I'M NARUTO UZUMAKI

What is it like to be feared and isolated by the villagers?

Naruto understood this question all too well. From the moment he received his admission notice and stepped through the gates of the Ninja Academy, his experience was anything but ordinary. At the registration office, he received "special treatment," not out of kindness but because no one dared to stand near him. Parents and students alike avoided him, and the Chunin at the desk hastily completed his paperwork, clearly eager to be rid of his presence.

"He's the demon fox of the village! Why did the Third Hokage allow him to enroll?" one parent whispered harshly.

"It's bad enough he roams the streets. What if he loses control at the academy?" said another.

Their protests grew louder, their concern thinly veiling their hostility. To them, Naruto wasn't a child—he was the vessel of the Nine-Tails, the demon fox that had nearly destroyed Konoha years ago. Even the Hokage's reassurance, backed by the secrecy of Naruto's true nature as the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, did little to calm their fears. The Chunin staff could say nothing; the rules of the village forbade them from revealing classified information.

Eventually, the Hokage himself intervened, using both persuasion and authority to quell the outrage. Parents reluctantly backed down, but not before warning their children to avoid Naruto at all costs. "Stay away from him," they told them. "If anything happens, report it to a teacher immediately."

Naruto observed the entire scene from a distance, his sharp eyes taking in the suspicious glares and heated arguments. For him, this was nothing new. The Nine-Tails within him stirred. "You're really something, brat," the fox rumbled. "Knowing they hate you, yet you parade yourself in front of them."

Naruto shrugged. "They've forgotten this is a ninja academy, not a playground. Ninjas are mercenaries who live by risking their lives. If they're this scared, maybe they're in the wrong place."

The Nine-Tails chuckled darkly. "You've grown bolder since you decided to leave Konoha that day. Found yourself a purpose, have you?"

Naruto's gaze hardened. "Maybe. A clear goal makes the insults and hatred easier to bear. They're just fuel for my fire now."

The fox snorted but didn't reply, retreating into silence.

After registration, the students were gathered for an address by the Third Hokage, a lecture on the "Will of Fire." To Naruto, it was little more than an idealistic speech laced with personal philosophy. "It's like a bowl of soul-soothing soup," Naruto muttered to the Nine-Tails. "It sounds great but doesn't do much."

The fox stirred again. "At least the old man believes in his nonsense. That's more than I can say for most of your kind."

Naruto smirked. "Even you've got something to say about it? Sounds like it hit a nerve."

The Nine-Tails fell silent again, lost in its own memories of the Sage of Six Paths, who had once spoken similar words about using chakra to connect hearts. "Humans," the fox thought bitterly, "haven't changed. They still can't understand one another, much less us."

By the time the Hokage's speech ended, Naruto was barely awake. As the students dispersed, a notification echoed in his mind. "Nine-Tails' favorability toward you has reached 'trust.' Your adaptation to Tailed Beast Chakra has greatly improved."

Naruto entered the mental space of the Nine-Tails, grinning at the beast in its cage. "Guess we're getting along better, huh?"

The fox huffed but didn't argue. Despite its initial disdain for Naruto, it couldn't deny the boy's determination. He was the first human to genuinely try to understand it, and that effort had earned its grudging respect.

With his newfound ability to tap into the Nine-Tails' chakra, Naruto felt lighter. As he entered the classroom, he realized he was the last to arrive, drawing every eye in the room. Ignoring their stares, he scanned the room for an empty seat. His red-and-gold robe contrasted sharply against his classmates' more modest attire, highlighting his lean, athletic frame. Only Sasuke, sitting aloof in the corner, rivaled him in presence.

Naruto sat down, flipping open his textbook. The stares and whispers didn't bother him; he was used to it. His goal was clear, and no amount of suspicion or hatred could distract him from it. While others gossiped, Naruto quietly prepared, his eyes fixed firmly on the path ahead.