As the morning sun slowly rose over Konoha, it bathed the academy yard in golden light. Birds sang from the branches, their voices mixing with the laughter of children. But in Satoru's mind, a shadow still lingered.
Last night… that laughter.
Sukuna's voice still echoed in his ears. Satoru's steps grew heavier. Even though he was in a child's body, the cursed energy inside him swelled with anger.
"Hey, Satoru!"
He flinched at the sudden sound of Naruto's voice. Dressed in his orange jumpsuit, grinning ear to ear, Naruto ran up to him.
"Today I'll definitely beat you, dattebayo!"
Satoru's lips curved into a faint smile.
"You said that yesterday too, remember? The result… was disappointment."
"This time will be different!" Naruto said, clenching his fists.
At that moment, all eyes shifted to the corner of the yard. A boy with black hair and black eyes sat by the window, hands in his pockets, his chin slightly tilted. Silent, distant, expressionless.
The girls in the class began whispering.
"Sasuke…"
"The best in the class…"
The boys, meanwhile, ground their teeth in jealousy.
Satoru glanced at him out of the corner of his eye. He carried a cold aura. Attention naturally gathered around him.
Iruka-sensei raised his voice.
"Today we'll practice basic reflexes and balance. Not inside the classroom—outside, in the yard. Let's go!"
The children cheered and rushed out with excitement.
Iruka put his hands on his hips.
"I'll decide the pairings. First… Satoru and Sasuke."
Naruto's protest exploded instantly.
"What?! But I wanted to fight him, dattebayo!"
Iruka shot him a stern look. "You'll try against Sasuke later. For now, it's Satoru's turn."
Then, from the front of the crowd, a voice rose—high-pitched but brimming with excitement:
"You can do it, Sasuke-kun!"
From among the girls stepped a pink-haired, green-eyed girl. Her gaze was locked on Sasuke, her cheeks flushed with excitement.
Naruto's face fell immediately. He flailed his arms and shouted:
"Sakura-chan! Cheer for me too! I'm here, dattebayo!"
Sakura gave him a dismissive look.
"Don't butt in, Naruto. This is Sasuke-kun's moment."
Naruto's spirit crumbled at once. He pouted, his face falling.
"S-Sakura-chan…"
The children burst into laughter. Sakura turned her eyes back to Sasuke, as if no one else even existed.
In the middle of the scene, Satoru smiled. Everyone's attention was on him. Interesting… But Sasuke didn't seem like the kind of person who would accept that attention.
The children gathered in the yard, watching eagerly.
Satoru waved his hand.
"Ready when you are, little prince."
A faint line appeared on Sasuke's face—not anger, not a smile, only determination.
"Come."
Satoru lunged forward. Despite his child's body, his movements were light, his energy strong. He swung his fist, but Sasuke slipped to the side at the last moment. Sasuke countered immediately, but Satoru ducked, touching the ground as he dodged.
The children's shouts filled the yard.
Naruto was yelling:
"Come on, Sasuke! Knock him down! Dattebayo!"
Sakura pressed her clenched fists to her chest, shouting with excitement:
"Hang in there, Sasuke-kun!"
Satoru glanced at Naruto and chuckled. This boy was so pure. The light inside him was so bright, he ignored even the shadows.
Suddenly Sasuke quickened his pace. He swept Satoru's balance with his foot, then aimed a punch at his chest. But Satoru caught Sasuke's wrist with just his fingertips and shoved him back lightly.
The sound of sliding echoed across the ground. Sasuke staggered back a few steps but didn't fall.
The class went silent. The children's eyes widened.
Satoru smiled.
"Not bad. Much better than most kids."
Sasuke turned his head slightly. "You too. But don't underestimate me."
And at that moment… laughter echoed in Satoru's mind.
"Don't underestimate? The one you underestimate most… is yourself, Satoru."
For an instant, the entire yard vanished before his eyes. When he closed them, he saw that shadow from last night. Four crimson eyes, a burnt face, a demonic grin…
Sukuna.
Satoru clenched his teeth. "Shut up!"
The children stared at him in shock. Naruto stepped forward.
"Satoru? Who are you talking to?"
Satoru shook his head, taking a deep breath.
"It's nothing… just confused for a moment."
But deep inside, he knew. Sukuna was still mocking him.
Iruka stepped in.
"That's enough! Both of you did well. The rest can wait for another time."
Sasuke turned his back and walked to the window corner again, wrapping himself in silence. Sakura waved excitedly.
"You were amazing, Sasuke-kun!"
Meanwhile, Naruto walked up to Satoru.
"You're acting kinda weird. Are you okay, dattebayo?"
Satoru forced a fake smile.
"Don't worry. I'm fine."
But as he narrowed his eyes, only one thought crossed his mind:
I won't be able to escape my shadow in this world. And Sukuna… is just waiting for the right moment.