The Uchiha massacre had happened only two days ago.
Konoha was still drowning in the aftermath.
Entire streets within the Uchiha district stood silent now.
Empty.
Dead.
The smell of blood had finally faded from the air—
But the feeling remained.
Heavy.
Wrong.
People whispered in corners about Itachi Uchiha.
About betrayal.
About madness.
About the prodigy who slaughtered his own clan in a single night before disappearing into darkness.
Officially—
The village called it tragedy.
Unofficially—
Everyone was terrified.
Because if Itachi Uchiha could break—
What did that say about the rest of them?
And at the center of the nightmare remained one survivor.
Sasuke Uchiha.
A child walking through grief so massive it hollowed him out from the inside.
Drake noticed it immediately the first time he saw him.
Not because of talent.
Not because of power.
Because Drake recognized that kind of emptiness instinctively.
The numbness.
The silence.
The desperate attempt to hold yourself together after losing everything.
Sasuke walked like someone trying not to collapse.
And honestly?
That alone made Drake pay attention.
The Uzumaki household became significantly louder after the adoption.
Mostly because Naruto now considered personal boundaries optional.
"DAD WAKE UP."
Drake opened one eye slowly.
It was six in the morning.
Naruto stood directly beside the bed vibrating with excitement.
Ciri remained face down against the pillow unmoving.
"…Why are you like this?" Drake asked tiredly.
Naruto grinned brightly.
"Because I have parents now."
That immediately killed Drake's ability to be annoyed.
Which was deeply unfair honestly.
Ciri groaned into the pillow afterward.
"You encouraged him."
"I did no such thing."
"You emotionally adopted the loudest child alive."
Naruto looked proud of that title.
As he should apparently.
Drake sighed heavily before finally sitting up.
Naruto immediately launched himself onto the bed.
"IRUKA-SENSEI SAID I HAVE TO BE EARLY TODAY."
"…Why are you yelling."
"I'm excited."
"Yes. We noticed."
Naruto beamed afterward.
The expression still looked slightly unreal on him sometimes.
Too happy.
Too bright.
Like he still hadn't fully processed that this was permanent.
Drake noticed the way Naruto kept casually saying things like "my parents" now.
Usually followed by a stunned look afterward.
Like he surprised himself every single time.
Honestly?
It wrecked Drake emotionally.
Naruto suddenly frowned afterward.
"…You sure this is okay?"
Drake blinked once.
"What."
"Me living with you guys."
The words came quieter now.
Careful.
And there it was again.
That fear.
That deep-rooted instinct waiting for everything good to disappear.
Naruto looked downward awkwardly.
"I mean… I know I'm a lot sometimes."
Ciri immediately sat up.
"Oh absolutely you're a lot."
Naruto gasped dramatically.
"BETRAYAL."
"But," she continued while smiling softly, "you're our lot."
Naruto froze instantly.
Drake noticed the exact moment the words hit him emotionally.
The little boy looked down quickly afterward trying to hide watery eyes.
Drake reached over and ruffled his hair gently.
"Naruto."
Naruto looked up immediately.
"You live here now."
Simple sentence.
Absolute certainty.
No hesitation.
Naruto's expression cracked into something painfully hopeful.
"…Forever?"
That word nearly shattered Drake emotionally.
Because the kid still needed reassurance.
Still needed confirmation this wouldn't vanish overnight.
Drake answered instantly.
"Yes."
Naruto tackled him immediately.
Ciri laughed quietly while watching Drake get nearly knocked back into the headboard.
"I can't breathe."
"You're immortal," Naruto replied into his shoulder.
"Still inconvenient."
Breakfast turned into chaos immediately.
Naruto inhaled food like a starving wolf.
Which made sense considering his childhood.
But still.
It remained horrifying to witness.
"Slow down," Ciri warned.
Naruto pointed dramatically with toast in his mouth.
"I'm growing."
"You're becoming a biological threat."
Drake calmly slid another plate toward him anyway.
Naruto immediately brightened.
And there it was again.
That tiny flicker of disbelief every time someone took care of him automatically.
Like part of him still expected kindness to disappear eventually.
Drake hated that.
Naruto suddenly looked upward while chewing.
"…Can you take me to school today?"
The question came casual.
But hopeful.
Drake blinked once.
Then nodded.
Naruto practically exploded with excitement.
"YES."
Ciri laughed quietly while drinking tea.
"You realize you've doomed yourself now."
Drake frowned slightly.
"…How."
"You're participating in school activities voluntarily."
Naruto pointed dramatically again.
"That's what dads do."
Drake stared at him silently.
Then slowly looked toward Ciri.
"…He weaponizes affection."
"Correct."
Naruto grinned triumphantly.
The walk to the academy felt different today.
Naruto bounced beside Drake proudly while wearing a massive grin.
And unlike before—
He openly grabbed Drake's hand halfway there without hesitation.
Like he finally believed he was allowed to.
Drake glanced downward briefly.
Naruto immediately looked nervous.
"…Is that okay?"
Drake simply tightened his grip slightly.
Naruto's smile returned instantly.
Ciri watched them both with dangerous emotional softness.
Yeah.
Drake was completely gone.
No recovery possible.
As they moved through the village—
People stared again.
But this time something had changed.
Word about the council meeting had spread.
Everyone knew now.
Naruto Uzumaki had been claimed.
Not tolerated.
Not watched.
Claimed.
And considering Drake had nearly collapsed reality during the discussion—
Nobody seemed eager to challenge it openly.
Naruto noticed too.
The villagers still looked uncertain.
Still wary.
But there was something else now.
Caution.
Fear.
Nobody glared openly anymore.
Nobody whispered loud enough for Naruto to hear.
Because now there were consequences.
Drake noticed Naruto slowly realizing that.
"…They're quieter."
Drake answered calmly.
"They learned boundaries."
Naruto blinked upward.
Then smiled slightly.
The little boy moved closer instinctively afterward.
The academy exploded into noise the second Naruto arrived.
"NARUTO HAS PARENTS."
"WE KNOW KIBA."
"I JUST THINK IT'S WEIRD."
Naruto pointed dramatically.
"YOU'RE WEIRD."
Kiba gasped.
"Says the orange goblin."
"That's racist somehow."
Drake remained beside Naruto while the academy students openly stared at him.
Mostly because he looked young.
Too young to be Naruto's father.
And also because his presence felt…
Intense.
Even suppressed.
Sasuke watched Drake carefully from near the classroom window.
Still studying him.
Still remembering that impossible pressure from before.
But unlike yesterday—
Today the grief was obvious.
The boy looked exhausted.
Pale.
His eyes hollow.
Two days ago he had a family.
Now he had empty streets and ghosts.
The entire classroom seemed quieter around him instinctively.
No one really knew how to talk to him anymore.
Naruto looked toward Sasuke briefly.
And for once—
Didn't yell.
Didn't challenge him.
Even Naruto understood something terrible had happened.
Sasuke noticed that.
And strangely—
That almost hurt more.
Drake watched him silently.
Watching the way Sasuke stood rigidly alone despite being surrounded by people.
The way his hands tightened unconsciously whenever someone mentioned family.
The way anger simmered underneath everything now.
Drake knew exactly where that road led.
Sakura meanwhile looked deeply confused.
"…Naruto's dad is cool?"
Naruto looked horrified.
"MY DAD WAS ALWAYS COOL."
Drake closed his eyes briefly.
Ciri looked moments from collapse laughing again.
Iruka approached a few moments later holding several folders beneath one arm.
And immediately looked exhausted.
More exhausted than usual.
Because Iruka understood better than most what losing everyone felt like.
"Morning Naruto."
"Morning Iruka-sensei!"
Iruka smiled softly before glancing toward Drake.
"…I didn't expect you to actually walk him here."
Naruto looked deeply offended.
"Of course he would."
Drake raised one eyebrow slightly.
Iruka snorted softly.
"Right. My mistake."
Then disaster struck.
A chunin burst through the academy doors panicking slightly.
"Iruka-sensei we have a problem."
Iruka sighed instantly.
"Of course we do."
"Hayate called in sick and Mizuki got assigned to patrol duty."
Iruka blinked once.
"…Meaning?"
"We're short an instructor."
Silence.
Slowly—
The chunin looked toward Drake.
Oh no.
Absolutely not.
Iruka followed the gaze.
Then froze.
Naruto immediately looked excited.
"WAIT THAT'S GENIUS."
Drake narrowed his eyes.
"No."
Ciri looked delighted.
"Oh absolutely yes."
Iruka rubbed both hands over his face.
"This is probably a terrible idea."
Naruto grabbed Drake's sleeve dramatically.
"PLEASE."
Weaponized affection.
Again.
Drake stared downward at him silently.
Naruto activated the full sad eyes technique.
Illegal.
Completely unfair.
Drake sighed heavily.
"…One day."
Naruto exploded with excitement immediately.
"YES."
Iruka looked both relieved and terrified simultaneously.
Thirty minutes later—
Drake stood at the front of the classroom wondering how his life had devolved this catastrophically.
Children stared at him with open fascination.
Naruto sat proudly in the front row looking like he'd personally conquered the world.
Sasuke sat near the back silently watching.
Arms crossed.
Eyes sharp.
Iruka leaned beside the wall watching cautiously.
Mostly to ensure reality stayed intact.
Drake looked across the classroom silently.
Then—
"Everything they teach you about strength is incomplete."
Instant silence.
Even Shikamaru looked interested now.
Drake continued calmly.
"Most shinobi think power means overwhelming force."
His silver eyes shifted across the room.
"They're wrong."
Sasuke's attention sharpened immediately.
"Power is control."
Drake picked up a single wooden training kunai from the desk.
Then balanced it carefully across one finger.
"If you cannot control your strength, then your strength controls you."
The kunai never moved.
Perfectly balanced.
Without chakra.
Without visible effort.
The room stayed completely silent.
Drake glanced toward Naruto.
"Naruto."
The blond immediately sat upright proudly.
"You have enormous energy."
Naruto grinned.
"Yep."
"And terrible control."
Naruto deflated instantly.
"…Rude."
Several students laughed.
Even Sasuke's mouth twitched faintly.
Drake continued anyway.
"But uncontrolled power burns itself out."
Then his gaze shifted toward Sasuke.
"And obsession destroys clarity."
Sasuke stiffened instantly.
Because somehow—
Drake saw straight through him.
Past the anger.
Past the hatred.
Straight into the grief underneath.
The classroom suddenly felt very quiet.
Drake stepped forward slowly.
"A true shinobi understands themselves first."
The training kunai vanished.
Then reappeared embedded perfectly into the wall behind him.
No one saw him move.
The entire class froze.
Kiba's jaw dropped.
Sakura blinked repeatedly.
Even Iruka looked stunned.
Sasuke stared openly now.
Not at the kunai.
At Drake.
Because that movement—
That level of control—
It surpassed anything Sasuke had ever witnessed.
Drake continued calmly like nothing happened.
"Skill matters more than talent."
His eyes briefly met Sasuke's again.
"And hatred is not strength."
That hit harder than intended.
Because two days ago—
Hatred had become the only thing keeping Sasuke standing.
The boy looked away sharply afterward.
But for the first time since the massacre—
Someone's words reached him.
Not empty pity.
Not sympathy.
Understanding.
Naruto meanwhile looked ready to explode from pride.
"THAT'S MY DAD."
Iruka snorted loudly.
Drake ignored the chaos entirely.
But throughout the rest of the lesson—
Sasuke never stopped watching him.
Not with fear anymore.
With respect.
And something dangerously close to hope.