The classroom was shrouded in an eerie silence.
The children in front of Satoru showed no excitement, no warm welcome for a new teacher. Instead, their sharp, scrutinizing gazes assessed him as if determining whether he was worthy of standing on the podium.
With names like Hatake Kakashi, Maito Gai, and Uchiha Obito present in the class, an invisible pressure weighed down on Satoru.
Still, he kept his composure, picked up a piece of chalk, and wrote two words on the blackboard:
Hoshino Satoru – Intern Teacher
Then, he turned around, facing the class with a confident smile.
"Good morning."
Silence.
What kind of greeting was this for a new teacher!?
A bead of sweat rolled down Satoru's forehead.
This was bad. If the kids didn't take him seriously from the start, this entire lesson would be a disaster!
An idea flashed through his mind.
Back in the day, when Kakashi was young, Lord Third had devised a famous test for Team 7—the Bell Test, where Naruto's team had struggled to land a single hit on Kakashi.
Hmmm…
Why not create a lighter version of that challenge?
He rubbed his chin, thinking for a few seconds, then blurted out:
"If any of you can touch me within the next minute, I'll consider myself unqualified to teach you."
The class: "..."
...
...
...
What did I just say!?!?
Satoru froze as he realized he had just walked into a trap of his own making.
The students exchanged glances before their eyes lit up like searchlights.
This was a declaration of war!
Crap, crap, crap! I'm just an overconfident anime fan! How am I supposed to fight these ninja brats!?
The Great Escape
"YOSH! I'll land a hit on you!"
Maito Gai was the first to charge.
Satoru panicked and instinctively leaped backward.
Wait a second—why is this kid so fast!?
Gai unleashed a devastating roundhouse kick with insane speed, but thanks to his One Piece physique, Satoru sensed the attack before it reached him.
Relying on pure instinct, he tilted his head.
Whoosh!
The kick brushed past his face, the force alone sending a gust of wind through his hair.
Satoru's soul nearly left his body.
That was way too close!
But before he could breathe a sigh of relief, a sharp whizzing sound pierced the air.
Kakashi had thrown a kunai straight at him!
Wait—weren't they just supposed to spar!? Why the hell is he throwing real kunai!?
In a moment of sheer panic, his body moved on its own—
He arched backward, and the kunai sliced through the air, missing his face by mere millimeters before embedding itself into the blackboard.
The class: "!!!"
Satoru: "!!!"
Wait, wait, wait—how did I dodge that so fast!?!?
Before he could process it, Obito lunged at him from the left, slashing downward with his own kunai.
Without thinking, Satoru jumped to the side, moving at an unnatural speed, causing Obito to miss and stumble forward.
Hold on! I've never trained in Taijutsu, but my body is reacting faster than a ninja!?
Just then, the system's voice echoed in his mind.
[One Piece Physique Activated.] [Enhanced reflexes, agility, and dodging capabilities engaged.]
Oh… so I'm straight-up hacking!?!?
With the physical attributes of One Piece, Satoru's muscles were stronger, his recovery faster, and his reflexes sharper—making dodging attacks almost second nature.
The First Lesson
After a minute of intense dodging, the challenge ended.
The entire class stood frozen, staring at him with a mix of admiration and disbelief.
Not a single student had landed a hit on Teacher Hoshino.
Though… his evasive movements had looked ridiculously desperate.
Panting, Satoru wiped the sweat from his forehead and forced a wise, composed expression.
"Alright… can we start the lesson seriously now?"
The kids nodded slightly, their eyes now filled with curiosity.
Satoru smiled, turned back to the blackboard, and wrote a large question:
"What is a ninja?"
The class fell into deep thought.
After a moment, Kakashi spoke up.
"A ninja is someone who completes their mission at any cost."
Obito immediately objected. "No! A ninja's duty is to protect their comrades first!"
Rin added softly, "A ninja needs courage."
Satoru listened, nodding in approval.
"You're all right. But not entirely."
He turned around, his gaze contemplative yet warm.
"A true ninja… is someone who understands their own value."
The class fell silent.
"A person can only become strong when they understand their own reason for existing. Not because of their clan, not because of their mission—but because of who they choose to become."
Satoru slowly stepped down from the podium, making eye contact with each of his students.
"You can be a cold genius like Kakashi."
"You can be an indomitable warrior like Gai."
"You can be a loyal friend like Obito."
"But no matter who you become… remember that you must walk the path you truly believe in."
The class went still.
For a brief moment, the students' gazes shifted.
A tiny flame flickered to life within them.
Because… no one had ever taught them this before.
The System's Reward
As the lesson ended, the system's voice rang in Satoru's head.
[First lesson completed.] [Students have shown signs of ideological and cognitive growth.] [Teaching Quality: A+] [Earned 800 reward points.] [Acquired Skill: Basic Chakra Control.]
Satoru's eyes widened.
All I did was give a philosophy lesson!?
The system continued:
[New rule: Points are awarded based on students' growth in mindset and strength.]
Satoru smirked.
So… as long as I help these kids grow, I'll get stronger too?
A new, promising path had just opened before him.
(To be continued in Chapter 3 – The Secrets of the Ninja Academy.)