I'M NARUTO UZUMAKI

Naruto-kun's Expectations

A few days after the final exam at the Ninja Academy, students returned to the classroom one after another.

Before the official results were announced, they discussed their rankings and vacation plans.

Naruto Uzumaki, however, had no interest in these discussions. Instead, he picked up a magazine with a flashy and somewhat inappropriate cover. The author was none other than Jiraiya, the famous Sannin and writer of Icha Icha Paradise.

As he skimmed through it, Shikamaru Nara and Choji Akimichi turned their heads, noticing the cover.

"Naruto, what are your plans for the holidays?" Choji asked. "Are you traveling, or staying in the village to train?"

Naruto put down the magazine and sighed, shaking his head. "I'd love to go somewhere, but neither my wallet nor the Old Man Hokage will let me. Looks like I'll just have to keep learning about the world through books. I'll wait until I officially become a ninja to travel."

After a brief pause, Naruto smirked. "By the way, let me predict your scores on the final exam."

At the mention of grades, Choji's expression stiffened. He scratched his head and muttered, "I made a lot of mistakes, but I think I'll get at least eighty points. As for Shikamaru… you know how he is. He always scrapes by with the bare minimum. It's like he tries to stay under the radar, but in reality, he's anything but low-key."

Shikamaru sighed, rolling his eyes. He couldn't be bothered to argue. For him, as long as he passed with sixty points, anything beyond that was unnecessary effort. The extra time was better spent napping.

However, something else caught his attention—Naruto's magazine. If he remembered correctly, Naruto had been flipping through it for weeks now. That was unusual.

In Shikamaru's mind, Naruto wasn't the type to read random magazines. He was always focused on anything related to becoming a strong ninja—whether it was self-study or additional training after school.

Recently, though, Naruto seemed to have lost his usual energy. That didn't sit right with him.

Noticing Shikamaru's gaze, Naruto smirked and changed the subject. "Don't overthink it, Shikamaru. By the way, I'm planning a picnic to celebrate the holidays. Interested?"

Choji's eyes lit up. He would never turn down an event centered around food.

He nudged Shikamaru, grinning. "Shikamaru, you're not gonna ditch us, are you?"

Shikamaru sighed in resignation. His plan to avoid social gatherings had failed.

At that moment, Sasuke Uchiha, who had been sitting nearby with a distant look in his eyes, suddenly spoke up. "If Naruto insists on inviting me, I guess I have no choice. After all, he is my eternal rival."

With Sasuke joining, more students became interested in the picnic.

Hinata, Sakura, and Ino began discussing possible locations, meal preparations, and activities. Eventually, after some debate, they decided on a spot near a river just outside the village.

---

The Picnic

After school, the group gathered by the river, carrying supplies for their picnic.

They set up a fire and bought food from a nearby store. Laughter and conversation filled the air as the classmates bonded, their usual rivalries and concerns temporarily set aside.

As they ate, the attention gradually shifted to Naruto.

"Naruto, congratulations on ranking first in the cultural studies exam!" someone said.

"Yeah, we never expected you to be so smart. You're way stronger than we thought!"

Another student added, "We… we shouldn't have said bad things about you before. It was our mistake."

Many of them had once believed the rumors about Naruto being a dangerous "demon fox." But after spending time with him, their perception had changed.

Nearby, Sasuke sat by himself, swirling his drink. His expression was unreadable. Then, in a rare moment of vulnerability, he muttered, "Naruto… I really envy you. You're strong enough to make the right choices. But me? I'm powerless."

Before he could say more, Naruto caught Sasuke's shoulder, steadying him. He discreetly applied a pressure point technique to stop Sasuke from spilling anything unnecessary.

Later, as Naruto leaned against a tree, watching his classmates, a deep thought crossed his mind.

Within the sealed space of his subconscious, the Nine-Tails, Kurama, stirred.

"Hmph. So, you're starting to hesitate, aren't you?" Kurama slurred, as if intoxicated by Naruto's chakra. "You don't want to leave Konoha. You're getting attached to this place and these people."

Naruto smiled slightly. "Yeah… maybe that's the Will of Fire at work. It changes people before they even realize it. The Old Man Hokage isn't just full of talk."

Kurama narrowed his eyes. "So, you're staying? Honestly, I—"

Naruto cut him off. "I'll stick to my decision. Konoha has given me painful memories… but even so, this village isn't big enough to hold me—Uzumaki Naruto."

Kurama went silent, gazing at Naruto with newfound respect.

For the first time, he wondered if Naruto could truly be the one—the Jinchūriki who would break the cycle of hatred between humans and tailed beasts.

---

After the Picnic

As the sun began to set, most students left, their laughter lingering in the air. Only Naruto and Hinata remained, tidying up the picnic area.

Sasuke, still feeling restless, turned to Naruto. "Let's go train."

Before Naruto could respond, Shikamaru and Choji exchanged a glance and dragged Sasuke away, leaving Naruto and Hinata alone.

The two of them worked in silence for a while. Eventually, as the sky darkened, Hinata hesitated before speaking.

"Um… Naruto-kun… Could you walk me home? My uncle didn't come to pick me up today."

Naruto saw through her excuse immediately but didn't call her out on it. He simply nodded with a smile.

As they walked through the village, Hinata—without thinking—gently took Naruto's hand.

Naruto blinked, momentarily caught off guard. Her hands were delicate, soft, and—despite her rigorous Gentle Fist training—shockingly smooth.

By the time they arrived at the Hyuga estate, her uncle, Tokuma, stepped forward from the shadows, ready to escort her inside.

Before leaving, Hinata hesitated again. Then, in a shy voice, she asked, "Naruto-kun… I heard you visited Sasuke's house recently. Maybe next semester… you could come visit mine? My father and sister want to meet you."

Naruto raised an eyebrow, slightly surprised. Then, he grinned. "We'll see. By the way, how's your Gentle Fist training? Think you can beat Neji yet?"

Hinata shook her head. "Not yet… but I'll keep trying. I won't let you down, Naruto-kun."

Naruto's grin widened. "I'll be looking forward to it."

And with that, he turned to leave, while Hinata watched him go, determination shining in her pale lavender eyes.

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