Before the personalized and irresistibly effective temptation had even fully played out, Naruto and Sasuke, who had both vowed to resist the time-wasting idea of enrolling in school, completely abandoned their principles.
They eagerly scribbled their names on the enrollment forms that Fugaku had already prepared in advance. The soft bed—freshly made with new bedding and long unseen—was a dramatic improvement for the two boys who had grown used to sleeping on hard rocks all year.
Before long, they completely forgot about a certain poor member of the Legendary Three Ninja currently struggling to evade capture in the village, and soon drifted off to sleep amidst the occasional clamor, yawning peacefully.
As time passed quietly, Naruto and Sasuke, still immersed in their sweet dreams, unknowingly welcomed the morning sun of the next day. And so began the annual registration day for new students at the Ninja Academy.
…
Thanks to the nearly instinctual early rising habit developed over the past year of training, Naruto and Sasuke both naturally woke up just as dawn broke.
"Ugh… is it that time already…? Training, training…"
Mumbling groggily in half-asleep slurs, they got up from bed, reattached the weights they'd taken off before sleeping, dressed themselves, and covered up properly.
They both took a quick, half-hearted wash in the bathroom, then carefully crept out the door so as not to wake the others still asleep. The two began a warm-up jog around the outskirts of the Uchiha Clan's territory.
It wasn't until they saw the sun fully risen that they remembered today was registration day at school. So they turned back home, drenched in sweat, arriving just in time to see Mikoto setting the final fragrant breakfast dish on the table.
"Mmm—! That smells amazing! Mom, what are we having for breakfast today?"
The moment he stepped through the door, Sasuke's little belly let out an impatient growl in response to the mouthwatering aroma filling the air. The little Uchiha, having used up all his energy from a peaceful night's sleep, dashed excitedly to the table, stood on tiptoe, and reached out with bare hands to snatch a taste—only to have Mikoto gently swat his hand away.
"Heheh, just in time! I'm starving, so I'll just—ow!"
"You'll wait until your dad and big brother are here, little glutton."
Mikoto smiled fondly at her dramatic son, who was clutching his hand and wailing in exaggerated pain. With a soft chuckle in her eyes, she reached for a napkin and gently wiped the sweat from both Sasuke's and Naruto's brows, speaking to them warmly.
"I don't even know where you two ran off to first thing in the morning. Look at you—sweaty and messy. You're supposed to register at the Ninja Academy today, you know. If you show up like this, the other kids might laugh at you~"
"Hmph, I don't care. Worst case, I'll have Naruto take me back to the training ground. Better than wasting time at school—ow ow ow!"
"Hmm?"
As Sasuke's strength grew, so too did the natural pride of his Uchiha bloodline. He lifted his chin arrogantly as he grumbled in response to his mother's teasing—only to be met with another sharp forehead flick from her.
His smug attitude instantly crumbled. Under her warm smile—eerily similar to last night's—he was overwhelmed by survival instinct. He quickly changed his tone with a serious expression and shuffled backwards, ultimately turning and bolting into the bathroom.
"Ahem ahem… what I meant was, Naruto and I went out for a morning jog and training session… Mom, I'll let you get back to cooking! I'll just go—wash—my—hands—real—quick!"
"Wait wait wait! Sasuke! Slow down! I just mopped the bathroom floor—it's super slippery right now. Be careful!"
"It's fine, Mom! I'm totally—whoa whoa—ow ow ow ow ow—!!"
"This boy… Honestly. He's trained under Pervy Sage for a whole year, and his skills have really improved, but that scatterbrained personality hasn't changed one bit."
Hearing Sasuke's pitiful yelps of pain after barely a second in the bathroom made Mikoto chuckle. She shook her head in amusement and turned to glance at Naruto—who was watching with a smile, rubbing his forehead helplessly.
"But really, Sasuke made such a great friend… No wonder his dad always jokes about wishing Sasuke were a daughter instead."
Because Naruto had never told her about his background, Mikoto initially assumed he was just one of Sasuke's rare same-age friends, nothing more…
But over time, she came to realize the real reason her son had transformed from a pampered child who hated training into a diligent boy who treated it as part of daily life—it was thanks to this little guy, who, despite being similar in age, was far more mature, guiding him in training. Mikoto had also overheard Fugaku drunkenly reveal that Jiraiya of the Legendary Three had taken Sasuke as a student—thanks to Naruto's recommendation.
'Huh? Did I just imagine that? Or… could he really be…?'
Mikoto found herself growing more and more fond of Naruto. As she watched him prepare to tease the limping, sore-bottomed Sasuke coming out of the bathroom, Naruto's squinting grin made her momentarily feel like she was seeing a familiar red-haired figure… But she quickly shook her head with a bitter smile.
'No no no, I'm overthinking it. That's impossible. The Third Hokage himself said Kushina and her whole family died without exception…'
"Laughing? Naruto! Y-you're laughing at me?! It was just one fall! How was I supposed to know the floor was that slippery—"
"Hahaha, Mikoto-auntie warned you, didn't she? You just didn't listen~ So I'm telling you, Sasuke, you're really not very sma—huh? Mikoto-auntie? What is it? Do I have something on my face?"
Naruto immediately seized the opportunity to tease Sasuke, enjoying the rare chance to roast the proud Uchiha like a tomato. But he suddenly noticed Mikoto's strange gaze from behind. He turned around curiously and asked.
"…Huh? Ah, no, it's nothing. I probably just didn't sleep well. I spaced out, that's all."
"Really…? But—"
Knock. Knock knock knock. Knock knock.
"Huh? Coming—!"
Naruto furrowed his brow at her evasive tone, clearly unconvinced, but before he could ask further, the doorbell rang—a crisp, urgent rhythm that interrupted the conversation. Figuring that the Uchiha family wouldn't do anything shady to him, Naruto let it slide and cheerfully ran to the front door.
But just as he reached out to open it, he was blocked by a very nervous Itachi, who had somehow beaten him to the entrance.
"At this hour? Who could it be—eh? Itachi-san? What's—"
"Oh no… she… she actually came?!"
Usually calm and collected, Uchiha Itachi now looked as if he'd been caught doing something terribly wrong. His face was pale with panic. He waved his hands wildly before suddenly remembering to hush Naruto with a frantic hand gesture.
"Shhh! Naruto, be quiet! You'll attract Sasuke and the others!"
"Quiet? Why? Itachi-san… do you know who's outside?"
"…Ah, yeah, I have a pretty good idea."
While the knocking continued, growing faster and more urgent, Naruto grew increasingly confused. Itachi's rare attempt to deflect only deepened his curiosity.
"I mean… not opening the door might actually make Sasuke and the others come over sooner, don't you think?"
"Eh?! Ah! That's true… I—I'm coming! Just—wait—don't—"
Itachi, realizing the flaw in his logic, continued to stop Naruto from opening the door while nervously trying to reassure the person outside.
But before he could finish his sentence… the worst-case scenario happened.
"Naruto? Who is it? What's going on? Why is it taking so long to open the door?"
"Oh? Itachi? When did you get up? Why are you just standing there? Not planning on sleeping in a bit more?"
"Uhh… I… um, I…"
The ever-louder knocking finally drew the attention of the three in the dining room—Fugaku, Mikoto, and Sasuke. Hearing the commotion and seeing Itachi's odd behavior, they all came to the entrance and stared at him in unison, making Itachi even more nervous.
"Well, never mind that—keeping a guest waiting outside is very rude. Sasuke, open the door and see who it is."
"Okay!"
Curious about his brother's strange behavior, Sasuke immediately slipped past Itachi while he was distracted and reached for the doorknob.
By the time Itachi realized and tried to stop him, it was already too late.
"Heave-ho—!"
"No! Sasuke, stop! Don't—!"
With a faint creak, the door was flung wide open, revealing a petite, pouty girl with long, straight black hair who had been knocking impatiently the whole time.
"Geez—! Itachi! Why'd you take so long to open the door?! We're gonna be late for school! Hurry up—we have to—eh?"
Just as she reached out to tug Itachi along, the sight of several pairs of eyes staring directly at her froze her in place. After a beat, she blinked, glanced over at the expressionless, doomed-looking Itachi, then bowed her head awkwardly.
"I… I… did I… come at a bad time?"
This girl clearly knew Itachi well—and intimately. Yet no one in the house besides Itachi knew she existed. That, combined with Itachi's nervous behavior earlier, made everyone all the more curious about her identity.
"U-um… why is everyone staring at me…? Uuu…"
Under the intense scrutiny of Fugaku, Mikoto, Naruto, and Sasuke, the poor girl shrank back, her hands and feet flailing awkwardly as she whispered like a mosquito.
"…Little girl… who are you?"
After a long silence, clan head Uchiha Fugaku finally broke the awkwardness. Although her features and outfit screamed "Uchiha," there were too many kids in the clan for Fugaku to know them all. He softened his tone and asked directly.
"Eh? Uncle… are you asking me?"
The girl timidly raised her head. When she saw Fugaku's gentle and encouraging expression, she straightened up, patted her chest to calm herself, and took a deep breath. A lovely blush bloomed on her cheeks. After a brief pause, she tilted her head, gave an adorably sweet smile, and casually dropped a bomb on everyone's hearts.
"Um… Hello, everyone. Nice to meet you. I'm Uchiha Izumi… I'm Itachi's girlfriend. Please take care of me from now on."
"Oh, I see, so you're Itachi's girlfrie—"
Fugaku nodded and smiled unconsciously. But halfway through his sentence, his brain finally processed what she said—and in perfect sync, the four others burst out in shocked, stuttering unison:
"W-W-What?! Y-You're Itachi's g-g-g-g—girlfriend?!"
"…It's over. It's all over…"
Realizing he could no longer hide it, Itachi collapsed into a heap, wrapped his arms around his knees, buried his face, and muttered in despair:
"I hadn't even figured out how to tell Mom and Dad yet… Now it's all ruined… it's all over…"