, let's walk together! We can go to school together, too!"
Even though Ye dou didn't respond—not even sparing him a glance—Naruto remained enthusiastic.
He clasped his hands behind his head, grinning as he continued speaking.
"Why don't I treat you to some ramen? Ichiraku's ramen is the best! You've gotta have tried it before, right? I wish I could eat it all the time, but the village stipend is way too small..."
"Oh, what's your favorite flavor? Mine's miso chashu!"
Naruto kept rambling, talking non-stop.
It was clear how lonely he had been, lacking anyone to talk to. And now that he had found someone he saw as a kindred spirit, he was doing everything he could to connect.
He wanted to find some common ground—something they both liked.
"What you love isn't the ramen," Ye dou suddenly said, stopping in his tracks and turning to face Naruto.
"You love the atmosphere of the ramen shop."
Naruto's eyes widened in surprise.
For the first time, Ye dou had spoken to him.
---