The Shockwaves Among the Higher-Ups!

Over the next few days, aside from his daily training and receiving intelligence about the village and the clan from Fugaku Uchiha, Sasuke spent his time pondering how to further his relationship with Naruto.

However, it was clear that Sasuke was overthinking things.

At this age, Naruto... didn't need to worry about such matters.

As long as Sasuke wanted to get close, Naruto would treat him with wholehearted devotion.

When faced with a choice between Sasuke and Sakura, the girl he liked, Naruto would now choose Sasuke without a moment's hesitation!

This... was the tragedy of the Fourth Hokage's son, the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki...

"Sasuke, I didn't bring anything, is that really okay?"

"Sasuke, is this outfit of mine too old?"

"Sasuke, I..."

"Alright, you're my friend. You don't need to overthink things when visiting a friend's house."

Facing Naruto's incessant chatter, Sasuke felt somewhat helpless.

This kind of talk, meant to coax a child, made even Sasuke feel awkward.

Yet... for a five-year-old Naruto, it was effective!

"Yeah!"

Naruto nodded vigorously, a bright smile on his face.

That's right, today was the weekend.

Sasuke had arrived at Naruto's residence early in the morning to wait for him.

Now, the two were heading in the direction of the Uchiha clan grounds.

Although Naruto was still wearing his "newest" clothes, the prospect of visiting a friend's house for the first time still made him nervous.

"Are they following?"

At this moment, the sensory perception brought about by Sasuke's powerful mental strength—honed over two lifetimes—had already detected a group of people trailing them.

Without a doubt, these were Anbu.

If they had been from Root, they likely would have made a move by now.

On the surface, Sasuke chatted with Naruto with a smile.

In secret, however, he was observing the Anbu's movements.

Fortunately, they weren't crazy enough to directly attack a child like him.

Soon, the two saw the Uchiha clan grounds in the distance.

"Naruto, this is my home."

"I've already told my mother, so let's head straight in."

"We'll be having a big feast later, so make sure to save some room!"

Sasuke pulled Naruto along and walked straight into Fugaku Uchiha's residence.

The Anbu members stopped outside the Uchiha clan's perimeter.

Without a direct order from the Hokage, the Anbu were not permitted to intrude into the interior of any clan, let alone the residence of a clan head.

For now, they could only wait for a response from Hiruzen Sarutobi.

Meanwhile, inside the Hokage Office.

"That Uchiha brat has lured the Jinchuriki into the Uchiha compound?!"

"What are they planning?"

"Are they preparing to use the Sharingan to control the Nine-Tails again and wage war on the village?"

"Could it be that our previous demand for them to relocate their clan grounds has forced the Uchiha to burn their bridges?"

Koharu Utatane looked uneasy.

The current Uchiha clan possessed veteran powerhouses like Fugaku Uchiha, Uchiha Nagasawa, and Uchiha Natsume.

There were also rising young geniuses like Uchiha Shisui and Uchiha Itachi.

If these guys were to rebel together, combined with the power of the Nine-Tails, could Konoha truly withstand it?

"I believe this is merely a matter between children."

"The Uchiha clan's resentment toward the Nine-Tails is no less than anyone else's in the village."

"Besides, if Fugaku's second son brings the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki back, we might not even need to do anything; the Uchiha themselves will likely throw the Nine-Tails out."

"There is no need to be so worried."

Homura Mitokado was rather optimistic.

After all, the very reason they had forced the Uchiha to relocate was the Nine-Tails Rebellion.

"Regardless of whether the Uchiha harbor such thoughts, we must nip the danger in the bud!"

"Let me handle it."

Danzo spoke with a gloomy expression.

At this time, Danzo was not yet the man covered in bandages.

He appeared to have quite the iron-fisted, hardline demeanor.

"It is merely a matter between children."

"Besides, you may have forgotten what I have been doing all along."

"Rest assured, if the Uchiha truly possessed such strength, they would not have been forced to the edge of the village."

"Let us leave this matter to the Anbu to observe."

Finally, Hiruzen Sarutobi spoke.

He maintained his usual indifferent expression, as if he had not heard the concerns of the others at all.

"Third, you had better..."

Koharu Utatane had intended to say something, but she saw that Homura Mitokado was already walking out of the Hokage Office.

In the end, she did not continue and turned to leave.

"Why?"

Once the two had left, Danzo stared at Hiruzen Sarutobi with deep dissatisfaction.

"Now is not the time for the Uchiha to disappear."

After Hiruzen Sarutobi said this simple sentence, he lowered his head and continued to process the village's official business.

Danzo clenched his fists, said nothing more, and vanished from the room using the Body Flicker Technique.

After everyone had left, the slight trembling of the pen in Hiruzen Sarutobi's hand betrayed his true thoughts.

There were some things he had to weigh carefully.

He could not be like those three, looking only at the interests right in front of them.

Uchiha... I hope you do not do anything that puts me in a difficult position.

The scene shifts back to the Uchiha compound.

"Thwip, thwip, thwip..."

Several kunai landed firmly on the humanoid target in the distance.

"Sasuke, I did it!"

"So, it's about using your hand to control the direction of the kunai."

"And it's not that the more force you use, the better."

It was Naruto's first time hitting the target with a kunai, and he could not hide the excitement on his face!

"Not bad. Next, it's just a matter of practice making perfect."

"Also, when throwing kunai or shuriken, you need to assess the surrounding environment."

"We can start on that this afternoon."

Sasuke praised him, then led Naruto out of the training ground.

Because he was hungry.

Besides, his goal for today was not just to accompany Naruto in his training!

They arrived in the living room.

Lunch was already prepared.

"Hello, Auntie!"

"Mother."

Aside from Mikoto Uchiha, Fugaku and Itachi were not at home.

Facing a table full of delicious food, although Naruto was eager to start eating, he still greeted her politely.

"Naruto, right?"

"Sasuke told me you are his best friend."

"Don't be shy while you're here; just treat this like your own home."

"Oh, and after you finish eating, go try on some clothes. I've prepared a few outfits for you."

"Also, don't head back tonight; stay and sleep with Sasuke."

Mikoto looked at Naruto before her, and though her heart was touched, she still spoke with nothing but a gentle smile.

"But..."

"Thank you, Auntie!"

Naruto, who had never understood the meaning of refusal, found himself even more at a loss for words when faced with such genuine kindness and sincerity.

He could only offer his heartfelt thanks.

The corners of his eyes even brimmed with happy tears.

However, he didn't have any more time to be moved.

Because if he stayed touched for any longer, Sasuke was going to finish off every dish on the table...