Returning to the Uchiha compound, Itachi wore a thoughtful expression.
"Onii-chan!" The moment Itachi stepped inside, Sasuke ran up to him excitedly.
"Sasuke, maybe another time," Itachi said gently, reaching out to give Sasuke his customary forehead poke. "I need to go see Shisui about something important." His tone held a note of apology.
"Aww! Onii-chan, you broke your promise again!" Sasuke whined, his lower lip jutting out petulantly, clearly unhappy.
"Sorry, Sasuke," Itachi offered an apologetic smile before turning and leaving. He had stopped home specifically to let Sasuke know he'd be out.
Watching Itachi's retreating back, Sasuke's eyes filled with disappointment.
"Sasuke, where's your brother?" Mikoto Uchiha emerged from the kitchen, looking curiously at Sasuke standing alone.
"Onii-chan went to Shisui-nii's house," Sasuke mumbled sullenly, then turned and stomped off towards his own room.
Slam!
The heavy sound of his door closing echoed through the house.
"Honestly, that child," Mikoto murmured with an affectionate smile. Then, she turned her gaze towards the doorway Itachi had just exited, a flicker of worry crossing her eyes. Ever since Itachi had joined ANBU, Mikoto felt he had changed considerably – becoming much more composed and silent. She didn't know whether this change was ultimately for the better or worse.
At Shisui Uchiha's home.
"Itachi! Come in, sit down!" Shisui greeted warmly, a smile on his face as he saw Itachi enter.
"Shisui-san," Itachi began seriously as he sat down, meeting Shisui's gaze, "I want to join you."
Hearing this, the smile gradually faded from Shisui's face. He looked intently at Itachi. "Itachi, what do you mean by that?"
"Shisui-san," Itachi replied, "I spoke with Tatsuya-san today. I already know what you did regarding Elder Yashiro."
"What? Tatsuya told you?" Shisui asked, startled, his expression shifting dramatically.
Seeing Shisui's reaction, a faint smile touched Itachi's lips.
Realizing he'd been caught, Shisui paused for a second before a wry smile spread across his face. Damn it, this kid tricked me again!
Ichiraku Ramen.
Tatsuya and Naruto sat side-by-side at the counter. Large bowls of ramen were placed before both of them. Naruto was wolfing his down hungrily, while Tatsuya ate at a more leisurely pace.
Since their first encounter, Tatsuya had started occasionally picking Naruto up from the Ninja Academy to treat him to ramen at Ichiraku. He had developed a genuine fondness for the Fourth Hokage's orphaned son, admiring his innate optimism. It wasn't because Naruto was destined to be the protagonist of the ninja world, but because of the inherent qualities Naruto possessed.
In his previous life, some said it was a miracle Naruto didn't turn dark. Tatsuya felt that assessment came from a lack of understanding. Naruto's childhood was undoubtedly harsh – not due to material hardship, but because of the collective discrimination and neglect he faced. Yet, his heart consistently yearned for the light; even surrounded by darkness, he could illuminate everything around him. He had a knack for grasping onto the small, scattered moments of warmth offered to him, using them as fuel for his growth. It was hard not to like such an optimistic and positive personality. Plus, young Naruto was undeniably kawaii. Tatsuya found spending time with him quite enjoyable.
"Naruto, how's school going?" Tatsuya asked with a smile, watching Naruto devour his noodles.
"Mm-hmm! Great! Sakura-chan in my class is super cute!" Naruto replied, nodding enthusiastically. He looked up at Tatsuya as he spoke, his eyes shining.
Tatsuya was speechless. This kid definitely has simp potential, even from this age.
"How are your ninjutsu studies coming along?" Tatsuya asked, smiling as he changed the subject. Discussing girls in Naruto's class with a six-or-seven-year-old wasn't really his style.
"Ugh! Learning ninjutsu is sooo hard!" Hearing this question, Naruto's face immediately fell, and he sounded quite dejected.
"Heh heh, if you're finding it tough, how about I give you some tutoring?" Tatsuya offered with a grin.
"You? Tatsuya-ossan, what rank are you anyway?" Naruto asked, suddenly interested, looking expectantly at Tatsuya.
"Er... barely a Chunin, I guess," Tatsuya replied, rubbing his nose awkwardly. His actual strength placed him at least at the Elite Jonin level within the village, but since his Jonin rank had been revoked years ago, he hadn't participated in any official rank evaluations since. Technically, he was still registered as a Chunin.
"Huh? Just barely a Chunin?!" Naruto's face fell again, full of disappointment. "No way! Our teacher, Iruka-sensei, is a Chunin too! I'd rather learn from Iruka-sensei than you!" He shook his head repeatedly, rejecting Tatsuya's offer. For someone aiming to become Hokage, a mere Chunin wasn't impressive.
Still, Naruto thought, even if this fat Ossan is weak, he's a nice guy. He even treats me to ramen sometimes. Thinking this, Naruto flashed Tatsuya a bright smile before turning back to attack his ramen with renewed vigor.
...
Tatsuya's eyebrow twitched. Did I really just get turned down after offering to teach someone ninjutsu? If word of this got out, probably no one in the ninja world would believe it.
However, after being rejected by Naruto, Tatsuya didn't bring it up again. Naruto's future was destined to include guidance from excellent teachers like Iruka and Jiraiya. In terms of nurturing talent and teaching ninjutsu, Tatsuya knew he might not necessarily surpass them.
By the time they finished their ramen, evening had fallen. Tatsuya and Naruto parted ways after leaving Ichiraku.
Tatsuya walked slowly along the dimly lit street. As he rounded a corner, a relatively short figure stood waiting quietly ahead.
Tatsuya walked up, stopped, and bowed respectfully. "Lord Third Hokage."
Under the streetlight, the figure blocking Tatsuya's path was indeed the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi. Smoke curled up from the pipe held in his mouth, partially obscuring his expression beneath the Hokage hat.
Hiruzen stared at Tatsuya. "Tatsuya, why have you suddenly started interacting with Naruto?"
Meeting the Third's gaze, Tatsuya replied evenly, "Lord Hokage, it wasn't sudden. Actually, I've always wanted to check in on Naruto. He is the sole descendant of Konoha's hero, the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze." Here, a hint of sarcasm touched Tatsuya's face as he continued, "However, certain people in the village have always been... sensitive regarding him. If I had approached Naruto carelessly before, it certainly would have attracted their excessive attention. I didn't want to cause trouble for myself, or for Naruto."
Hearing this, Hiruzen remained silent. After a moment, he looked directly at Tatsuya again. "If you didn't want to cause trouble for yourself or Naruto, why are you getting so close to him now?"
"Because," Tatsuya stated plainly, "I don't want the hero's descendant to have a miserable childhood. At the very least, when Naruto looks back as an adult, he should be able to recall some faint glimmer of warmth from those years."
Hiruzen fell silent again for a short while before asking, "Are you blaming me for not taking better care of Naruto?"
"Lord Hokage has his own considerations. It's understandable," Tatsuya replied, shaking his head slightly.
Hiruzen offered no response. Seeing this, Tatsuya shifted slightly, preparing to walk around the Third Hokage and continue on his way.
"Tatsuya," the Third's voice sounded from behind him, "regardless of your opinions of me, I still hope that you will lend your strength to the village when critical moments arise."
Tatsuya paused. "Don't worry, Lord Hokage," he replied without turning back. "Konoha belongs to all of us."
Under the dim streetlights, the Third Hokage stood alone in silence for a long time after Tatsuya had gone.