Konoha remained as lively as ever under the night sky.
The streets were brightly lit, presenting a picture of peace and prosperity.
In the shinobi world, where killing and bloodshed were everywhere, Konoha was a rare haven of peace.
Being reborn in such a peaceful village was, Undoubtedly, a stroke of good fortune.
Iruka possessed the memories and knowledge of this world, so there was no need for him to deliberately familiarize himself with it.
Although he had only been here for a single day, his enhanced soul allowed him to quickly absorb and fully integrate all that knowledge.
Since he was here, he might as well make the best of it.
His former self was already dead, killed by the person he had trusted most.
Now, his name was Umino Iruka, a proud teacher of Konoha’s Ninja Academy.
He could simply devote himself to teaching and nurturing the next generation, then live an ordinary, peaceful life in this unfamiliar world until he eventually returned to dust.
That should have been enough.
But—
Iruka unconsciously raised his hands and stared at his palms.
The sensation was unfamiliar.
The absolute power that had once allowed him to overturn mountains was nowhere to be felt.
Although his ability was engraved deep within his soul, the laws of this world differed from those of his previous one.
He now had to use chakra to activate his power, and with his current chakra reserves, he could display less than one percent of the strength he possessed in his previous life.
In his current state, protecting himself wouldn’t be a problem.
As long as he faithfully played the role of Iruka, quietly accumulated strength, and eventually returned to his peak, even reaching the pinnacle of this world wouldn’t be particularly difficult.
Yet he hadn’t chosen to do that.
Instead, he had chosen to reveal his strength.
During the day, there had only been students around him.
Even if they mentioned what had happened to their parents after returning home, their supposedly worldly and experienced parents would probably dismiss it with a laugh, assuming he had used some kind of trick or genjutsu.
But Iruka had sensed a watchful gaze nearby.
Even so, he had used his ability without the slightest hesitation.
He knew that it wouldn’t be long before Konoha’s higher-ups took notice of him, and that was hardly a good thing.
While he didn’t know much about Iruka’s former relationships, he knew exactly what kind of person Umino Iruka was supposed to be.
The Iruka of the past had been an ordinary chūnin with no influential background and no exceptional strength.
But now, he was someone with mysterious powers and a drastically changed personality.
It would be strange if Konoha’s upper ranks didn’t grow suspicious.
Even knowing the consequences, Iruka had done it anyway, without hesitation.
The reason was simple: he had seen something familiar in those children.
They lived in an equally unstable world and had to undergo all kinds of training from a young age.
The only real difference was the power system of their respective worlds.
Their nearly identical circumstances resonated deeply with him.
The mentor who had once guided him onto the path of power had ultimately left his life feeling meaningless.
Now, everything had changed.
His mentor’s teachings still echoed in his ears, but the mentor himself had died on a chaotic battlefield.
And, in a twist of fate, Iruka had become a mentor himself.
“I thought I was more or less over it, but it seems I still haven’t let go…”
Muttering something incomprehensible to himself, Iruka slipped his hands back into his pockets and leisurely strolled along the dimly lit streets.
By the time he came back to his senses, he had already arrived in front of a ramen stand called Ichiraku.
It seemed to be closing for the night.
The round-faced, middle-aged owner was busy cleaning up inside.
Come to think of it, I haven’t had dinner yet.
After leaving the Academy, Iruka had wandered aimlessly through the streets, lost in his thoughts, and had completely forgotten to eat.
At this hour, there probably weren’t many restaurants still open.
After hesitating for a moment, he finally headed toward the ramen stand.
Just then, a familiar voice called out from behind him.
“Iruka-sensei?
What are you doing here?”
Iruka turned around and immediately saw Naruto staring at him in surprise.
Seeing his student, Iruka shrugged casually.
“Nothing.
Just looking for some food.
What about you?
Why are you wandering around this late instead of sleeping at home?
Don’t your parents keep an eye on you?”
A trace of sadness flashed across Naruto’s face.
“My parents?
I don’t even know who they are.”
Iruka immediately scratched his head awkwardly.
What kind of child would still be wandering the streets at this hour if they had parents watching over them?
Usually, children like that were either orphans or neglected children from prominent clans.
He had known that perfectly well, yet he had asked anyway.
He was starting to feel as though he had become a little slow-witted.
The atmosphere suddenly became rather awkward.
At that moment, the owner of the ramen stand noticed Naruto approaching.
He had originally intended to politely turn Iruka away, but the moment he saw Naruto, his attitude became noticeably warmer.
“Oh, it’s you, Naruto.
What brings you here at this hour?”
Naruto’s dejection immediately vanished when the ramen shop owner spoke to him, and he answered loudly.
“Nothing much!
I just lost track of time while training and happened to pass by on my way home.”
“Oh, is that so?
You haven’t had dinner yet, have you?
Want a bowl of ramen?”
“Nah, I don’t have any money.”
“You can put it on my tab.
I haven’t put the stove out yet, anyway.”
“Huh?
Really?”
At that moment, Iruka noticed the silver-white ring on Naruto’s finger and nodded in satisfaction before cutting in.
“No need to put it on your tab, Naruto.
I’ll treat you.
I haven’t eaten either, anyway.”
Naruto immediately cheered.
Children were simple, after all.
It didn’t even occur to him to wonder why Iruka, whom he had known for less than half a day, was suddenly offering to buy him ramen.
Only then did the ramen shop owner notice Iruka standing beside him.
Seeing that he seemed to know Naruto, the man turned to Naruto curiously.
“Naruto, who is he?”
“Oh, right!
I forgot to introduce him.
He’s Iruka-sensei.
His personality is pretty weird, but overall, he’s still a good teacher.”
Iruka’s expression froze.
He raised a hand and smacked Naruto on the head.
Smack!
Naruto immediately crouched down, clutching his head in pain.
Only then did Iruka speak irritably.
“You only needed to say that I’m your teacher!
Why did you have to add all that?
And what do you mean my personality is weird?
Is that any way to talk about someone right in front of them, you idiot?”
“Damn it!
That hurt!
You violent teacher, just you wait!
One day, I’ll pay you back double!
When that day comes, I’ll make you cry and beg me to forgive you!”
Hearing Naruto’s childish declaration, Iruka couldn’t help but laugh and gave him another pat on the head, though this time much more gently.
“I called you an idiot for a reason.
Even if that’s what you’re planning, you shouldn’t announce it out loud.
Besides, if you want to take me down, you’ll need at least the strength of a Hokage.
Do you really think you can stand on the same level as the Hokage?”
“The Hokage…”
Naruto stood up while rubbing his head.
At Iruka’s words, he instinctively looked toward the distant Hokage Rock.
His gaze swept across the four stone faces before finally settling on the Fourth Hokage’s likeness at the end.
He suddenly fell silent.
“That’s right.
The Hokage is the strongest shinobi in all of Konoha, and only someone acknowledged by everyone can become one.
Naruto, I’m not trying to look down on you, but do you really have what it takes?”
Iruka had only said it casually.
It was the sort of random topic that came up in an ordinary conversation.
Seeing Naruto lower his head without responding, Iruka merely shrugged.
“Well, we’ve gotten a little off topic.
What am I doing talking to you about becoming Hokage, anyway?”
With that, Iruka turned to enter the ramen stand.
But just then, Naruto suddenly raised his head.
His young face was filled with determination as he stared straight at Iruka and declared, word by word:
“I’ve decided!
My dream is to become Hokage, make everyone in the village acknowledge my strength, and then give you the beating of a lifetime!!!”
The moment he finished speaking, an astonishing presence erupted from his small body.
Iruka, who stood closest to him, suddenly felt his breath catch.
His eyes narrowed.
Hmm…
Looks like I misjudged him.
I never expected this little brat to have eyes like that.
It seems his potential truly knows no bounds!