"From today onward, our class will welcome a new student."
He gently placed his palm on Karin's back—a silent encouragement.
"Come on, introduce yourself to everyone."
Karin's lips trembled, but no sound emerged.
She looked pleadingly toward the door.
Sora gave her a big thumbs-up, his face beaming with a dazzling smile.
That smile seemed to carry a strange power.
It dispelled a trace of her fear.
Taking a deep breath and summoning all her strength, she produced a voice as faint as a mosquito's buzz.
"I... I'm..."
"Uzumaki... Karin."
The girl's voice was soft and light, quivering.
But in the quiet classroom, it was clear enough for everyone to hear.
Uzumaki.
A surname that, in modern Konoha, had nearly been forgotten.
Most children had no concept of it.
Sasuke paused briefly.
He recalled his mother occasionally mentioning that ancient clan—deeply tied to the Senju, renowned for powerful sealing techniques.
In the back row, the blond kid's listless blue eyes lit up instantly upon hearing the name.
He shot up from his seat like he'd been electrocuted.
Screeeech—!
The chair scraped harshly against the floor.
The entire class—including Iruka on the podium—jumped at the sudden noise.
Under everyone's stunned gazes, a figure stood ramrod straight.
Uzumaki Naruto.
He completely ignored Iruka's mouthed "Sit down" and warning gesture.
His finger pointed straight—trembling slightly—at the bewildered red-haired girl on the podium.
His face was a mix of shock, wild joy, and disbelief.
"Hey!"
A loud, energetic shout exploded in the classroom.
"What did you just say your name was?!"
"Uzumaki?!"
"I'm Uzumaki Naruto!"
The blond boy roared with all his might—the question he'd bottled up for years.
"Are you... my clan member?!"
The sudden upheaval plunged the classroom into dead silence.
Sora leaned against the back door, his smile unchanged.
Interesting.
The Nine-Tails jinchuriki and the Uzumaki orphan.
Threads of fate had intertwined ahead of schedule, in a way he hadn't anticipated.
Not in his script.
But no harm done.
He glanced at Itachi beside him.
The black-haired boy's posture didn't waver, but Sora sensed his attention shift—for a split second—from Sasuke to Naruto.
On the podium, Karin shrank back from Naruto's earth-shattering yell, her face ashen, on the verge of tears.
Iruka finally reacted, rushing to Naruto and pressing his shoulders.
"Naruto! What are you doing? Sit down now!"
"But sensei! She said Uzumaki!" Naruto struggled excitedly.
Iruka's head throbbed.
Sora watched the chaos and decided he'd seen enough.
He leaned down, whispering to Karin at a volume only they could hear.
"I'll pick you up after school tonight."
With that, he straightened, waving casually to Iruka and Itachi.
"Alright, since she's settled, we'll head out."
He turned with flair, as if the drama behind him had nothing to do with him.
Itachi glanced deeply at his brother in the classroom, then at the blond boy, said nothing, and followed Sora out.
In the hallway, Iruka's suppressed angry scolding echoed.
"Naruto! If you don't sit down, you're cleaning all the school toilets today!"
Sora and Itachi walked toward Anbu headquarters in silence.
Morning sunlight stretched their shadows long.
"Your brother didn't seem too happy," Sora suddenly said, breaking the quiet.
"He'll get used to it," Uchiha Itachi replied, as flat as ever.
"Fair enough." Sora chuckled. "Blood brothers always bicker. Unlike me—I finally picked up a little sister and have to teach her everything from scratch."
Part complaint, part boast.
Itachi didn't respond.
Sora didn't mind.
He'd already gleaned plenty from this short walk.
Uchiha Itachi—this acclaimed genius—his greatest weakness was his little brother.
...
Back in the classroom.
Under Iruka's forceful suppression and toilet-cleaning threat, Uzumaki Naruto grudgingly returned to his seat.
But he fidgeted like his butt was on pins.
Iruka assigned Karin an empty seat by the window—not far from Sasuke.
Then he began the lesson.
But no child's mind was on the textbook.
They all sneaked curious glances at the new red-haired girl.
And the blond dead-last who'd just caused a scene.
Finally, while Iruka turned to write on the board,
Whoosh!
An orange blur zipped from the back row to Karin's desk.
Uzumaki Naruto.
Hands on her desk, he leaned in close, blue eyes brimming with eagerness and anticipation.
"Hey, are you really from the Uzumaki clan?" He lowered his voice, but couldn't hide the excitement.
Karin recoiled sharply, back pressed against the cold wall.
"I... I..."
"I'm Uzumaki Naruto! You're Uzumaki Karin, right?" Naruto barreled on. "Are we from the same clan? I've never met another! Are we relatives?"
Questions fired like a machine gun.
Karin's mind went blank.
She stared at the enlarged face full of kindness and expectation.
And that strikingly sunny blond hair.
She recalled fragments elders in that ruined village had mentioned about the clan.
We Uzumaki are born with flame-red hair—a symbol of vitality...
Her gaze fell on Naruto's blond locks.
Gathering courage, she whispered factually.
"We... Uzumaki clan members... all have red hair."
She glanced at his hair again.
"Yours... isn't."
"So... probably just a coincidence."
Boom.
Something shattered in Naruto's world.
The expectation, excitement, joy on his face froze.
Then receded like the tide.
Leaving only hollow disappointment.
"Is... that so?"
His shoulders slumped.
Just a coincidence.
Still alone, then.
The classroom children sensed the shift.
Some snickered.
"Idiot Naruto thought he found family."
"Yeah, no way."
The blond boy suddenly lifted his head.
His disappointment was replaced by a big, somewhat forced grin.
"Is that right?"
"Then—nice to meet you properly!"
He extended his hand to Karin, flashing white teeth.
"I'm Uzumaki Naruto! Pleased to meet you!"
Even if not clan, someone sharing the surname was still precious.
Karin stared blankly at the outstretched hand, unsure.
As she hesitated whether to reach out,
A cool, slightly arrogant voice came from the side.
"Hey."
Both turned.
Uchiha Sasuke had somehow appeared by their desks.
Hands in pockets, cool expression—he ignored Naruto completely.
His gaze fixed directly on Karin.
"Why did you come with my brother?"
Sasuke asked.
Karin froze again.
Brother? The handsome but cold black-haired boy?
"He never walks me to school."
Sasuke's next words carried a tiny, unnoticed hint of grievance and jealousy.
He looked at Karin, dark eyes full of scrutiny and curiosity.
"What's your relationship with my brother?"