Naruto: My Unique System

Chapter 8: First Class

Yet, a red-haired girl was notably absent from their class at the moment. Tatsuma speculated that she hadn't enrolled yet, recalling that the fiery girl was a transfer student.

With thirty individuals in a class, it was soon Minato and Tatsuma's turn. Minato, feeling a bit reserved, refrained from explicitly stating his ambition to become the Hokage. Instead, he conveyed a desire to evolve into a dependable ninja akin to the Hokage.

After Minato concluded his introduction, Tatsuma rose to his feet and stated, "I'm Sakamoto Tatsuma, five-years-old. My hobby revolves around making friends and engaging in joint training with them."

At this moment, Minato involuntarily shivered, but Tatsuma brushed it off, pressing on, "Currently, there's nothing I particularly dislike. My dream is simply to earn people's recognition."

Tatsuma refrained from uttering grandiose words; at his age, publicly declaring a commitment to maintain peace in the ninja world would likely come across as empty rhetoric in such a formal setting.

Following Tatsuma, only two students remained. After the introductions, Sarutobi Atoma commenced the distribution of textbooks. In the Ninja Academy, students not only participated in combat lessons but also engaged in equally crucial theoretical classes.

However, when Tatsuma received his textbook and began perusing its pages, he quickly realized that the content wasn't aligned with his expectations. In Tatsuma's mind, the textbook should have delved more into topics like the history of the ninja world and the profound concept of the Will of Fire.

As Tatsuma scrutinized the pages, he discovered that the textbook placed a heavier emphasis on the introduction of ninja tools and Ninjutsu. Moreover, it meticulously detailed the distinctive attributes of ninjas from various villages, while the historical content seemed somewhat perfunctory.

"Perhaps it's because things haven't settled down yet," Tatsuma muttered to himself. Such textbooks fell short of meeting the comprehensive developmental needs of morality, philosophy, artistic expression, and history. They appeared to be tailored solely to cultivate ninja combat skills.

In these turbulent times, Konoha couldn't afford the luxury of letting children grow comprehensively and slowly. Instead, they required batches of ninja reserves.

Minato noticed the furrowed brow on Tatsuma's face and inquired, "What's wrong?"

Tatsuma shook his head and admitted, "I just find the content a bit challenging to grasp."

Minato, was still too young. Tatsuma knew that explaining it might not make things clearer and could potentially complicate matters.

Upon hearing him, Minato smiled and reassured, "No problem. If you ever find something confusing in the future, I can help you out."

"Then, I'll trouble you in the future."

In the subsequent period, Sarutobi Atoma addressed important aspects of their study routine, covering topics such as class hours, break times, and the concept of school terms.

While these details might seem unnecessary for discussion within this classroom, considering the children from ninja families had their parents to handle such matters, the question lingered about who would take care of these logistical aspects for orphans like Tatsuma and Minato.

Once Sarutobi Atoma concluded his remarks, other ninja academy senseis arrived to introduce themselves and present their teaching materials. Sarutobi Atoma, likely with visits to other classes in mind, exited the room.

It took the entire morning to settle these minor details.

Before the formal afternoon classes, a break allowed some children to leave the ninja academy, likely heading home for lunch.

Tatsuma and Minato, already armed with their lunch boxes, intended to fetch some hot water to accompany their meals. In that moment, Nara Shikaku, with his distinctive pineapple-shaped hair, accompanied by Yamanaka Inoichi and Akimichi Choza, approached the two.

"I overheard you mentioning that you enjoy making friends, correct?" Shikaku remarked as Tatsuma pondered the purpose of their visit. Tatsuma nodded and inquired, "Indeed. I recall you expressing earlier that you don't appreciate engaging in meaningless socializing."

However, Shikaku, in this moment, revealed a smile and remarked, "With you two, it's bound to be meaningful socializing. Allow me to introduce myself. I'm Nara Shikaku, and these are Yamanaka Inoichi and Akimichi Choza."

"Hello."

"Hey, nice to meet you."

Inoichi nodded, and Choza, while quickly swallowing a chip, also offered a nod toward Tatsuma and Minato. He, however, maintained a vigilant grip on the remaining chips in his hand.

Tatsuma didn't mind, already familiar with the Akimichi Clan's protective attitude toward their food from his past life. He reciprocated with a nod and a smile, stating, "I'm Sakamoto Tatsuma."

After their introductions, Tatsuma glanced at Minato, who also offered a smile and added, "I'm Minato Namikaze."

"Well, I won't disturb your lunch. If you have time, let's play shogi together sometime," Shikaku suggested.

Shikaku's enthusiasm was measured; that was in line with his personality. Having approached the two for a social interaction, partly influenced by his father's advice, he soon departed with Inoichi and Choza.

"It appears not all ninja clan descendants are arrogant," Minato observed, forming a positive opinion of the trio. Tatsuma concurred, stating, "These guys are definitely worth befriending. Good job, Minato. You've already garnered attention so quickly."

Upon hearing the phrase "well done, Minato," Minato subconsciously twitched, sensing that Tatsuma might be gearing up to propose another challenge. However, upon witnessing Tatsuma heading straight to the water source, Minato's interest waned a bit.

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