Chapter 413: My Youth
Inside the Principal's office.
Sunlight filtered through the clean glass windows, casting bright patches of light on the floor.
The office was simply and neatly furnished, with a portrait of the Konoha symbol hanging on the wall and bookshelves filled with educational theory books and student files.
Naruto closed the door behind him and walked to the large desk. Instead of sitting in the main chair that symbolized the principal's authority, he casually pulled over a guest chair and sat opposite Might Guy.
Might Guy sat in his chair, feeling uneasy. He didn't sit comfortably; his back was ramrod straight, and his hands were clenched into fists on his knees, his knuckles turning slightly white.
His face, which usually overflowed with a hot-blooded smile, was now filled with heaviness and self-reproach, his thick eyebrows tightly furrowed.
Naruto looked at him and was the first to break the silence. His tone was much softer than the sharpness he had shown in the office earlier, yet it also carried a hint of imperceptible fatigue and helplessness.
"Guy-sensei, originally, this kind of matter should have been handled by you as the principal."
He paused, his fingers unconsciously stroking the armrest of the chair. "But I really couldn't hold back just now. Seeing such rubbish coming out of a teacher's mouth, thinking that children might be even more deeply hurt by such irresponsible remarks, potentially affecting their entire lives..."
"My temper just flared up instantly."
"Hokage-sama..."
Guy looked up, wanting to say something, his voice a bit dry.
"Just call me Naruto."
Naruto interrupted him, leaning forward slightly and looking at Guy sincerely. "There are no outsiders here now, so there's no need to be so formal."
Guy's Adam's apple bobbed as if he wanted to draw some strength from the familiar name 'Naruto,' but in the end, he lowered his head deeply.
"I'm sorry, Naruto."
His voice was low and filled with guilt. "I've failed your expectations. You made me the principal because you trusted me, hoping I could set an example for the children and create a good environment."
"But I... I failed to discover someone like Yamamoto in time, and I failed to prevent this from happening."
His fists on his knees clenched even tighter, veins bulging on the back of his hands. "To be honest, I'm truly shocked that Yamamoto Kazuo could do such a thing."
"This guy usually acted very respectfully in front of me, worked quite diligently, was always polite to his colleagues, and even often offered to help."
"I... I always thought he was a good teacher, at least on the surface. For such bullying to happen in school while a teacher does nothing or even encourages the bad behavior..."
"This is entirely my dereliction of duty; it's my problem."
Guy's voice was filled with painful self-reproach.
He saw guarding the future of Konoha as his personal responsibility and viewed educating children as the most glorious mission.
Now, for something so contrary to the Ninja Way and so harmful to children's hearts to happen in the school under his leadership made him feel worse than being wounded on the battlefield.
Naruto looked at Guy in this state and felt a bit of pity.
He knew Guy's personality—hot-blooded, upright, and possessing a strong sense of responsibility—but precisely because of this, he sometimes placed too much trust in surface-level enthusiasm and drive, lacking sufficient vigilance and insight into the more hidden dark sides of human nature.
This wasn't Guy's fault, but rather a result of his character.
"Guy-sensei," Naruto waved his hand, his tone softening with a sense of reassurance. "You don't need to blame yourself so much. The main reason I asked you to be the principal was that I hoped your burning youth, never-give-up perseverance, and upright character would set a positive example for the children."
"To let them know what the true Ninja Spirit is, and the meaning of hard work and persistence."
He stood up, walked to the window, and with his back to Guy, watched the children running and playing on the playground outside. His voice was calm and clear:
"As for people like Yamamoto... they are very cunning."
"When facing you, their superior, the principal who could decide their future, they naturally wear the most perfect mask, acting respectful, diligent, and helpful."
"It's a survival instinct and a form of disguise. You couldn't see their true colors not because you failed in your duty, but because they deliberately hid them. It's not your fault, Guy-sensei."
Naruto turned around to face Guy again, his gaze becoming firm and sharp. "Identifying problems and solving them—that's what's key."
"Besides, I've already 'dealt with' Yamamoto and Toyama Que, those two ready-made negative examples, in my own way."
"Next, how to prevent similar things from happening again, how to purge the teaching staff, and how to establish more effective supervision and feedback mechanisms..."
"These are the things that you, as the principal, need to deeply consider and push forward."
Seeing that Guy's brows were still furrowed, clearly still brooding over his "oversight," Naruto changed the subject and offered another suggestion:
"If you really feel bad and want to do something to make up for it, or if you want a change of environment to adjust your mood... well, I happen to have a mission."
Naruto walked back to the desk, leaned his hands on it, and looked at Guy. "I plan to have Shikamaru lead a team to attack the Hidden Mist Village."
"Kakashi-sensei is currently coordinating some matters over in Hidden Stone Village. I plan to have him and Uncle Shikaku come back."
He looked directly into Guy's eyes. "Guy-sensei, your taijutsu and combat experience are top-tier in Konoha."
"If you're willing, you can go to Hidden Stone Village to find Kakashi-sensei, and then the two of you can lead some people to join Shikamaru's team and contribute to the attack on the Hidden Mist Village."
"As for the school, Uncle Hiashi can take over management for a while."
Naruto's tone was serious; this was both an opportunity for Guy to temporarily leave the environment that made him feel frustrated and regain his battlefield rhythm, and a genuine need for the combat power of a strong individual like him.
"As for me," Naruto straightened up, his gaze drifting toward the distant sky outside the window, where invisible dark clouds seemed to be gathering. "I have some even more important matters to handle."
"Internal problems of the Village require everyone's joint efforts, but some external threats to the Village may exceed conventional boundaries."
He didn't explicitly say what they were, but Guy could sense the gravity in Naruto's words.
A brief silence fell over the office.
Guy lowered his head, seemingly digesting Naruto's words and weighing his inner guilt against his new responsibilities. Sunlight quietly spilled over both of them.
After a long while, Guy stood up with a "shua," the legs of the chair scraping against the floor with a short sound.
In those eyes that were always burning like raging flames, a light more fiery and determined than ever before burst forth, a light that even dispelled the previous gloom and self-reproach.
"I understand, Naruto!"
His voice was loud and resonant, like the beating of a war drum, instantly filling the entire office and dispelling the last trace of stagnant atmosphere.
He straightened his back, like a green pine that stood even taller after enduring wind and rain.
"I will let my youth—"
He raised his clenched right fist.
"Be poured entirely and without reservation into the glorious cause of Konoha unifying the Ninja World!"
"Whether it's teaching the next generation or fighting on the front lines, my hot blood, my sweat, and every bit of my strength will burn for the future of Konoha!"
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