'The so-called "Golden Generation" all gathered in one class…'
Ren's gaze swept across the classroom, and indeed, he spotted several "acquaintances" with distinctive, almost iconic, features.
For example, the boy in the vibrant green jumpsuit who had just stood up, flashing a grin so bright it seemed to generate its own light, declaring his hobby to be "training"—that was Might Guy, the man who would later come terrifyingly close to literally kicking the plot into a finale.
Sitting behind him, slouched with an air of preternatural boredom, was a boy with gravity-defying silver-white hair and a mask covering the lower half of his face: Kakashi Hatake. In the front left row sat a gentle-looking little girl with short brown hair and distinctive purple markings on her cheeks: Nohara Rin.
As for other prominent characters from the original work, Ren didn't spot any obvious matches. They might be in another class, not yet enrolled, or simply lacked the distinctive visual cues that would make them instantly recognizable without a name.
'A concentration of talent,' was Ren's internal assessment. 'If I could ever get back to Earth, I could be the ultimate lore-master. Let's see: Kakashi Hatake, Asuma Sarutobi, Kurenai Yūhi, Might Guy, Uchiha Obito… all first-year classmates. Irrefutable, eyewitness proof. I saw it myself!'
As previously established, the Naruto timeline was a narrative disaster area, as coherent as his glitched system. Trying to make strict sense of it was an exercise in futility. This particular era was especially vague in the source material. What did Kishimoto know about Naruto? Probably less about this specific period than "Instructor Oda" up front. And certainly less than Ren did right now. He was living it.
The introductions rolled on. Through them, Ren identified another "acquaintance": Shiranui Genma. At this age, without his signature senbon toothpick, his features were generic, and Ren had completely overlooked him until the name was spoken. Ah, right. Ebisu was also present, similarly inconspicuous without his trademark sunglasses.
Of course, there were others with obvious clan markers or unique styles—the boy with the milky, unfocused eyes of a Hyūga, the girl with a fan motif on her clothing, and those bearing the surnames Nara, Akimichi, Yamanaka, and Inuzuka. This class was indeed a hand-picked collection of promising seedlings. A deliberate arrangement by the Third Hokage, perhaps?
Soon, it was Kurenai Yūhi's turn.
The little girl seemed genuinely nervous, her earlier confession about being anxious to come alone proving true. Her voice was soft. "M-my name is Kurenai Yūhi. I'm six years old. My favorite food right now is… dango. My dream is to become a strong and respected kunoichi, like Lady Tsunade of the Sannin!"
Clap, clap, clap…
Perhaps because she was cute, or because her dream was admirably specific, the class responded with warm, enthusiastic applause.
Ren also noted, with a narrow-eyed glance, that a certain "cool kid," Asuma Sarutobi, seemed to sit up a little straighter, his attention noticeably sharpening as Kurenai spoke. 'Hmph. Little blond punk. Must be stopped.'
Kids in this world matured fast, emotionally and otherwise. He didn't get it, couldn't comprehend it. Wasn't Uchiha Obito, the future architect of worldwide suffering, only about thirteen when the death of the girl he admired warped him from a cheerful idiot into a genocidal philosopher? His entire worldview had hinged on one person. World peace wasn't the point; the point was whether Rin was in it.
Terrifying.
No wonder schools in his old world cracked down on puppy love; there were profound, world-altering reasons.
While lost in this tangential social critique, Ren realized it was his turn. As a mentally twenty-something man in a child's body, stage fright was not an issue. He stood up smoothly.
His vibrant red hair instantly drew attention, particularly from several of the girls, whose eyes seemed to sparkle with interest.
A little red-haired shotā!
Ren began, his tone conversational. "My name is Ren. I am Kurenai Yūhi's older brother." He established the hierarchy immediately. "My favorite foods are barbecue and grilled meat. I don't have many hobbies. If eating and sleeping, then sleeping and eating, counts as hobbies… then those are mine."
"As for dreams, well, I have a few."
"My first dream is to open a successful barbecue shop right next to a popular ramen shop. It's a sound business model: synergistic customer flow, good profits, and a relatively safe location."
"My second dream is to have a warm, happy family—a wife, kids, the whole package—and live a long, peaceful life until I die of old age in my sleep. No drama."
"My third dream…" He paused, a faint, wistful smile touching his lips as he accessed a memory utterly alien to this world. "…is to be an astronaut. My grandparents would have been very happy."
"And my biggest, most overarching dream is for genuine, lasting peace across the entire Ninja World. That's all." He gave a slight nod and sat down.
The classroom descended into a beat of profound, puzzled silence. Teachers and students alike traded bewildered looks.
What… was that?
Compared to the straightforward "I will be Hokage!" or "I will be a great ninja!", this was a veritable cascade of non sequiturs. Four dreams? And none of them explicitly about being a ninja? What was a barbecue shop's business model doing in a ninja academy introduction? And what, in the name of the Sage of Six Paths, was an astronaut? Why would grandparents be happy about it? And concluding with "peace for the Ninja World"… could a personal dream even be that vast and abstract?
They didn't understand. They were, however, greatly astonished.
'Ren is doing the incomprehensible thing again…' Kurenai sank slightly in her seat, one small hand rising to cover part of her face. Couldn't he just give a normal introduction? She didn't understand half of what he'd said.
"Ha… haha…" Instructor Oda managed a dry, professional chuckle. This left an even deeper impression than Uchiha Obito's boisterous declaration. This year's batch was… special. "Ren-kun's… dreams are certainly diverse. A-and ambitious. We should all strive for our goals. You may, uh, sit down now."
Clap… clap… A few scattered, confused claps echoed before petering out.
With several dozen students, the self-introduction ritual consumed the entire first period. The dismissal bell rang, and Instructor Oda swiftly made his exit, perhaps needing a moment to process.
The classroom instantly erupted into the controlled chaos of a first break. Clusters formed as kids who already knew each other reconnected. Others remained solitary islands of calm, like the masked, silver-haired boy who seemed to be meditating with his eyes open.
"Hello. I'm Asuma. Asuma Sarutobi." The cool kid with the Hokage's bloodline made his move, walking directly to the desks occupied by Kurenai and Ren. He emphasized the surname 'Sarutobi' subtly, ensuring its weight was felt.
He glanced briefly at Ren, assessing, then dismissed him for the moment. He turned what he believed to be a charming, easygoing smile on Kurenai. "You're Kurenai Yūhi, right?"
Faced with the Hokage's son, Kurenai merely offered a polite, reserved nod. "Mm."
Ren watched him from the side, his expression neutral. "Yes? Can we help you?"
"…" Asuma was slightly annoyed at the interruption—he hadn't been talking to him. But, acknowledging Ren was Kurenai's brother, he maintained his diplomatic smile. "I just thought I'd come over and introduce myself properly to you both."
"Oh." Ren nodded, his tone flat. "Her name is Kurenai Yūhi. My name is Ren. Nice to meet you, Asuma Sarutobi. Consider us introduced."
"Huh?" Asuma was momentarily thrown. He was the Hokage's son. This was usually where people became slightly more attentive, or at least polite. This bland dismissal was… new.
Interesting. A spark of challenge lit in Asuma's eyes. He gave a dry chuckle. "Right. Well, Ren-kun, I actually had a small request. My eyesight isn't the best, and from my seat, the blackboard is a bit blurry. I was wondering if you might consider swapping seats with me?"
The true objective was revealed!
"…" Ren blinked, then stared. Good grief, so direct? At this age? The sheer, unvarnished audacity was almost impressive in its cringe. If he'd possessed even a tenth of this confidence in his past life, his romantic history might not have been a blank scroll.
Ren looked him up and down slowly, feigning clinical concern. "Asuma-kun, if you're having vision problems, you should really go see a medic-nin. A seat swap is just a temporary coping mechanism; it doesn't address the root cause of the illness."
The message was clear and repeated: Little blond punk. Must. Be. Stopped.
Asuma Sarutobi: "…"
He was thoroughly rebuffed. His diplomatic approach had hit a wall of sheer, pragmatic absurdity.
"W-well… you're right, of course. I should… get my eyes checked. My apologies for bothering you both." The smile on Asuma's face became strained, the awkwardness palpable. With no graceful way to remain, he offered a parting remark and retreated to his own seat.
As the Hokage's son, his upbringing emphasized decorum. He wouldn't throw a tantrum over a rejected request. He wasn't that petty—just mildly resentful. He, Sarutobi Asuma, had made a reasonable request and had been not-so-subtly shut down?
But… perhaps that was good. The other party hadn't treated him with the deferential caution or fawning attention he often encountered. They'd simply… interacted. It was refreshing, in a slightly irritating way. And he was Kurenai Yūhi's brother.
He'd remember him.