Haruki eyed Itachi Uchiha with suspicion.
Why was he so happy?
Even Yasuo, with a dismal 0-18-0 record, didn't seem the least bit discouraged.
It made him feel like he was a terrible actor himself.
"Is Itachi always like this?"
Haruki nudged Shisui Uchiha, who was sitting beside him.
Originally, he wanted to let Itachi Uchiha experience the pain of being carried by his teammates and see if his emotions could be stimulated.
But clearly he had failed—Itachi was having a great time, still laughing even after being killed repeatedly.
"Mm, seems like it."
Shisui sighed. He was playing uncomfortably.
Not a single teammate acted normal.
Including his own teacher.
He rubbed his aching eyes.
Haruki suddenly raised an eyebrow.
This presence felt oddly familiar.
Still, Shisui was too young.
"How about we host a League of Legends tournament across the entire Summer Country?"
Haruki thought of an idea.
Since Itachi hadn't been emotionally affected, he would escalate the external pressure.
Build up the audience's expectations beforehand, then during the competition, watch as Itachi plays like a bronze-tier player.
As everyone knows, League of Legends players are all maniacs from Zaun; they won't care whether you're part of the Uchiha Clan or not.
"All across the Summer Country?"
Shisui couldn't help but brighten.
Despite how calm he usually was, he was still a teenager with dreams of glory.
Being able to play games under the world's spotlight was truly something that brought immense prestige.
And it would also increase his popularity.
"That's right. There will be rankings and prizes, presented personally by the Hokage," Haruki continued to tempt him.
Nowadays, nothing was more appealing than becoming Hokage.
Especially for Shisui and Itachi.
From what he knew, both boys' dreams were to become Hokage.
In the future, there might come a day when they'd compete against each other.
Given their talents, becoming Hokage candidates wouldn't be a problem.
But who actually became the Hokage would depend on fate.
"When will it start?"
Shisui had already decided to join, but he'd need to find a new team.
The current one was just too bad.
So bad that he suspected they were actors sent by Teacher Haruki.
"Half a year from now," Haruki thought for a moment before answering.
The esports scene wasn't quite ready yet.
Time would be needed for promotion.
Truthfully, the Summer Country wasn't the best place to host such competitions.
Only once people's living standards improved enough would they begin paying attention to entertainment.
Maybe in a few years, they'd see the kind of scenes he remembered from his past life.
However, hosting events among several ninja villages shouldn't be a problem.
"I'll definitely prepare well for it."
Shisui nodded firmly.
"Then can I join too?"
Itachi, who had been eavesdropping, turned to his good friend Shisui. "How about being on the same team with me?"
"…"
Shisui fell silent.
Itachi didn't have the Sharingan. When it came to gaming, he really was just a terrible dog.
He just couldn't carry him through games.
"You can."
Haruki didn't wait for Shisui's reply and said with a smile, "The esports showdown between the Uchiha brothers would draw a huge audience."
"Teacher…"
Shisui hesitated.
"It's fine. You've got six months ahead of you. Given Itachi's talent, I'm confident he'll get the hang of it."
Haruki gave Shisui a firm pat on the shoulder and said earnestly, "You need to believe in yourself. As a member of the Uchiha Clan, have you lost faith in yourself?"
Shisui's body shuddered briefly before he gave a sudden nod of realization. "Thank you, teacher. I understand now."
Haruki wasn't exactly sure what Shisui had understood, but he was satisfied with the boy's realization.
This esports tournament could kill two birds with one stone.
Itachi activated his Sharingan while Shisui activated his Mangekyo Sharingan.
"You guys can just play on your own from here on out."
Haruki stood up and looked at the three kids—alongside Shisui and Itachi was Haku as well.
"You really like children, huh?" Tsunade sipped her juice from behind the counter.
She'd cut back on alcohol recently as part of her baby-making preparations.
After discussing it together, they'd decided it was time to have a child.
Especially after Zetsu was dealt with, there were practically no threats left to Konoha within the ninja world.
In his past life, Tsunade would've been considered a late mother.
But in the ninja world, this wasn't a big deal.
"Kids are so adorable."
Haruki ordered himself some lemonade too.
As a high-end internet café under Konoha Holdings, providing drinks was nothing special—they could even offer lodging or meals.
Calling it an esports-themed hotel wouldn't be an exaggeration.
Today was Sunday.
So Haruki had dragged Tsunade out for some fun.
Working nonstop every day was simply unbearable.
"Well, except for brats."
Haruki added.
He absolutely despised brats from his past life. Kids who broke figurines or messed with phones and computers were enough to drive anyone up the wall.
"Oh, what if that brat is your son?"
Tsunade clinked her glass against Haruki's in a toast.
She treated the juice entirely as if it were alcohol.
"How do you know it'll be a boy?" Haruki countered. "Do you prefer boys?"
"No, I like both." Tsunade shook her head. "What about you?"
"I think I might prefer a daughter."
"Why?"
"Daughters are cute and thoughtful."
Haruki took a sip of his lemonade and smiled. "Of course, a son would be nice too. If he turns out to be a little brat, then you just beat him up."
"So you're saying I should play the bad cop?"
Tsunade tapped the glass against his.
Having heard him talk about traditional opera from his hometown before, she knew red-faced roles symbolized villains.
"That's mostly because you're better suited for the role."
"What did you say?"
Tsunade glared at him.
"Are you mad because I was too harsh with you?"
Haruki froze.
They weren't even expecting yet—
And her mood swings had already started?
"No, no way! Impossible!" Haruki quickly shook his head.
Tsunade had actually been quite gentle with him.
Back in the original story, Tsunade once nearly knocked Jiraiya senseless with a single punch.
Tsunade gave a soft "Hmph," she muttered under her breath.
Seeing this, Haruki leaned close to her face, resting his forehead lightly against hers.
"It's already past noon. What are you in the mood for?"
He offered his lemonade to her lips as he spoke.
Tsunade took a sip before passing her own juice back to him.
"Let's grab some ramen."
"It's been a while since I last had ramen from Ichiraku."
Haruki finished his juice and nodded. "Alright."
The two left the internet café and arrived at Ichiraku Noodle House.
"Welcome! Ah, it's Lord Hokage and Haruki-sama!"
Teuchi, who had originally been smiling, immediately set aside his ladle.
The customers currently inside the ramen shop all stood up as well.
"There's no need to be so formal," Tsunade said, waving a hand. "We're just here for some ramen."
Haruki found a seat and glanced at the menu. He ordered, "One katsudon ramen, Teuchi."
Tsunade sat beside him and said, "I'll have tonkotsu ramen."
"Coming right up, please wait a moment," Teuchi replied.
After all, Teuchi had served plenty of famous faces before and quickly regained his composure.
A short while later, the ramen shop's curtain opened.
Haruki detected a familiar chakra signature.
Turning around, he saw none other than Orochimaru.
He held a skewer of three-colored dumplings.
Behind him followed a pretty young girl—Anko Mitarashi.
"Now there's a face I don't see every day!"
Haruki waved at the two of them.
"..."
Orochimaru was momentarily at a loss for words.
"So this is your apprentice?" Haruki asked, glancing at the still-slim Anko with a smile.
"Yes, Haruki-sama," Anko answered clearly, holding the three-colored dumplings.
"You kids should lay off the sweets—they're no good for you," Haruki said, pointing at the dumplings in her hand. "Since we don't see you two often, I'll cover everyone's meal today."