"Yo, morning Sasuke. You're a lot later than usual today..."
Naruto let out a breath of relief the moment he recognized who it was. As usual, he stood there with his hands behind his head and a smile on his face. Once Sasuke and Itachi were close enough, he grinned and teased him seriously,
"It's so cold today, I thought for sure you gave up on training and decided to stay snuggled under the covers all day~"
"Ah, morning Naru— Tch, like that would ever happen! Idiot Naruto!"
Maybe it was because Itachi was with him today, but despite getting used to Naruto's teasing over the past few days, Sasuke blushed again and snapped loudly. At the same time, he pulled two still-warm rice balls from his bag and hurled them straight at Naruto's face.
"Here! This is your breakfast!"
"Yo-doh... Hehe, perfect timing, my stomach was growling."
Naruto caught both rice balls effortlessly with practiced hands, stuffing them in his mouth to refill his energy while pretending to tilt his head innocently toward Sasuke.
"Mmph—but I wasn't lying, was I? Chill out, chill out. Even if you did sleep in, I wouldn't laugh at you. I mean, it's not like you're the firs—"
"Shut up, you idiot Naruto! No one asked you to talk, geez!"
Realizing Naruto was about to spill something embarrassing about his early training days, Sasuke's face turned even redder. He quickly interrupted and shoved another rice ball right into Naruto's mouth, covering it with his hand to block any sound from leaking out.
"Eat! Just eat your damn breakfast! How are you still talking with your mouth full?!"
"Mmgh—wait, wait a sec!"
Naruto hadn't expected Sasuke to get this flustered in front of Itachi and was caught completely off guard. He jumped around on his short legs trying to free himself, complaining loudly through a full mouth.
"Cough cough Hey! Damn it, Sasuke! Are you trying to choke me to death?!"
"Hah? You're the one who started running your mouth and slandering me. You brought this on yourself!"
"I wasn't slandering you! I was just telling the tr—no, nope, I didn't say anything, I know nothing, just put the rice ball down, I can't eat anymore! Mmph!"
"Ah ah, don't be shy! I know two little rice balls aren't nearly enough for you... Relax, I brought plenty more! You'll definitely be full, Naruto!"
"Is this... someone new you've made friends with, Sasuke?"
Itachi had been silently watching the back-and-forth bickering between Naruto and Sasuke with a gentle smile.
"No wonder you asked Mom to pack so many bento boxes before heading out. One of them must've been for him, right?"
He chuckled and stepped forward, pulling the stubborn Sasuke away from Naruto to let him breathe again, then gently scooped Sasuke into his arms and stroked his hair affectionately.
"Alright, alright, that's enough. If you keep going, you really will suffocate your friend to death, Sasuke."
"Wh-Who said it was for him! I just thought one wouldn't be enough, that's all! Hmph!"
Seeing the playful smile on his brother's face, Sasuke grumbled and looked away, refusing to admit it, but he quickly forgot his earlier frustration. His eyes squinted with instinctive joy as he snuggled into Itachi's embrace, purring like a spoiled cat.
"Phew, saved... Thanks, Itachi— cough I mean, thank you!"
Watching Sasuke instantly switch moods once scooped up by his brother, Naruto couldn't help but smirk to himself.
'Wow... these two are definitely the definition of brother-con and bro-con.'
He raised his hands behind his head and blinked innocently, feigning curiosity as he focused on Itachi.
"So, Sasuke, who's this big bro of yours? I don't think I've seen you bring anyone along to Training Ground Three before. And... he looks kinda like you too."
"Huh? Oh right! I totally forgot I never told you..."
Whether to properly introduce him or to dodge Naruto's mischievous gaze, Sasuke reluctantly slipped out of Itachi's arms, stood tall in front of him, and proudly puffed out his chest.
"Let me introduce you! This is the Uchiha clan's greatest genius, and the best big brother in the whole world — Uchiha Itachi!"
"Eh? The Uchiha clan's greatest genius... and the world's best big brother? That sounds amazing..."
"Hehe, of course it is! Jealous, huh Naruto? Wahahaha!"
Sasuke beamed with pride, flaunting shamelessly.
"My brother's, like, ten times stronger than me! Even the academy teachers might not stand a chance against him!"
"Really? Whoa! Sounds like your brother's seriously awesome!"
For once, Sasuke had the upper hand in their usual bickering, and it made him practically float with pride. He completely forgot his brother was right there and went on shamelessly showing off.
Sasuke... really did make a good friend, huh.
Itachi noted with a deeper smile. Compared to the obedient little brother he saw at home, Sasuke was clearly more outgoing and cheerful around Naruto. It surprised him a bit. But hearing Sasuke openly gush about him so feverishly made Itachi a little embarrassed.
Modest and calm by nature, he scratched the bridge of his nose and smiled awkwardly.
"Now, now, Sasuke… Don't exaggerate. I'm not as great as you make me sound. The teachers were just going easy on me."
"That's not true! You're super amazing! And the teachers all admitted it too!"
"Uh… well, that was because—"
"Ahhh, here we go. Brother-worship mode activated. Sasuke's infinite big brother brag begins..."
Naruto thought to himself, glancing at the warm, happy scene between the two.
'Still, Sasuke probably isn't exaggerating. Beating full-grown academy teachers at that age… no wonder fans called him Itachi the God.'
Watching the peaceful bond between the two brothers, Naruto couldn't help but think of the tragic fate they once shared in the original timeline — the heartbreakingly unforgettable lines from his past life floated up in his memory.
"Forgive me, Sasuke. This will be the last time."
"They were all smiling… their smiles… bought with Itachi's life. They didn't know a thing… and they were all just laughing!"
"Give up on revenge? Hahahaha! Sure! Itachi… my father… my clan… bring them all back to me! If you can do that, I'll stop destroying the Hidden Leaf!"
"Even if you never forgive me, that's okay. No matter what you become… I'll always love you."
To manipulate the Uchiha Clan into rebellion to steal the power of the Sharingan… to collude with Orochimaru to destroy the Hidden Leaf and eliminate the Third Hokage… even delaying news of Pain's invasion just to stay in power…
Danzo, oh Danzo, all for your Hokage dream… you really did 'contribute' quite a legacy to the Hidden Leaf's history.
After witnessing the pure, unbreakable bond between Sasuke and Itachi with his own eyes, Naruto felt even more certain about the path he chose — stopping Danzo's plot, despite all the unknown risks and chaos it might bring.
Clenching his fists tightly, he murmured with quiet resolve:
"This time… your little scheme… is doomed to fail!"