"Yo, Sasuke."
"Your speed's not bad."
I was sprawled across a thick tree branch, a lollipop lazily hanging from my lips as I gazed down at my little brother. The warmth of the afternoon sun filtered through the leaves, creating a dappled pattern on my face. I shifted slightly, resting my hands behind my head in complete relaxation.
Sasuke had finally caught up, his breath steady but his brows furrowed as he scanned the surroundings before looking up at me.
So, he made it.
"Hmph."
He snorted, crossing his arms over his chest. But even as he tried to maintain his usual cool, I caught the faintest twitch at the corner of his mouth.
Ah, there it is. The undeniable satisfaction of being acknowledged.
"Sooner or later, I'll surpass you," he declared, his voice filled with certainty.
I raised an eyebrow, unimpressed but mildly amused.
Kid really thinks being born a little later is the only reason I'm stronger than him. Cute.
"Oh? That so?" I stretched out my arms, pretending to contemplate his words. "Well, at least you're slightly faster than a snail dragging itself across the dirt."
A slow smirk crept onto my face.
"Pretty impressive, really. I mean, snails are really slow."
"Hahahahaha!"
I let out a mocking laugh, loud and exaggerated for maximum effect.
"Asshole!"
Sasuke's entire face scrunched up in irritation. His cheeks, still round with the last remnants of baby fat, were puffed in anger. His lips pressed into a firm, straight line, and his hands clenched into tiny fists.
"Get down here, second brother!"
I lazily opened one eye to look at him before letting out a deep, satisfied sigh.
"You come up here," I countered.
"The sun is perfect, the breeze is nice… honestly, it's the ideal nap weather." I shifted slightly to get more comfortable. "I'm exhausted today."
And just to rub it in, I closed my eyes again, settling in.
"You bastard! Did you just fall asleep?!"
I heard Sasuke's shout of disbelief echo through the clearing.
Tch. So noisy.
"Tired?! How the hell are you tired?! You skipped training today! You barely moved! The only thing you did was show off Fire Style once!"
His voice cracked toward the end, his sheer frustration evident.
A tiny chuckle slipped past my lips.
Then, a beat of silence.
I could practically feel his brain clicking things into place.
"Wait…"
Oh, here it comes.
"Why are there so many people around?"
I cracked an eye open just in time to see Sasuke's face freeze as he realized the situation.
Ah.
Right.
We'd wandered straight into the Uchiha training grounds.
And judging by the number of eyes on us, we'd just been providing prime entertainment.
"Damn it!"
Sasuke's entire demeanor shifted, the stiff posture of someone who just realized they've embarrassed themselves in public.
"That's Uchiha Satoru and his little brother, right?"
A girl in the crowd—long, dark hair, the Uchiha crest on her back—leaned toward her friend, speaking in a hushed voice.
"Yeah, that's him, Yuu," the other girl confirmed.
Uchiha Satoru.
That name had a reputation.
I wasn't just known for being strong. I was also known for being… well, me.
Most people either found me exasperating or hilarious. Sometimes both. But regardless of my antics, one thing was certain—people trusted me.
Maybe it was because, even with all the chaos I caused, when things actually mattered, I never let them down.
That one percent of the time when I wasn't causing trouble?
I made sure to be extremely reliable.
"Uchiha Satoru!!!"
A familiar roar cut through the murmurs.
Ah. There he is.
Uchiha Sora, one of the clan elders, stormed toward us, his face twisted in irritation.
"You! Get down here! Now!"
I groaned internally.
Ah, this old man again.
What, was skipping his class and making a scene in public also a crime now?
Wait.
Actually… yeah. That makes sense.
Still, Idon't regret it.
"Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique!"
Oh.
Well.
That escalated quickly.
Sora didn't even wait for me to respond. A massive fireball burst to life, roaring toward my tree with all the grace of an angry, exploding sun.
"Man, you really don't care about the environment, huh?" I sighed, flickering out of the tree just before the flames swallowed it whole.
In a blink, I reappeared beside Sora.
"Could it be… you're going through a midlife crisis?"
His eye twitched.
I pressed on.
"Feeling overwhelmed? Too much pressure?"
I crossed my arms, nodding sagely.
"So, to cope, you lash out at a completely innocent, charming, and devastatingly handsome young man like myself?"
I sighed dramatically, shaking my head in faux sympathy.
"You…"
Oh, wow. I could actually see the vein throbbing on his forehead.
"Midlife crisis?! I'm barely in my thirties, you brat!"
He looked two seconds away from collapsing on the spot.
Honestly, I had to give the guy credit. It's impressive he hasn't had a full-blown heart attack dealing with me yet.
But then…
A smirk tugged at the corner of his lips.
Oh, that's not a good sign.
"Hmph. The clan head wants to see you."
Oh?
That tone. That smirk.
Something tells me this meeting isn't going to be fun.
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(A/N: Don't Forget To Add In Your Collection And Support via Powerstone)