Naruto: With a Ghost Mom and a Grumpy Fox

---

I got to the classroom early.

Well, on time, technically.

But when you've spent your whole life getting dirty looks just for showing up, "on time" feels like "too early." Especially when you're trying to act normal and not like you've got a giant fox and your mom whispering in your head.

I walked in, hands behind my head like usual, trying to act chill.

Only a few students were here. Sakura was at her desk, flipping through a little mirror like it was a mission file. Sasuke had taken the farthest seat back, near the window, like he was posing for the cover of Broody Uchiha Monthly.

I slid into my seat and tried not to stare.

"Naruto."

"Hm?"

"Sit properly." That was Mom. Always watching. "And try not to make weird faces at the Uchiha boy. He's just a child too."

"Hn. He's already frowning like a second-rate villain." That was Kurama. Still a grump.

I straightened up. A little.

No one had to know I was fighting off commentary from the ghost of my mom and a thousand-year-old chakra fox.

---

Students trickled in. Chatter picked up.

Names were called, teams were formed.

Sakura got up and sat next to Sasuke with the grace of a ballerina on a mission.

I was about to do the same—until I felt Mom's warning pulse in my gut.

"Do not lunge across the table like a flying squirrel."

I froze mid-step.

Slowly… gracefully… I walked to the seat on the other side of Sasuke.

Very cool.

Very restrained.

I saw Sakura blink in surprise, like she'd expected me to shout something obnoxious.

To be honest, so had I.

But with Mom watching, I had to pick my battles.

"Yo," I said, nodding at Sasuke. "Guess we're on the same team."

He glanced at me. Blinked once. "Hn."

"I think that means 'I acknowledge your presence without committing to a full sentence,'" I whispered inside my head.

"Congratulations," Kurama said flatly. "You're fluent in brooding."

"Try to be nice, Naruto," Mom added. "Even if he acts like he's allergic to joy."

---

The class thinned out. More teams got called.

Then Iruka-sensei stepped up and cleared his throat.

"Team 7: Naruto Uzumaki."

I sat straighter.

"Sasuke Uchiha."

Sasuke didn't move.

"And Sakura Haruno."

"YES!" Sakura fist-pumped like she'd just won the lottery and immediately scooted even closer to Sasuke.

I gave her a flat look.

She didn't even notice.

"You were right, Mom," I muttered in my head. "She really only has eyes for him."

"It's a crush," she said gently. "You had those too, remember?"

"I still have one!"

"Then don't be weird about it."

---

After the last team was called, Iruka said our sensei would arrive soon.

That was a lie.

We waited for hours.

Or okay, like an hour and a half, but still!

Sasuke didn't even fidget. Just stared out the window like he was watching ghosts or reliving childhood trauma.

Sakura kept sneaking glances at him, sighing like a princess in a tragic drama.

Me?

I drummed my fingers on the desk.

Fidgeted with a paper shuriken.

Considered jumping out the window just to see what would happen.

"Don't do it," Mom warned.

"Do it," Kurama said at the same time.

"Ugggghhhhhhh," I groaned out loud, slumping onto the desk.

Sakura finally snapped. "Naruto! Can you not be so noisy for once?!"

I sat up. Looked at her.

Paused.

Then gave her a thumbs-up. "Sure thing, Sakura-chan."

She blinked.

Then stared at me suspiciously, like I'd swapped bodies with someone else.

"She's confused because you didn't shout 'Believe it!' or try to sit on Sasuke's lap," Kurama snorted.

"Progress," Mom whispered proudly.

---

Just when I thought I might die of waiting, the door slid open.

A tall silver-haired man walked in.

Wearing a mask.

And reading a tiny orange book.

His single visible eye looked... tired.

"Yo," he said.

My first thought?

This guy looks more like a late-stage ramen addict than a jonin.

"This is your team?" he muttered. "Huh… you all look boring."

Sakura bristled. "Excuse me?!"

Sasuke glared.

I waved.

He sighed.

"…Meet me on the roof in ten minutes," he said.

Then he vanished.

Just like that.

"Wait—roof?! What kind of intro is that?!" I said.

"The kind that tests people," Mom said softly. "Be on your guard, Naruto."

"He's tricky for the current you," Kurama added.

I nodded slowly.

Okay.

I didn't know much about him.

But if even Kurama was warning me, then he must be someone serious.

Time to be smart.

Or at least smarter than usual.

---

Ten minutes later, we were on the roof.

He was already there, slouched against the railing like he'd been waiting all day.

"Alright," he said. "Let's do introductions."

We blinked.

Sakura raised her hand. "You mean like… our names?"

"Name. Likes. Dislikes. Dreams. Stuff like that."

Kakashi-sensei lazily pointed at me. "You first."

I rubbed the back of my neck. This part was supposed to be easy. Name. Likes. Dislikes. Dreams. Standard ninja icebreaker stuff.

But now…?

Now I had two very opinionated houseguests in my head. One of them was literally my mom. The other was a giant fox with the personality of an old man who hates everything.

And after everything I'd learned in the past day, the usual "I wanna be Hokage!" line just didn't sit right anymore.

I took a breath.

"…I'm Naruto Uzumaki."

My voice was calm. Not loud. Not smug. Just… mine.

"I like ramen—Ichiraku's, especially. I hate people who judge without understanding. And my dream…"

I trailed off.

"You can say it, baby," Mom's voice whispered warmly. "We're here for you."

"Don't overthink it," Kurama added, with a huff. "You're you. Say what you want. Not what they expect."

I exhaled through my nose.

"My dream isn't just to be Hokage anymore."

That made Sakura blink. Sasuke even tilted his head slightly.

"I used to want the whole village to see me. To acknowledge me. Like that would fix everything."

I glanced up at the clouds drifting over the roof.

"But now… I think I just want to be free."

"Free?" Kurama echoed, mildly curious.

"Yeah. Free from old scars. Free from trying to live up to people who don't care who I really am. Free to live as myself."

I gave a small shrug.

"Like the wind, I guess. I want to protect what matters. Be strong enough to live without hiding. Laugh without pretending I'm okay. That kind of dream."

There was a long silence.

Kakashi's lone visible eye blinked, then focused on me just a bit more sharply than before.

"That's my boy," Mom murmured softly. I could feel her smile like sunlight behind my ribs.

"...Tch," Kurama muttered. "Still a brat. But maybe not a hopeless one."

I sat down, trying to act like I hadn't just poured out a weird poetic soul speech in front of the edgiest kid in the village and my longtime crush.

Sakura was still staring at me like I'd grown a second head. Sasuke… well, he went back to his brooding. But his expression shifted—just slightly. Like he was thinking about something.

Maybe that's enough.

Kakashi stared at me for a second.

Then nodded.

"Sakura, you're up."

Sakura blushed. "I'm Sakura Haruno. I like…" she peeked at Sasuke, "certain people."

"I hate Naruto," she added way too quickly.

"My dream…" she glanced at Sasuke again. "...is kinda personal."

Kakashi didn't comment.

He just pointed at Sasuke.

"I'm Sasuke Uchiha," he said coolly.

"I don't like anything. I hate a lot of things. And my dream… is to kill a certain someone."

The silence that followed was loud.

Kakashi's only response was to nod.

"…Nice enthusiasm."

---

After that, he gave us a vague warning about a "real test" tomorrow that might send us back to the Academy.

Then he disappeared again.

Just poof.

Gone.

We stood there in silence.

"…So," I said, stretching, "anyone else think he's kind of dramatic?"

Sakura sighed. "You're one to talk."

"You handled yourself well," Mom said softly.

"You didn't embarrass yourself," Kurama agreed. "This time."

I walked home with a little smile on my face.

Sure, my team was kind of a mess.

Sure, our sensei was a late book-reading ninja ghost.

But I had a team.

And voices in my head.

And a mom.

And I was finally starting to feel like...

Maybe I wasn't alone anymore.

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