Look Forward to the Future

"Flight..."

Sasuke watched with envy as Suzuran soared through the air. Flying Ninjutsu was extremely rare in the Shinobi World, and it was either Kekkei Genkai or Secret Technique, which outsiders had no way of mastering.

"Sasuke, you've already lost two matches today. Next up is the two of us. Judging by how tired you are, you're probably going to lose again... Looks like it's your turn to treat us today!"

Naruto had a wicked grin on his face, and the way he was counting on his fingers was incredibly infuriating.

To prevent losing their competitive spirit from daily matches, they will rank participants based on the number of wins and losses in their matches, with the last-place participant having to treat everyone to a meal.

Intense battles are physically demanding, and often the stomachs start growling before mealtime. Not to mention, feeding four twelve-year-old kids is no easy task. As the saying goes, "a half-grown boy can eat his father out of house and home," which is a heavy burden on their meager wallets.

Over the years, all four of them had been at the bottom of the rankings, and Shuyuan had also lost. Their sparring matches weren't always like this; the challenge they drew that time was Shurikenjutsu.

Losing to Sasuke wasn't surprising, and Suzuran's situation was barely acceptable, but what was unexpected was how much Naruto, that idiot, had improved his Shurikenjutsu. This disappointed Shuyuan for a long time, and she went back to practice her Shurikenjutsu, hoping to turn the tide.

"It's all because of you, you big idiot, making a racket and distracting me. Otherwise, I wouldn't have..." Sasuke scolded irritably.

"Hey!" Naruto nudged Sasuke with his shoulder. "Situations change constantly during battles. 'Others' is just empty talk. A qualified ninja can handle all sorts of unexpected situations. You can't even stand this noise... tsk tsk!"

Seeing Naruto putting on such a show, Sasuke furious. This idiot dared to lecture him...

However, it must be admitted that there is some truth to what this guy said. But he'll just keep it to himself; he'd never admit out loud that Naruto's words made sense.

No, now is not the time to argue with that idiot Naruto. Just as Naruto said, he has already lost two matches and his stamina and Chakra are severely depleted. His chances of winning against Naruto are slim.

Although he was reluctant to admit that he would lose to an idiot, facing reality was a quality a ninja should have.

"So, does that mean you're definitely treating everyone to dinner today?"

Sasuke's face turned a little pale. He secretly touched his wallet, already anticipating its empty state.

No, I have to find a way to get some more pocket money. I started thinking about whether to ask my mom or my brother. I knew I'd have to pass on my dad. Seeing his fierce face, I wouldn't dare to ask for pocket money.

"Oh, oh, Sasuke, thank you so much!"

Naruto walked out of Ichiraku Ramen Shop, patting his round belly, and ate six bowls of ramen without hesitation, all of them the deluxe version with char siu, braised eggs, and large shrimp.

Shuyuan and Suzuran looked at Sasuke, whose face was ashen, with pity. His wallet, which was practically empty from hunger, looked particularly heartbreaking.

Every time Sasuke is at the bottom of the class, Naruto mercilessly slaughters him. But when it's Naruto's turn to treat, Sasuke sadly discovers he can't eat as much as Naruto...

Furthermore, the shops they went to were all inexpensive and good-quality places like ramen shops and meat pie shops, so in the end, only Sasuke suffered a huge loss.

"Sasuke? What are you doing here? The Ninja Academy isn't closed today!"

It's a beautiful voice, as melodious and pleasant as a nightingale's song.

"Sister Quan!"

Sasuke turned around and looked at the incredibly beautiful woman walking towards him. He called out to her, then lowered his head in embarrassment. Skipping class wasn't exactly something to be proud of.

"Sister Quan, school isn't very interesting. We might as well exercise on our own."

Naruto greeted the newcomer familiarly, not taking skipping class seriously at all, and casually mentioned it.

"You guys... you're really bold. I never dared to skip class like this back then."

The woman looked at the four little ones, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.

The woman's name is Uchiha Izumi, Itachi's fiancée. She currently works in the Police Force, wearing an incredibly smart combat uniform. Her thick, long hair falls over her shoulders, and her exquisite features are breathtaking.

She got along very well with the kids in front of her. Sasuke, needless to say, was her future younger brother, and Shuyuan was her cousin, albeit a distant one.

Uchiha Izumi's father married into the Uchiha Clan, and her mother was Otome's cousin. So, it's not wrong to say that they are cousins, or at most distant relatives.

As for Naruto, he's a natural social butterfly. After meeting Shuyuan Izumi a few times, he started calling them "older sister" too.

"Sister Quan, are you on patrol?"

Shuyuan peered over at the two Police Force standing on the street corner not far away and asked.

"That's right, it's my turn to be on duty today, although patrolling in this kind of weather is really annoying."

The sun was blazing overhead, making it hard to look directly at, and the incessant chirping of cicadas in the roadside trees was a real headache. Patrolling in such weather was indeed a miserable experience, especially for a pretty girl, it was the most dreaded task imaginable.

"Izumi-neechan, would you like some shaved ice? I know a new shop that just opened; their desserts are really delicious, and Sasuke's treating today!"

Every time Naruto tries to pick a fight with Sasuke, his mind works incredibly fast, and with a bright smile, Sasuke into a pit.

Sure enough, Sasuke's face turned as black as the bottom of a pot. He wanted nothing more than to hang Naruto up, cover his head, and beat him to a pulp to vent his anger, but he had to force a bright smile and look at Uchiha Izumi. "That idiot Naruto can say some nice things sometimes! Izumi-neechan, let's go get some shaved ice! You should rest in this hot weather."

"Hmm--"

Uchiha Izumi looked at the four little ones with their different expressions, smiled slightly, and shook her head in refusal.

"No need, I still have to go on patrol! Besides, it's not my turn to be treated yet. By the way... aren't you graduating soon?"

"That's right, tomorrow is the graduation exam. I'm finally going to officially become a ninja."

Naruto started jumping again, striking poses and imagining his future glory as a renowned Shinobi World.

"Idiot, stop acting so arrogantly. Be careful you don't fail your exam tomorrow, then you'll be attending Ninja Academy all by yourself." Sasuke couldn't take it anymore and started a new round of verbal sparring with Naruto.

"How could I possibly fail the exam? It's just a simple Three Basic Ninjutsu; who doesn't know it? Besides, Mom said that the guy who calls others stupid is the real stupid guy."

Naruto retorted sharply, holding his own in the slightest.

"...Sister Quan, you should go and do your own thing! Don't worry about these two idiots."

Katsuki spoke softly to Izumi.

Uchiha Izumi suppressed a laugh. These kids were really interesting, but it was time to go; her teammates were waiting for her.

"Well then, I'll be going Katsuki. Please look forward to our future team leader!" (To be continued)