"I, Naruto Uzumaki, Don't Need Anyone's Approval"

What does it feel like to be feared and ostracized by the villagers?

Naruto figured he had more than enough experience to speak on the matter.

With the admission notice in hand, he stepped through the gates of the Ninja Academy and received "special treatment" at the registration office.

Neither students nor parents dared to stand in line ahead of him, and the Chūnin in charge of registration was especially "helpful," quickly completing his paperwork with forced politeness.

"Isn't that the demon fox of the village? Why would the Third Hokage allow him to enroll?"

"It was one thing when he was just wandering the streets, but my child studies at this academy. What if something happens?"

"Even if there are ninja instructors around, it doesn't matter! That's still the demon fox in disguise!"

"And look at that orphan, dressed so sharply—did he steal something?"

Naruto had barely finished enrolling before the Chūnin teacher could say anything, and the civilian parents were already in an uproar.

They simply couldn't accept that the "threat" to the village—the demon fox—would be attending the same school as their children. What if it lost control? How would they ensure their kids' safety?

The Chūnin, who knew more than the average villager, couldn't explain anything.

Naruto wasn't the demon fox—he was the village's Nine-Tails Jinchūriki, a highly classified secret.

Even if everyone already "knew" the rumor, the rule was clear: ninja must never reveal confidential information.

In the end, it took the direct intervention of the Third Hokage, using both carrots and sticks, to finally calm the parents down.

Still, they repeatedly warned their children: Don't provoke Uzumaki Naruto. Always keep your distance from the demon fox. If anything happens, report it to the instructors immediately.

Of course, all of this unfolded under Naruto's gaze. He stood at a distance, silently watching the scene he had triggered.

Showing up when no one was around and quietly registering? That wasn't his style.

As the malicious whispers reached his ears, the Nine-Tails opened one eye and said lazily,

"You really are twisted, brat. You knew they hate you, yet you made sure they saw you."

Naruto replied indifferently,

"It's not about being twisted. It's just that they seem to forget—this is a ninja academy. The people trained here are mercenaries who live by the blade."

The Nine-Tails glanced at him.

"Since the day you said you wanted to leave the Leaf Village, you've become a lot more confident."

Naruto looked straight at the beast and said slowly,

"Maybe it's because I found a goal. Once you have a direction, all that's left is to work hard. Their hate and mockery? It just fuels me."

The Nine-Tails gave a dry chuckle and went back to sleep in its cage.

After registration came the honorary principal's speech—delivered by none other than the Third Hokage—about the Will of Fire.

To Naruto, it all sounded like a mix of one-third idealism and two-thirds personal agenda. It worked fine as motivational fluff, but not much else.

Mostly, he just felt like it was a waste of his precious training time.

"Weren't you planning to perform for the Hokage? Why not put on a show now?"

At some point, the fox strategist had woken up and offered his advice.

Naruto barely forced himself to stay alert as he muttered,

"The more you act, the more likely you slip up. Not trying too hard to fake it—that's the best disguise."

Then he smirked,

"But hey, Big Fox, you could listen to the Hokage's speech too. That old man actually made a few good points.

Understanding and supporting one another, dedicating your youth to the next generation... It's a decent pep talk."

"The only problem is... the Third seems to believe it himself. He's fooled even himself."

The Nine-Tails let out a cold snort and said no more.

It wasn't that it disapproved of Naruto mocking the Will of Fire. It just found itself lost in memories.

The Sage of Six Paths, who created the tailed beasts, once said something similar: Chakra is a bridge that connects people's hearts. Through chakra, humans will eventually come to understand and help one another.

Back then, the Nine-Tails had taken those words as truth.

But after more than a thousand years, it began to question them.

Humans can barely understand each other—how could they ever understand tailed beasts?

Especially after Jinchūriki were created and the tailed beasts reduced to mere weapons of war.

In over a thousand years, Naruto was the only one who'd ever tried to understand it—who treated it like a friend.

The speech lasted a full hour, and Naruto spaced out for the entire thing. Other students started squirming in their seats, groaning in protest.

The Third simply chuckled and wrapped up the ceremony with a few final remarks.

As Naruto left the hall, he stretched lazily—only to hear a crisp system notification in his mind:

"Kurama's favorability has reached 'Trust.' Your adaptation to Tailed Beast Chakra has drastically increased. You can now freely use the Nine-Tails' chakra. Though tsundere Kurama won't admit it, he already considers you a friend."

Naruto entered the sealed space, glanced at the fox behind the bars, and smiled.

He wasn't surprised that Kurama liked him. After all, they were two of a kind—lonely, misunderstood, and forged by similar hardship.

But what did surprise him was the system granting him Tailed Beast Chakra Adaptation.

This didn't just mean he could freely access Kurama's chakra—it gave him a significant edge over other Jinchūriki.

In a way, he was now a perfect Jinchūriki.

Though aside from his immense chakra reserves, the rest of his abilities were still quite lacking.

Naruto didn't wake Kurama. He quietly left some food behind and exited the seal.

Kurama opened one eye, gobbled up the food, then stared into the void.

Why did that brat smile like that? Was he plotting some prank on me again?

With his new upgrade, Naruto was in high spirits as he made his way to the classroom.

But when he opened the door, he realized—he was the last to arrive.

The moment he stepped in, the whole class turned to look at him.

Is there something wrong with my outfit? Naruto wondered.

He wore a red robe with golden trim—not as flashy as the Fourth Hokage's cloak, but it fit his tall frame well. Combined with his well-toned physique from regular training, he looked every bit the image of a healthy, confident young man.

In class, only Sasuke, the cold pretty boy in the corner, could compete with him in looks.

Or is it because of my "demon fox" identity? he thought.

Ignoring the stares, Naruto found his seat, pulled out a textbook, and began reading.

Why waste time on small talk when he could get ahead with some studying?

(End of Chapter)

If you'd like, I can help with further chapters or support me at https://www.patreon.com/YugiroTL