What a Predicament!

"Itachi, Izumi, Shisui?"

"The three of you."

He stopped, pushing his glasses up his nose curiously.

Uchiha Itachi's gaze flickered, and with a touch of haughtiness, he avoided direct eye contact. "Today."

Before he could finish, Izumi excitedly shouted, "Yuzuru! Happy birthday!"

Yuzuru Hyuga chuckled twice, his gaze drifting towards Uchiha Itachi.

Standing beside Shisui, and feeling Yuzuru's stare, Itachi could only sigh helplessly. Awkwardly, he pulled out a wrapped gift box from behind his back.

"Happy birthday."

"And mine!"

Izumi eagerly produced a small, square box from behind her own back.

Shisui Uchiha awkwardly scratched his head and smiled, "Sorry, I was on a mission yesterday. I only heard from Itachi this morning that it was your birthday, so I prepared this in a rush."

As he spoke, Shisui Uchiha extended his hand, revealing a beautiful samurai sword.

Yuzuru Hyuga took the long sword, holding the other gifts to his chest. He spoke sincerely and with joy, "Thank you."

"Even though it's only the afternoon, after receiving your gifts, I should treat you to a meal, no matter what," Yuzuru Hyuga suggested with a smile. "Ramen? It won't fill us up too much and won't spoil dinner."

"Okay!" Izumi didn't care what they ate!

She skipped over to Yuzuru Hyuga's side. Maintaining a semblance of composure, she didn't say much more, but her beautiful eyes roamed over him, and she asked curiously, "Yuzuru, I haven't seen you much lately."

Ever since Itachi had voluntarily stopped their morning training a while ago, she hadn't seen Yuzuru Hyuga either.

"Yeah, besides classes, I have training every day, so I'm quite busy," Yuzuru Hyuga explained briefly.

Izumi lowered her head slightly with a hint of disappointment. "That's right, Yuzuru is already a fifth-year student. Even if I enroll next year, Yuzuru will be graduating soon, so we won't be able to attend classes together."

"As expected of Yuzuru!" she exclaimed, covering her slight dejection with a compliment.

Yuzuru Hyuga merely smiled, while Itachi said softly, "Father said he won't let me enroll until next year. By then, Yuzuru will be close to graduating."

Yuzuru Hyuga nodded, then offered comfort, "If it's Itachi, even if you enroll next year, you should be able to graduate early within two years at most."

"If there's no war... it's better to just enjoy school life," Shisui Uchiha said, hesitating before ultimately saying no more.

He pushed up his forehead protector, sighing with emotion, "Time really flies. It feels like just yesterday you were all little kids, and today you've already embarked on the path to becoming ninja."

Izumi couldn't help but retort, "Shisui-bro, aren't you still a kid too?"

"Am I? Hahaha!" Shisui Uchiha blinked in surprise, then burst into laughter. When had he forgotten his own age?

The mere thought of it made Shisui Uchiha sigh inwardly, but also stirred a bit of fighting spirit within him—wasn't he working so hard and desperately precisely so that the children of the future wouldn't have to go through what he did?

As long as they followed the Will of Fire, this long-darkened village would eventually usher in a lasting light.

Shisui Uchiha was, for the moment, full of hope for the future.

Yuzuru Hyuga smiled faintly. The four of them chatted as they walked. Not long after they set off, his gaze seemed to catch sight of a familiar figure.

He stopped, about to speak, when he saw a girl in white hastily conceal herself in a small alley, seemingly wanting to avoid him. After a moment's thought, he still called out her name.

"Kaoru, are you here to take me home?"

Kaoru Hyuga had no choice but to emerge from the shadows of the alley.

She wore a black, oversized outer coat, similar to the one Hinata Hyuga wore in her youth. Her long hair cascaded down, partially obscuring her eyes, giving her a somewhat somber appearance. Seeing Yuzuru Hyuga call her, she hid her hands behind her back, her expression a little nervous. "I'm sorry, Young Master Yuzuru, I just didn't want to disturb you and your friends."

"Are you here to celebrate my birthday?" Yuzuru Hyuga guessed her intention.

If even Uchiha Itachi could think to come to the school gate to wish him a happy birthday, how could Kaoru Hyuga possibly forget? She had just hesitated to disturb him when she saw him with his friends.

"My gift." Kaoru Hyuga cautiously brought her hands from behind her back to the front, revealing a small gift box.

Yuzuru Hyuga accepted the gift with a smile. "Thank you. Let's go together, we're just heading to eat."

"Can I come too?" Kaoru Hyuga's expression was a mixture of surprise and unease—she had never thought of herself as Yuzuru Hyuga's friend.

"Of course," Yuzuru Hyuga smiled and turned to explain to his curious friends.

Upon learning that she was the one currently serving as Yuzuru Hyuga's 'guard,' they all became solemn with respect.

She looked about the same age as Shisui, yet she could be Yuzuru Hyuga's guard? This girl was no ordinary person!

For Yuzuru Hyuga's sake, even the somewhat introverted Uchiha Itachi politely greeted her.

After brief introductions, the group set off again. Kaoru Hyuga quietly followed behind Yuzuru Hyuga, acting like an invisible person. Even Izumi, after a few attempts at conversation yielded little response, gave up trying to interact with her and instead stayed close to Yuzuru Hyuga, asking him questions.

As they reached the entrance of Ichiraku Ramen and pulled aside the curtain, Yuzuru Hyuga couldn't help but chuckle.

A pair of dead fish eyes glanced at him from a seat.

Kakashi Hatake, resting his chin on one hand, sat in a corner booth. Upon seeing Yuzuru Hyuga, he let out an almost instinctive sigh—if this guy also frequented the ramen shop at this hour, should he consider finding a new place?

"Kakashi-senpai," Shisui Uchiha greeted him with surprise, then added with a smile, "I didn't expect you to be here too."

"Mm, Shisui, good afternoon." Kakashi Hatake's attitude towards Shisui was neither warm nor cold, but since both were currently in the Anbu, they were closer than ordinary people.

Although Kakashi Hatake didn't quite agree with some of Uchiha Shisui's naive attitudes, who could hate a passionate and kind idiot?

At most, he felt it wasn't worth it for him.

"Why don't we eat together? Today is Yuzuru's birthday. Ah, I forgot to introduce him, this is Yuzuru Hyuga." Just as Shisui Uchiha was about to introduce Yuzuru Hyuga, he vaguely sensed an unnatural atmosphere between the two.

Yuzuru Hyuga smiled and nodded at Kakashi Hatake, "We meet again, Senior Kakashi."

"Oh," he replied somewhat indifferently.

"Today is my birthday, I'm treating, let's celebrate together, shall we? In the future, perhaps there won't be such opportunities anymore." After Yuzuru Hyuga finished speaking, Kakashi Hatake couldn't help but sigh softly.

As expected, it was time to leave.

Could it be that he was too lazy, and heaven was punishing him?

Never mind, starting tomorrow, he should go on a few missions.

Work hard and strive to leave the Anbu within two years. No, it would be even better if it could be within one year.

For the first time, Kakashi felt the urge to leave the Anbu—he had a feeling that if he continued to get entangled with this kid, he would eventually fall into big trouble.

Sigh.

What a cursed fate.