My Name Is Namikaze Minato

CHAPTER WORDS:- 1110

Chapter 6: The Day of Enrollment at the Ninja Academy

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The closer they got to the school, the more families could be seen escorting their children. When the parents caught sight of Naruto, their expressions would subtly shift. Although Iruka's presence deterred any overt displays, and they refrained from obvious gestures or words, their gazes betrayed a faint yet unmistakable mix of loathing and fear.

Even though these looks were subdued, Naruto's sharp senses easily picked up on them. Whenever a child showed any curiosity toward Naruto, their parents would immediately pull them away and sternly warn them in low voices, forbidding even eye contact with the blond boy.

The malice was palpable.

Surrounded by such animosity, a fleeting surge of emotion stirred within Naruto. His small hand tightened its grip on Iruka's for just a moment before he quickly regained his composure. The change was subtle, but Iruka, ever vigilant, noticed the slight tremor.

As a chūnin, Iruka wasn't privy to Naruto's full identity as the son of the Fourth Hokage. However, he understood the basics of jinchūriki and the nature of tailed beasts.

To Iruka, Naruto was Naruto. The Nine-Tails was the Nine-Tails. Naruto was merely the unfortunate child chosen to contain the beast. He didn't deserve the hatred directed at him. Iruka reminded himself that his parents' deaths during the Nine-Tails' rampage were not Naruto's fault. The boy was only six years old—just another orphan who had also lost his parents that same tragic night.

These realizations softened Iruka's expression.

What Iruka could never know, however, was that Naruto's brief emotional outburst and tightened grip hadn't come from fear or sadness. It was simply the result of a momentary lapse in suppressing the faint surge of killing intent within him.

'I still have a long way to go in controlling myself...' Naruto thought to himself with a wry sense of self-deprecation.

The villagers?

Well, Naruto didn't harbor intense hatred for them—not entirely, at least. They weren't directly responsible for the misery in his life. Their ignorance about the nature of jinchūriki and the Nine-Tails led them to see him as a monster, and their fear and hostility were, in a sense, understandable.

However, understanding didn't mean Naruto liked them. If an opportunity arose in the future, Naruto wouldn't hesitate to push these ignorant villagers further into despair.

But his true ire? That was reserved for the higher-ups of Konoha—the ones who perpetuated his suffering for their so-called stability and the "greater good." Chief among them: Shimura Danzo.

Danzo was someone Naruto had vowed to kill.

This wasn't about justice. It was about vengeance—pure and simple. Not just for himself, but for his parents as well. If Obito Uchiha bore direct responsibility for the tragedy, then Danzo's scheming and manipulation had been instrumental in shaping the events that led to it.

Naruto wouldn't repeat the mistakes of his counterpart from his previous life. There would be no protecting Konoha, no attempts to redeem the likes of Obito. Letting Obito walk away with his crimes forgiven? Laughable. Naruto had already decided: Obito Uchiha's name was written in stone on his kill list.

It didn't matter what excuses or justifications Obito might have. He was irredeemable in Naruto's eyes.

The Uchiha clan?

A complex topic. The clan was simultaneously hateful, pitiful, and, to some extent, admirable. But Obito? He was an entirely different matter. Obito wasn't Itachi, Shisui, or Kagami—Uchiha who had shown honor in their actions. Those three might be deserving of respect, but Obito? He was nothing but a monster in Naruto's eyes.

Even Itachi, for all his greatness, had contradictions in his legacy. To slaughter his entire clan for the sake of the village... It was an act that could never truly be justified. Itachi had both noble and monstrous qualities—a figure both to admire and despise. His actions, however well-intentioned, were extremist to a terrifying degree.

This duality was why Itachi remained a polarizing figure among fans in Naruto's previous life—and in Naruto's current one. There were aspects of Itachi that Naruto respected, but there were others that filled him with disgust. Fortunately, as long as Itachi's actions didn't interfere with Naruto's own plans, he didn't care enough to intervene.

The rest of the Uchiha clan?

Naruto couldn't care less. Madara Uchiha himself seemed more endearing in comparison to most of them.

"Alright, we're here, Naruto," Iruka said, breaking the boy out of his thoughts.

It hadn't been a long walk—barely ten minutes. The entrance to the academy was already bustling, surrounded by parents and their children. Iruka led Naruto to a quieter spot and crouched down to his level, placing a hand on his head with a kind smile.

"Stay here for a bit while I go take care of your enrollment paperwork, okay?" Iruka said gently.

"Yes, Iruka-sensei," Naruto replied, looking up with a bright, cheerful smile. He nodded earnestly.

"Don't wander off. I'll be back soon," Iruka said, though there was a hint of worry in his voice.

In the world of ninjas, particularly within the Hidden Villages, children grew up fast. Most were already highly independent by the age of six. Many graduated from the academy at just seven or eight and went straight to the battlefield. Konoha's famous Kakashi Hatake had graduated at five, became a chūnin at six, and was a jōnin by twelve. Though such talent was rare, graduating young was not unusual.

But now?

Naruto found Konoha's system laughable.

Six years of academy training, starting at age six and graduating at twelve? And not a drop of blood spilled during the entire curriculum? This wasn't a ninja academy—it was a joke.

Naruto didn't advocate for the extreme brutality of places like Kirigakure, but Konoha had swung too far in the opposite direction. It was all part of the Third Hokage's misguided policies. Hiruzen Sarutobi, for all his contributions to the village, was the primary reason for its decline. His tolerance for Danzo, his failure to eliminate Orochimaru when he had the chance, and his obsession with maintaining peace at all costs were all glaring flaws.

Of course, none of this mattered to Naruto. His ties to Konoha were nonexistent. Not even the legacy of his father, the Fourth Hokage, changed that.

Worried about leaving Naruto alone for too long, Iruka returned within ten minutes. Seeing Naruto waiting obediently where he had left him, Iruka let out a small sigh of relief.

"Come on, Naruto. Let's get you to your classroom," Iruka said, motioning for him to follow.

"Yes, Iruka-sensei," Naruto replied, taking the man's hand again as they headed into the academy.

(End Of Chapter)

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