Yuji had been deliberately trying to connect with the key figures of Sunagakure.
But as the son of civilian ninja, people like Lady Chiyo or the Kazekage were far beyond his easy reach.
As for Sasori, he rarely left his home, and when he did, it was usually for missions.
That left Pakura.
She was the only one Yuji could naturally grow close to.
Even so, Pakura's status was different from his.
As the inheritor of a kekkei genkai, she was someone the village placed great importance on. Her clan held significant influence, and her father was even qualified to participate in Sunagakure's decision-making.
Strictly speaking, Pakura and Yuji did not belong to the same world.
She was not from a civilian background.
This was true in every great hidden village.
In Konoha, for example, clans with kekkei genkai, the Hyuga, Uchiha, and Kurama, held authority far beyond that of ordinary ninja. Though the Kurama clan had declined, they once possessed considerable influence.
Then there were clans that passed down secret techniques, such as the Yamanaka, Nara, and Akimichi.
Sunagakure's internal structure was simpler, but the principle was the same.
At the top were figures like the Third Kazekage and, later, Rasa, both representing the power of Magnet Release.
Then came Chiyo's lineage, symbolizing the puppet masters.
Below them were the leaders of the kekkei genkai clans.
And finally, the representatives of civilian ninja and minor families.
Together, they formed the foundation of Sunagakure's power.
Pakura's clan was among the influential ones.
In fact, Yuji had noticed her long before she even entered the academy. He had deliberately found opportunities to approach her and slowly built their acquaintance.
"I heard you completed your mission successfully," Pakura said shyly as she walked up to him. "Congratulations."
"Have you eaten yet?" Yuji replied with a grin. "If not, let's eat together. My treat."
"Okay!"
Pakura nodded happily.
The two entered the shop and sat side by side at the counter.
The owner greeted them warmly and began preparing their food.
As they ate, Yuji chatted casually, telling her about his mission.
He left out the bloodshed.
Instead, he spoke of it like an exciting adventure, his first time leaving the village.
Pakura listened with sparkling eyes.
Still an academy student, she hadn't yet experienced the cruelty of being a ninja. Her clan and the village had protected her well.
Everything beyond the village walls was still a mystery to her.
In the future, she would become known as the "Hero of the Sand," feared across the shinobi world for her Scorch Release.
But Yuji knew the truth.
During the Third Great Ninja War, Sunagakure would be forced into a desperate situation, caught between Iwagakure and Kirigakure.
To survive, the village would sacrifice her.
Even worse, the leadership would claim she had been killed by Iwagakure, using her death to fuel the village's anger.
She would be used, even in death.
The Pakura sitting beside him now was nothing like that.
She was just a girl.
Bright and Innocent.
"I want to graduate soon," she complained, puffing her cheeks as she bit into a piece of daikon. "The academy is so boring. I already know everything they teach."
She wanted to stand on the battlefield.
To fight for Sunagakure to prove herself.
Yuji quietly ate a meatball skewer, a bit of broth clinging to the corner of his mouth.
"Don't rush," he said gently. "With your talent, Pakura, you'll become a ninja soon enough. And when you do… you'll shine."
Pakura froze for a moment.
Then her cheeks flushed.
"Tch… you're not that much older than me," she muttered. "Stop talking like an adult."
Yuji chuckled.
"Hmph! My father says a ninja's strength isn't measured by age," Pakura said proudly, lifting her chin. "Many powerful ninja became famous when they were very young. Just wait a few more years, I'll definitely surpass you!"
"Yes, yes, I believe you," Yuji replied with an easy nod.
Then Pakura leaned in slightly, her expression turning cautious.
"By the way… I heard you went on that mission with him."
"Sasori?" Yuji asked, already knowing the answer.
Pakura nodded.
"They say he's strange. That he's hard to get along with," she whispered, her curiosity obvious.
Yuji paused, turning the wooden skewer in his hand as if thinking carefully.
"That's not true," he said at last, shaking his head. "Don't listen to rumors. Sasori's a good person."
Pakura stared at him, eyes wide.
"You're lying. I've seen him before. He always gives off this cold feeling. Like he doesn't want anyone near him. It's uncomfortable."
Then she hesitated, as if realizing something.
"Well, I guess for someone like you, there's no such thing as a difficult person. You smile at everyone."
Yuji grinned, showing his teeth.
"Isn't that a good thing?" he asked. "Don't you like me this way?"
Pakura froze.
A flush spread across her face at a visible speed.
"Y-you…"
She began to stammer.
Yuji blinked, then quickly coughed, realizing how his words might have sounded.
"Don't misunderstand. I'm not confessing or anything," he said awkwardly. "I've seen enough to know that girls your age, just starting at the academy, are at that stage where they start thinking about things like that. But to me, you're just a little sister."
He narrowed his eyes playfully.
"Unless you already like someone at school? Or someone likes you?"
That only made things worse.
Pakura's face turned bright red, like a kettle about to boil over.
"What nonsense are you talking about?!" she shouted.
She jumped down from her stool, fists clenched, her lips trembling with embarrassment and anger.
"Pakura."
A voice suddenly came from the shop entrance.
Both of them turned.
A Sunagakure ninja stood there, his expression calm but firm.
"It's getting late. Time to go home."
He looked at Pakura as he spoke.
Then, almost as an afterthought, he gave Yuji a small nod.
"Hmph!"
Pakura turned her back on Yuji and stormed out without another word.
The man followed beside her.
Yuji recognized him. He was one of Pakura's clan elders.
This wasn't the first time he had come to take her home. It might have looked like a coincidence but Yuji knew better.
He had come specifically for her. More precisely he had come to take her away from Yuji.
The reason was simple. Pakura belonged to an influential clan. Yuji was just a civilian ninja.
They were not equals.
For now, while she was still young, her family allowed her some freedom.
But as she grew older, those freedoms would disappear.
This was the reality of every great ninja village.
Class, status, power.
Yuji remembered that in the past, this man hadn't even bothered to acknowledge him.
Today, at least, he had nodded.
No doubt he had heard the rumors about Yuji's talent on the battlefield.
Yuji let out a quiet, amused breath.
'How ironic.'
"She really has quite a temper," he murmured to himself.
Then he picked up another skewer and continued eating as if nothing had happened.