The Handsome Young Man Famous for Miles Around

The next morning.

"The gentle sunlight spilled across the earth, and the breeze brushed my face, carrying the faint scent of soil and fresh grass. I looked up and saw a ray of light..."

Yuki Yuichi stood at the gate, shielding his eyes from the sun. A ray of light slipped between his fingers and fell on the tip of his nose.

"I looked up and saw a ray of light, illuminating the road at the edge of the sky."

"I looked down and saw a dream, and in that dream there was only you." As Yuki Yuichi spoke, he looked at Yuhi Kurenai beside him, completely oblivious to the dark look on Yuhi Shinku's face.

"Yuichi, you're so mean~" Yuhi Kurenai blushed, bashfully pinching the hem of her clothes. Though she was embarrassed, a happy smile graced her face.

"Last night, I also..."

Before Yuhi Kurenai could finish, Yuhi Shinku glared viciously at Yuki Yuichi and interrupted her with a cough. "If you don't get to the Ninja Academy soon, you'll be late."

Interrupted, Yuhi Kurenai pouted at her father. Dad was so annoying. Big Brother Yuichi was much better!

"Don't worry, Uncle Shinku. I'll take good care of Kurenai!" Yuki Yuichi immediately thumped his chest and promised.

You're the one who makes me worry...

Yuhi Shinku glanced at Yuki Yuichi, then spoke. "It's the first day of school, so I'll take you there."

"There's really no need. As a handsome young man famous for miles around, I might know the village better than you do." As Yuki Yuichi spoke, he took Yuhi Kurenai's little hand and started to leave.

"Exactly!" Yuhi Kurenai smiled too, swinging Yuki Yuichi's hand as she looked at Yuhi Shinku with her big red eyes. "We don't want Dad to take us!"

Hearing this, Yuhi Shinku clenched his fists. Damn that brat. What had he done in a past life to make him think adopting the boy was a good idea?!

He'd intended to raise him as a godson. But looking at things now, this wasn't raising a godson—it was raising a son-in-law!

The brat had Kurenai wrapped around his little finger.

Even though they said they didn't need him to escort them, there was no way he'd let his two little ones go to school for the first time without seeing them off.

Yuhi Shinku followed behind them, watching the two walk hand in hand. The corner of his mouth lifted almost imperceptibly.

Though he wasn't exactly pleased, the one who'd stolen his little girl was Yuki Yuichi. He could live with that.

He might be mischievous and get up to no good, but Yuhi Shinku knew Yuki Yuichi was a good kid.

And since he and Kurenai had grown up together, there was no need to worry about their feelings for each other.

"Good morning, Uncle Hayata. Selling fish again?"

"Good morning, Naiko."

"Good morning, Yukiko. Your skin is so fair."

"Good morning, Uncle Nohara."

As they walked, Yuki Yuichi greeted everyone he saw. Following behind them, Yuhi Shinku was left speechless.

I'm a jonin, and you know more villagers than I do.

"Hey, Kakashi!" Yuki Yuichi's eyes lit up when he spotted Kakashi. He hurried over with Kurenai.

"Good morning, Kakashi."

"Morning..." Seeing that it was Yuki Yuichi, Kakashi quietly took a step back and tugged his mask higher.

Every time he saw this guy, he tried to sneakily pull off Kakashi's mask.

"Kakashi, that's not very nice." Seeing what his son had done, Hatake Sakumo nudged him forward.

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

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

He'd only met Yuki Yuichi a few times, and those had been while playing ninja games.

"That doesn't matter. It's still rude."

Hatake Sakumo continued his lesson. "You should be polite to everyone."

What a gentle man.

Hearing Hatake Sakumo's words, Yuki Yuichi thought to himself.

Hatake Sakumo was the man who had made a name for himself in the Shinobi World as Konoha's White Fang. He was a genuine Kage Level ninja.

It wasn't every day you met someone so famous who was also so gentle.

Still, when he looked at Kakashi, who was rolling his eyes, Yuki Yuichi couldn't help feeling sorry for him.

Poor kid. Before long, you won't even get the chance to act like this.

The tree longs for peace, but the wind won't cease; a child longs to care for their parents, but they're no longer there.

"Shinku, it's been a long time." After finishing his lesson with Kakashi, Hatake Sakumo turned to Yuhi Shinku.

"It has, Sakumo."

Yuhi Shinku greeted him too. There weren't many jonin in Konoha, so they all knew one another.

"Hey, Kakashi, really not going to let me see what's under that mask?" Yuki Yuichi moved in close and draped an arm over Kakashi's shoulder, acting as if they were old friends.

"My name is Kakashi, not Koko!" Kakashi looked at Yuki Yuichi helplessly. He couldn't understand why the boy was so determined to take off his mask.

"Sure thing, Koko. No problem, Copy Ninja."

As they walked along, chatting, Hatake Sakumo watched Yuki Yuichi drape an arm over his son's shoulder and smiled.

"Is Kakashi starting school this year too?"

"Yeah." Hatake Sakumo nodded. "He's old enough."

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

Yuhi Shinku glanced at Yuki Yuichi and nodded in agreement. "The Ninja Academy makes a pretty good daycare, haha."

Hearing Yuhi Shinku, Hatake Sakumo nodded too, then looked at him with the expression of a kindred spirit.

Yuhi Shinku returned the look.

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

Up ahead, Yuki Yuichi walked beside Kakashi, while Yuhi Kurenai followed behind them, her hands clasped behind her back as she skipped along.

"By the way, Copy Ninja, you really won't let me see your true face?"

At those words, veins bulged on Kakashi's forehead. His fists clenched, and he looked ready to lose his patience.

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

Only then did Yuki Yuichi realize that they'd arrived at the entrance to the Ninja Academy.

Might Duy and Might Guy had appeared in front of them at some point.

"Hey, young man! We meet again!" Might Duy grinned at Yuki Yuichi, flashing his white teeth as he gave him a thumbs-up.

"Uncle Duy, it's been a long time!" Yuki Yuichi grinned back and raised his own thumb.

Might Duy was Konoha's eternal Genin. He couldn't use ninjutsu, and every day he trained in Taijutsu around the village like some kind of fool. As a result, nearly everyone in Konoha mocked him.

And that mockery had even spilled over onto the young Might Guy.

But Yuki Yuichi was different. He knew how things went in the original story and didn't look down on Might Duy and Might Guy like everyone else.

Come on, one of them had beaten the Seven Ninja Swordsmen so badly that only three lucky survivors remained, and the other had nearly kicked the story to its conclusion.

Besides, Might Guy really would open the Eight Gates for a friend. Who knew, he might save Yuki Yuichi's life one day.

It would be crazy not to make friends with someone like that and instead go around mocking him.