Naruto: In the name of time, shock the ninja world!.

Seeing Hoshikawa Haru's response, Teacher Izawa nodded in approval.

"Very good. Please introduce yourself."

Haru blinked in surprise, then stood up and said clearly:

"My name is Hoshikawa Haru. I'm five years old. I like food, and there's nothing I really dislike."

"My dream is to protect Konoha."

Teacher Izawa gave a slight nod, his expression showing satisfaction.

"That's a noble dream. Hoshikawa Haru may be the Hokage's disciple—but here, he's just like everyone else."

Izawa's impartiality left Haru with a good impression. It was rare in the ninja world to meet someone who didn't try to curry favor with powerful connections.

With the introductions over, Mr. Izawa began the lesson for the day. The classroom of young children listened attentively.

Hoshikawa Haru observed the students around him with curiosity. They were indeed focused. Even the ones who clearly didn't want to be there still made a noticeable effort to pretend they were paying attention.

The class passed quickly. At the end, Mr. Izawa glanced at the clock, said, "Class dismissed," and walked out.

The moment he left, the classroom exhaled collectively. The silence shattered, and chatter erupted everywhere.

Haru leaned his head on one hand and stared absentmindedly out the window.

Fujido Takatora nudged his sleeve, bringing him back to reality. Haru turned his head, puzzled. Standing beside Takatora was a girl he hadn't seen yet.

"Who are you?" Haru asked, blinking at her.

The little girl stood confidently, hands on her hips. She was lively and full of spirit.

"My name is Izawa Ikumi! I'm the boss of this class. From now on, you have to call me 'Big Sis,' got it?"

She brandished her tiny fist in the air, trying to look intimidating.

"If you don't... well, you'll find out what happens!"

Hoshikawa Haru stared at her, half-amused, half-bewildered.

Was he... being bullied? In school?

It felt odd—being threatened by a girl half his size.

"What's the matter? You got a problem with that?"

Seeing his silence, Ikumi slammed her tiny hands on the desk, glaring.

Still, Haru didn't respond. Instead, he turned to glance around the room.

Several boys had their heads down, avoiding eye contact.

He could see fear in their eyes—some of them even came from prominent clans.

So, it was strength that ruled here. He found that... rather appealing.

He turned back to Ikumi, a small smile curling on his lips.

"I do have a problem," he said calmly. "If you can beat me, I'll call you Big Sis."

Ikumi frowned, clearly thrown off by his challenge. After a brief moment of serious thought, she said,

"Fine! But you're not allowed to use your bloodline limit!"

Everyone in Konoha had heard about Haru's rare bloodline trait. They all knew just how powerful it was.

Ikumi was smart enough to know that if he used it, she wouldn't stand a chance.

For reasons even Haru didn't fully understand, he nodded without hesitation.

"All right," he said. "Let's head to the training field."

Without waiting for a reply, he turned and walked out.

Not to be outdone, Ikumi waved dramatically to her classmates.

"Let's go, everyone!"

A massive crowd of kids followed her like an entourage trailing behind a gang leader. The energy was infectious and chaotic.

Naturally, such a commotion didn't escape the notice of Teacher Izawa. Or maybe he had expected it all along—he was already standing at the edge of the playground when they arrived.

"Teacher, Izawa wants to spar with me," Haru explained as he approached.

Mr. Izawa gave a slight nod. He didn't seem surprised, nor did he make any move to stop them.

Ikumi stepped onto the field with her loyal gang close behind. She didn't flinch at the sight of the teacher—clearly, this wasn't her first challenge.

The two squared off.

Ikumi looked determined, confident—as if victory was already hers.

Most of the class was behind her, cheering her name loudly.

But not everyone.

Hinata Kazumi, a member of the Hyuga clan's branch family, stood quietly at the back of the group. A white silk headband covered the cursed mark on her forehead.

She watched the scene with a focused expression, murmuring under her breath:

"Yumei's met her match."

She wasn't wrong.

Even without tapping into his bloodline, Hoshikawa Haru was more than capable, thanks to the ninjutsu he had taught himself.

Ikumi took a combat stance—one foot forward, one back—clearly prepared to fight.

Meanwhile, Haru stood casually, hands in his pockets, posture full of apparent openings.

Still, Ikumi didn't underestimate him.

She charged forward, delivering a quick palm strike with a burst of speed and precision.

Her small frame didn't reduce her impact; the force behind her attack made a sharp whoosh as it sliced through the air.

Haru calmly shifted his right foot back, lowered his center of gravity, and raised his left arm to block.

At the same moment, he threw a counterpunch with his right.

Ikumi spun with fluid grace, narrowly dodging his strike, then used her momentum to launch a powerful kick.

Haru crossed his arms in front of his chest and absorbed the impact.

The blow pushed him back several meters. His arms trembled slightly from the force.

"She's small, but how is she this strong? That was intense," he thought to himself, genuinely impressed.

"No wonder she's the boss around here."

Ikumi noticed the flicker of distraction on his face and scowled.

"Hmph! You dare space out in the middle of a fight?! You're underestimating me!"

She quickly formed a hand seal.

Two puffs of white smoke exploded on either side of her, and when the mist cleared, three identical Ikumis stood side by side.

For students their age, using even basic ninjutsu was rare—most had barely enough chakra to pull it off.

But Ikumi wasn't ordinary. She was clearly one of the most skilled students in the class.

All three clones attacked in sync, their strikes fast and coordinated—like a whirlwind of tiny fists.

Despite the aggressive assault, Haru stayed calm.

He blocked and deflected every move effortlessly, without looking flustered in the slightest.

Outside the ring, the kids were dazzled by the flurry of motion.

"Go, Big Sis!"

"She's amazing!"

"Take him down!"

But a few students noticed something different.

Uchiha Wang, a naturally gifted but aloof member of the Uchiha clan, stood apart from the crowd.

Though he had no clan backing, the Hokage himself had selected him to attend the academy.

He didn't get along with most of the students, rarely joined groups, and had a disdainful attitude toward anyone he considered weak.

Now, his fists clenched at his sides, his face shadowed with frustration.

He could see what the others couldn't: Hoshikawa Haru hadn't been pushed at all.

The crowd thought Ikumi had the upper hand—but the truth was the opposite.

Haru's defense was tight. His stamina hadn't dropped. He wasn't even breathing hard.

Uchiha Wang knew what this meant.

Eventually, Ikumi would exhaust herself, and when that moment came, Haru would win—cleanly and easily.

Wang gritted his teeth.

He hadn't even managed to beat Ikumi before unlocking his Sharingan.

And Haru was on a completely different level.