Chapter 4:A Teacher’s Farewel

Iruka watched as Naruto stretched and yawned, the excitement of the night finally catching up to him. With a small smile, he patted the boy's head.

"Go home and get some rest, Naruto. Tomorrow is an important day. Come to the Academy for team placements."

Naruto gave him a curious look. "You're still doing that, Iruka-sensei?"

Iruka nodded. "One last time. I need to make an announcement."

With that, Naruto gave a firm nod before running off, already planning to show off his headband to everyone. Iruka took a deep breath, his mind swirling with everything ahead of him.

The next morning, the classroom was buzzing with excitement. Students chatted eagerly, waiting to hear which teams they'd be assigned to. Some were already making bets on who would end up where, while others fidgeted in their seats. When Iruka entered, the room fell silent.

He stood before them, his expression calm but resolute. "Before we begin the team placements, I have something important to say."

Curious whispers filled the air, but Iruka continued. "This will be my last day as an Academy instructor."

Gasps erupted across the room. Even students who usually ignored his lectures snapped to attention. "Wait, what?!" Kiba barked. "You're quitting?!"

"You can't just leave!" Ino protested.

Iruka raised a hand, quieting them. "I've decided to take a different path. As of today, I will be Naruto Uzumaki's personal mentor."

All eyes snapped to Naruto, who sat with a smug grin, clearly enjoying the attention. "Yep! He's training me personally!" he declared proudly.

Shikamaru groaned. "Man… I knew something weird was gonna happen."

Iruka smiled. "This isn't a decision I made lightly. But I realized I can't help Naruto the way I want to if I stay here. I need to grow stronger, and so does he."

The classroom slowly settled as the shock wore off, and Iruka proceeded with the team announcements.

"Team 7: Kenji Saito, Sasuke Uchiha, and Sakura Haruno. Your Jonin instructor will be Kakashi Hatake."

Sakura cheered—only for her enthusiasm to dim slightly when she realized Sasuke didn't even acknowledge her. Kenji, a no-name civilian-born student, gulped nervously. Sasuke remained as stoic as ever.

"Team 8: Hinata Hyuga, Kiba Inuzuka, and Shino Aburame. Your Jonin instructor will be Kurenai Yuhi."

Hinata blushed slightly, Kiba grinned, and Shino gave his usual silent nod.

"Team 10: Ino Yamanaka, Shikamaru Nara, and Choji Akimichi. Your Jonin instructor will be Asuma Sarutobi."

Shikamaru sighed. "Troublesome."

By the time he finished, the students were still processing the news, but Iruka felt a sense of closure. This chapter of his life was ending, but a new one was just beginning.

Later, Iruka met with Asuma and Kurenai outside the Academy. The midday sun cast long shadows across the village, and the three stood near a quiet training ground, away from the noisy streets.

Asuma, as usual, had a cigarette hanging from his lips. "So, Iruka, you're really leaving teaching behind?"

Iruka nodded. "Yeah, I need to grow stronger. I can't stay stuck in the same place."

Kurenai crossed her arms, her irritation barely concealed. "It's surprising, but I respect your decision. Still, are you sure about training Naruto alone? He's… a handful."

Iruka chuckled. "Yeah, but someone has to do it."

Asuma smirked and took a long drag from his cigarette before blowing the smoke right into Iruka's face. "Well, you better not get too ahead of yourself, Iruka. You were always a teacher first and just a chunin. Training's a whole different beast. Not sure you can handle it."

Iruka waved the smoke away, his brow twitching. "Asuma, could you not?"

Kurenai's expression darkened as she took a deliberate step away from Asuma, arms crossed. "You really need to cut that out. It's disgusting. And maybe try succeeding on your own instead of using your father's reputation as a crutch?"

Asuma scoffed, his grin turning smug. "Come on, Kurenai. You sound like you actually care about me."

She exhaled sharply, her gaze cold. "Don't flatter yourself."

Iruka watched the exchange with mild amusement before shaking his head. "Well, this has been fun, but I've got training to do. Come on, Naruto."

Naruto, who had been loitering nearby and listening in, perked up. "Finally! I thought you'd never leave. Let's go, Iruka-sensei!"

With a grin, Iruka led Naruto away, their footsteps light but determined. Behind them, Asuma and Kurenai's conversation faded into the background.

As Iruka walked out of the Academy for the last time, a familiar blue screen appeared before him.

[Ding! New Feature Unlocked: Daily Tasks]

Complete daily challenges to receive rewards! Failure to complete tasks will result in penalties.

Iruka's eyes twitched. "Penalties? That's new."

Another notification popped up.

[Daily Task: Perform 1000 sword strikes before sundown.]

Reward: +1 Strength

Failure: Muscle Fatigue for 24 Hours

Naruto peeked over his shoulder. "Oi, Iruka-sensei, what's with that look?"

Iruka sighed but couldn't help the smirk forming on his lips. "So that's how it's gonna be, huh? Alright, System. Let's do this."

As they made their way to their new training ground, Iruka felt something shift within him—not just his strength, but his very being. He was no longer just Iruka, the Academy teacher, or Nick, the man from another world. He was simply himself, whole and complete.

And with that, their journey truly began.

End of Chapter 4