"Slurp… slurp…"
Kakashi's visible eye twitched slightly at the sound echoing from Ichiraku Ramen.
He had just been taken advantage of—by a junior, no less.
And to make things worse, he was still hungry.
This was the first time Kakashi Hatake had encountered such a situation. Usually, people who saw him would grow nervous and keep their distance. But this kid—Uchiha Gen—not only met his gaze, he did so with that calm, unbothered expression that completely ignored Kakashi's usual cold aura.
It was… unsettling.
And because of that, Kakashi knew he'd remember the boy.
Inside Ichiraku Ramen, Uchiha Gen's lips curved into a smug grin as he felt Kakashi's chakra fluctuate slightly.
He was teasing him—intentionally.
Uchiha Gen had always admired Kakashi.
When he thought about how Kakashi would eventually become that laid-back pervert who carried Icha Icha Paradise everywhere, and then compared it to the current stoic, distant young man before him, he couldn't help wanting to mess with him a little.
After finishing his bowl, Gen stood and stretched.
"Ah… that was great. And to think I ran into Senior Kakashi today. It must be my lucky day."
He patted his stomach and strolled away casually.
Moments later, a familiar silver-haired figure appeared at the entrance.
Kakashi glanced in the direction Gen had left, sighed quietly, and stepped inside.
"One bowl of seafood ramen," he ordered.
Ayame looked up, surprised. "Kakashi-kun? You left so suddenly earlier—what happened?"
Kakashi paused, then replied flatly, "That Uchiha kid was… a bit annoying."
Ayame chuckled as she cleaned the counter. "Gen-kun? He was just talking about you earlier. Said he really respects you."
Under his mask, Kakashi frowned slightly.
Respect?
If that brat really respected him, he wouldn't have stolen his ramen.
---
Leaving the commercial district, Uchiha Gen headed toward the Uchiha Clan compound.
As he walked past the riverbank, he caught sight of a familiar figure in the distance—Hatake Seiko.
The boy was surrounded by several others.
"Hatake brat," one sneered, shoving him, "if you don't wanna get beaten up, hand over your lunch money."
Another boy rummaged through Seiko's pouch and dumped its contents on the ground—just a few coins.
"Tch, that's all? What a pauper."
"Figures," someone added mockingly. "The Hatake Clan raised the village's disgrace."
"Who's that supposed to be?" a smaller boy asked.
"Dunno," the first replied, "I heard my clan elders say someone from the Hatake line betrayed the village. A criminal."
At that, Seiko's eyes turned red with fury. He swung a fist, but the lead bully dodged easily and kicked him hard in the chest, knocking him to the ground.
Before Seiko could rise, two others stepped on his back, pinning him down.
The leader smirked. "I always heard how amazing Hatake Kakashi was—'a Chūnin at five years old,' they said. Guess that was all talk. You can't even dodge one kick."
He crouched beside Seiko. "Seems the Hatake Clan isn't special after all. Trash breeds trash."
Seiko growled, "You can insult me, but don't you dare insult my clan!"
"Hmph. The Hatake Clan…" The boy—Shimura Ken—snorted. "Even if Hatake Kakashi himself were here, I'd still say it. Your clan is nothing but disgraceful trash."
"Ptooey!"
Seiko spat at his face.
Ken wiped the spit off slowly, his eyes darkening. "You'll regret that. Beat him!"
The others began raining punches and kicks down on Seiko.
But even as he bled and winced, Seiko didn't beg for mercy. He just glared defiantly at Ken.
Ken scowled. "Still have that look, huh?" He raised his foot to stomp down on Seiko's head—
"Bang!"
A sudden gust of wind exploded outward. Before anyone could react, Ken and two of his friends were sent flying—splashing straight into the river.
"Ken!"
"Shimura!"
The remaining boys froze, wide-eyed.
Standing between them now was a handsome black-haired boy with an indifferent gaze.
Even surrounded, his aura radiated confidence—and danger.
The Uchiha fan on his back said the rest.
"Hatake," Uchiha Gen said, glancing at the boy on the ground. "You look like a mess."
Seiko's face flushed with embarrassment. "You saw that, huh? Why are you even here?"
"Just passing by," Gen replied with a faint smile. Then his eyes hardened as he swept them over the remaining bullies.
He recognized a few from the Academy—students from other classes.
"How dare you gang up on one of my classmates?"
"So what if we did?" one boy snapped. "You think everyone's afraid of the Uchiha Clan?"
Gen's gaze flicked to the boy's sleeve—Sarutobi crest.
Before he could speak, a splash came from the river. Shimura Ken burst from the water, dripping wet and furious.
"Who the hell ambushed me?!"
His eyes locked onto Gen.
"Oh, an Uchiha brat." His expression twisted into a sneer. "You'll regret that."
He kicked off the ground, dashing toward Gen like a cannonball.
But before he could land a hit—
Four sharp impacts rang out almost at once.
Thud. Crack. Slam. Splash.
Shimura Ken's body hit the ground hard, skidding several meters before rolling limply toward the riverbank.
The remaining boys stood frozen, unable to speak.
Gen brushed off his sleeves casually and turned back toward Seiko.
"Come on," he said simply. "Let's go."
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