Sasuke, Naruto, and Yota

At Konoha Kindergarten, a group of children who looked about four or five were playing on the playground, laughing and joking in little clusters.

Among them was Naruto, his short blond hair bright in the sun. He was sharing a bag of chips with the chubby Choji. On Choji's other side, Shikamaru stared at the sky with a bored expression.

Since the Fourth Hokage remained unconscious, the Third Hokage still sent Naruto to be raised at an orphanage in order to keep his identity secret.

But with the Fourth Hokage still alive, Naruto was treated far better than in the original story. The Third Hokage not only instructed the orphanage to take good care of him, but also kept public opinion in check, preventing the villagers from fearing or discriminating against Naruto.

Naruto was naturally a cheerful, sunny child. Without being ostracized by his surroundings, he easily got along with the other children at kindergarten, including several members of the Konoha 12.

"Hm? That stuck-up guy."

While fighting Choji for the last chip, Naruto suddenly spotted Sasuke walking by himself, hands in his pockets and wearing an arrogant expression. Several little girls with hearts in their eyes followed behind him.

"Hmph! What's so great about him? He acts like he's the best in the world every single day!" Naruto said to Choji and Shikamaru. But that moment of distraction was all Choji needed to snatch the last chip.

Naruto hadn't spoken quietly. Not only had Sasuke heard him, but the girls following Sasuke had, too. They immediately launched into a chorus of taunts, leaving Naruto fuming.

Clearly, Naruto wasn't the type of boy little girls liked.

Sasuke smiled smugly at the sight and ignored Naruto, preparing to leave. But Naruto, with nowhere to direct his anger after being ganged up on by the girls, sprang forward and pointed at Sasuke. "Sasuke, you got the guts to fight me?"

After all, Naruto was a man among men. Even if he was angry, he couldn't take it out on the girls, so he could only set his sights on Sasuke.

Besides, those unfriendly-looking girls seemed even scarier than Sasuke.

"I'm from the Uchiha Clan, Naruto. I'm not interested in picking a fight with a commoner like you," Sasuke said coolly, lifting his chin.

As he spoke, Sasuke didn't turn around. He simply kept walking in the same direction, his hands still in his pockets.

Seeing Sasuke's composed, handsome demeanor, the girls shrieked wildly, clearly captivated by his presence. Naruto, meanwhile, was so enraged by Sasuke's arrogance that he nearly saw red.

"Ah! I can't take this guy anymore! I'm gonna teach him a lesson today!"

Before the words had even left his mouth, Naruto raised his fist and charged at Sasuke from behind. Shikamaru hurriedly reached out to stop him, but he was too late.

Hearing the commotion behind him, Sasuke's lips curled slightly. He spun around, caught Naruto's fist with one hand, and grabbed his outstretched arm with the other.

With a thud, Sasuke executed a flashy shoulder throw and sent Naruto tumbling, leaving him dizzy. The entire move had flowed seamlessly, showing off Sasuke's style and drawing another round of wild shrieks from the girls.

Just then, Sakura and Ino came out of the school building and happened to see what had happened. They immediately joined the girls in cheering Sasuke on.

As Sasuke and Naruto fought, Izumi, Itachi, and Kabuto watched the entertaining scene from beneath a tree not far from the kindergarten gate.

"Sasuke's pretty good, isn't he? Looks like he's inherited some of your skills from back then!" Izumi said with a smile to Itachi.

"He's just been practicing more than usual. And if they were really fighting, he wouldn't be a match for that blond boy." Itachi watched as Naruto quickly got back to his feet and spoke calmly.

Itachi didn't know that Naruto was the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, but his naturally keen senses let him detect the powerful vitality within Naruto.

Sasuke had more training and technique than the other boy, but Itachi could tell that even ten punches from Sasuke wouldn't do much damage. One solid punch from Naruto, on the other hand, might be enough to knock Sasuke down.

"I wasn't talking about his fighting skills. I meant his talent for attracting girls," Izumi added with a smile.

At her words, Itachi's eye twitched involuntarily. He pretended he hadn't heard anything.

"You're a bad guy! You're picking on Naruto!" A voice rang out, and a little boy about four or five stepped in front of Naruto.

The boy had long coffee-colored hair and wore a round hat. His round cheeks were dusted with two rosy patches, making him look very cute.

His name was Yota, and he was Naruto's best friend at kindergarten.

Yota hadn't originally been a resident of Konoha. Tsunade and Kabuto had brought him back when they returned to the village.

About two years earlier, Tsunade and Kabuto had been traveling when they came across Yota. He had already been gravely ill, but their powerful Medical Ninjutsu had saved his life.

However, Yota suffered from an incurable Kekkei Genkai Disease that could relapse. He needed ongoing treatment to have any chance of truly recovering. So Tsunade told him that if he wanted to keep receiving treatment, he would have to come with her.

Yota's parents hadn't wanted to part with their child, but they thought of his life and the fact that they would be going to Konoha, one of the safer places in the Ninja World. In the end, they agreed to let him leave with Tsunade and Kabuto.

After Tsunade taught Kabuto how to treat Yota, Kabuto became Yota's doctor and caretaker. Normally, outsiders like Yota couldn't easily settle in Konoha long-term, even if they were children.

But since Tsunade, the princess of Konoha and one of the Sannin, had personally brought him back, he only had to pass a simple review by the village's screening staff before being registered as a resident and allowed to stay.

"Yota, this has nothing to do with you. I suggest you stop sticking your nose into it. Besides, Naruto started it!" Sasuke snorted.

As he spoke, Sasuke cast Yota a haughty glance and said coolly, his hands in his pockets, "And you're just an outsider from another village. You really think you can stop me?"

Sasuke's words carried such an imposing air that all the children present were cowed by him. The spacious playground fell silent.

Seeing this, Yota was also startled by Sasuke's presence. He thought he was facing a powerful opponent.

Yota didn't dare take him lightly. He mustered all his strength and let out a loud shout. Suddenly, a heavy snowfall swept from where Yota stood toward Sasuke, piling up around him until he was a snowman with only his head sticking out.

Thanks, everyone, for your support, as always!

Also, Konoha had a kindergarten in the original story!

The Third Hokage gave a speech at the kindergarten, and before entering the Ninja Academy, someone mentioned that they and so-and-so had been classmates. Konoha Kindergarten also appeared in Boruto.