With another Uzumaki in the class, sitting across from someone who shared his surname, it was only natural that Naruto felt different.
He really was paying attention to Karin.
She was the first Uzumaki he had ever met in the Village—aside from himself.
Did she know his family?
Did she know anything about his parents?
"Your parents died in the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox's attack, just like many other villagers."
The Third Hokage always said this. Every month, without fail, the living expenses arrived on time, along with those same gentle words.
But whenever Naruto tried to ask more—who they were, what they were like—Hokage-sama would smile and change the subject.
So Naruto had gathered his courage and asked Karin instead.
"I don't know them," the red-haired girl replied coolly. "My mother and I only came to the Village last year."
Then she glanced at his bright blond hair and added, "And… you're different from us."
Different?
Even with the same surname, he was still different?
Naruto felt a small, hollow ache settle in his chest.
But before it could grow too heavy, he noticed something else.
Karin was always alone too.
"That's different, Naruto," Shikamaru muttered, eyes closed as he lay sprawled across his desk. "That's girl stuff. If boys butt in, it just gets more troublesome."
"But, but—"
"Anyway, don't get involved," Shikamaru rolled over, turning his back. "Too troublesome."
Naruto puffed out his cheeks, his gaze drifting to the other end of the classroom—toward Uchiha Sasuke.
The tension around Karin… it was because of him, wasn't it?
Then why did Sasuke look so indifferent?
Why did those girls treat Karin like that because of Sasuke?
Was it because he was strong?
Because he was talented?
But then… why did Sasuke always seem to be alone too?
On the training grounds, bright sunlight spilled across the sandy earth.
Iruka took a deep breath, standing before the neatly lined-up students.
He tried—unsuccessfully—to ignore the gazes coming from the school building.
Captain Roshi leaned casually by the window. Nearby, Ebisu-sensei's sunglasses reflected a blinding glare. And worse still—Iruka was almost certain he saw the faint curl of smoke from the Third Hokage-sama's pipe.
Roshi had given prior notice that he would observe this taijutsu class. Ebisu had come because of that, and the Third Hokage, already present for routine instruction, had stayed.
'Calm down', Iruka told himself. 'Stick to the lesson plan. Execute it cleanly.'
He demonstrated a set of basic blocks and counterattacks, his movements precise, posture textbook-perfect, explanations clear and steady.
"Alright," Iruka said, scanning the earnest young faces. "Did everyone see those movements clearly?"
He paused. "Now, I need one student to come forward and cooperate with me for a sparring demonstration."
His eyes naturally fell on Sasuke.
"Sasuke-kun, please—"
"I'll do it!"
Naruto burst out of the line, bounding to the center of the field in a few quick steps and planting himself directly in front of Sasuke.
The entire class froze.
Naruto pointed straight at Sasuke, eyes blazing.
"Sasuke! I challenge you!"
Iruka felt a sharp twitch at his temple.
His face stiffened for a heartbeat as he struggled to maintain a teacher's composure. Against his will, his gaze drifted upward again—toward the windows.
Naruto…
Why today? Why this class—of all classes?
—
Many Chunin had once been seconded to Danzo—not only those from the regular Ninja ranks, but even operatives within Anbu.
Even Kakashi himself had once been ordered by Danzo to monitor the Uchiha Clan, let alone other Anbu members.
However, their movements were now clear, their recent activities already verified.
"Aburame Ryoma…"
"Yamanaka…"
"Yakushi Nono."
His gaze stopped on the final name.
A Jonin.
Her top-secret dossier recorded years of high-risk espionage, with multiple deployments under Root's command. Yet the status line was marked clearly:
Retired.
Retired—with a history of deep-cover operations.
Her listed whereabouts placed her in a small affiliated village near Konoha, where she now ran an orphanage.
"An orphanage in an outer village, huh…"
Kakashi closed the file.
An orphanage meant children of uncertain origins, few external ties, and little scrutiny. If Danzo still had forces hidden in the shadows, such a place would be an ideal refuge.
This was something he would need to confirm personally.
—
"Naruto! I didn't say you could—"
Iruka's outstretched hand froze in midair.
Before he could finish, Naruto had already dropped into an attacking stance and charged forward, shouting at the top of his lungs.
"Sasuke—!"
The outcome was inevitable.
Naruto possessed solid physical strength, good stamina, and decent speed. But he had received no formal training before entering the Academy, and it had been only a few days since enrollment.
Sasuke merely shifted half a step back, turning his body with effortless precision. Naruto's straight punch cut through empty air. Sasuke hooked a foot behind Naruto's ankle, and as Naruto stumbled past, an elbow struck cleanly into his lower back.
"Pfft!"
Naruto slammed face-first into the sand, kicking up a small cloud of dust.
"Ah—! Sasuke-kun!"
The girls' shrill cries erupted instantly.
Naruto lay there stiffly for a heartbeat before pushing himself up, coughing and spitting sand from his mouth.
Sasuke gave a soft snort, not even sparing him a glance. He turned instead to Iruka, who looked utterly helpless.
"Shall we continue, Iruka-sensei?"
Iruka sighed, stepped forward, hauled Naruto to his feet, brushed the sand from his clothes, and placed him back into the line.
Clearing his throat, he prepared to use the exchange as a teaching example, hoping to wrest control of the class back onto its rails—
—when he noticed, out of the corner of his eye, a red-haired girl biting her lower lip, glaring daggers at Sasuke.
A bad feeling crept up his spine.
Sure enough.
Karin took in Naruto's battered appearance, Sasuke's indifferent expression, and the surrounding girls' looks—some triumphant, some openly disdainful.
'That arrogant jerk…'
"I—!" She stepped forward abruptly. "I want to challenge you too, Uchiha Sasuke!"
A collective gasp rippled through the class.
Sasuke turned his gaze toward her.
He remembered this red-haired girl—the one who had inexplicably exploded at him on the first day of school. Since then, she'd somehow ended up isolated from the rest of the class.
Her hostility made no sense to him.
Sasuke glanced at Karin, then swept his eyes across the girls surrounding him—those cheering him on while simultaneously casting Karin looks filled with displeasure, even outright disgust. His brows knit together, and after a brief pause, he spoke.
"That person is my brother's captain."
Feeling he had said enough, Sasuke turned away, no longer sparing her a glance.
"Step back," he added coolly. "Iruka-sensei is still conducting class."
Karin blinked, clearly needing a moment to process his words.
Then her expression twisted—and a surge of fury exploded inside her.
"You—!"
A sharp cry burst from her throat as she stomped her foot hard against the ground. Something deep within her body responded, a force far greater than her usual strength flooding her limbs.
"Saying something like that—about your own brother's captain—is even more outrageous!"
Her small body launched forward.
Faster than she had ever moved before.
Sasuke was completely unprepared.
He was still tangled in his own thoughts, his guard relaxed. By the time he caught the sound of rushing air and Karin's cry, his vision was already filled with flying red hair.
Too late.
Bang!
A fist slammed squarely into his face.
Sasuke grunted and staggered back several steps, a sharp, burning pain flaring across his cheek.
He clutched his face, staring in disbelief at Karin, who stood before him, fist still raised, her posture frozen in the aftermath of the strike.
The entire training ground fell into stunned silence.
From the teaching building, Roshi—leaning casually against the window—raised an eyebrow.
—
On the outskirts of Konoha, in a sparsely populated affiliated village.
Kakashi stood before a weathered, aging building and knocked on the door.
After a moment, it opened just a crack. An elderly man with graying hair and beard peered out, one eye visible. He glanced at Kakashi's forehead protector, his expression unchanged.
"A Konoha shinobi?" he asked flatly. "What brings you here?"
"Excuse me," Kakashi replied, his voice low behind the mask. "I'm looking for Ms. Yakushi Nono."
"The director has been away for some time," the old man answered without inflection. "She is not currently at the orphanage."
Not here. A retired Jonin, whereabouts uncertain…
"May I ask why she's away?" Kakashi pressed gently.
The old man hesitated before replying, "The orphanage is short on funds. The director has gone out to treat patients to raise money."
"I see," Kakashi said. "In that case, may I come in and take a look around? Perhaps the village can offer assistance."
After a moment's pause, the old man stepped aside. "Please."
Kakashi entered.
Several children who had been playing froze and stared at him. Almost immediately, a middle-aged woman emerged from an inner room, quietly gathered the children behind her, and ushered them away without a word.
"If it's permitted," Kakashi said calmly, "I'd like to look around."
"This way," the woman replied.
—
Sasuke returned home that evening with one hand pressed to his face, though there was no visible injury.
The Ninja Academy had resident medical ninja; something like this could be healed with a simple touch.
Yet the sensation lingered—a faint, burning reminder where a fist had struck him.
That girl was completely unreasonable. He had explained himself clearly, and she still attacked him without warning.
At dinner, Sasuke poked at his food in silence, his movements stiff, deliberately avoiding his parents' eyes.
"Sasuke," Mikoto asked gently, "was something wrong at school today?"
His chopsticks paused. He lowered his head further and muttered, "No."
Fugaku looked up. One glance was enough to tell that Sasuke had been hit.
"Injuries are inevitable for a shinobi," he said evenly. "There's no need to dwell on them."
Sasuke clenched his jaw and bowed his head even lower.
It wasn't an injury.
It was an ambush.
"Nii-san…" he asked quietly, changing the subject. "He isn't coming home for dinner tonight?"
"Itachi has a gathering," Mikoto replied softly. "With his friends."
Sasuke's body stiffened.
Friends…?
That meant Anko Mitarashi—and that Roshi.
That man… had he been at the Academy today?
Had he seen everything? Would he...?
Sasuke's grip tightened around his chopsticks, his heart sinking.
--------------------------------
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