The heated quarrel between Senju Gojo and Uchiha Sasuke finally died down after Iruka-sensei firmly stepped in between them, practically dragging Naruto away by his collar like an unruly puppy caught sleeping on the bench.
Sasuke reluctantly sat down, crossing his arms with a grumpy expression, his dark eyes never leaving Gojo's figure.
Naruto stuck his tongue out at Sasuke, only for Iruka to slap the back of his head, making him yelp.
"Alright, everyone, settle down," Iruka said, clapping his hands to grab the class's attention.
The noise gradually died down, and the kids faced forward.
"Today we'll be discussing the history of Konoha – especially focusing on the legacy of our current leader, the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi."
A murmur of curiosity and excitement swept through the classroom.
Even the class clowns leaned forward in their seats.
History might have been dry in other classes, but not when it involved legendary ninja.
"As many of you know," Iruka began, pacing with practiced grace, "the Third Hokage is not only our current leader but also widely regarded as one of the strongest shinobi of his time.
His title, 'The Professor,' comes from his mastery of all forms of ninjutsu. A feat very few have achieved."
Sasuke kept his eyes narrowed at Gojo. Naruto, not to be outdone, returned the glare with equal parts sass and smugness.
They were like two cats on opposite sides of a room, tails twitching, waiting to pounce.
Meanwhile, Shikamaru lazily leaned back in his chair, sighing.
"What a drag. Another history lecture..." he muttered.
Choji, of course, was fully invested in the bag of chips he had smuggled in, crunching away. Kiba had Akamaru perched on his head like a fuzzy crown, rubbing the pup's ears and whispering,
"You'd be a better Hokage than some of these guys, right boy?"
In the corner, Shino sat motionless, his presence so quiet and invisible he might have been mistaken for an extra desk.
But the real eye-catcher wasn't Iruka's lecture or Naruto's antics.
No, it was Gojo.
While Iruka was passionately narrating the tale of Sarutobi's single-handed victory against rogue S-class shinobi, Gojo… was sleeping.
Not just nodding off.
No. Senju Gojo had leaned back on his chair, face tilted toward the window where golden sunlight filtered in, casting gentle shadows across his perfectly relaxed features.
His long white lashes flickered slightly with each breath, and a soft breeze from the open window stirred his silver hair like a halo.
Ding!
[System Notification: Congratulations, Host. You have successfully plundered a Hidden Opportunity — "Naruto's Classroom Laziness." 2,000 System Points awarded.]
Gojo's eyelid twitched. Even Naruto's napping habit is an opportunity now?
He shrugged internally and didn't even bother checking the panel.
He just shifted deeper into his slumber, practically purring.
From the girls' side of the room, three pairs of eyes were locked onto him.
Ino rested her chin on her palm, sighing dreamily. "He looks so... peaceful."
Hinata blushed furiously, twiddling her fingers. "So handsome... like a prince in a fairy tale..."
Sakura whispered to Ino, "Why does he even look more majestic asleep than Sasuke does awake?"
Shizuka Uchiha pouted.
This guy... I thought he was attentive! I literally proposed to him this morning and he's... SLEEPING?!
She crossed her arms and huffed. Her sharp gaze scanned the classroom.
The other girls were practically melting into their desks.
One glance from her – cold, sharp, almost threatening – and suddenly their dreamy looks vanished.
Ino and Sakura sat up straight.
Hinata gasped and dropped her gaze to her shoes.
That's more like it, Shizuka thought, a tiny smirk tugging at her lips. My aura is still working. I'm the queen bee.
From the back, Shikamaru groaned and muttered, "Lucky bastard.
Sleeping through lectures, scaring off girls without even trying, and somehow making it look cool."
---
Far from the bustling academy, hidden within the whispering trees near the edge of the Uchiha district, two figures stood beneath the shadows.
"Shisui," Itachi acknowledged quietly.
The older teen nodded. "Itachi. I thought I'd find you here."
"I come here when I need to think," Itachi replied.
Shisui sat down on a tree stump, his expression serious. "The clan's been tense lately. There's talk of... action. You know what I mean."
Itachi sighed deeply, his shoulders visibly slumping. "I know. I've been trying to reason with Father, but his expectations are... lofty.
And now with Gojo's presence, it's only worsening."
Shisui tilted his head. "You're worried about him?"
"I'm more worried about what his strength means. For the elders. For the future."
There was a long pause before Itachi's voice dropped. "...And for Shizuka."
Shisui's brows furrowed. "Your sister?"
Itachi gave a sad nod. "Since childhood, she's avoided me.
Whenever I walk into a room, she goes silent.
She cries when she sees me... like I'm a monster."
"Maybe you just have a scary face," Shisui teased gently, trying to lighten the mood.
But Itachi didn't smile.
"She's only a few minutes older than Sasuke, but she's always acted so differently around me. I tried to bond with both of them.
But she... she won't let me."
"Maybe she knows something," Shisui muttered without thinking.
"What?" Itachi turned.
"Nothing," Shisui said quickly. "Just... maybe she senses the burden you carry.
Kids can be perceptive like that.
Or maybe... she's afraid you'll be taken away like everyone else."
"I don't want to lose her," Itachi whispered. "I already feel like I have."
Shisui placed a hand on his friend's shoulder. "Then fight for her.
Not just against enemies outside – but against whatever shadow's grown between you two.
She may push you away... but I know she loved you once. You're her brother."
Itachi nodded, eyes distant. "I only hope I haven't lost that chance."
---
Back in the classroom, Iruka's voice still boomed with pride as he pointed to the large blackboard illustration of Sarutobi.
"And thus, the Third Hokage, despite his age, managed to defeat the rampaging Shinobi Corps from the Hidden Waterfall and protected all of Konoha!"
"Wow..." several students gasped.
Even Naruto managed a whistle. "Old man's got moves."
But Gojo? Still sleeping. Mouth slightly parted. One leg stretched casually, like he was at a resort.
This guy... Shizuka glared at him. Her hand instinctively reached for her system panel and flicked it open discreetly.
[Task: Propose to Senju Gojo in front of the class – COMPLETED]
[Reward: One-Tomoe Sharingan – CLAIMED]
A faint pulse ran through her eyes. No one noticed, but she smiled.
Even if I have to start with this... I'll become strong. For my sake. For Sasuke. For my family.
She looked back at Gojo.
And maybe... just maybe... to see what kind of person you'll grow into.
---
End of Chapter 26
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[ TO BE CONTINUED ]
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Author's Note:
Boom! The chapter ends… but my journey as a humble author continues!
If you laughed, raged, or felt the urge to slap a fictional character today—don't forget to drop a Power Stone or add this novel to your collection!
It fuels my fingers and feeds the system behind this villainous tale.
Got an idea? A plot twist suggestion? Or just wanna yell at a character?
Slide into the comments—I read everything.
Until next time,
Stay evil, stay awesome, and thanks for reading!
– Your Scheming Author
azuredragonx
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