C2 School

Hirome approached with a smile and reached out to help Naruto up.

"What's wrong with you?"

Naruto swatted his hand away.

"I don't need your help!"

He struggled to rise on his own.

Undeterred, Hirome reached out again, helping Naruto to his feet and began to treat his injuries with Medicine Ninjutsu Healing Arts.

After a superficial treatment, Hirome activated the God Level Healing Arts, completely healing Naruto's wounds.

Naruto, feeling the gentle care with which Hirome treated him, finally let his guard down and accepted the kindness.

"Um... I'm Uzumaki Naruto. Thanks for healing me."

Hirome waved his hand dismissively, "Don't mention it, it was nothing. I'm Haruno Hirome. How did you get these injuries?"

"Ah, I ran into three jerks earlier. Couldn't beat them!"

Naruto seemed unfazed, as if accustomed to the ill will of others.

'Three? Could it be those three troublemakers I dealt with earlier? Sorry about that. Not only did I steal your chance to play the hero, but I also made you a scapegoat!'

Reflecting on this, Hirome felt even more remorseful. "Listen, Naruto, if you're ever hurt again, come find me. I'll heal you!"

"Really? That's awesome, thank you!" exclaimed Naruto, his spirits lifted.

A moment later, he seemed to remember something and asked with concern, "Um, Hirome, you don't know about me, do you?"

Seeing Naruto's cautious and worried expression, Hirome ruffled his golden hair, "I know what you're worried about, but I think you're alright. So, how about it? Want to be my friend?"

"Friend? For me?"

Naruto's eyes lit up with hope, and Hirome nodded in affirmation.

"Hooray! I finally have a friend!"

...

After parting ways with Naruto, Hirome found Haruno Sakura and they went home to have dinner together.

Inevitably, he was lectured by the irate Mebuki.

Post-dinner, Hirome returned to his room and habitually opened his personal Data Panel.

"Healed Uzumaki Naruto's minor external injury. Acquired Partial Clone Technique (disabled)."

Looking at the message, Hirome's lips quirked up slightly, recalling Naruto's disastrously failed clone.

...

Time had flown by, and it was suddenly time to head to school.

The day was bright and sunny.

Before classes began, the Third Generation Hikage's fiery speech was a given.

"Where the leaves of Konoha fly, the fire of life burns eternal..."

In his past life, as a child, he had admired such spirit, akin to the self-sacrifice of martyrs for their country.

But now, it seemed nothing more than brainwashing and the deceit of a ruler fooling his people!

Hirome found the Third Generation Hikage's eloquent speech on stage utterly uninteresting.

Glancing around, he noticed almost everyone was listening intently, and he couldn't help but respect the Third Generation Hikage's influence.

The Third Generation Hikage must have felt immense pride seeing these little ones gazing up at him with such admiration.

Indeed, at that moment, the Third Generation Hikage must have felt as if he were bathed in a divine light!

Thankfully, the speech was brief. Otherwise, Hirome was certain he would have dozed off.

...

Once all the kids were seated, Iruka surveyed the group and tapped gently on the blackboard.

With a smile, he said, "My name is Iruka Umino, and I'll be your teacher from now on. Let's have everyone come up and introduce themselves. After all, we're going to be classmates, and it's important to get to know each other!"

After Iruka's invitation, only Naruto responded with vigor, while the others seemed somewhat shy.

"I'm Uzumaki Naruto. My dream is to become the strongest Hikage and to earn the recognition of the entire village!"

Naruto proclaimed his ambitions with fervor in front of everyone.

One by one, they took their turn at the podium to introduce themselves.

Among them were nine of Konoha's Top Twelve Experts, along with many background students whom Hirome felt he could overlook if their names didn't ring a bell.

When it was Sasuke's turn, Hirome perked up a bit and turned his attention to the podium.

The aloof Sasuke stood tall and declared, "I am Uchiha Sasuke. My dream is to become a formidable expert like my brother!"

"Heh, poor kid. It must hurt to have your dreams shattered by your own brother," Hong mused with a touch of malice as he watched the aloof Sasuke.

"Wow, he's so handsome..."

Sakura's lovestruck face made Hong feel queasy.

Thinking about his sister's future as a "sweet dog" left him feeling disenchanted.

"Haruno, you're up!"

Iruka called out to Haruno Hirome, who was lost in his own thoughts.

Feeling the eyes of everyone on her and her brother, Sakura, a bit embarrassed, roughly snapped Hirome back to reality.

Awoken by Sakura, Hirome reluctantly made his way to the podium, his steps unenthusiastic.

"My name is Haruno Hirome. I excel in healing. If any of you get hurt, don't hesitate to come to me!"

"Huh? Haruno Hirome has already mastered Medicine Ninjutsu?"

Iruka was visibly taken aback by Hirome's declaration.

"He may only know the basic Healing Arts, but indeed, he has learned Medicine Ninjutsu."

"He can already harness Chakra? What an incredible talent. But why choose to study Medicine Ninjutsu?"

Iruka's surprise at Hirome's abilities was overshadowed by his curiosity; it was rare to see a student opt to learn Medicine Ninjutsu after mastering Chakra extraction.

"Well, if I had to give a reason, it might be my father's influence. I aspire to be a skilled Medicine Ninja like him someday, healing my wounded comrades!"

Hirome spoke with earnestness, despite feeling repulsed by his own words.

"Tsk, that old lecher, the Third Generation, must be watching this very moment..."

Hirome's statement was intended for the Third Generation's ears and also to justify his future eagerness to heal others.

As Hirome suspected, the Third Generation was indeed observing the classroom through a crystal ball, a room filled with significant individuals.

"Haruno Hirome, the son of Haruno Choo? While Choo's talent was modest, his parenting deserves commendation. He's raised a fine successor to the Fire Will. Impressive!" The Third Generation stroked his beard and nodded with a benevolent smile, looking thoroughly pleased.

Everyone seemed to have a favorable impression of Haruno Hirome. After all, having a medical prodigy as an acquaintance wouldn't be a bad thing for an aspiring Ninja. As a result, most of the students responded with smiles and applause.

However, Uchiha Sasuke sneered dismissively, "Tsk, when it comes down to it, he's nothing but a coward who fears battle and prefers to cower behind his allies! He doesn't deserve the title of genius. In my opinion, he's just worthless trash!"

Sasuke made sure his voice carried throughout the classroom, ensuring that everyone heard his contempt.

'It appears that Sasuke is somewhat envious of someone like me who is capable, attractive, and well-liked,' Hirome thought to himself, observing Sasuke's haughty demeanor.

The room fell into a sudden hush.

Haruno Hirome and Sasuke locked eyes, neither one making a move.

The eyes of their classmates darted between the two, anticipating what might happen next.

"This is such a drag," Shikamaru muttered, turning his attention to the window.

Behind him, Sakura looked on with concern.

'What should I do if they start fighting? Whom should I support?'

'Sasuke, of course!'

'But no, Hirome might be irritating, but he's still my brother!'

'Ugh, I can't stand this. What am I supposed to do?'

While Sakura was internally conflicted, Hirome, with a smile, descended from the lectern and approached Sasuke.

"Well, you're quite the annoying kid. But rest assured, as irritating as you are, I'll still heal you if you ever get hurt," Hirome said.

Disregarding an irate Sasuke, who had stood up ready to confront him, Hirome returned to his seat.

"Sasuke, sit down. You're mistaken. Without Medicine Ninjas, wounded soldiers on the battlefield wouldn't receive timely care and would likely die. Medicine Ninjas aren't cowards; they simply value their comrades' lives more. They are unsung heroes," Iruka interjected firmly, seeing that Sasuke was not ready to back down.

"Tsk, only the weak need the care of Medicine Ninjas. The strong don't need assistance from these faint-hearted fools. Besides, we Uchihas are warriors who embrace challenges head-on!"

Although Sasuke was still visibly upset, he refrained from raising his voice and instead muttered under his breath.

Upon seeing Sasuke finally take his seat, Iruka couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.

"It seems that being a teacher isn't easy. After all, the kids in my class are far from being little angels!"

Iruka felt a twinge of concern for his upcoming teaching career.