Chapter 14: Naruto Enrolls

Orochimaru’s departure seemed not to cause any ripples, at least on the surface. Yet when Naruto saw Hiruzen Sarutobi again that afternoon, he noticed how much older the Third Hokage had become. The sense of barely maintaining equilibrium had faded, replaced by the image of a flickering candle in the wind.

“Little Naruto… did Orochimaru say anything to you?” Hiruzen asked.

Naruto shook his head, remaining silent.

Hiruzen’s back became more hunched.

Later, when Kakashi came to visit Naruto, he mentioned that Danzo Shimura, one of the Hokage’s advisors, insisted Orochimaru be declared a rogue ninja due to his inhumane experiments—there was even evidence that he had used fellow Leaf shinobi as test subjects. But Hiruzen stood firm, insisting the matter be handled according to the precedent for ninjas who leave the village, not as outright treason.

“Sarutobi! You’ll regret this!” Danzo had shouted before leaving the council chamber.

Hiruzen’s reply was resolute: “I am the Hokage! I am!”

The night passed uneventfully.

The next morning…

“Naruto’s a handsome lad, bright and dashing~”
“Slick back his messy yellow hair, puff out his chest and march ahead~”
“Hm hm… Naruto, that handsome boy…”

Humming a tune, Naruto stood before a mirror he’d made himself, carefully tidying his appearance.

He still followed the habits from his previous life, maintaining himself as a soldier would. His hair was the perfect length—sharp and tidy. No beard adorned his face, nor any trace of cosmetics. His clothes were neat and crisp, with every fold and crease precisely where they should be. His shoes gleamed spotlessly.

“Hmm, very good. All that’s missing are my medals and ribbons,” Naruto mused, nodding in satisfaction at his reflection.

The youth in the mirror wore a white, well-fitted short-sleeved shirt and black trousers, almost formal in appearance. His blue eyes were bright and clear, and even without trying, his features bore a strong, determined look.

“Kid, seeing you like this reminds me of someone,” rumbled the voice of a giant fox in Naruto’s mind.

Naruto chuckled, “Oh? Do you mean my father, Kurama?”

He had already coaxed the Nine-Tails into revealing his name.

Every time Naruto called the fox Kurama, the beast would bristle. But today, Kurama did not get angry. Instead, he spoke with a hint of nostalgia, “Yes, him—Minato Namikaze.”

He wasn’t the strongest I’ve ever met, nor the most worthy of respect, but he impacted me more than anyone else, Kurama thought quietly.

After one last check, Naruto picked up his homemade briefcase and strode out the door.

Outside, Kakashi was waiting.

When Kakashi saw Naruto’s appearance, he was momentarily dazed. There was a resemblance, and yet not quite. Naruto’s attire and demeanor were very different from Minato Namikaze’s, but anyone who knew Minato would immediately think of him upon seeing Naruto.

“Let’s go. I’ll take you to your registration,” Kakashi said, reaching out his hand.

He remembered how, when he first reported to the ninja academy, his own father had held his hand.

But Naruto didn’t take Kakashi’s hand; instead, he pressed something into it.

“That monocle you wanted—I managed to finish it before school started,” Naruto said. “Wearing it will reduce the strain from your Sharingan, so you won’t have to keep one eye closed and impair your vision.”

With that, Naruto walked briskly toward the academy.

Kakashi stared at the monocle in his hand, momentarily speechless. Did you really think I was waiting outside your door at dawn just for an order?

Yet Kakashi didn’t waste Naruto’s goodwill; he put the monocle on then and there.

On their way, Naruto drew many curious glances.

Ordinary villagers found Naruto strange and unfamiliar. When had there ever been a child like this in the village? Why had they never noticed him before?

They hardly remembered there was a “Nine-Tailed Demon Fox” in the village. Naruto rarely appeared on the streets during daylight, and when shopping at night, he only went to designated spots, picked up goods, and left money—never interacting directly with others.

At the academy gates, the scrutiny intensified, especially among the shinobi, whose curiosity was tinged with caution.

“Your son?” a familiar ninja sidled up to Kakashi and whispered, “Who’s your wife? When did you get married? How come none of us knew?”

“He’s not my son. He’s Naruto—Naruto Uzumaki,” Kakashi explained, exasperated.

“Uzumaki? But that yellow hair?”

A chunin was startled.

Uzumaki clan members all had red hair, a dominant trait—almost every mixed child would inherit it, making the clan stand out. An Uzumaki with yellow hair was baffling.

Yet the jonin present recognized him immediately.

He was the child of their lost sun, the village’s most vital strategic asset. So it was time for the child of the Yellow Flash to attend school—how quickly time had passed.

They all remembered Minato Namikaze’s brilliance as a student.

Kakashi glanced at the chunin. “Doesn’t he look familiar to you?”

Without waiting for the chunin’s dawning realization and shock, Kakashi pushed through the crowd and helped Naruto submit his paperwork.

Kakashi had feared the teachers might take their frustrations out on Naruto, but now it seemed he had worried unnecessarily. Perhaps the Third Hokage had given advance instructions.

The academy’s chunin instructors were visibly unsettled when they saw Naruto, but all treated him the same as any other student, registering him with no special attention.

After bidding Kakashi goodbye, Naruto hummed a tune as he headed toward the classroom, greeting everyone he passed.

The instructors were surprised; they hadn’t expected the Jinchuriki to be so cheerful and sunny.

Naruto opened the door and entered, instantly becoming the center of attention.

“Oh my, looks like I’m a bit late?” Naruto joked, greeting everyone: “Hello, classmates! I’m Naruto Uzumaki! We’ll be spending the next six years together!”

Without waiting for anyone’s reaction, he walked to an empty seat at the back.

Along the way, he heard whispers from his new classmates.

“Who is he? I’ve never seen him in the village before.”

“He said his name’s Naruto, but I don’t remember ever seeing him.”

“Yeah, such a handsome classmate—I’d surely remember him.”

“But he seems so assertive, almost like my dad—how annoying.”

Annoying like their dads? Shouldn’t I be popular among children?

Naruto was a bit flustered.

In his previous life, he’d rescued many orphans from the battlefield. He had always gotten along well with kids; whenever he visited, they’d swarm around him, calling him ‘big brother’ endlessly.