The evening breeze stirred the shop's curtain.
Inside the Ichiraku Ramen Shop.
All three were enjoying their meal. Naruto, especially, polished off bowl after bowl. Where did he put it all? Maybe Kurama was sneaking some of it.
Kimura Takuya grumbled inwardly, then heard Sasuke speak beside him.
"So you did all this to teach me that lesson?"
"Yeah, that was one reason. The other was to help you awaken your Sharingan."
By now, Sasuke had naturally realized that he had awakened his Sharingan.
He eagerly asked Kimura Takuya,
"Why? Why would you help me? And I still don't even know who you are."
"Me? I'm Kimura Takuya, just a civilian genius. I happened to learn about Uchiha Itachi's accomplishments.
"He graduated at seven and became a Genin, awakened his Sharingan at eight, was promoted to Chunin at ten, and became an Anbu squad leader at thirteen.
"A genius like that filled me with admiration, like a mighty river flowing without end.
"So I've always looked up to your brother. Now that his name has been cleared, I happened to run into you and help you out."
Kimura Takuya took a sip of the broth. It really was delicious.
Faced with Sasuke's questions, he casually spun a whole string of nonsense.
Sasuke fell silent after hearing him. He knew his brother's record better than anyone.
Whenever people brought it up in the past, if they spoke too slowly, Sasuke would quickly jump in and proudly recite it himself.
Back then, Itachi had been the person he admired most, without question. In his heart, even his father couldn't compare to his brother.
But his father and mother had both been killed by his brother.
Whatever the reason, that fact wouldn't change.
He no longer knew how to face his brother.
Seeing