Warmth for Three Seconds

The Class Dismissal Bell finally rang.

"Alright, that's all for the morning." Teacher Ibuki closed his textbook and reminded, "Shin Nohara, don't forget to hand in your thoughts on the Will of Fire tomorrow, over three hundred characters."

Shin-chan slumped onto his desk, like a puddle of melting wax.

"Three hundred characters, I'm going to die."

Uchiha Toru packed his books nearby and glanced at him, unable to help but laugh.

"Actually, three hundred characters isn't much, it's just a few sentences."

"A few sentences?" Shin-chan looked up. "Then if I say 'The Will of Fire is not eating Chinjao', how many characters is that?"

Uchiha Toru counted: "Ten characters."

"Then how many times do I have to say it?"

"Thirty times."

Shin-chan fell silent, then slumped back onto the desk.

Seeing his utterly lifeless expression, Uchiha Toru suddenly remembered something. He took a small paper packet from his schoolbag and placed it in front of Shin-chan.

"Here."

Shin-chan looked up at the paper packet.

"What is this?"

"Open it and see."

Shin-chan curiously opened the paper packet. It was a Chocolate Stick.

"Chocolate Stick!" Shin-chan's eyes immediately lit up.

"Yeah." Uchiha Toru turned his face away a little shyly. "Didn't you say yesterday that you liked Chocolate Sticks? I happened to have one at home, so I brought one for you."

Shin-chan stared at the Chocolate Stick, his mouth watering. Then he looked at Uchiha Toru. "Xiao Che."

"W-what?"

"You're my best friend!"

Uchiha Toru's face flushed slightly. "Don't, don't say it so exaggeratedly."

"Really." Shin-chan hugged him tightly. "Xiao Che is the best, a million times better than Chinjao."

"Don't compare me to Chinjao!"

"Ten thousand times better than natto."

"This is pretty much the same!"

Shin-chan let him go, picked up the Chocolate Stick, his serious expression like he was performing some sacred ritual.

Then he took a bite.

"Mmm."

Uchiha Toru watched him nervously, "How is it?"

Shin-chan closed his eyes, chewed slowly, and a look of intoxication appeared on his face.

"Delicious, so delicious, this is the best Chocolate Stick I've ever eaten."

"Really?"

"Mhm." Shin-chan opened his eyes and looked at Uchiha Toru, "Xiao Che, you should have a bite too."

"No need, it's for you."

"No way, half and half." Shin-chan broke the Chocolate Stick into two pieces, handing the longer half to Uchiha Toru, "Here."

Uchiha Toru stared at the half Chocolate Stick, stunned for a moment.

"This is yours."

"Friends share, you know." Shin-chan had already stuffed the other half into his mouth, "Besides, you treated me, so of course I have to share half with you."

Uchiha Toru looked at the half Chocolate Stick in his hand, and a strange feeling suddenly surged in his heart.

Warm, like Sunlight shining on his body.

Uchiha Toru took a bite.

"Is it delicious?" Shin-chan asked.

"Mhm." Uchiha Toru nodded, "It's delicious."

Shin-chan smiled, then remembered something, "Oh right, Xiao Che, do you like Bear Cookies?"

"They're okay."

"Then I'll bring some for you next time, my Mother bought a lot."

"Okay."

The two sat together, eating the same Chocolate Stick.

Outside the window, the sunlight was just right.

Might Guy passed by and saw this scene, his eyes welled up again.

"Youth, this is the youth of friendship!"

Shin-chan and Uchiha Toru looked at him at the same time.

"Might Guy, do you want some?" Shin-chan held up the last small piece in his hand, "Just a little left."

Might Guy froze for a moment, then tears streamed down his face.

"Shin-chan!"

He lunged over and hugged Shin-chan tightly.

"You are truly my best friend!"

"Let, let go, I can't breathe."

Teacher Ibuki was tidying up things on the lectern. Watching these children, his lips had just curved upwards when.

"What did you say?"

Obito's roar exploded from the corner, startling everyone.

Teacher Ibuki's smile froze on his face. Following the sound, he saw Obito leap to his feet, his small face flushed red, glaring at a boy in the back row.

"I said," Asuma repeated slowly, "What's so great about being Hokage? Always busy and never seen, doesn't even care about his son."

Obito clenched his fists: "The Hokage is the greatest ninja, he protects the Village, how can you say that?"

"That's my Old Man," Asuma rolled his eyes, "I know him better than you. He only knows work, work, work, and never cares about Home. What's the use of being great? He doesn't even have time to spend with his family."

Obito trembled with anger: "That's for the Village too, the Hokage sacrifices himself for everyone."

"Sacrifice?" Asuma stood up and met Obito's gaze, "Who wants his sacrifice? I'd rather he wasn't Hokage, just an Ordinary Dad."

"You don't deserve to be the Hokage's son!"

"Do you think I want to be?" Asuma's voice also grew louder, "Being watched everywhere I go, having to watch my Image in everything I do, it's so annoying!"

The two stood facing each other, their eyes almost spitting fire.

The surrounding children quieted down, watching the scene nervously.

Teacher Ibuki saw this Stance and panicked, quickly walking over: "Hey, hey, what are you doing?"

But neither Obito nor Asuma paid him any mind.

"Apologize," Obito roared. "Apologize to the Hokage."

"Why should I apologize? I'm telling the truth."

"You!"

Obito threw a punch. Asuma dodged sideways and shoved back, and the two began to wrestle.

"Stop it, all of you, stop it."

Teacher Ibuki rushed forward, trying to pull them apart, but he was only in his early twenties, a young teacher, and this was his first time encountering such a scene. He had no idea what to do.

Just as he grabbed Obito's arm, Asuma's leg swung out, nearly kicking him.

"Stop fighting!" Teacher Ibuki's voice was filled with anxiety and helplessness.

But the two children's eyes were red, and they couldn't hear anything. Some of the children around them cowered in fear, while others were excitedly cheering them on.

Kakashi sat in his seat, watching the scene expressionlessly, with no intention of intervening.

Rin stood up anxiously, "Stop fighting, you'll get hurt."

Might Guy also wanted to go pull them apart, but he was shoved away by the two.

The scene became more and more chaotic.

Shin-chan appeared between the two at some point. "Why are you fighting? Is it over the Chocolate Stick?"

"No," they said in unison.

"Then is it over the Pretty Big Sister?"

"No."

"Then is it over who gets to the toilet first?"

"Of course not."

Shin-chan tilted his head, looking confused. "Then why are you fighting?"

Obito pointed at Asuma. "He insulted the Hokage."

Asuma sneered. "I'm telling the truth."

Shin-chan blinked, looking at Obito, then at Asuma, and then asked, "Is your father the Hokage?"

"Yes."

"Then is your father very powerful?"

Asuma froze for a moment, then turned his face away. "What does it have to do with you whether he's powerful or not?"