The Helpless Reality

Uchiha Itachi had just finished a day's work in the Anbu and arrived at his front door.

He then saw his younger brother Sasuke approaching from another direction, his face deep in thought.

His face bore numerous bruises, obviously left by a beating.

At the sight, Itachi's eyes narrowed slightly, murderous intent brewing within him.

But in an instant, he regained his smile and gently greeted his brother, who had already approached. "Sasuke, you're back. Where did you go to play today?"

Seeing his beloved older brother, Sasuke immediately threw aside the question he had been pondering and greeted him with a smile.

"Brother, listen to this. I made a new friend yesterday, and I went to train with him today. His Taijutsu is really amazing. I wanted to beat him, but I kept losing..."

As they chatted, Sasuke pulled Itachi into the house.

"We're home."

The brothers spoke in unison.

Their mother, Mikoto Uchiha, poked her head out of the kitchen, a gentle smile appearing on her beautiful face. "Welcome home, Itachi, Sasuke. Go wash up first. Dinner will be ready soon."

"I already ate."

"Brother, Naruto's cooking is really delicious..."

After answering, Sasuke continued talking to his brother about Naruto. Even when dinner began and Fugaku, Mikoto, Itachi, and Sasuke sat down to eat together, he did not stop.

As Sasuke spoke about Naruto, the others listened quietly. Even Fugaku, who was usually stern, did not interrupt.

Listening to Sasuke, Itachi understood that his younger brother had made a friend named Naruto Uzumaki.

Not only was this friend very strong and willing to train with Sasuke, but he was also an excellent cook, admired Itachi, and had taught Sasuke a training tip today.

Naruto Uzumaki? Aunt Kushina's child? Itachi wondered, casting an inquisitive look toward his mother.

When he was young, he had seen Naruto as an infant in the hospital. He knew Naruto was the child of his mother's close friend, but sadly, she and her husband, the Fourth Hokage Minato Namikaze, had both died in the Nine-Tailed Riot.

Mikoto understood what her eldest son meant and nodded in confirmation.

Fugaku could not help sighing inwardly as well. His family had been on fairly good terms with the Fourth Hokage's family, but the Fourth Hokage had died far too young. Otherwise, how could the Uchiha clan have been pushed aside to such an extent?

Sasuke did not notice the silent exchange among his family members. After finishing his explanation of the training tip Naruto had told him, he smiled and asked his brother, "Brother, do you also learn Ninjutsu so quickly by thinking things through and summarizing them?"

Faced with Sasuke's expectant gaze, Itachi laughed. "That's right. But I only did it instinctively before. I never developed such a comprehensive theory as Naruto did."

Receiving his brother's confirmation, Sasuke could not help smiling happily.

The next day, after breakfast and just as Sasuke was about to leave, his mother Mikoto called out to him.

Mikoto handed him a large lunchbox, then smiled gently. "Sasuke, take this and eat it with Naruto. You can't always let your friend take care of you. Be careful on the way."

Sasuke did not think much of it. He answered, took the lunchbox, and ran out to find Naruto.

When the two finished training and opened the lunchbox Mikoto had prepared at noon, they were surprised to find an exquisite meal inside, made with luxurious ingredients such as sushi, beef, salmon, and other seafood.

There was also a great deal of it—enough for both their lunch, dinner, and even a late-night snack.

"Wow, this is so lavish! Sasuke, your mom is so nice."

Naruto could not help marveling at the dishes made with high-end ingredients he had never eaten before.

"Of course. My mom is the best in the world. Come on, eat up. Don't say I'm always mooching off you from now on." Sasuke did not think much of it, merely assuming that his mother had prepared a gift of thanks because she did not want him to keep accepting Naruto's care for free.

Calling Naruto over, the two began eating heartily.

Naruto did not think much of it either. He only felt that Sasuke's family was truly kind.

What Sasuke did not know was that, just after he had left home—

Fugaku Uchiha stepped out from behind his wife Mikoto. Looking at Sasuke's retreating figure, he sighed and said softly, "The relationship between our clan and the village is becoming increasingly tense. We cannot casually approach the Jinchuriki and risk causing the village higher-ups to misunderstand.

"Otherwise, we should have adopted Naruto. At the very least, we shouldn't let him live such a hard life."

If Sasuke had not still been young and had yet to awaken his Sharingan—

And if Naruto, as the Jinchuriki, had not needed bonds within the village to develop enough identification with it, Sasuke might not have been allowed to approach Naruto either.

Mikoto said nothing. She merely lowered her head and wept silently.

She and Kushina had been very close friends. Now that Kushina's child was living in such circumstances, she should have extended a helping hand. And now that he had become friends with her own child, there was even less reason for her to stand by and do nothing.

Yet reality was often filled with so much helplessness.

She could only help that child in this way, so that at least once in a while, he could have a proper meal.

After that day, Naruto often trained with Sasuke.

Occasionally, when Sasuke was learning new Ninjutsu or when Itachi was resting, he would not come, instead spending time with the older brother he loved most.

From Sasuke, Naruto heard countless stories about Itachi.

Every so often, he also received small gifts from Itachi that Sasuke passed along to him.

Gradually, Naruto began to feel curious about and look up to this older-brother-like figure.

But Itachi was always busy, so Naruto never had the chance to meet him.

With a new friend besides Kurama, Naruto felt that there was a little more sunshine in his life.

Although he was still hated by the people in the village, Naruto was no longer as sad. No matter how outstanding or powerful a person was, they could never be liked by everyone.

To have one or two true friends in a lifetime was enough to leave no regrets.

This was a truth Naruto had learned from books, and it was also how he truly felt.

Before he knew it, Naruto had already turned six.

It was the first birthday where he had a friend by his side, someone who gave him a birthday gift and birthday wishes.

On an ordinary spring night, Naruto had just returned home after training when he unexpectedly saw the Third Hokage sitting at the table, silently smoking as he waited for him.

When he saw Naruto return, he extinguished his pipe and handed Naruto a letter.

Then he smiled and said, "Naruto, you're old enough to enroll now. This is your Admission Notice for the Ninja Academy. Report to the school on time according to the date stated in the notice.

"There, you'll meet new friends and begin a brand-new life!"