Naruto

Sasuke slipped his hands into his pockets again. "Hey, crybaby, how did you end up so messed up?"

Shedding a gloomy look on his face, Naruto retorted, "Humph, snotty kid, where have you been lately? I haven't seen you by the lake."

Sasuke and Naruto had known each other since they were kids, and Sasuke often practised his Fire Style techniques by the lake, but Naruto hadn't seen him around recently.

There had been many unfavourable rumors about the Uchiha clan.

For kids, rumours usually emphasise the negative aspects.

In any world, kids are the same.

"My father took me on a trip, and I've been cooped up at home every day, bored to death," Sasuke explained casually.

Naruto cautiously asked, "Sasuke, did something happen to your family?"

Sasuke was about to lose his temper, but seeing Naruto's cautious look, he snorted, "No, nothing's wrong. The Uchihas are fine!"

To Naruto, who had been bullied since childhood, Sasuke was an object of envy because he had his family around.

Naruto was just an orphan with no parents. Only the Third Hokage occasionally visited him.

Naruto didn't understand why people called him a demon fox or why they didn't want to be his friends.

But Sasuke, Hinata, and Shikamaru never bullied him; they were approachable.

He was worried about his friend's family undergoing troubles that might leave him orphaned like himself.

Meanwhile, as Naruto and Sasuke conversed, several ANBU members were stationed in the treetops nearby.

The Hokage assigned them to monitor the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki around the clock.

Everything Naruto did, ate or said was recorded and reported to the Third Hokage.

Although Sasuke and Naruto knew each other, the Uchiha clan's circumstances had changed.

Thus, when Sasuke approached Naruto, an ANBU had already gone to report to the Hokage.

While Naruto was under surveillance, another person stood in the trees nearby—Uchiha Shisui.

Fugaku asked him to take Sasuke as his disciple, but he wanted to observe first.

He wanted to see what the unscathed Sasuke was like, especially since the Uchiha clan massacre had yet to happen.

From the recent fight, Uchiha Sasuke seemed just a somewhat arrogant, kind-hearted kid.

Sasuke received elite training at home, practised with shuriken, and knew Fire Style.

But he used only taijutsu to chase away a few kids and comfort Naruto.

Shisui watched for a while, stroking his chin, contemplating whether he had been too prejudiced against Sasuke.

After the Uchiha clan was annihilated, Konoha seized their properties, and without guidance, Sasuke's misdevelopment seemed almost inevitable.

It wasn't too late now.

Shisui jumped down from the tree, startling both Sasuke and Naruto.

"Sasuke, do you recognize me?" he said, revealing his Sharingan.

Sasuke initially guarded Naruto behind him but relaxed upon seeing Shisui's Sharingan.

Having the Sharingan meant he was a clan member.

"I'm Shisui. You've seen me before," Shisui said with a smile.

Recalling his image, Sasuke eventually overlapped it with the Shisui he had seen a few times before.

"Ah! You're Senior Shisui!..." Sasuke suddenly recognised him.

Then, hesitantly, he added, "I heard that you… are now the deputy clan leader?"

Shisui, who disliked putting on airs, said without a formal tone, "Forget deputy leader or not, just call me senior."

"Yes, Senior Shisui," Sasuke responded happily.

Shisui looked around and asked, "Weren't you supposed to go straight home after returning to the village? What are you doing here?"

"Uh… ah… I…" Sasuke was downcast because he had heard many rumours as soon as he entered the village.

"Stop your stuttering. Are you hungry? I'll take you for something to eat," Shisui said, ruffling Sasuke's hair.

"Okay," Sasuke replied, somewhat uncomfortably but unable to dodge Shisui's hand.

Naruto stood by, his eyes filled with envy and a touch of sadness.

"I guess I'll go home and eat too!" Naruto tried to cheer up, not wanting Sasuke to see his sadness.

There was probably still a box of ramen he could eat at home.

"Hold on."

Shisui smiled warmly, "You're Sasuke's friend, right?"

Naruto sniffled, "Yes, Uncle! I'm Uzumaki Naruto! The man who will be Hokage in the future."

"Uncle!?" Shisui couldn't help but feel a mix of amusement and annoyance, though he was around twenty.

Being called uncle at twenty was expected in a world where teens went to war and married young, but Shisui didn't like it.

Ignoring Naruto's latter statement, he had already discreetly sized up Naruto, who wore tattered clothes and looked malnourished.

Without the Uzumaki clan's strong constitution, Naruto's sporadic meals and expired milk would have left him sick or dead.

The Third Hokage was genuinely despicable.

Shisui cursed internally and said, "Since you're Sasuke's friend, how about I treat you to ramen?"

"Really, Uncle?" Naruto brightened up, as he could seldom afford ramen.

Shisui, seeing Naruto's joy over a simple meal, shook his head.

"Order a Grand Slam for Naruto." He chose the most expensive item on the menu, which included a variety of meats and eggs—a luxurious ramen set.

"Hurray for Senior Shisui!" Naruto had never had the Grand Slam before; the best he had ever eaten was pork bone ramen.

As Shisui observed Naruto's happiness over a small meal, he shook his head again.

"Get me a pork bone ramen, and Sasuke, order whatever you want…"

At that moment, Shisui felt a surge of chakra sweeps over him.

Without looking up, he knew it was the Third Hokage's telescope technique.

He thought, "You never care when it's about taking care of Naruto, but you rush over when someone approaches him."