Throughout the class, numerous eyes kept drifting toward Naruto's desk. Most of these belonged to boys, though their attention wasn't focused on Naruto himself, but rather on Chiharu, who sat quietly beside him, attentively following Iruka's lecture from the podium.
Despite being only four years old, Chiharu possessed a delicate, flawless appearance that left an impression on everyone who saw her. Much like how Sasuke had captivated all the girls in class since his first day, Chiharu now drew similar attention from the boys. She responded to their curious glances with nothing more than gentle smiles.
Of course, her appearance wasn't the only reason she attracted such attention. Everyone knew that Naruto was the Fourth Hokage's son, which naturally made Chiharu the Hokage's daughter as well. Moreover, her entrance to the Academy had been nothing short of extraordinary—at just four years old, she had broken Academy records by being promoted directly to the third grade.
Compared to Naruto, many thought Chiharu seemed to embody what one would expect from the Fourth Hokage's legacy: exceptional looks paired with remarkable talent.
"Have you seen enough?" Naruto finally grumbled, growing impatient with the constant stares directed at his sister. He shot a fierce glare at the onlookers, causing them to quickly avert their eyes.
Nevertheless, a question lingered in everyone's minds: Were Naruto and Chiharu truly siblings? No matter how one looked at it, they seemed completely different in temperament and ability.
During the break, when Iruka left the classroom, Chiharu shifted her attention from the podium. She glanced sideways to find Naruto wearing a slightly irritated expression. She understood that her brother was upset about being kept in the dark regarding her enrollment.
Her eyes sparkled with mischief before softening into an apologetic smile. "Brother, I was wrong," she said gently. "Can you forgive me?"
Of course, Naruto could never truly stay angry with his sister. His expression immediately relaxed as he extended his hand to ruffle her golden hair. "You little troublemaker," he sighed. "Not only did you hide this from me, but you got Mom and Dad to go along with it too."
Though sometimes careless, Naruto was far from unintelligent. He quickly pieced together what must have happened.
"Hehe, I just wanted to surprise you," Chiharu giggled, resembling a well-behaved kitten with her endearing demeanor.
"Surprising, certainly," Naruto conceded, curling his lips into a half-smile. "As for joyful..." Though still shocked by Chiharu's advancement, she was his sister after all, and he had always been aware of her exceptional talent.
"Hinata-nee!" Before Naruto could finish his thought, Chiharu sprung up from her seat. She waved her small, delicate hand toward Hinata, who sat across the aisle.
Hearing her name, Hinata looked over curiously.
With one hand supporting herself on the desk, Chiharu made a graceful leap, landing lightly in front of Hinata. "We can study together from now on," she said with a bright smile. During the two years Naruto had attended the Academy, Chiharu had been left alone at home, terribly bored. That was why she had practiced so diligently—simply to be able to see her brother and their acquaintances more often.
"Mm," Hinata responded softly, her voice barely audible.
Chiharu's gaze then shifted again, this time toward Sasuke's seat. "Sasuke-nii!" she called, waving enthusiastically.
Sasuke, typically indifferent to most social interactions, turned slightly and acknowledged Chiharu with a nod. There was a distinct hint of seriousness in his eyes as he regarded the young girl.
Noticing Sasuke's unusually warm response, Sakura and Ino, seated on either side of him, turned their heads as well. Before they could manifest any potential jealousy, they were disarmed by Chiharu's disarmingly kind smile. Whatever negative emotions might have been brewing instantly dissolved.
Both girls smiled back reflexively.
"Everyone, please take care of me," Chiharu announced cheerfully, noticing that most eyes in the classroom had turned toward their interaction.
Naruto watched his sister with mild surprise. He couldn't help but notice that the way his classmates looked at Chiharu mirrored how they had regarded him when they first learned he was the Hokage's son. Back then, under everyone's scrutiny, Naruto had felt intensely uncomfortable.
Chiharu, however, seemed to harbor no such insecurities.
"Mm," many classmates responded with nods, already warming to her presence.
"Brother, let's go. It's almost time to gather," Chiharu said, tugging at Naruto's arm. Besides the morning knowledge class, the rest of the day would be dedicated to shuriken practice outdoors.
As the break neared its end, Chiharu simply took Naruto's arm and led him toward the training ground, trailed by numerous curious glances.
"Tat-tat-tat!"
The training ground echoed with the continuous sound of wooden shuriken striking wooden targets.
"Brother is awesome!" Chiharu exclaimed with genuine admiration as Naruto successfully hit the center of all three wooden targets. As he stepped off the field, he was greeted by his sister's proud smile.
Beyond theoretical knowledge and chakra control, Naruto excelled in most practical skills, ranking among the best in his class.
"Wow, Sasuke, so cool!" "You can do it, Sasuke-kun!"
The next student to enter the practice area was Sasuke. As he walked deliberately toward the training ground, excited screams erupted from the assembled girls.
Chiharu watched this display with slight surprise, her eyes moving between the clamoring girls with mild confusion. "Sasuke-kun is really popular," she observed with a small sigh.
"Tch, it's not that impressive," Naruto muttered under his breath.
Hearing this, Chiharu raised her eyebrows slightly and glanced around. Suddenly, she caught sight of a pair of eyes in the crowd, quietly fixed in their direction.
Realizing she'd been noticed, Hinata quickly averted her gaze, her face flushing with embarrassment.
Seeing this, Chiharu suppressed a knowing smile. "It seems my brother has his own admirers as well," she remarked softly.
On the training ground, Sasuke stood motionless, several shuriken gripped in each hand. Five targets were positioned before him—the three directly ahead that Naruto had just hit, plus two more situated to the left and right.
These additional targets, according to rumor, had been specially set up for Itachi by his instructor during his Academy days. After Itachi graduated, no student had successfully used all five targets—the angles were simply too challenging for most students to master.
"Hmmm," Sasuke exhaled deeply, his dark eyes sharpening with focus. He tightened his grip on the shuriken, crossing his arms in preparation.
The challenge before him represented a record left by his brother Itachi, and Sasuke had dedicated his entire holiday to practicing at home. If his brother had accomplished this feat, then he was determined to do the same!
"What is he attempting?" Iruka wondered from the sidelines, slightly puzzled. Given Sasuke's skill level, standard shuriken training should present no difficulty. Yet his expression now appeared unusually solemn.
"Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!"
With a powerful motion, Sasuke swung his arms and released five shuriken simultaneously. They spread out along different trajectories—three flying directly into the centers of the forward targets, while the other two moved at a slightly slower pace.
But Sasuke hadn't completed his demonstration. He still held one shuriken in each hand, his movements continuing without pause.
"Swoosh!"
With a sudden burst of strength, channeling the maximum power of his arms into the shuriken, he launched them with tremendous force!