Kawasaki followed Sasuke into the house. "Master?"
Sasuke's face was a mask of confusion. Kawasaki had never once mentioned taking him on as a student.
Fugaku frowned. "Kawasaki, you haven't told Sasuke yet?"
Kawasaki chuckled. "It's getting late. I just wanted to bring Sasuke back first. We can talk about the apprenticeship tomorrow. I'll be going now."
Leaving Sasuke with his father, Kawasaki departed at a leisurely pace. The more familiar he became with Fugaku, the more casually he behaved, forgoing formalities. He understood that Fugaku's usual stern demeanor was a necessity of his position; at heart, the man was a pragmatist.
"Father, why did Brother and Shisui leave Konoha? Some people are saying they betrayed the village," Sasuke blurted out as soon as he sat down, firing off a barrage of questions. "Why was our clan compound destroyed? And why did you step down as captain of the Police Force?"
He had been away for half a month, only to return and find the Uchiha clan completely changed.
Fugaku's face reflexively hardened into its usual cold expression as he tried to maintain his authority in front of his son. But then he remembered Kawasaki's advice—that this very attitude would only push Itachi and Sasuke further away.
Thinking of this, his features softened slightly. "Your brother and Shisui left to seek opportunities for the future of our clan. Don't believe every rumor you hear. If they had truly betrayed the village, why wouldn't Konoha have arrested the rest of us?"
He continued, "The compound can be rebuilt. As long as the Uchiha are here, we can build as many compounds as we want."
Seeing Sasuke nod in partial understanding, Fugaku offered a small smile.
"As for my position as captain, it was simply too demanding. You used to complain that no one was ever around to help you with your ninjutsu, didn't you? Now that your brother will be gone for a while, I'll be the one to train with you."
Sasuke's eyes widened in astonishment. His father had always been a man of few words, his presence severe. Sasuke had gone to great lengths just to earn a sliver of his approval. And now, that same father was offering to train him personally. He pinched himself hard, just to make sure it wasn't a genjutsu.
"Ow!"
The sharp sting made him yelp, which in turn drew a laugh from Fugaku.
Seeing his father so approachable for the first time, Sasuke couldn't help but break into a wide grin. "Then, Father, when will Brother and Shisui be back?"
"Your brother will return when you graduate from the Ninja Academy."
"What? That long?" Sasuke's face fell. The Academy took six years to complete. That meant he wouldn't see his brother for six whole years. It felt like an eternity.
Noticing his son's disappointment, Fugaku's tone grew firm again, but not unkind. "You are an Uchiha. Are you going to lose heart over something so small? It's not as if you'll never see him again."
"Right!" Sasuke's spirits lifted. "So, Father, what was that about an apprenticeship?"
"I want you to become Kawasaki's student," Fugaku explained.
"His student?" Sasuke tilted his head, thinking. He didn't dislike Kawasaki. "Is Senior Kawasaki very strong?"
"Strong?" Fugaku savored the word. "Extremely strong," he said with a firm nod.
"Is he stronger than Brother? Or Shisui?" In Sasuke's eyes, Itachi and Shisui were the pillars of Uchiha strength.
"Kawasaki is now the number one master in the Uchiha clan." Fugaku believed that in terms of intellect, Kawasaki was already unparalleled. As for his combat prowess, unlocking the Mangekyo Sharingan would usher in a period of explosive growth. Even if Shisui also possessed the Mangekyo, the age difference was too great. He would be no match for Kawasaki.
"The number one in the Uchiha?" Suddenly, the image of Senior Kawasaki in Sasuke's mind was shrouded in a brilliant light.
"Actually, I think Senior Kawasaki is number two."
"Oh?" Fugaku asked, intrigued. "Then who is number one?"
"Of course it's you, Father," Sasuke said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "Why else would you be the clan head and he the vice head?"
Fugaku was stunned for a moment, then burst into hearty laughter that echoed far into the night.
After a long night of cleaning, Naruto finally collapsed into bed just as the sky began to lighten. In his hazy state, he had a dream. In it, he had a mom and a dad, and Senior Kawasaki was there too, but then they all turned into huge bowls of Ichiraku Ramen. Naruto reached out to grab one.
"Oof!"
He tumbled out of bed and onto the floor.
Rubbing his bleary eyes, Naruto got up to wash his face. Through half-open eyelids, he thought he saw a figure standing in his apartment.
"Waaah!" Naruto yelped in fright.
When he looked closer, he saw it was the Third Hokage.
"Grandpa Hokage, what are you doing here?"
"Ah, Naruto. I came to see how you were doing. I heard you made a new friend yesterday," the Third Hokage said with a gentle smile.
"Hehe, I guess so. You mean Senior Kawasaki, right? He's Sasuke's family and wanted me to hang out with Sasuke more." Naruto's words tumbled out in a rush. "He's super nice, just like you, Grandpa! He treated me to Ichiraku Ramen, and he even had Sasuke buy me a bunch of new clothes."
Naruto eagerly shared his happy news with the Hokage he felt so close to, and the old man listened patiently.
"And what else did this Senior Kawasaki say to you?" the Third Hokage asked, his smile kind.
"Oh! Senior Kawasaki just told me to get along with Sasuke and not cause any trouble." Naruto slapped his forehead. "Grandpa Hokage, look at this!" He pulled out the clothes Sasuke had helped him pick out yesterday and held them up against himself. "What do you think? Do they look good?"
"Yes, very nice, very nice."
After confirming that Kawasaki hadn't tried to fill Naruto's head with any strange ideas, the Third Hokage relaxed. He chatted with the boy for a little while longer before taking out five thousand ryo.
"Naruto, you're growing up. You start school tomorrow. Remember to listen to your teachers. You can use this five thousand ryo for your daily expenses."
Naruto stared dumbly at the money in his hand. "Grandpa Hokage, why are you giving me so much?"
The Third smiled warmly. "You'll need to buy shinobi tools and other supplies for the Academy. Don't spend it all at once, now."
Naruto was deeply moved. "Thank you, Grandpa Hokage! When I grow up, I'll definitely repay you!"
"Hahaha, I'll hold you to that. Be sure to get to the Academy early tomorrow. I should be going now."
"You got it! Hehe!"
Life suddenly seemed bright and full of promise. Naruto couldn't help but grin foolishly.
Back at the Uchiha compound.
"Serve tea to your master."
Sasuke didn't really understand the concept of an apprenticeship, but he didn't dislike Kawasaki. So, at Fugaku's urging, he formally became Kawasaki's student that day. Fugaku had wanted to invite a few friends to witness the event, but Kawasaki, who disliked elaborate ceremonies, refused. In his words, a cup of tea was enough to complete the ritual. How much Sasuke learned would be entirely up to him.
After Kawasaki finished his tea, Fugaku quickly took his leave. Although he was no longer in charge of the Police Force, the task of rebuilding the Uchiha clan was immense. Fugaku spent most of his time organizing the reconstruction efforts.
Of course, that was only what he did openly. In secret, Fugaku was scouting for business talents, laying the groundwork for his future plans.
[Ding! Congratulations to the host for significantly altering the life trajectory of Uchiha Sasuke.]
[Congratulations to the host for obtaining: Spatial Teleportation x1.]