After the speech ended, the chunin instructors began dividing us into groups.
Three groups. Thirty students in each.
We were led toward our classrooms. When I saw the class list outside the door, I paused.
Class 1-A.
And when I stepped inside, I confirmed it. This was the same class as in canon.
Which meant,
Six clan heirs.
Shikamaru Nara.
Chōji Akimichi.
Ino Yamanaka.
Kiba Inuzuka.
Shino Aburame.
Hinata Hyūga.
And of course Sasuke Uchiha and Sakura Haruno.
The so-called main cast.
The rest were civilian children.
No other major clan kids were placed in this class.
Interesting.
The future was aligning closely with canon.
The kids looked like their younger versions from the anime.
Shikamaru already looked bored.
Chōji was already chewing something.
Kiba had a confident grin.
Shino looked quiet and unreadable.
Ino looked energetic.
Sakura looked… loud.
Sasuke stood calm and distant, like he did not care about anyone.
But Hinata was different.
She wore an oversized hoodie. The hood covered most of her head.
From where I stood, I could barely see her face.
She looked smaller than I expected.
As for me, for my academy debut, I wore black pants and shinobi sandals. On top, I wore an orange shirt. On the back was the red Uzumaki symbol. On the front, over the chest, was the Konoha symbol.
Simple.
But meaningful.
When we entered the classroom, everyone began choosing seats.
Shikamaru and Chōji quickly sat together.
Kiba sat with a group of civilian boys who seemed to admire him.
Sasuke took a seat in the middle of the room.
Immediately, Ino and Sakura began arguing about who would sit next to him.
Some things never change.
I moved toward the last row.Right corner. Window seat.
Perfect view.
Perfect position.
But when I reached it, it was already occupied.
Hinata Hyūga sat there quietly.
Should I ask her to move?
I looked at the second-to-last row window seat. Occupied.
Shino Aburame.
I sighed quietly.
I really wanted the last window seat.
Before I could think further, the classroom door slid open.
A teacher entered.
"Everyone, take your seats," he said firmly.
The room quickly became quiet.
I glanced once more at the window seat.
Then at Hinata.
She was sitting still, hands folded, eyes lowered.
Fine.
I walked over and sat beside her.
If I cannot take the window seat. I will take the seat next to it.
Hinata stiffened slightly when I sat down.
I pretended not to notice.
When everyone settled down, the teacher walked to the front of the class. He placed a stack of papers on the desk and turned toward us.
"Welcome to the Academy," he said. "My name is Shigeru Ikuta. I will be your class teacher for this year."
His voice was steady but not harsh.
"I am a chunin of Konoha. I fought in the previous Great Ninja War."
Some of the kids gasped quietly.
He continued, "My hobby is watching birds. And I enjoy teaching young students like you."
He gave a small smile.
"Now, let us get to know each other. We will start with introductions. Say your name, what you like, and what you want to become."
And just like that, the introductions began.
I listened carefully. Not for friendship.
For information.
I wanted to understand the composition of this class.
Most of the civilian children introduced themselves in simple ways.
"My name is…"
"I like…"
"I want to become a ninja…"
I tuned most of them out. Nothing special stood out.
Then,
Kiba Inuzuka stood up with a cocky grin.
"My name is Kiba Inuzuka!"
He pointed at himself proudly.
"My clan raises ninja dogs! And I'm going to become the strongest shinobi in the village!"
He looked directly at Sasuke.
"Anyone who thinks they're stronger can try me!"
Bold, Confident and loud.
Crunch.
Everyone turned their heads.
Chōji Akimichi stood up slowly, still chewing on chips.
"My name is Chōji Akimichi."
Crunch.
"I like food… especially barbecue and chips."
He paused to think.
"And I like people who share food."
Another crunch.
"I don't like people who call others fat."
He sat down beside Shikamaru and continued eating.
The teacher called a name twice before the next student stood up.
"Shikamaru Nara."
He sighed loudly.
"This is troublesome…"
Some students blinked in confusion.
"I like clouds," he continued lazily. "I don't like effort. My family works for the village, so I guess I'll be a ninja too."
He paused.
"That's it."
And he sat down immediately.
Minimal effort.
As expected.
Next, Ino Yamanaka stood up confidently.
"My name is Ino Yamanaka!"
She smiled brightly and flipped her hair back.
"My family runs the best flower shop in the village. And one day I'll become a strong kunoichi just like them."
Then she glanced toward Sasuke.
"And I like cool, talented boys."
Sakura's face immediately tightened. The tension was obvious. The rivalry had already begun.
I leaned back slightly in my seat.
Sakura stood up next.
She looked nervous.
"Um… my name is Sakura Haruno."
She glanced sideways at Sasuke for a second.
"I like… flowers and studying."
She paused.
"And… someone in this class."
Several girls giggled.
Her face turned red.
She quickly added, "I'm good at academics! My dream is to become a great kunoichi!"
Then she sat down quickly, still blushing.
The room grew quieter when Sasuke Uchiha stood up.
"My name is Sasuke Uchiha."
The moment he said his last name, whispers spread across the room.
"I like my brother, my family, and my clan," he said calmly. "I also like eating tomatoes."
He paused for a second.
"My goal… is to become strong like my brother."
Then he sat down without another word.
Immediately, some girls leaned toward him, whispering excitedly.
Some boys frowned. The atmosphere around him felt different.
Then Shino Aburame stood up.
Silence fell again.
"My name is Shino Aburame."
His voice was calm and flat.
"My clan works with insects."
Several kids shifted uncomfortably in their seats.
"Insects are efficient, loyal, and precise."
He paused.
"I intend to become the same." Then he sat down quietly.
Now it was my turn.
The teacher called my name.
I stood up.
"I'm Naruto Uzumaki," I said clearly.
A few heads turned.
"I like ramen. Especially from Ichiraku."
That part was honest.
"My hobbies are cooking and music. I'm bad at music… but I'm good at cooking."
A few kids snickered.
"My dream is to become…"
I paused for effect.
"…the God of Shinobi."
Whether good or evil, I had not decided yet.
Some students laughed.
Some mocked.
"Idiot."
"Big mouth."
I did not care.
Just background noise.
Mob characters.
I sat down calmly. Then the teacher called the next name.
"Hinata Hyuga."
The room became quiet.
Hinata slowly stood up. But she did not speak.
She just stood there.
A few seconds passed.
The silence grew awkward.
The teacher cleared his throat gently.
"I apologize," he said softly. "Hinata cannot speak."
What?
I froze.
The teacher continued, "Please be understanding toward her."
My head snapped toward Hinata.
Slowly, she removed her hood.
Her pale eyes were calm.
But there, on her neck, was a large scar.
It was old.
Deep.
Visible.
My stomach tightened. What the hell happened?
This was not a small change.
This was big.
Very big.
The classroom remained quiet.
Some students stared.
Some whispered.
I kept looking at the scar.
This world was not just slightly different.
It was darker and I have a feeling that it will become darker.