Amidst the astonishment of the crowd, Naruto's endlessly chattering mouth finally fell silent.
He was dumbfounded.
Naruto had no idea how Hatake Kusuo had teleported behind him. It was as if a gust of wind had blown past, a residual image had flashed, and then a hand was resting on his shoulder.
"Let's end this farce here."
"It's a pleasure to meet you. My name is Hatake Kusuo."
Seeing that Naruto had calmed down, Hatake Kusuo reverted to his signature smile. Naruto, with his back still turned, silently nodded.
Watching this impossibly handsome boy extend a hand towards him with a gentle smile on his face, Naruto felt embarrassed for the first time, as if he were the child who had been throwing an unreasonable tantrum.
He felt flustered.
His face flushed red with shame, and he lowered his head. "I... I'm sorry. I was too reckless just now." But then, Naruto's tone shifted, and he spoke with defiance, "But I'll definitely defeat you next time! Remember my name! I'm Naruto, Uzumaki Naruto!"
This scene, falling upon the eyes of the others, caused a commotion.
"What a spirited young man! To have such composure at this age, his future is limitless!" one of a parent exclaimed.
Many of the heads of the great clans instructed their own children to get closer to Hatake Kusuo when school started, seeing it as a form of exchange between powerful families. If nothing else, they should at least become friends. The children, still innocent and naive, didn't understand their parents' meaning and simply nodded.
After the parents departed, there was a brief class assignment ceremony.
Needless to say, the child introduced by Kakashi was naturally placed in the best class, the same one as the Konoha 12.
Hatake Kusuo spent his entire day of classes under the curious gazes of the other children, especially the young girls. They were at an age of pure innocence, and a peer like Hatake Kusuo—handsome, warm, and yet incredibly powerful—was the most capable of capturing their attention.
He had completely stolen all the thunder that should have belonged to Sasuke. It was only the honor and pride of the great Uchiha clan that kept Sasuke from impulsively challenging him as Naruto had done.
The lessons on the first day at the Ninja Academy were mostly basic knowledge, much of which the children from the great clans had already learned at home. This was to help everyone better adapt.
So, school ended very early today.
After school, the entrance of the academy was once again crowded with people, though not as packed as it had been during the day. Major clan heads like Fugaku and Hiashi were not present.
"Nii-san!"
A joyful cheer rang out as Sasuke ran happily towards the gate.
A thought stirred in Hatake Kusuo's mind. Is that... Sasuke's older brother?
He fixed his gaze and saw a teenage boy with long tear troughs on his face and a maturity in his eyes that was beyond his years. He had quite a presence, and at this moment, he was looking dotingly at the Sasuke who was running towards him.
"So this is Itachi?!"
Hatake Kusuo stared at Uchiha Itachi without speaking. In his heart, only Itachi in the current Konoha was worthy of his attention. His own cousin didn't count; his path had already gone astray. But Itachi was different; he was a true genius. Whether in combat or in temperament, he far surpassed other ninja of his age. As for Naruto and Sasuke's power-ups, they were still many years away from being activated.
By a stroke of fate, Itachi also noticed Hatake Kusuo's gaze. Surprised, Itachi looked at him, remembering an outstanding boy his father had mentioned when he returned home today. Could this be him? He immediately gave a nod of acknowledgment and beckoned for Sasuke to head home.
He gently poked Sasuke's forehead with two fingers. "Let's go. We need to head back early. I still have a mission to complete today."
Hearing this, Sasuke's little face fell, and he frowned. "Nii-san, didn't you promise to teach me how to throw shuriken today, on the first day of school?!"
Itachi smiled. He had used similar excuses many times before and would do so many more times in the future. Yet, for this young brother of his, he held an inseparable affection in his heart.
"Next time. Definitely next time."
After speaking, Itachi suddenly thought of something. He pulled Sasuke back and had him look at the already distant figure of Hatake Kusuo. "Perhaps you could practice with your new classmate. It would help you two build a rapport."
For some reason, Uchiha Itachi felt that this boy possessed a talent that far exceeded what his father had praised. Moreover, he gave him a unique feeling, the same kind of feeling he got when facing Shisui.
"What!" Sasuke scoffed. "He's just a normal person who's a little fast. What's so great about that compared to the Sharingan of our Uchiha clan! When I awaken my eyes like you, brother, I'll make him fall before our Uchiha's Sharingan!"
Sasuke clenched his small fists and spoke with disdain. His words were filled with a deep pride. His sense of belonging to the Uchiha had always made him feel very good and proud.
But Itachi shook his head sternly. "Sasuke, don't underestimate anyone. I can feel that this boy possesses a capacity far beyond that of ordinary people. Perhaps the strength he showed today is merely a small fraction of his own."
"Though we are of the Uchiha clan, there are many other clans and ninja in the world who are by no means inferior to us. Besides, the village has already begun to..."
Hesitating for a moment, Itachi gave a bitter smile. It was still too early for Sasuke to learn of the clan's secrets.
Hearing the brother he admired most heap praise upon another boy, the flames of jealousy in Sasuke's heart burned to their peak. It felt as if his most cherished treasure had been stolen away.
He stared at Hatake Kusuo's back and vowed through gritted teeth in his mind:
"Hatake Kusuo, I will remember you!"
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