The Handsome Lad Famous Throughout Ten Miles and Eight Villages

The next morning.

"The warm sunlight spills across the earth, the breeze brushes my face with a hint of damp soil and the fragrance of green grass. Looking up, I see a beam of light..."

Yuki Yuichi stood at the front gate, shielding his eyes from the sun as a ray of light shone onto the tip of his nose through the gaps between his fingers.

"I look up and see a beam of light, illuminating the path at the edge of the sky."

"I look down and see a dream, and in that dream, there is only you," Yuki Yuichi said, gazing at Yuhi Kurenai beside him, completely oblivious to the dark expression on Yuhi Shinku's face nearby.

"Yuichi-kun, you're so annoying~" Yuhi Kurenai's small face flushed red, and she twisted the corner of her shirt in a slightly awkward manner, though despite her shyness, a happy smile remained on her face.

"I also felt last night..."

Before Yuhi Kurenai could finish her sentence, Yuhi Shinku glared fiercely at Yuki Yuichi and gave a light cough to interrupt his daughter's flow. "If you don't head to the Ninja Academy to report now, you'll be late."

Having her flow interrupted, Yuhi Kurenai pouted at her father. Dad is so annoying, Brother Yuichi is still the best!

"Don't worry, Uncle Shinku, I will definitely take good care of Kurenai!" Yuki Yuichi immediately patted his chest in assurance.

It's precisely because you're there that I'm worried...

Yuhi Shinku glanced at Yuki Yuichi and then spoke up: "Today is the first day of school; let me take you two there."

"Actually, there's no need to see us off. As the most handsome young man in the entire region, I'm probably more familiar with the village than you are," Yuki Yuichi said, taking Yuhi Kurenai's small hand as he prepared to leave.

"That's right!" Yuhi Kurenai also revealed a smile, swinging Yuki Yuichi's hand as she looked at Yuhi Shinku with her large, red-pupiled eyes: "We don't want Dad to see us off!"

Hearing this, Yuhi Shinku's fists tightened. That wretched brat, what kind of bad karma did I accumulate to even think about adopting him?!

He had originally thought about raising him as a godson, but looking at it now, this wasn't a godson—this was a son-in-law!

His little cabbage was being completely bewitched by this brat.

Even though they said they didn't want him to see them off, since it was his two little ones' first day of school, he had to go regardless.

Yuhi Shinku followed behind them, watching the two holding hands, and the corners of his mouth couldn't help but curl up in an almost imperceptible arc.

Although he was a bit annoyed, if it had to be someone stealing his little cabbage, Yuki Yuichi wasn't entirely out of the question.

Even though he was mischievous and didn't act like a proper adult, he knew that Yuki Yuichi was a good kid.

Besides, growing up with Kurenai meant there was no need to worry about their feelings for each other.

"Uncle Hayata, good morning, selling fish again?"

"Sister Naiko, good morning."

"Sister Yukiko, you look so fair today."

"Uncle Nohara, good morning."

As they walked, Yuki Yuichi greeted everyone he saw, leaving Yuhi Shinku, who was following behind, speechless.

I'm a Jonin, yet I don't know as many villagers as you do.

"Yo, Kakashi!" Yuki Yuichi's eyes lit up when he saw Kakashi, and he trotted over with Kurenai.

"Good morning, Kakashi."

"Good morning..." Seeing it was Yuki Yuichi, Kakashi took a step back without a change in expression, while simultaneously pulling his mask up a little higher.

Every time he saw this guy, he would try to ambush his mask.

"Kakashi, you can't be like that," Hatake Sakumo said, pushing him forward after seeing Kakashi's reaction.

"When meeting a friend, you should be more enthusiastic."

"He's not my friend..." Kakashi retorted.

He had only met Yuki Yuichi a few times, and that was just while playing ninja games.

"That still won't do; it's impolite behavior."

Hatake Sakumo continued his instruction: "You must be polite to everyone."

What a gentle person, Yuki Yuichi thought silently to himself as he heard Hatake Sakumo's words.

Hatake Sakumo was the man who had carved out the name White Fang of the Leaf in the ninja world, possessing genuine Kage-level strength.

It was rare to find such a gentle personality in a figure of such renown.

However, looking at Kakashi, who was rolling his eyes, Yuki Yuichi looked at him with a hint of pity.

Poor kid, you won't even have the chance to be like this in the future.

The trees desire stillness, but the wind will not cease; the child wishes to provide for his parents, but they are no longer there.

"Shinku, long time no see," Hatake Sakumo said, finishing his lesson with Kakashi before turning to look at Yuhi Shinku.

"Long time no see, Brother Sakumo."

Yuhi Shinku also offered a greeting; there were only so many Jonin in Konoha, and they all knew each other.

"Kakashi, are you really not going to let me see what's under your mask?" Yuki Yuichi leaned in toward Kakashi, draping an arm over his shoulder with a familiar air.

"My name is Kakashi, not Kakashi-kashi!" Kakashi looked at Yuki Yuichi helplessly, unable to understand why he was so obsessed with taking off his mask.

"Alright Copy Ninja, no problem Copy Ninja."

As they walked and chatted, Hatake Sakumo watched Yuki Yuichi clinging to his son and revealed a smile.

"Is Kakashi enrolling this year as well?"

"Mm, that's right." Hatake Sakumo nodded in response. "He's reached the age."

"Sending him to the Ninja Academy will certainly save me a lot of trouble."

Yuhi Shinku glanced at Yuki Yuichi and nodded in deep agreement. "Treating the Ninja Academy like a daycare center is a pretty good choice, hahahaha."

Hearing Yuhi Shinku's words, Hatake Sakumo nodded as well, then looked at him with the gaze of a kindred spirit.

Yuhi Shinku felt exactly the same.

In that moment, two single men saw eye to eye.

Up ahead, Yuki Yuichi leaned in close to Kakashi, while Yuhi Kurenai followed behind them, hands clasped behind her back, skipping along.

"Say, Copy Ninja, are you really not going to let me see your true face?"

Hearing this, blue veins bulged on Kakashi's forehead, his hands clenched into fists, and it looked like he was about to lose his patience.

But just then, Might Guy's voice, brimming with youth, rang out. "Yuichi, his name is Kakashi, Hatake Kakashi."

Only then did Yuki Yuichi realize, a beat too late, that they had already arrived at the gates of the Ninja Academy.

Might Duy and Might Guy had appeared before them at some point.

"Yo, youngster, we meet again!" Might Duy grinned at Yuki Yuichi, flashing his snow-white teeth while giving him a thumbs-up.

"Uncle Duy, long time no see!" Yuki Yuichi grinned back and gave a thumbs-up in return.

Might Duy was Konoha's eternal genin; he couldn't use ninjutsu and spent every day training his taijutsu in the village like a fool, so almost everyone in Konoha mocked him.

This mockery even extended to young Might Guy.

But Yuki Yuichi was the exception. Knowing the situation from the original story, he didn't look down on Might Duy and Might Guy like everyone else did.

Are you kidding? One of them had beaten the Seven Ninja Swordsmen into a trio of mascots, and the other had nearly kicked his way to the series finale.

Besides, Might Guy was the type who would truly open the Eight Gates for a friend; who knew when he might save his life?

To mock such people instead of rushing to befriend them would be truly losing one's mind.