The next morning.
Yuhi Kurenai pulled Yuki Yuichi out of bed.
Rubbing his bleary eyes, Yuki Yuichi yawned and asked, "Kurenai, why are you getting me up so early?"
"I still want to sleep."
At his words, Yuhi Kurenai puffed out her cheeks and complained, "Yuichi, we have to go to school!"
Yuhi Kurenai's words woke Yuki Yuichi right up.
He was a grade-schooler now. He was no longer at an age when he could sleep in without anyone minding.
Thinking about it, Yuki Yuichi sighed, slowly got dressed, then took the breakfast from the table and headed out with Yuhi Kurenai.
Yuhi Shinku wasn't home that morning. He had just left breakfast and lunch money for the two of them on the table.
Yuhi Shinku was now a jonin leading a team, and he was also in charge of a squad of recently graduated Genin.
He went out every morning and came back in the afternoon.
As Yuki Yuichi and Yuhi Kurenai walked down the road, he looked at the money in his hand. There was a little more than before.
Yuhi Shinku had been happy for a long time after Yuki Yuichi awakened his Sharingan yesterday.
He kept telling Yuki Yuichi what a good job he'd done, right up until bedtime.
Maybe that was why he'd given them a little more money.
Honestly, seeing Yuhi Shinku like that had moved Yuki Yuichi.
Without Yuhi Shinku and Yuhi Kurenai, he could never have adjusted to this world so quickly.
Even if a mature adult became a baby and grew up in this world, without bonds with the people around him, he would never truly fit in.
Someone like that would only feel like an outsider looking at the people around him and the world itself.
Yuki Yuichi had felt that way during the first few months after he transmigrated.
It was an awful feeling—lonely, isolating, and cold. In short, it was miserable.
Looking at Yuhi Kurenai skipping along ahead of him, Yuki Yuichi couldn't help smiling.
He wanted power for no other reason than Yuhi Shinku and Yuhi Kurenai.
He wanted to protect the people close to him.
He wanted to make sure Yuhi Shinku wouldn't die because of the Nine-Tails.
And there were plenty of ways to change that outcome.
He could take Yuhi Kurenai and Yuhi Shinku and hide from the Night of the Nine-Tails, or he could change certain things so those events never happened.
The first option was simple, but it came with too many uncertainties.
So he chose the second path: change certain things.
Yuki Yuichi kept his eyes on Yuhi Kurenai's back, his expression softening.
If he could, he wanted Kurenai to experience the kind of life he'd had in his previous world.
Everyone thought of him as a troublemaker, but that was just an act to help him trigger achievements.
In his previous life, Yuki Yuichi had been a struggling author. He wouldn't say he was a good person, but he wasn't a bad one, either.
He was a little devious and a little sharp-tongued. Like many people, his personality was full of contradictions.
But he had the conscience of an ordinary person. Though he liked Konoha as it was now, he really couldn't stand this world.
There were so many ninjutsu and other techniques, yet they were used only to fight!
Wouldn't they be better used for farming?!
As he was thinking, Yuhi Kurenai turned around and blinked at him. "Yuichi, you're acting weird today!"
"How am I acting weird?" Yuki Yuichi came back to himself and smiled at her.
"You're not even holding my hand~"
Yuhi Kurenai held out her little hand and coaxed, "You always hold my hand when we walk~"
At her words, Yuki Yuichi hurried over and took her hand.
Their joined hands swung back and forth.
Yuki Yuichi turned to her with a cheeky grin. "I was just thinking about something and got a little distracted."
"What were you thinking about?" Yuhi Kurenai asked, puzzled.
"I was thinking about how there could be such a cute girl as you in this world."
Yuki Yuichi's words made Yuhi Kurenai's little face turn bright red.
"Yuichi, you're teasing me again~"
Yuhi Kurenai's voice was soft and sweet. Though her words were a complaint, to Yuki Yuichi they sounded like she was acting coy.
Looking at her flushed little face, Yuki Yuichi couldn't help sighing to himself.
Cute as a kid, a gorgeous older-sister type when she grew up.
Perfect. I liked that.
(Adult Kurenai)
The two chatted and joked as they made their way to the Ninja Academy.
Since Yuhi Kurenai had gotten up early, Yuki Yuichi had gotten up early too. When they arrived in the classroom, only a few students were there.
When Yuki Yuichi walked in holding Yuhi Kurenai's little hand, everyone in the classroom turned to look.
Some of the boys watched Yuki Yuichi with envy and jealousy.
Some of the girls looked at Yuhi Kurenai the same way.
After yesterday's getting-to-know-you session, the students had already become acquainted.
Among them, Yuhi Kurenai and Hyuga Natsu were the most popular with the boys. But Yuhi Kurenai was always with Yuki Yuichi, and their relationship made most of the boys give up on pursuing her.
Hyuga Natsu, meanwhile, seemed so aloof that none of the boys dared approach her.
As for the boys, Kakashi and Yuki Yuichi were the most popular with the girls.
One was a white-haired little boss in a mask.
The other was Yuki Yuichi, with his red hair and the excellent genes of the Uchiha.
Even Uchiha Obito, who looked so plain, was actually quite handsome. It was just that his clothes looked so unfashionable, and his goggles hid his good looks.
The attention from their classmates didn't make Yuki Yuichi or Yuhi Kurenai uncomfortable.
As they took their seats, more and more students filed into the classroom.
When the bell rang, Umino Ikkaku walked in.
He looked around the room and frowned. "Where's Obito?"
"Does anyone know where Uchiha Obito went?"
Umino Ikkaku asked with a frown. Had that Uchiha kid skipped class?
He had taught a few Uchiha students before, and he knew how conceited they could be.
Skipping class was definitely something they might do.
Just then, Nohara Rin, who was sitting in the middle of the room, raised her hand and said, "Obito probably ran into someone who needed help on the way here."
"Hm?"
Umino Ikkaku was taken aback. He thought Nohara Rin was joking.
Uchiha. Helping people.
He couldn't see how those two things went together.
But seeing how serious Nohara Rin looked, Umino Ikkaku didn't criticize her, even though he didn't believe her. He simply nodded.
"In that case, let's start class."
"Everyone, take out your Fifty Sounds textbook and turn to..."
Umino Ikkaku had barely finished speaking when Uchiha Obito's voice came from outside the door.
He seemed to have run all the way there. Panting, he braced his hands on his knees and apologized to Umino Ikkaku. "I'm sorry, sir!"
"I ran into an old lady crossing the road, and helping her across made me late."
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