The academy classroom slowly emptied after the lesson ended.
Students flooded into the hallways loudly arguing over which part had been the coolest.
"The floating kunai."
"No way the teleport thing."
"He literally caught Kiba's paper airplane without looking."
"Do you think he could beat Kakashi-sensei?"
Naruto walked beside Drake proudly like he personally deserved credit somehow.
"My dad's amazing."
"You contributed nothing to this," Drake replied calmly.
"I contributed emotional support."
"That phrase continues to concern me."
Naruto ignored him completely.
Sakura kept glancing back toward Drake curiously while dragging an embarrassed Ino away from the classroom.
Kiba loudly attempted to recreate Drake's kunai trick using pencils.
It failed catastrophically.
Choji continued eating.
Shikamaru looked unusually thoughtful.
And Sasuke—
Sasuke lingered silently near the back of the room again.
Watching.
Thinking.
Drake noticed immediately.
But didn't comment.
Not yet.
Eventually the classroom emptied entirely except for Iruka, Drake, Ciri, Naruto—
And Sasuke quietly sitting near the window pretending not to listen.
Iruka released a long exhausted breath afterward.
"…Well."
Naruto grinned.
"Dad was awesome right?"
Iruka snorted softly.
"That's one word for it."
Then his expression turned more serious.
He looked toward Drake carefully.
"…Can we talk outside for a minute?"
Naruto instantly narrowed his eyes suspiciously.
"Why."
Iruka blinked.
"…Because adults talk sometimes?"
Naruto looked unconvinced.
Drake rested a hand briefly on Naruto's head.
"Relax."
Naruto crossed his arms dramatically.
"I am relaxed."
"You look ready to bite someone."
"That's how I relax."
Ciri nearly laughed herself unconscious again.
Drake walked toward the hallway with Iruka afterward.
The moment the classroom door closed—
Iruka's expression changed completely.
More serious.
More cautious.
"…Who exactly are you?"
Direct question.
No hostility.
Just concern.
Drake leaned lightly against the academy wall.
"Drake."
Iruka stared at him flatly.
"You know that's not what I meant."
Fair.
The academy hallway remained quiet around them.
Children's voices echoed faintly from distant classrooms while sunlight filtered through the windows.
Iruka folded his arms slowly.
"I've met strong shinobi before."
His eyes narrowed slightly.
"ANBU. Jonin. Even the Hokage."
Then quieter—
"But you…"
He hesitated.
Trying to explain something impossible.
"You don't feel human."
Straight to the point.
Drake respected that.
Inside the classroom—
Naruto immediately pressed his ear against the door trying to listen.
Sasuke watched with mild disbelief.
Ciri sat calmly nearby enjoying the chaos.
Drake answered Iruka honestly.
"…I was human once."
That immediately made the air heavier.
Iruka stared carefully at him.
There was no arrogance in Drake's voice.
No superiority.
If anything—
Just exhaustion.
Ancient exhaustion.
Iruka looked away briefly toward the academy yard.
"…You care about Naruto."
Not a question.
A statement.
Drake answered instantly.
"Yes."
No hesitation.
No uncertainty.
Just truth.
Iruka slowly relaxed afterward.
Not fully.
But enough.
Because whatever Drake was—
That answer mattered.
"I've watched that kid suffer his entire life."
Iruka's voice grew quieter now.
"Most people only see the Nine-Tails."
Anger flickered briefly across Drake's eyes.
Reality distorted faintly around him.
The hallway lights flickered once.
Iruka noticed immediately.
And suddenly understood something terrifying.
Drake's control wasn't natural.
It was restraint.
Constant restraint.
Drake exhaled slowly.
"But he's just a child."
The killing intent vanished instantly afterward.
Iruka looked shaken despite himself.
Because for one second—
One horrifying second—
He felt something standing in front of him that could erase the village effortlessly.
And the only reason it didn't…
Was Naruto.
Iruka studied Drake carefully afterward.
Then finally—
"…Thank you."
Drake blinked once.
Iruka smiled faintly.
"For loving him."
Simple sentence.
Honest.
"He deserves that."
Naruto heard every word through the door.
And instantly started crying.
Quietly.
Violently.
Ciri noticed immediately.
Her expression softened.
But she didn't interrupt.
Because Naruto needed to hear this.
Needed to understand that someone else saw it too.
Saw how much he deserved to be loved.
Drake remained silent briefly before answering.
"He's my son."
Three words.
Absolute certainty.
Iruka smiled properly afterward.
Then suddenly frowned.
"…You know the Hokage's going to have an aneurysm eventually, right?"
"Probably."
"And the council."
"Hopefully."
Iruka snorted loudly despite himself.
Then the academy door exploded open.
Naruto launched himself directly into Drake at maximum velocity.
"YOU LOVE ME."
Drake stumbled half a step backward.
Mostly from surprise.
Iruka burst out laughing instantly.
Ciri looked entirely unsurprised.
Drake glanced downward at the emotional blond attached to him like a parasite.
"…You were listening."
Naruto looked shameless.
"Yep."
"That was private."
"You love me though."
Drake closed his eyes briefly.
"…Unfortunately."
Naruto gasped dramatically.
"EMOTIONAL BETRAYAL."
Then immediately hugged him tighter.
Iruka shook his head laughing softly.
Honestly—
Seeing Naruto like this felt unreal.
Happy.
Safe.
Loved.
Like a normal child.
The kind of childhood he should've had from the beginning.
Iruka's smile faded slightly afterward.
Because part of him still struggled with the reality of it all.
Two days ago—
Naruto was alone.
Ignored.
Barely tolerated by most of the village.
Now?
Now he walked around grinning constantly because someone finally chose him.
Iruka looked toward Drake quietly.
And for the first time—
He understood why the Hokage tolerated this absurd situation.
Because whatever Drake truly was—
Naruto needed him.
The rest of the school day passed surprisingly normally.
Mostly because every student spent the entire afternoon talking about Drake.
Naruto absolutely made things worse.
"My dad can probably fight a tailed beast."
"Your dad is not fighting tailed beasts," Iruka said immediately.
Naruto looked thoughtful.
"…Could he though?"
Iruka physically refused to answer.
Meanwhile—
Sasuke stayed unusually quiet throughout the day.
But every now and then—
His eyes drifted toward the academy entrance.
Waiting.
Watching.
Thinking about Drake's words.
Hatred is not strength.
The sentence irritated him.
Because part of him wanted to reject it completely.
But another part—
A smaller quieter part—
Wanted desperately for it to be true.
School finally ended several hours later.
Students poured out into the streets loudly.
Naruto sprinted ahead excitedly talking about ramen at dangerous speeds.
"And then dad made all the kunai float and Kiba almost cried—"
"I DID NOT CRY."
"You spiritually cried."
"That's not a thing."
"It should be."
Ciri walked beside Naruto smiling softly.
Drake followed behind calmly.
Then—
"I want to become stronger."
Drake stopped walking immediately.
Because the voice behind him carried something heavy.
Sharp.
Sasuke stood several feet away silently watching him.
Hands in his pockets.
Expression controlled carefully.
But the pain underneath remained obvious.
The academy yard had mostly emptied now.
The evening sun painted long shadows across the ground.
Naruto noticed Sasuke and immediately pointed dramatically.
"Duck-butt followed us."
"I did not."
"You emotionally stalked us."
"That's not a thing."
"With you it might be," Ciri added helpfully.
Sasuke looked exhausted already.
Drake studied him quietly.
Then gestured slightly toward a nearby training post.
"Show me."
Sasuke's eyes sharpened instantly.
No hesitation.
The young Uchiha moved immediately.
Fast hand signs.
Clean stance.
A shuriken flew across the yard striking the target perfectly.
Then another.
And another.
Perfect accuracy.
Perfect form.
Impressive for his age.
Naruto looked annoyed immediately.
"He's showing off."
"He's skilled," Drake corrected calmly.
Naruto looked betrayed.
Sasuke turned toward Drake afterward waiting silently.
Judgment mattered now.
More than he wanted it to.
Drake walked toward the target slowly.
Examining the embedded shuriken carefully.
Then—
"You rely too much on perfection."
Sasuke froze slightly.
"…What?"
Drake glanced back toward him.
"You've trained yourself to avoid mistakes."
"That's bad?"
"It becomes bad when fear controls it."
Sasuke stiffened instantly.
Because once again—
Drake saw too much.
Drake continued calmly.
"You hesitate emotionally."
Naruto blinked rapidly.
"What does that even mean."
"It means Sasuke thinks too much."
"I do not."
"You absolutely do."
Sasuke glared at Naruto immediately.
Naruto glared back.
The tension lasted approximately three seconds before Naruto made a stupid face.
Sasuke looked horrified.
Ciri physically turned away laughing.
Drake ignored the chaos entirely.
Then suddenly—
He vanished.
Sasuke's eyes widened.
Instinct screamed instantly.
Drake appeared directly behind him silently.
No chakra.
No sound.
Nothing.
Sasuke spun violently throwing a kunai immediately.
Drake caught it effortlessly between two fingers.
The movement felt impossible.
Unfair.
Overwhelming.
Sasuke stared openly.
Fear mixed with awe now.
Naruto meanwhile looked spiritually enlightened.
"THAT NEVER GETS OLD."
Drake handed the kunai back calmly.
"Better."
Sasuke blinked.
"You reacted without thinking."
Then quieter—
"Trust your instincts more."
The young Uchiha stared at the kunai silently afterward.
Thinking.
Learning.
Drake watched him carefully.
Then spoke again.
"You carry too much hatred already."
Sasuke's expression darkened instantly.
"You don't understand."
Wrong answer.
Drake's eyes became ancient for a split second.
Painfully ancient.
"You would be surprised."
The words landed heavily.
Because suddenly—
Sasuke realized something.
Drake wasn't speaking like a teacher.
He was speaking like someone who survived unimaginable things himself.
The silence stretched.
Then finally—
Sasuke asked quietly:
"…Can hatred really make someone stronger?"
Naruto looked uncomfortable immediately.
Ciri's expression softened sadly.
Drake answered honestly.
"Yes."
Sasuke looked vindicated for half a second.
Then Drake continued.
"But it always takes more than it gives."
That ruined the satisfaction instantly.
Sasuke looked away.
Hands tightening.
"Then what am I supposed to do?"
There it was again.
Not arrogance.
Not ego.
Just grief.
A child trying desperately not to drown in it.
Drake stepped closer slowly.
Close enough that Sasuke had to look up slightly.
"Live long enough to decide who you want to become."
Simple words.
But they hit hard.
Because for two days—
Sasuke had only thought about revenge.
Nothing else.
Drake rested one hand briefly against Sasuke's shoulder.
The gesture startled the boy instantly.
Gentle.
Steady.
Safe.
"You are more than what happened to you."
Sasuke's breath caught slightly.
Because no one had said that yet.
No one.
Naruto suddenly grinned afterward.
"See? Dad gives really good speeches."
Drake sighed immediately.
"I'm beginning to regret speaking at all."
"You love us."
"…Unfortunately."
Naruto cackled triumphantly.
And for the first time since the massacre—
Sasuke smiled.
Small.
Quick.
But real.
And Drake noticed something important immediately.
The smile looked unfamiliar on him now.
Like Sasuke had almost forgotten how to do it.