The Meaning of Companionship

In a small grove in Konoha.

Uchiha Kei happily munched on Three-Color Dango.

Three people were tied up in front of him.

They were Naruto, sporting a bruised and swollen face; Sasuke, with a nosebleed; and Sakura, wearing a blank expression.

Naruto had completely forgotten the pain in his face. He stared fixedly at the Three-Color Dango in Uchiha Kei's hand.

It smelled so good... so sweet...

It looked so delicious!

Sasuke sniffed now and then, his nose aching.

He found the results of this entrance assessment hard to accept.

He could set aside the fact that he couldn't beat Uchiha Kei's Shadow Clone. After all, even his older brother admired Kei.

But when had Naruto gotten so strong?

Sasuke knew that under Uchiha Kei's tutelage, Naruto had long since left the ranks of the dead last. He'd thought he knew Naruto's true strength, too.

Naruto was stronger than him, but not by much.

Only three years. It had been just three years!

And Naruto had already mastered such a powerful ninjutsu!

When had he learned that dango-like technique?

Judging by the amount of chakra, that dango from earlier would have been enough to kill him several times over.

Sasuke gazed at Uchiha Kei with burning enthusiasm.

Following him would make him stronger!

Meanwhile, Sakura's mind was completely blank.

She couldn't accept what had happened today.

Uchiha Kei was one thing.

But how had Uzumaki Naruto gotten so strong?

Wasn't he the perennial dead last?

When had he gotten this powerful?

Even Sasuke couldn't compare!

"Naruto, you know you did terribly today, right?"

Holding the Three-Color Dango, Uchiha Kei sauntered over to the three of them.

"When carrying out a mission, a ninja has to stay absolutely calm. I've taught you that."

Naruto didn't react. He kept gazing longingly at the Three-Color Dango.

"But where was your calm today? The moment you saw Pink Girl in danger, you panicked and jumped out of a safe position without thinking. Were you in such a hurry to get yourself killed?"

Naruto reluctantly tore his gaze away from the Three-Color Dango.

"Staying calm is important, but you also said a mission isn't more important than your comrades, didn't you?"

Uchiha Kei smiled and stuffed the Three-Color Dango into his mouth.

"That's true, but there's a condition attached to that."

Naruto chewed eagerly, looking at him in confusion.

A condition?

Why hadn't Kei ever told him that before?

"What do you think a comrade is?"

Naruto struggled to swallow the dango in his mouth.

"Aren't you my comrade?"

Uchiha Kei tapped him on the head. "Anyone but me."

Naruto hesitated, then turned to look at Sasuke and Sakura.

"Aren't they my comrades, too?"

Uchiha Kei shook his head. "They aren't."

Sasuke froze. Sakura's face twisted with anger.

"A comrade is someone you can trust with your back. When you're in danger, they'll risk their life to protect you."

Naruto tilted his head. "But I risked my life to protect Sakura just now."

"That doesn't make you comrades. At best, it makes you a simp."

"You're a simp! You're a simp! You're the simp!"

Naruto lost his temper, baring his teeth and shouting at Uchiha Kei.

He'd spent three years with Kei and had heard all kinds of new expressions.

"Simp" was no exception.

Not only that, he knew it wasn't a nice word.

"Heh. A simp keeps simping and ends up with nothing."

Uchiha Kei ignored Naruto's snarling and carried on.

Sasuke and Sakura stared at the two of them, baffled.

Why had the whole mood suddenly changed?

"Remember, if they're true comrades, their lives will always matter more than the mission."

"Anyone who abandons their comrades for a mission is worse than a dog!"

Some leaves suddenly rustled in a tree not far away.

Uchiha Kei looked up at it.

"You're already here, so come on out."

Silence fell.

Naruto and the others stared at Uchiha Kei in confusion.

Who was he talking to?

Was there anyone else here besides them?

Naruto was about to ask when a nimble figure leaped down from the tree.

Silver hair, a mask covering half his face, and a Ninja Headband worn at an angle to cover one eye.

"Kakashi, have you been here long?"

Uchiha Kei greeted him casually.

He'd spent three years in Anbu, so naturally he knew Kakashi.

"Not too long. I just got here."

Hatake Kakashi answered with studied nonchalance.

But Uchiha Kei could tell from his stiff movements that he was troubled.

Uchiha Kei sighed.

Hatake Kakashi was one of the most tragic figures in the Naruto World.

He'd lost his father as a child, a friend as a boy, and, as a young man, been betrayed by a friend he'd thought was dead.

Yet even after all those misfortunes, Lord Kakashi still hadn't been broken.

Uchiha Kei had always liked Kakashi.

"You heard what I said just now?"

Kakashi didn't answer. He simply stood there in silence.

"About Hatake-senior..."

Kakashi raised a hand, cutting him off.

"I came here today to tell you that, as of today, you're no longer in Anbu."

After saying that, Kakashi tossed him a piece of paper and disappeared.

Uchiha Kei took the paper and shook his head.

Only Hatake Sakumo himself could move past what had happened. Anyone else would only add to his worries.

He opened the paper and skimmed it. It was just a notice declaring Uchiha Kei's departure from Anbu.

Putting it away, Uchiha Kei turned to the three of them.

"Let's get back to what we were talking about."

Uchiha Kei paused.

"Of the three of you, Sasuke actually did the best today."

Sasuke's face brightened, but his smugness quickly returned.

He sniffed back his nosebleed and listened attentively to what Uchiha Kei said next.

"Your strength was lacking, your brains were a little soggy, your movements were clumsy, and your tactics were childish..."

Sasuke was suddenly at a loss for words.

Was that supposed to be praise?

All he wanted to do now was sing a song.

"Listen, I want to thank you..."

"But!"

Uchiha Kei abruptly changed course.

"Why do you think they put three people on a team? It's so you can work together, not create problems for each other."

Uchiha Kei glanced at Sakura.

Sakura looked offended and turned away with a cold snort.

It was only her first day as a graduate!

It was only natural she wouldn't have any experience.

Why was he picking on her like this?

It had to be that damn Naruto's fault.

At that thought, Sakura glared viciously at Naruto.

Naruto looked confused.

Why was she looking at me like that? And so angrily...

This was so unfair...

"The one thing Sasuke did well was work with Naruto."

"Even if their teamwork was childish, at least they had the right idea."

Sasuke unconsciously puffed out his chest and looked at Naruto smugly.

Naruto felt even more wronged.

It was bad enough that Sakura was looking at me like that, but what's with you, Sasuke?

Come fight me one-on-one!

"As for Sakura Haruno... Hmph."

Uchiha Kei snorted.

"Your performance today was a complete pile of crap!"

Sakura's expression darkened further.

"Naruto was clearly trying to save you, but you attacked him without even checking what was happening, slowing him down."

"That was stupid!"

"An individual's stupidity is one thing, but when it gets a comrade hurt... someone like that..."

"Doesn't deserve to be a ninja!"

With that, Uchiha Kei grabbed the rope binding Sakura and tossed her toward a nearby tree, leaving her dangling from it upside down.

"As punishment, you're staying there for the rest of the day."

Sakura struggled furiously, her face full of indignation.

"Why? How dare you treat me like this!"

"I never asked him to save me! He made that choice himself!"

"Let me go! Let me go!"

Uchiha Kei shook his head.

Sakura had already been infuriating enough in the anime.

Who would've thought she'd be even more unlikeable in the real world?

Calling her big-breasted but empty-headed would be a compliment.

After all, she had no breasts...

He looked at the unfortunate Sasuke with sympathy.

So this was going to be your future wife.

Sasuke.

You've got a rough road ahead of you.