The boy sat alone.
He kept his head lowered, a small, motionless figure carved out of silence. The bustle of the village seemed to bend around him, separated by an invisible, heavy barrier of sorrow.
You people really are something else.
Kitazawa observed the scene, a cold sneer forming in his mind.
You dare stand there and hiss at a little boy holding a nuclear bomb? Are you not afraid of getting cooked alive?
Ignoring the strange looks darting through the crowd, Kitazawa walked straight toward the swing.
Hearing the crunch of approaching footsteps, Naruto Uzumaki instinctively jerked his head up. His blue eyes locked onto a pair of calm, black ones.
Naruto couldn't help but stare. The stranger's gaze was mild, like a still lake. There was none of the sharp, stinging malice Naruto had learned to expect from adults.
"What is your name?" Kitazawa asked.
Internally, he sighed. He kept his voice patient.
Gaining the initial recognition of Naruto Uzumaki was, in truth, pathetically simple. In this boy's entire world, only two people treated him like a human being: the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, and Teuchi, the ramen chef.
"I... My name is Naruto Uzumaki."
A flush of color returned to Naruto's pale cheeks. He felt a rare warmth spread through his chest, and his posture straightened. "And you?"
"Kitazawa."
"Hello, Big Brother Kitazawa!" Naruto chirped, a sudden, desperate excitement bubbling in his voice.
"Don't call me Big Brother."
The corner of Kitazawa's mouth twitched. "You should address me as Sensei."
"Sensei?"
Naruto's dull eyes suddenly ignited with light. "Are you the teacher for Class 1-A?"
"Mm." Kitazawa nodded once.
"That's awesome!" Naruto cheered, his legs kicking back and forth. "I'm a student in Class 1-A too!"
"I'll take you to register." Kitazawa reached out, his hand landing firmly on the boy's shoulder.
"Thank you, Kitazawa-sensei!"
Naruto hopped off the swing, vibrating with energy. But after only two steps, his movements froze. The smile vanished, and his head dropped back down.
He felt them. The heavy, sticky gazes of the villagers—looks of disgust and revulsion peeling his skin. And this time, those looks were sliding onto Kitazawa, too.
"Kitazawa-sensei... I can go sign up by myself. You don't have to trouble yourself with me." Naruto stopped walking, his voice shrinking.
"If you care too much about how other people see you, you will eventually become their prisoner."
Kitazawa didn't stop. He didn't even look back as he spoke, his voice calm and level.
Naruto stood rooted to the spot, staring blankly at the teacher's retreating back. He understood a little, but there was much he didn't understand.
"Keep up."
Kitazawa raised a hand without turning, wiggling two fingers in a beckoning motion.
Naruto snapped out of his daze. Instinct took over, and he scrambled to catch up, his small feet pattering against the dust.
Ninja Academy, Class 1-A.
The moment Naruto Uzumaki stepped through the door, the ambient noise of the classroom was severed. Silence fell like a guillotine. Every pair of eyes in the room swiveled to pin him down.
Among them was the teacher in charge of registration, Iruka Umino.
Naruto's chin began to tuck toward his chest—a reflex born of habit. But then, the words Kitazawa had spoken moments ago echoed in his mind.
A prisoner...
He swallowed hard, forcing his chin up. He looked straight ahead, meeting the wall of gazes.
"Iruka," Kitazawa said, his signature polite smile in place.
"Kitazawa-senpai."
Iruka Umino's voice was tight. He was barely suppressing the turmoil beneath his skin.
In the official history, Iruka's parents had been slaughtered during the Nine-Tails' rampage. To him, the boy standing before him wasn't just a student; he was the monster that had orphaned him. The resentment was fresh, raw, and difficult to hide.
"This is Naruto Uzumaki, a new student for Class 1-A," Kitazawa said, his expression betraying nothing. "Handle his registration."
Iruka's jaw tightened, but he reached for the roster. He filled in the details with sharp strokes of his pen before handing a stack of first-semester textbooks and a schedule to Naruto.
Formalities concluded, the pair left the suffocating atmosphere of the classroom and walked to the school gates.
"Tomorrow is the first day of the semester," Kitazawa reminded him. "Remember, do not be late."
"Mm!" Naruto nodded vigorously, clutching the books to his chest like treasure. "Thank you, Kitazawa-sensei!"
"See you tomorrow." Kitazawa waved dismissively.
As the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki, Naruto was under constant surveillance by the Third Hokage and the ANBU Black Ops. Kitazawa knew he couldn't act with too much obvious intent.
It's a good thing I'm a teacher and not an Uchiha, Kitazawa mused darkly. Otherwise, I'd wake up tomorrow morning with eight kunai in my back, ruled as a 'suicide'.
"Goodbye, Kitazawa-sensei!"
Naruto turned and skipped away, his silhouette bouncing with a newfound lightness.
[System Notification: Host has completed the task. Rewards are being distributed.]
A torrent of information suddenly flooded Kitazawa's mind.
In an instant, muscle memory and chakra pathways rewired themselves. He had fully mastered the Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique, skyrocketing directly from a novice understanding to the level of an expert.
Kitazawa's expression shifted subtly.
What an intelligent... and thoughtful System.
People often joked that the Great Fireball Technique never actually killed anyone in the stories—it was practically a meme. But in reality? For an ordinary Chūnin like Kitazawa, this was a lethal, high-grade devastating move.
"What are you smiling at? You look quite happy."
A voice, smooth and feminine, drifted from nearby.
Kitazawa instinctively turned his head.
Standing not far away was a woman of striking beauty. Her long black hair tumbled over her shoulders, and as she smiled, the sunlight caught her eyes, making them sparkle like polished rubies.