Naruto: I'm a Teacher, But the System Thinks I'm Naruto's Classmate! Chapter 5: Fooling - The True Meaning of Being Hokage

"The so-called Hokage is soone who earns everyone's recognition." Kitazawa spoke slowly, "Naruto is your classmate and your companion. If you mock your companion, how can you ever hope to beco Hokage?"

Many students lowered their heads, faces full of guilt and sha.

Naruto blinked rapidly as if sand had blown into his eyes. His heart surged with renewed determination. His dream had always been to surpass the Hokage and earn everyone's approval.

And now, Kitazawa had beco the person he respected most, second only to the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen.

"This teacher's not bad at all," Shikamaru muttered, sitting up straighter with an expression of seriousness that rarely appeared on his face.

Coming from a noble clan, Shikamaru knew that Naruto wasn't the so-called "monster" others claid him to be.

Kitazawa, however, was just a civilian ninja. If he didn't know Naruto's true background, then there could only be one explanation—he was genuinely kind.

Hinata unconsciously clenched her small hands. She glanced at Kitazawa, her eyes filled with a subtle glow of admiration.

First, he helped her, and now Naruto. He was truly... a kind teacher.

[Current Task: Be the first student to attract Principal Sarutobi Hiruzen's attention.

Task Reward: Wind Style: Great Breakthrough.

Task completed. Reward issued.]

Suddenly, knowledge and insights about Wind Style: Great Breakthrough surged into Kitazawa's mind. As expected, the Third Hokage was watching.

What he'd just said must have struck a chord with Hiruzen, leading to the successful completion of the task.

Unfortunately, besides Hinata and Sasuke, the rest of the Little Rookies hadn't triggered any additional missions.

"Let's begin class," Kitazawa said with a spring-like smile, picking up a piece of chalk.

"The subject is sothing called the Will of Fire."

The mood in the room shifted, and the earlier silence was swept away.

"Do you all know what the Will of Fire has to do with the Hokage?" He wrote the four characters—Will of Fire—on the board as he spoke.

"!" Naruto raised his hand with urgency.

"Go ahead, Naruto," Kitazawa nodded.

"The Will of Fire was proposed by the Hokage!" Naruto said confidently, standing up.

Kitazawa nodded again and asked, "Then do you know why the Hokage proposed it?"

Naruto's face froze in confusion. That question was clearly too complex for him.

"It's for you all," Kitazawa answered, tone sincere.

"For us?" Naruto blinked, clearly surprised. The other students had similar puzzled expressions.

"Where the leaves dance, the fire burns. The fla illuminates the village and lets new leaves grow."

Kitazawa explained, "The core of the Will of Fire lies in you—the next generation. You are Konoha's future and its hope."

"I've never heard of it that way before."

"Wait… we're that important?"

"Even the Hokage has to protect ?!"

Excited chatter broke out across the classroom.

Kitazawa couldn't help smiling as he listened. The Will of Fire wasn't so profound philosophy. The problem lay in its implentation. Just look at Danzo Shimura—the first self-proclaid Dark Hokage.

He waved the banner of the Will of Fire while engaging in countless shady deeds. In the end, without action, even noble ideals beco castles in the sky. But those things didn't concern Kitazawa right now.

All he needed was to use the Will of Fire to please Hiruzen Sarutobi.

'Ding!'

"Class dismissed. Take a ten-minute break." Kitazawa heard the bell and left the classroom with his teaching materials.

As a professional educator, he maintained a solid habit—never overrunning class ti.

"Ino, I won!" Sakura darted toward Uchiha Sasuke like an arrow, then spun proudly to face Ino.

"Nooo!" Ino reached out in frustration, a pained look on her face.

Ah, girls. Shikamaru flopped onto his desk with an expression that scread 'trouble'. In his eyes, all won were troubleso—especially the pretty ones.

All he wanted was to marry an ordinary girl and live a quiet life.

Choji, on the other hand, had a much simpler philosophy. He pulled out a bag of potato chips.

Ino, still stewing, glanced at Sakura in frustration. Then she suddenly thought of Kitazawa.

If I can't get Sasuke, why not try the handso teacher? Just as she was about to head to the office—

A flash of blonde streaked past her.

Uzumaki Naruto had already chased after Kitazawa.

I was here first! Ino sighed and reluctantly sat down again.

Hinata hesitated, then quietly took out her textbook and began reviewing. She was always the diligent one.

"Teacher Kitazawa, wait for !" Naruto sped up, dashing around the corner.

"Is there sothing from class you didn't understand?" Kitazawa asked as he stopped.

"No," Naruto shook his head. "You explained everything really well, I understood it all!"

Kitazawa blinked. "You understood it all?"

How low was this kid's self-esteem? But Kitazawa rembered Naruto had ranked dead last in the entry assessnt.

"What did you want to talk about then?"

"I wanted to ask… how can I gain everyone's recognition?" Naruto looked up at him, eyes filled with longing.

Kitazawa was montarily caught off guard. Then he smiled and replied, "That's easy—you just need to follow the Hokage's example."

He'd originally intended to say, "You're still young. You'll understand in ti." But then rembered Sarutobi Hiruzen might still be spying on him.

"Right!" Naruto's eyes lit up. "I understand! Thank you, Teacher Kitazawa!"

"See you next class." Kitazawa waved and walked away.

There were two kinds of teachers' offices in the academy: one for individuals and one for shared use. Kitazawa's office was private.

The reason was simple. He was considered important by the Hokage. After all, he'd taught for five years and been awarded Best Teacher three years in a row.

Ahem.

More importantly, his interpretation of the Will of Fire had won the approval of Hiruzen Sarutobi. And in Konoha, getting on the Hokage's good side? That was sothing everyone envied.

Still, if given a choice, he'd much rather cozy up to the Fifth Hokage. After all, he was a fan.

But instead of returning to his private office, Kitazawa walked into the shared teachers' room. Six desks were pushed together in the large room, each belonging to a first-grade teacher.

"Senior Kitazawa!" Iruka stood up quickly upon seeing him.

"Iruka," Kitazawa greeted with a smile. "Nervous about your first class?"

Iruka had just joined the academy as a teacher this year—barely eighteen.

"A little nervous," Iruka admitted, scratching his head.

"That's normal," Kitazawa reassured him. "I just finished my class. The students are great. You'll do fine."

"Thank you, Senior Kitazawa." Iruka bowed gratefully before heading off.

Kitazawa walked over to the bookshelf in the corner. There were files for every student in the first-year classes stored here. Ti to find those three troublemakers who bullied Hinata Hyuga.