Over the next few days, besides his daily training and receiving information about the village's clans from Fugaku Uchiha,
Sasuke also thought about how to take his relationship with Naruto a step further.
But clearly, Sasuke was overthinking it.
Naruto at this age... didn't need him to think about those things.
As long as Sasuke wanted to get close, Naruto would wholeheartedly treat him well.
When faced with Sasuke and Sakura, the girl he liked, Naruto would now choose Sasuke without hesitation!
That... was the sorrow of the Fourth Hokage's son, the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki...
"Sasuke, I didn't bring anything. Is that really okay?"
"Sasuke, are these clothes of mine too old?"
"Sasuke, I..."
"Enough. You're my friend. You don't need to worry so much about visiting a friend's house."
Faced with Naruto's endless chatter, Sasuke felt a little helpless.
That kind of coaxing, like he was talking to a little kid, even made Sasuke feel awkward.
But... it worked on five-year-old Naruto!
"Mm!"
Naruto smiled and nodded emphatically.
That's right, it was already the weekend.
Early that morning, Sasuke had gone to Naruto's place to wait for him.
Now, the two of them were heading toward the Uchiha Compound.
Although Naruto was still wearing his "newest" clothes, he was still nervous about visiting a friend's house for the first time.
Are they following us?
At that moment, Sasuke's powerful mental energy, honed over two lifetimes, allowed him to sense a group of people tailing them.
Without a doubt, they were Anbu.
If they were Root Organization members, they probably would have acted already.
On the surface, Sasuke chatted with Naruto with a smile.
Secretly, however, he kept an eye on the Anbu's movements.
Fortunately, they weren't crazy enough to attack a child like him outright.
Soon, the two of them saw the Uchiha Compound in the distance.
"Naruto, this is my home."
"I've already told my mother. Let's go right in."
"We'll have a big meal soon, so you should work up an appetite first!"
Sasuke took Naruto by the hand and led him straight into Fugaku Uchiha's residence.
The Anbu stopped outside the Uchiha Clan's grounds.
Without the Hokage's orders, the Anbu couldn't invade any clan's territory.
Let alone the clan head's residence.
For now, all they could do was wait for Hiruzen Sarutobi's response.
Meanwhile, inside the Hokage Office.
"The Uchiha brat took the Jinchuriki to the Uchiha Compound?!"
"What are they planning?"
"Are they going to use the Sharingan to control the Nine-Tails again and wage war against the village?"
"Could it be that our forcing them to relocate their compound last time has driven the Uchiha Clan to desperate measures?"
Utatane Koharu looked deeply uneasy.
The Uchiha now had veteran powerhouses like Fugaku Uchiha, Uchiha Nagasawa, and Uchiha Natsume.
They also had rising new talents like Uchiha Shisui and Uchiha Itachi.
If those people all rebelled together, with the Nine-Tails' power on top of that, could Konoha really withstand them?
"I think this is just a matter between children."
"The Uchiha Clan resents the Nine-Tails no less than anyone else in the village."
"Besides, if Fugaku's second son takes the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki back with him, perhaps we won't have to do anything. The Uchiha will throw the Nine-Tails out themselves."
"There's no need to worry so much."
Mitokado Homura was more optimistic.
After all, the Nine-Tails Rebellion had been the reason they'd forced the Uchiha to relocate in the first place.
"Whether or not the Uchiha have such intentions, we must nip this danger in the bud!"
"Let me handle it."
Danzo spoke with a sinister expression.
Danzo wasn't a bandage-wearing man yet.
He looked rather like a hardline militarist.
"It's just a matter between children."
"And perhaps you've forgotten what I've been doing all along."
"Don't worry. If the Uchiha were truly capable, they wouldn't have been forced to the edge of the village."
"Just have the Anbu keep an eye on things."
At last, Hiruzen Sarutobi spoke.
His expression was as calm as ever. He seemed not to have heard their concerns at all.
"Third, you'd better..."
Utatane Koharu started to say something, but then saw Mitokado Homura already heading out of the Hokage Office.
In the end, she said nothing more and turned to leave.
"Why?"
Once the two of them were gone, Danzo glared at Hiruzen Sarutobi, clearly displeased.
"Now isn't the time for the Uchiha to disappear."
Hiruzen Sarutobi said only that, then lowered his head and continued taking care of the village's affairs.
Danzo clenched his fist but said nothing more.
He vanished with the Body Flicker Technique.
After everyone had left, the slight tremor in Hiruzen Sarutobi's hand as he held his pen betrayed his true feelings.
There were things he had to weigh carefully.
He couldn't be like those three and look only to his immediate interests.
Uchiha... I hope you won't do anything that puts me in a difficult position.
The scene shifted back to the Uchiha Compound.
"Thwip, thwip, thwip..."
Several Kunai landed squarely in the distant human-shaped target.
"Sasuke, I did it!"
"So I have to use my hand to control the Kunai's direction."
"And I don't need to throw it with as much force as possible, either."
Naruto had hit the target with a Kunai for the first time, and his face was lit with excitement!
"Good. Now it's just a matter of practice."
"And when throwing Kunai or Shuriken, you need to take your surroundings into account."
"We'll start on that this afternoon."
Sasuke praised him, then led Naruto out of the training ground.
He was hungry.
Besides, today wasn't just about training with Naruto!
They went into the living room.
Lunch was already prepared.
"Hello, ma'am!"
"Mom."
Fugaku and Itachi weren't home; only Mikoto Uchiha was there.
Faced with a table full of delicious food, Naruto was eager to dig in, but he still politely greeted her first.
"You're Naruto, right?"
"Sasuke told me you're his best friend."
"You're at home now, so don't be shy. Make yourself at home."
"By the way, after you eat, try on some clothes. I prepared a few outfits for you."
"And you don't have to go home tonight. You can sleep with Sasuke."
Mikoto looked at Naruto. Her heart softened, but she still spoke with a warm smile.
"But..."
"Thank you, ma'am!"
Naruto had never known how to refuse, and when faced with someone's kindness and sincerity, he found it even harder to say anything.
All he could do was offer a heartfelt thanks.
Tears of happiness glistened in the corners of his eyes.
But he didn't have time to be touched for long.
If he kept getting emotional, Sasuke would eat all the food on the table...
Before you continue