As soon as Homura entered the classroom, he saw a very familiar scene. Naruto seemed to play the hero once again and seemed to try to protect Hinata.

Which was not so uncommon, Hinata’s personality and mesmerizing white pupils were the stuff that was hard to look past it.

The hyuga’s eyes were their most pronounced characteristic.

They say that the eyes are the door to the soul, if that is true then the Hyugas felt that they could literally see through anyone.

And some didn’t particularly like that.

Those that had something to hide or did not like themselves, would naturally feel unpleasant to have those eyes focused on them.

Though as to why Hinata was bullied because she was considered weird, panicked easily, and was overall someone most found troublesome to deal with.

In fact, not even her future teammate Kiba at the moment seems to be particularly fond of her and Aburame Shino…Like most Aburame were often depicted in the anime, they seem to keep themselves away from others.

Never getting too close to anyone.

Though the main reason could be because he has bugs festering all over his body, sometimes you can hear the bugs inside moving against one another…it was the stuff of nightmares for any child.

Regardless class soon started before a possible fight was prevented, this time there were enough people that seemed to care to stop things from escalating.

Thus, class resumed as usual. Everyone was glued to their seats listening to another boring lesson, about a shinobi’s duty.

Turns out the duty of a shinobi were quite numerous and seemed to be a rule created for any situation and to correct any type of bad behavior.

Iruka: Could anyone tell me the 3 prohibitions?

Iruka asked in a class of seemingly bored students, except for a single student who was happily raising her hand.

Iruka: Yes, Sakura.

Sakura immediately stood up and began reciting the code, as if she knew it by heart which was probably true.

Sakura: The 3 prohibitions are: Alcohol, the opposite sex, and money.

Iruka: Yes, very good. Can anyone else tell me which rule must remember before entering combat or according to a dangerous situation?

Though he had said those words no one was willing to answer their teacher’s question.

Iruka: Naruto?

Naruto: E-Eh?

A bored-looking Naruto was almost taken off guard before he stood up in a panicked state.

Naruto: Y-yes of course, sensei…

Iruka:…

Naruto: (L-let’s see…if a shinobi enters battle what must he do? What must he do? Find his opponent’s tracks? No. That is something Kiba would say…Hm…Oh! I got it!) Make sure that he is strong enough!

A series of laughter erupted inside the classroom.

Iruka: Sigh…Prepare, Naruto. A shinobi must prepare before it is too late.

Naruto: huhhhhh….

A depressed Naruto sat down once again, but slightly more depressed than before rather than being bored.

Class then went on as usual, actually, considering that things would usually go, today was rather tamed.

Though as Iruka came back from giving a sheet of paper to every student, he soon asked a very strange question.

The sound of children dozing off and cicadas was soon interrupted by his firm but kind voice.

Iruka: If the world were to end tomorrow, who would you like to spend your last day with?

Naruto: Like that would ever happen!

Exclaimed now a relaxed-looking Naruto with his hands behind his head and a relaxed smile, as always the boy was one to recover fast.

Iruka: Hmph! Let’s say that the moon began to fall towards the Earth.

As soon as Homura heard this, his mind became immediately more focused about the on goings that were happening in class.

Homura: (The moon falling towards the Earth…that was…The Ootsutsuki living on the moon’s plan. Right, there are other threats besides Kaguya or the Akatsuki…Wait if the Otsutsuki created the moon...How was life even able to...? No there's no time for stupid thoughts, I need to prepare finds way to- )

But before he could think anything further, someone else began to rebuttal Iruka’s hypothetical scenario.

Choji: If it is the end of the world, I wish meat would fall instead of the moon!

To such a ridiculous comment the entire classroom soon started laughing.

Except for two people.

One was Sasuke Uchiha that did not pay attention to anything in class, and the other was Homura who was still looking outside the window.

Although it was quite bright and cloudy outside, Homura’s eye couldn’t help but look at the sky, in a vain attempt to find the moon.

Homura: (If…I remember correctly somewhere around the land of the Samurai or in a snowy region, there’s a portal that can transfer people from Earth to the moon, though…if were to go there that would likely just endanger the world further…but if I go to late, then I won’t be able to find the secrets of the Ootsutsukis…the tenseigan vessel.)

The tenseigan vessel was the last vestiges of Hamura, the twin brother of the sage of six paths powers, within the world since the latter’s body was already dead.

But more than Hamura’s power, the knowledge and mystery that could be found there were endless.

Over a thousand years’ worth of discovery and the power inside the tenseigan vessel.

To think so much power could one day be lost was truly a shame, but to think anyone could oppose Otsutsuki Toneri when he has the tenseigan would be foolish and a fool’s errand.

The tenseigan granted the user powers beyond anyone’s dream.

More than that it granted the user access to the truth-seeking orbs.

Orbs that could destroy matter and spirit if hit by them and not having six-path chakra…it was an impossible mission.

Suicide.

Only less than 0.01 percent of all shinobi alive would have a chance to win against a power like that, according to Homura’s calculations.

Which made him give up on the idea.

And the requirements were simple and also impossible at the same time.

Due to their incredible specificity.

Naruto: If the moon begins to fall I will protect you.

Naruto seated next to Sakura said the cheesiest line that Homura had ever heard, which made Homura look at the poor boy with a look of utter surprise.

Sakura: I don’t need your protection.

Sakura as she then proceeded to look toward Sasuke towards Sasuke leaving Naruto with a slight look of disappointment.

Sasuke with his eyes close was seemingly either sleeping or just tuning out the noise in the classroom.

Which made Homura stare at him even more.

Homura: (Why do girls like him so much, my taijutsu is leagues better than his…if I were to use my full strength I’d beat him any day.) *Sigh* I don’t understand.

Immediately after Homura said that Sasuke’s eyes opened and both his and Homura’s line of sight interjected.

Sasuke:…

Homura:…

In that intense moment, their gazes locked, resembling fierce predators engaged in a battle for dominance. However, their confrontation was abruptly halted by the voice of Iruka resonating from the front of the classroom.

Iruka: Write down who you’d want to spend your last day on Earth with.

The words of Umino Iruka confused Homura to no end.

Homura: (‘Write down who you’d want to spend your last day on Earth with’…What is that supposed to mean?…and Why does he want to know that? )

*Scribble*

Homura seating next to Saya was disrupted by the sound of her pencil writing down something.

As etched to see the name of the person she was writing down, her smooth small hands immediately hid the name on the paper.

Saya: Hey! No peeking!

She puffed her cheeks as soon as she said that but since she was blushing they seemed like two peaches attached to her face, but Homura didn’t care.

Homura: Tch! Whatever. (It is probably that Sasuke guy again or some junk like that.)

But soon enough he would hear again the sound of someone writing with their pencil and it was none other than Toshio whose real name was actually Toshiro, who was seated next to Saya.

And as soon as Homura tried to see whose name he was writing the same thing occurred.

Toshio: Hey! No peeking!

Homura: Jeez! (Is everyone in love with someone within this classroom?... How is it so easy for them to write down a name?…)

Who would Homura write down on this piece of paper?

The answer was simple, no one.

He had no parents.

No living relative.

And even if he did…that didn’t feel right.

Familial love was something he only experienced in small dosages, and if the answer was that simple than it would be another thing altogether.

He was always alone.

He had friends sure, but no one he could truly talk with.

All the people he more or less enjoyed talking with are dead.

So what Iruka asked him was an impossible question…

As long as he remained the way he has been that sheet of paper would always be blank.

But how could he change?

Even right now the only thing on his mind wasn’t any of his classmates but none other than that Mizuki, who he had met a few prior earlier.

Homura: (What b*stard Mizuki wants with me? Is he already a spy for Orochimaru…C! Is Mizuki a spy for Orochimaru right now!?)

C: Unknown. At the current point in time, there’s a 50/50 percent chance. It is not clear if Mizuki was coerced by Orochimaru to serve him or if he did it of his own volition. However, from analyzing the behavior shown from the host’s memories, it is likely that he would have joined Orochimaru quite easily regardless of the method of their first meeting or the nature of their agreement. Mizuki main characteristics are ambition, manipulation and cowardice. There is a 87 percent chance that he would submit to anyone much stronger than himself that exhibits charisma and fear to command their subordinates.

Homura: (Tch! None of that helps me…but I guess a loser like him would be incapable of learning most jutsu and especially advanced ninjutsu… from his fight with Naruto I just saw a few hours ago.)

Homura had to understand why Mizuki was considered an average level of threat.

From C’s recordings that was pretty much a given.

Though he was beaten by not even a genin, that genin did manage to summon 1,000 exact copies of himself, so that was far from the problem that Homura saw with Mizuki.

He lost his composure and did not use any elemental release or wide area ninjutsu to buy some time for him to escape or even an explosive tag.

He seemed oddly confident in his abilities for someone so weak and was overall playing dirty to catch Naruto.

Though he was technically strong as an opponent for Homura, with the sharingan and swift release Homura was certain that he could catch Mizuki off guard and kill him in one fell swoop.

Besides those cards working in tandem, Mizuki would probably get the better of him.

That much was easy to see. Their casual speed was simply too different, in a tight space Homura would be unable to keep up and Mizuki would surely kill him.

Homura:(Darn it! No matter how many times I think of it…I would lose 67 percent of the time…to think that I am still this weak!)

Homura was gripping his pencil with so much strength even though he was trying his best to desperately contain the anger boiling inside and ease his grip.

A part of him was slightly furious that he had made this little progress.

Ninjutsus that were basically useless and were not up to the standards that could work against even a genin, and a taijutsu that lacked the strength to break his opponent’s bone and allowed him to move faster.

There were about less than 3 years before the plot of the main story began and he still was this weak. he still had not gathered DNA from the main bloodline from the Kurama clan, one of the few bloodlines that mattered to Homura.

It was at that moment anger that Homura made his decision.

Homura: (The pervy doctor was right about one thing…there’s more than one path to being a shinobi.)

To Homura. his path was not one that only focused on hard work, but one that prioritized strength and being able to save anyone he cared about, no matter the price.

He didn’t want to lose to anyone.

No, he couldn’t lose to anyone.

So while Homura was battling his own demons and insecurities, class period came to an end.

Iruka reminded the students to pass their papers to the front desk. Homura, lost in his thoughts, had barely written anything on his paper. When he glanced down, he was startled to see the name "Mizuki" written on it, seemingly without him consciously doing so. In a split-second decision, Homura tore the paper into pieces, shocking his classmates and even Iruka.

The act of tearing up the paper caught the attention of his classmates, and gasps of astonishment filled the room. Iruka, too, looked surprised as he approached Homura.

Iruka: "Homura, what happened? Why did you tear up your paper?"

Homura: "I-I made a mistake, sensei," Homura replied, trying to keep his voice steady. "I'll rewrite it and turn it in again."

Iruka: "Alright, but make sure to do it quickly. Class is almost over," Iruka said, slightly puzzled by Homura's reaction.

Homura nodded and quickly retrieved a new paper to rewrite his answer. He couldn't afford any suspicion directed towards him, especially considering Mizuki's presence and the sensitive nature of his thoughts.

As the students filed out of the classroom, Homura couldn't help but feel a mix of embarrassment and confusion. He knew he had torn up the paper on purpose, but he couldn't explain why. It was as if some instinct inside him had compelled him to do so. He shook his head, chiding himself for his impulsive behavior.

Homura: "What's wrong with me? I feel like I am getting crazier every year… and can barely contain my disdain for everyone," he muttered to himself.

Ultimately Homura was unable to write a name on the paper and left it blank.

The stress of knowing the future and not knowing if he could change it…was eating at Homura’s soul.

Each year that passed, it almost seemed that a reminder of the several imminent threats that he feared was always around the corner.

The pressure and stress of it all were slowly eating at him.