Author: October Fengshen
The warm glow of the setting sun slipped through the windows and lay across the desks. Dust floated in the light, and the room felt calm for a brief moment. That calm ended as the bell rang.
The clear, lingering sound of dismissal set off the final burst of noise in the classroom. Chairs scraped and bags were pulled open as everyone moved at once. Excited voices overlapped and filled the room.
"All right, that's it for today,(sic)" Iruka said from the podium. He closed his lesson plan and smiled gently. "Go home and rest well, and preview tomorrow's material."
Cheers erupted at once. Students called to one another, laughed, and hurried to pack their bags. The quiet classroom instantly turned lively.
Naruto Uzumaki pulled his awareness out of Sealing Space and lowered his head as he calmly packed his things. His steady movements stood in contrast to the noise around him. He slung his bag over his shoulder and stood up, ready to leave alone as he always did.
Just as he took a step forward, a loud and casual voice came from behind him. "Naruto Uzumaki, where are you going?" The question made him pause.
Naruto Uzumaki turned by instinct and saw Chiba Ryosuke looking at him with a puzzled expression. Chiba Ryosuke had been packing just a moment ago. "Didn't we agree to eat together?" Karin added gently.
Naruto Uzumaki froze for a moment. It was not because the invitation surprised him, since he had casually agreed to it earlier. Eating together after school with a new classmate and future seatmate was normal.
What truly caught him off guard was the first thought that rose in his mind. He wanted to refuse. The idea surfaced without hesitation.
He still needed to buy groceries, and the discounted fish would be gone soon. He had to cook dinner and had already bought cat food for black cat, not knowing if it would like it. After that, he planned to return to Sealing Space to study, watch an episode of animation, or play a bit.
His after-school time was tightly planned. Going out to eat meant missing the discounts, cutting into cooking and study time, and squeezing out rare moments of entertainment. This sudden invitation disrupted the calm and steady rhythm he had arranged for himself.
The urge to refuse surprised even him. When had he stopped craving, or even begging, for the company and acceptance of others? Was it because he did not want anyone to know about the big fox inside him and his mysterious teacher?
That was part of it, but something deeper was at work. He had found a full and stable world of his own. In that world were the fox's company, his teacher's guidance, a regular routine, clear goals, the satisfaction of learning, and even small expectations of fun.
He no longer needed outside approval or companionship to fill an inner emptiness. That self sustained calm made him instinctively want to reject any accident that might break it. He hesitated, caught between habit and choice.
A calm voice sounded deep in his mind. "Go, Naruto Uzumaki." Ryoma spoke evenly, without emotion.
"Talking with others and experiencing the real world firsthand is learning no book can replace," the voice continued. "Closing yourself off will only narrow your understanding and make your heart Arrogance."
The words extinguished the irritation and resistance caused by his disrupted routine. Naruto Uzumaki looked up at the straightforward Chiba Ryosuke and the gentle eyed Karin. He nodded slowly and smiled. "I know a ramen shop. It tastes great."
"Ramen? Then what are we waiting for? Let's go." Chiba Ryosuke rushed toward the door with light, bouncing steps. Karin and Naruto Uzumaki followed, smiling as they went.
Behind them, in the classroom, Sasuke stood surrounded by Sakura Haruno and several other girls. He unconsciously turned his gaze toward the three leaving together. "Naruto Uzumaki?" he murmured.
"Sasuke?" Sakura asked, puzzled. "What did you say just now?" Sasuke snapped back to himself, smiled, and shook his head. "Nothing. I was just thinking about where to eat."
The girls resumed their chatter, and Sasuke looked out the window again. During this time, he had been living with Shisui while getting used to his Three-Tomoe Sharingan, studying Ninjutsu, and listening to Shisui share his views. From him, Sasuke learned a great deal about Akatsuki, including how the Uchiha Clan had once isolated itself in Konoha through Arrogance, and about the Nine-Tails Incident.
Like Shisui, pride ran deep in Sasuke's bones. In his eyes, Naruto Uzumaki would be his only true rival.
This rivalry was not only about strength, but also about becoming the future Hokage. At least, that was how he explained his attention to Naruto Uzumaki to himself. In truth, he did not know why his focus was drawn there so naturally.
This was the bond etched into the soul of the reincarnations of Indra's Chakra and Asura's Chakra. No matter where they were, they would be drawn together and clash in ideals. This time, it was Sasuke who was approaching Naruto Uzumaki.
He frowned as another thought surfaced. "There's still one more person. That upperclassman, Neji Hyuga." Neji Hyuga ranked first in both theory and combat among the higher grades.
According to Shisui's guess, the next Hokage candidates included Ryoma. If Ryoma truly became the Fifth Hokage, then Neji Hyuga, also a Branch Family member with clear talent, might become a strong candidate for the Sixth Hokage. At the same time, Neji Hyuga himself had no idea this path might even exist.
After school, Neji Hyuga walked home and noticed many students running toward the Third Training Ground. Confused, he slowed his steps. Several younger students rushed past him, their excited chatter clear.
"Hurry up, it's just ahead." "The Hyuga Main Family and Branch Family are fighting. It sounds interesting."
Neji Hyuga stopped short, shock flashing through his Pure Byakugan. A public fight between the Hyuga Main Family and the Branch Family? A sense of unease wrapped tightly around his chest.
Without wasting time, he ran toward the training ground. Using the vision of his Pure Byakugan, he wove through the crowd and quickly reached the front. He arrived at the circular field of the Third Training Ground.
Two figures stood facing each other in the center. One was the grim faced Takao Hyuga. The other was the smug Youto, a Hyuga Main Family member whom Takao Hyuga had once been assigned to protect.
"Takao Hyuga," Youto sneered. "Kneel and apologize now, and I'll pretend nothing happened. How about it?" Takao Hyuga kept his face dark and did not answer.
This scene existed only because he had complained while chatting with Iroha Hyuga. He had said that the Branch Family risked their lives but could not learn the secret techniques of Gentle Fist. Meanwhile, the Hyuga Main Family members who did not need to take missions and were supported by the Branch Family could learn all Hyuga techniques freely.
Those words had been overheard by Youto. Youto immediately challenged him to a duel, and the hot blooded Takao Hyuga could not back down. He had not expected the location to be set in a public field.
Under the eyes of bystanders and students, this fight was no longer personal. It represented the faces of the Hyuga Main Family and the Branch Family. In truth, even within the Hyuga Main Family, Youto was a genius who had mastered almost all of the Gentle Fist except Kaiten.