“I’m gonna become Hokage someday!
Just like Lord Hashirama!” The shout echoed across the Academy gates before morning classes had even begun.
Ethan stopped walking.
A vein twitched faintly at his temple.
Teaching already ranked dangerously low on his list of enjoyable activities.
For two very specific reasons.
First— he learned far too quickly.
Trying to explain concepts to ordinary children often felt like attempting to teach advanced mathematics to squirrels.
Second— he disliked loud children.
Especially hyperactive ones.
And the boy currently screaming in front of the Academy qualified perfectly.
Ethan walked over expressionlessly and pressed a hand onto the child’s head.
“This is a school,” he said flatly.
“Lower your voice.” The boy immediately slapped his hand away.
Then he darted behind his father while making exaggerated faces from safety.
Ethan: “…” The adult shinobi froze the moment he recognized him.
Then he hurriedly bowed.
“Lord Ethan, my apologies.
My son can be… difficult.” Ethan blinked once.
“You know me?” The man laughed awkwardly.
“My name is Sasuke Sarutobi.” He pushed the boy forward gently.
“And this troublemaker is my son, Hiruzen.” Then he leaned down slightly.
“You’re always talking about wanting to meet Lord Hashirama’s disciple, aren’t you?” he whispered.
“Why are you suddenly quiet now?” Young Hiruzen stared at Ethan.
Ethan stared back.
Then both widened their eyes simultaneously.
Wait.
This gremlin was the future Third Hokage?
Ethan was still processing that horrifying realization when Hiruzen crossed his arms arrogantly.
“So you’re the Hokage’s student?” the boy declared loudly.
“You don’t look that impressive.” Ethan: “…” Sasuke Sarutobi nearly died internally.
“Hahaha…” he laughed nervously.
“Please forgive him, Lord Ethan.
I don’t think he’s fully awake yet.” Ethan slowly smiled.
Unfortunately, the expression looked deeply threatening.
“That’s fine,” he said warmly.
“I’ll personally help him wake up properly during class.” The moment those words landed, Hiruzen’s instincts screamed danger.
His face paled instantly.
Unfortunately, before he could retreat further, his father had already handed him over completely.
“Please take care of him,” Sasuke said gratefully.
“I still have a mission.” Then he crouched beside his son.
“Study hard, Hiruzen.
I’ll pick you up afterward.” The instant he finished speaking, Sasuke vanished in a Body Flicker.
Leaving Hiruzen alone.
The child slowly looked up at Ethan and forced out a tiny, terrified smile.
Ethan smiled back.
In Hiruzen’s eyes, it looked like a demon had just discovered a new hobby.
One second later— “WAAAAAAAHHHH!!” The future Third Hokage burst into tears before classes had even started.
Ethan rubbed his forehead tiredly.
Fantastic.
He had psychologically traumatized a future village leader before breakfast.
— Unfortunately, school season wasn’t only causing problems in the Naruto world.
The Ethan of the Wizarding World was suffering too.
Unlike his shinobi counterpart, this Ethan had grown up in a London orphanage.
Before awakening the Soul Palace, he had already received his Hogwarts acceptance letter.
And honestly?
His first instinct had been to ignore it entirely.
Magic was real.
Which meant Voldemort was real too.
The first few years at Hogwarts might still be relatively safe… but once the Triwizard Tournament began and Voldemort returned properly, the British magical world would become increasingly unstable.
And Ethan held no illusions about his position within it.
An orphaned first-generation wizard with no family backing was exactly the sort of person who died quietly during dark wizard conflicts.
Originally, his plan had been simple.
Avoid Hogwarts.
Live quietly.
Stay alive.
But things were different now.
His cheat had awakened.
With the support of his counterparts across the Infinite Worlds, Ethan’s confidence had transformed completely.
The moment he returned from the Soul Palace, he immediately dug the hidden Hogwarts letter out from beneath his pillow.
The parchment looked expensive and strangely old-fashioned.
Elegant green ink stretched across the top: HOGWARTS SCHOOL OF WITCHCRAFT AND WIZARDRY Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore (Order of Merlin, First Class, Supreme Mugwump, Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot) Below that: Dear Mr.
Ethan Vale, We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry… Ethan read through the entire letter carefully before sitting down to write his response.
He explained his orphanage situation honestly and requested assistance navigating Diagon Alley.
There was no realistic way for him to access the hidden magical world alone.
The Hogwarts owl had already been terrorizing the orphanage for nearly a week after receiving no reply.
At one point, one of the exhausted nuns had seriously considered cooking it for dinner.
Thankfully, the bird escaped that tragic fate the moment Ethan tied his response to its leg.
The owl immediately shot into the evening sky.
Ethan watched it disappear thoughtfully.
“As long as they don’t send Snape, I’m fine with anyone.” He didn’t dislike Severus Snape personally.
But as a future student?
Absolutely not.
Snape radiated the exact same terrifying energy as those disciplinary instructors from his previous life who carried bamboo sticks and emotionally crushed students for sport.
Until Hogwarts replied, Ethan still had another problem to solve.
Money.
More specifically— school expenses.
How exactly was an orphan supposed to fund seven years of magical education in 1990s London?
Simple.
Rob criminals.
London’s alleyways were filled with drunks, gang runners, black-market dealers, and petty criminals carrying more cash than common sense.
Ethan targeted them exclusively.
Occasionally, he even stumbled into active gang transactions and hit the jackpot outright.
Thanks to Observation Haki and his synchronized shinobi-enhanced physique, mugging criminals turned out to be shockingly efficient.
Within two days, he had already accumulated enough money to support himself comfortably for years.
Naturally, Hogwarts absolutely could not discover this.
Officially, he remained a poor orphan student.
Three days after sending his reply, Ethan suddenly sensed an unfamiliar presence approaching shortly before sunset.
Observation Haki reacted immediately.
He quietly packed his belongings, slipped out through the orphanage window, and waited outside.
A soft voice soon spoke behind him.
“Mr.
Vale, seeing you prepared ahead of time is very reassuring.” Ethan turned calmly.
A short, plump witch approached across the courtyard beneath the fading evening light.
Heavy robes draped around her figure beneath a patched pointed hat, while frizzy hair escaped wildly in every direction.
Ethan recognized her instantly.
Pomona Sprout.
Head of Hufflepuff House.
Professor of Herbology.
Ethan nodded politely.
“You’re from Hogwarts?” The woman smiled warmly.
“Professor Pomona Sprout,” she introduced herself.
“Head of Hufflepuff House and professor of Herbology.” Ethan inclined his head slightly.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Professor Sprout.” Professor Sprout glanced briefly toward the dim orphanage behind him.
Her expression softened.
“In Hogwarts’ thousand-year history,” she said quietly, “very few children from orphanages have attended the school.” A brief pause followed.
“The last one was…”