"I understand."
Akihara Kagura leaned back in his chair and proposed his idea: "How about I train him well and let him seek revenge on Uchiha Itachi, would that work?"
"Just let him focus on school and live a peaceful life!"
Sarutobi Hiruzen shook his head, once again refusing Akihara Kagura's request to let Uchiha Sasuke graduate early to join Root.
The meeting quickly came to an end.
By evening.
Kakashi Hatake and Akihara Kagura went to the Ninja Academy to pick up Karin and Naruto Uzumaki, then headed to the Konoha Yakiniku Shop, where Mitarashi Anko was waiting for them.
"I knew Karin would pass!"
Mitarashi Anko slapped Karin on the shoulder and glanced back at Akihara Kagura: "I kept my promise to tutor Karin back then!"
"Why didn't I pass..."
Naruto Uzumaki mumbled discontentedly while eating grilled meat.
"Because you even mess up the Transformation Jutsu!"
Mitarashi Anko smacked Naruto Uzumaki on the head, laughing: "Now that Karin's graduated, I don't have to tutor you anymore!"
"Huh? No more tutoring?"
Naruto Uzumaki looked at Mitarashi Anko in surprise.
"Of course!"
Mitarashi Anko nodded, munching on dessert: "I initially agreed to this just to help the transfer student Karin, and you were just an extra because of your poor grades."
"I see..."
Chopsticks paused abruptly in Naruto Uzumaki's hand, a hint of sadness flashed in his eyes, like an abandoned little animal.
In fact, Naruto Uzumaki had long anticipated this day.
Because when Naruto Uzumaki talked about having a tutor to help him and Karin, the other kids in the class either looked at him with envy or sympathy.
However, his friend Shikamaru thought Naruto was lucky; Shikamaru knew very well how expensive tutors could be, something Naruto couldn't afford.
Everything that happened over the years...
Felt like a dream to Naruto Uzumaki.
Although he had a near-death assassination attempt by Uchiha Obito, he somehow ended up meeting people who didn't discriminate against him, like his classmates and neighbor Karin, along with Kakashi Hatake, Akihara Kagura, and Mitarashi Anko.
Sometimes...
Naruto Uzumaki felt like they were family.
Naruto Uzumaki felt that he and Karin were like siblings.
They often had arguments and disputes, with Karin, as the elder sister, guiding him not to waste money, and would even take him for meals when he was broke...
Kakashi Hatake was like a struggling patriarch who often appeared broke, and when treating others, liked to have his colleague Tianzang cover the bill.
Akihara Kagura was like an outstanding older brother, rarely home, always busy outside, and seen as a prodigy, with people in the village calling him a hero.
Mitarashi Anko was the fiery eldest sister at home, extremely temperamental but occasionally kind to them.
All of this...
Truly felt like a dream.
Now...
The dream was over.
Well, it was a dream meant to end eventually.
It all had nothing to do with him, and he had already gotten more than enough. Even if alone in the future, he had to live well!
Naruto Uzumaki quickly regained his fighting spirit, grabbed his chopsticks, began picking up the grilled meat and stuffing it into his mouth fast!
However...
Someone noticed.
Akihara Kagura glanced at Mitarashi Anko.
Mitarashi Anko immediately noticed that something was off with Naruto Uzumaki, although he recovered quickly, she still saw through the loneliness of being abandoned in his eyes.
That loneliness and solitude...
Wasn't this how it felt when Orochimaru abandoned her?
"I could continue tutoring you."
Mitarashi Anko nudged Naruto Uzumaki's chopsticks with hers, showing a faintly cruel smile: "After you graduate and start doing missions, you'll need to pay me back for all those tutoring fees you've owed!"
"No problem!"
Naruto Uzumaki became excited again.
Although Naruto Uzumaki knew the tutoring fees might be expensive, to someone aspiring to become Hokage, paying off these fees should be no problem!
"Such an innocent kid..."
Kakashi Hatake sighed quietly.
"Captain Kakashi."
Akihara Kagura placed a piece of grilled meat on Kakashi Hatake's tray.
This sight set off alarm bells in Kakashi Hatake's mind, his heart started racing, fearing Akihara Kagura was about to propose some difficult task!
"If you've got something to say, just say it, no need to be so polite..."
Kakashi Hatake looked at the piece of meat on his tray, swallowed his saliva not out of hunger, but knowing the meat must have been expensive.
Since meeting Akihara Kagura, Kakashi Hatake had learned plenty about his character. When he acted polite, it usually meant trouble...
For instance...
When Akihara Kagura was polite at Ichiraku Ramen Shop, calling him "Captain Kakashi," it almost derailed the Chunin Exam...
Later on.
Akihara Kagura referred to him as "Captain," and began kidnapping the Mizukage and Tsuchikage, which was stressful enough for a commander to send him to the ER...
Now...
This guy even added a piece of grilled meat.
"It's nothing major."
Akihara Kagura poured a glass of pear juice for Kakashi Hatake and spoke directly: "I was planning to ask for your help practicing Taijutsu..."
"Your Taijutsu is already exceptional."
Kakashi Hatake intended to refuse immediately, knowing Akihara Kagura's vast stamina. Fighting him all day long was not something he could handle.
"But."
Kakashi Hatake remembered a village friend who returned from a mission yesterday and proposed a candidate: "I could introduce you to someone who's possibly the most dedicated Taijutsu practicer in Konoha..."
Late at night.
On the streets of Konoha Village.
A man in a green jumpsuit and a Konoha green vest was walking on his hands down the street, indifferent to passersby's strange looks or the sweat dripping from his forehead, only self-focused on counting his steps.
"Just thirteen more laps to complete five hundred. If I can't do it on two hands, I'll walk five hundred laps around Konoha on one hand..."
"Crazy..."
"Why is he walking like this..."
"Is he really a ninja from the village?"
Despite the pointing and judging from a crowd of villagers, the jumpsuit man unwaveringly continued to hand-walk, breath labored yet never giving up.
"Konoha's proud blue beast never gives up!"
With a firm fist, he punched the ground with resolve, accelerating significantly!
By deep night, the man in the jumpsuit finished his training. Panting heavily, he leaned against the wall at the edge of the village when he spotted four figures leaping into Konoha Village, and instantly realized they might be intruders.
Disregarding his fatigue, the jumpsuit man found the strength and will to pursue the four!
However...
Once the jumpsuit man jumped in, he was immediately surrounded by the four. He noticed they all wore masks, their eyes sharing crimson red Sharingan!
"Ah, members of the Uchiha Clan..."
The jumpsuit man let out a sigh of relief, recalling that the Uchiha's were the village comrades: "Sorry, I thought you were..."
The next moment...
The jumpsuit man remembered something, and cold sweat began dripping down his face: "Wait, if my memory's right, weren't the Uchiha Clan wiped out a few months ago? Are you here as vengeful spirits?"
"..."
The four masked figures exchanged glances and nodded, confirming it was the jumpsuit man, then charged straight at him!
Wooden spikes appeared in their hands, and the four masked figures brandished the spikes, attacking the jumpsuit man!
"Don't blame us..."
"If you must blame something, blame yourself for seeing something you shouldn't have!"