Chapter 47. Vaccination (Part 2)

"Sensei, did you come to pick me up specially?" Sasuke inquired, his fair and tender face still relatively round, a bit different from the future's more handsome Sasuke.

"Ha, look at how proud you are. I'm here to pick you two up today."

Hearing that he came to pick them up personally, Naruto couldn't contain his joy.

Even though he was kind to him, Naruto rarely had the chance to spend time with him.

Just being picked up from school by him made him incredibly happy. This child had yearned for affection for so long.

Cursing the Third Hokage internally, Natsuki became even more determined—such a simple child must not be led astray.

"Let's go." He led the way and asked the two youngsters, "Have you heard any rumors today?"

Naruto scratched his head, "Many of our classmates said that Jiraiya-sama was arrested."

Surprisingly, the news of Natsuki arresting Jiraiya at noon had spread throughout the Ninja School.

"Who is Jiraiya?" Naruto asked curiously, being relatively new to the ninja school curriculum.

Sasuke couldn't help but answer, "Jiraiya is the disciple of Third Hokage, one of the legendary three sannins. A hero of Konoha."

"A hero?"

Naruto looked confused, "Since he is a hero, why was he arrested?"

Natsuki explained, "He was caught because he tried to peek into the women's bath."

Sasuke expressed disgust on his face. "Why would anyone want to peek into the women's bath?"

Naruto, with no one to guide him since childhood, was like a blank slate.

Natsuki affectionately ruffled Naruto's hair. In the past, Naruto had no one to teach him how to groom himself, but now he seemed to grasp the importance of appearance.

His hair, if longer on the sides, could resemble his father, Minato Namikaze.

"You're still young, so it's okay if you don't understand now. But you have to know that behavior towards women is wrong."

"Oh..." Naruto seemed to grasp the idea.

He continued, "For instance, do you have any female classmates with whom you have a good relationship?"

Naruto nodded, listing off, "Well, Hinata, Sakura, and Ino are all our friends."

Natsuki then asked, "How would you feel if someone peeked at them while they were taking a shower?"

Naruto frowned, contemplating the question. He then clenched his right hand into a fist, declaring, "I would be very unhappy! I might even want to hit someone!"

He nodded approvingly, "So, never engage in such actions. People who do so have low moral character."

"No matter how powerful he is, being one of the legendary three sannins, he's just a filthy lunatic for doing such a thing."

Naruto patted his chest, pledging, "Natsuki-senpai, don't worry, I will never do such a thing!"

Natsuki turned to Sasuke, inquiring, "And you, Sasuke?"

Sasuke turned his head proudly, stating, "I won't engage in such boring things. I am a Uchiha."

Natsuki rolled his eyes, silently hoping Sasuke would loosen up a bit.

Unlike in his previous life, where someone had forcibly pushed him into a particular path, Sasuke had the opportunity for a different life.

"Naruto, I heard your grades aren't very good," Natsuki remarked.

Naruto felt a bit embarrassed, confessing, "Natsuki-senpai, school stuff is a bit hard for me. I learn very slowly."

Natsuki didn't blame Naruto. After all, Naruto had been a free-spirited boy, and expecting him to become a top student immediately was unrealistic.

"It's okay, Naruto. If you struggle with academics, take your time. Work hard in other areas. You can't settle for being a slacker in the future."

Naruto nodded energetically, "Natsuki-senpai, don't worry, I'll definitely give my best."

Observing Natsuki's concern for Naruto, Sasuke suddenly felt a twinge of jealousy.

He shook his head, suppressing his emotion. Seeing Naruto's joyous expression, Sasuke couldn't help but smile as well.

In the ensuing conversation, Natsuki inquired about Naruto's living conditions and listened to Sasuke's experiences at school.

The trio chatted and laughed together, while the ANBU on watch grew increasingly anxious.

Every time Natsuki visited Naruto, the ANBU were on edge, fearing that Natsuki might impart something unusual to Naruto.

Given the events of the morning with Jiraiya, the small ANBU members were visibly trembling.

Ignoring the concerns of the ANBU, Natsuki treated himself as an elder, caring about Naruto's well-being, and then sent Naruto home without any further actions. The accompanying ANBU breathed a collective sigh of relief.

Once the ANBU withdrew, Natsuki pulled out an envelope while walking towards the clan with Sasuke.

"This is a letter from Itachi to you."

Sasuke's face lit up with joy; it was a letter from his brother.

Even though Sasuke knew he would eventually reunite with Itachi, the departure still left a lingering discomfort.

Sasuke swiftly opened the envelope, not attempting to do so behind Natsuki's back but in his presence.

The letter contained only a few words, yet Sasuke read it repeatedly before carefully placing it back in the envelope.

Natsuki couldn't help but chuckle; Sasuke was truly adorable at this moment.

"What did Itachi say?" Natsuki inquired.

A warm smile spread across Sasuke's face. "My brother told me to listen to you and study hard in school. I can't disgrace the Uchiha name."

Itachi's words seemed almost like comforting a child. When Itachi was Sasuke's age, he was already on the battlefield.

Sasuke put the letter away and accompanied Natsuki back to the clan.

However, Fugaku was currently out, likely handling matters related to the compensation from Kumogakure.

Before Natsuki departed, he posed a question to Sasuke, "Sasuke, what do you think of Naruto?"

Sasuke was a bit puzzled, "What do you mean?"

Natsuki rubbed his chin, "What do you think of him as a person?"

Despite Sasuke's inner thoughts about Naruto being a bit of an idiot, he candidly responded to Natsuki.

"Naruto is a very kind person, always enthusiastic towards others, but he's simple-minded. Some people may criticize him behind his back, but he never lets it bother him."

Natsuki nodded in agreement. What Sasuke had mentioned was accurate.

At best, Naruto was carefree and cheerful, but at worst, he could be a bit dense.

Growing up in a harsh environment since childhood, it was commendable that he hadn't developed a more gloomy outlook.

Seeing Sasuke harboring no prejudice against Naruto, Natsuki inquired further, "And what do you think of his strength?"

Sasuke seemed a bit bewildered.

"Strength? What strength does Naruto have? He didn't pass the class at all. He definitely can't beat me in a fight."

Sasuke beamed with pride after sharing this, his little face practically begging for praise.

Natsuki smiled, cautioning Sasuke, "Sasuke, don't get too complacent. You're ahead of Naruto now because you had parents to teach you when you were young. Naruto had no one around, so he's not as skilled as you at the moment."

Undeterred, Sasuke raised his hand, declaring, "Even if Naruto had someone to teach him, he still wouldn't be as good as me. I am a Uchiha!"

Natsuki nodded thoughtfully, "How about we make a bet?"

Sasuke inquired, "What are we betting on, sensei?"

"If Naruto surpasses you in the Ninja School in the future, you lose. But if you consistently outperform him, you win."

Sasuke exuded confidence, "Sensei, don't worry, you'll lose."

Natsuki chuckled, "Alright if you win, the teacher will reward you with a treasure."

Sasuke interrupted, brimming with assurance, "No worries, I won't lose."

Natsuki shook his head, "It's good that you're confident, but don't let it turn into arrogance. If you lose, the teacher will have you do something."

Sasuke nodded, inquiring, "What would that be?"

"Well, I haven't decided yet."