Life Is a Play; If You Want to Live, You Need Acting Skills

A Luo...

Sasuke had just passed through a patch of forest. After coming out, he found a hidden spot to rest, only to turn and see A Luo floating beside him.

His mouth opened soundlessly. His younger brother's sudden appearance startled him.

Instead of waiting for him at home, had something happened?

"Don't worry, Brother. I just wanted to come see you. Once you get home, I'll find a chance to explain."

A Luo rarely addressed him so directly as Brother.

After confirming that Sasuke had realized something was wrong, he drifted slightly and pointed out a direction for Sasuke to keep running.

Today's wilderness training required them to find intelligence hidden in the forest. Their rankings would be determined by the completeness of the information they collected and the time they reached the finish line.

As Sasuke looked around and continued onward in search of clues, A Luo remained floating at his side, neither too close nor too far away, occasionally telling him where several ANBU were watching.

There were a few too many ANBU following the students out today!

Unfortunately, he was no longer human. To most people, spiritual bodies were invisible.

Especially a spirit body without even a trace of chakra—one that left no evidence behind.

After a full day of wilderness survival training, Sasuke worked hard to find clues, crossed all kinds of obstacles, and took first place.

Once all the students had reached the final destination, the day's lessons ended. Iruka led them back to the village and announced their dismissal.

"Damn you, Sasuke! Fight me now! Naruto Uzumaki will absolutely not lose to you again!"

After dismissal, Naruto Uzumaki quietly ran to the intersection leading toward the Uchiha clan's district. When Sasuke, who habitually went grocery shopping first, arrived there, Naruto jumped out and pointed at him, demanding a fight.

He had lost last time, the time before that, and the time before that too. And before that, and before that...

The more he thought about it, the angrier he became. Naruto's blue eyes widened as he took a stance that made it clear he would not let Sasuke pass.

"Get lost!"

Sasuke had already been anxious to get home, but because he could not let anyone notice anything unusual, he could only suppress the anxiety in his heart, buy some simple vegetables, and hurry home.

And now this idiot had actually blocked his way!

"Fight him. You won't get to see him when you go home anyway..."

A Luo floated beside Sasuke and let out a sorrowful sigh.

He would not get to see him. At least, until Sasuke graduated, he would not get to see his complete younger brother again.

"Damn it... I said get lost!"

Sasuke froze for a moment, looking as though Naruto's outstretched arms blocking his way had enraged him.

Then he tossed his schoolbag aside, placed the vegetables he had bought on top of it, rolled his wrists, and decided to vent some of his anger on this idiot who was blocking his path.

"Damn you, Sasuke, today—"

Naruto Uzumaki still wanted to make another declaration of war, but before he could finish, Sasuke had already charged forward and kicked him away.

After that, the two traded blows. There were not many techniques involved, just a furious brawl.

Sasuke trained more, so most of the time he beat Naruto up, though Naruto occasionally landed a few hits on him as well.

The two kept fighting endlessly, while the ANBU watching nearby felt their heads ache.

Some ANBU had been assigned to watch Sasuke, two were specifically assigned to watch Naruto, and several more had been temporarily transferred over in case Sasuke went mad after failing to find his younger brother and caused some kind of accident.

Yet before Sasuke had even returned home or learned what had happened, he was already fighting Naruto Uzumaki again.

One ANBU let out a helpless sigh, adjusted his mask, and used the Body Flicker Technique to leave from the rooftop.

Not long after, their teacher, Iruka Umino, passed by this place once again.

Once again, he grabbed the two troublesome students and made them stand side by side by the roadside, scolding and warning them over and over.

Only after he had lectured them enough did Iruka let them go and allow them to return home.

Naruto hurt all over from the beating and sat where he was to rest. Sasuke, however, immediately picked up his schoolbag and vegetables and ran home.

At the entrance to his home, Sasuke first dusted off the places where he had been hit, making the dirt as inconspicuous as possible. Then his expression softened considerably as he opened the door, just as he always did.

"A Luo, your brother's home. We're having noodles tonight. I bought semi-prepared noodles, so we just need to add the vegetables and boil them..."

When Sasuke entered the house and did not see his younger brother in the courtyard, he quietly let out a breath of relief.

Then he naturally went into the kitchen, set the packaged noodles aside, and prepared to wash the vegetables.

But after calling out several times and hearing no response from his younger brother, he set the vegetables down and went inside to look for him, thinking he might be asleep.

Not in the bedroom.

No one in the bathroom.

Not in the neighboring courtyard either...

"A Luo, come out and eat!"

Sasuke stood on the roof and ran along the courtyard walls, shouting as he searched relentlessly for any sign of his younger brother.

[Host, you've raised Sasuke crooked. With those acting skills, when you make it big someday, remember to mold him a little golden statue.]

The system was still quite pleased that Sasuke Uchiha had been raised into such a drama queen.

But that did not stop it from mocking him. Its host being a drama queen was one thing, but how had he taught Sasuke to become so good at it too?

Life is a play, and it all depends on acting. From the moment he learned that Konoha was watching us at all times, he had no other choice.

A Luo still floated beside Sasuke, watching his expression shift from anxiety, to sorrow, to despair...

There was no trace of his younger brother anywhere in the entire Uchiha clan district.

Unable to find him at home, Sasuke tried to run into the Hidden Leaf Village to search.

"Sasuke, what's wrong?"

Naruto Uzumaki had not gone home yet. After getting beaten up, his arms and legs still hurt.

So he was still there when he saw Sasuke, who had only been home for a short while, rush out with a face full of anxiety.

Seeing Sasuke's reddened eyes, his deathly pale complexion, and the way he kept muttering about his younger brother, Naruto was genuinely frightened.

But he did not hide. Instead, he lunged forward, grabbed Sasuke as he rushed ahead, and they both fell to the ground.

"Sasuke, wake up! What happened to A Luo? What happened to your little brother? Say something!"

Naruto knocked him down, but before he could ask anything more, Sasuke's eyes rolled shut and he collapsed outright.

That state was even more frightening than before.

"Take him to the hospital!"

The ANBU following them saw Sasuke collapse and hurried over to examine him. With the situation uncertain, they still sent him to Konoha Hospital.

Only Naruto Uzumaki was left sitting there, his face blank with confusion and fear. He did not even react to the ANBU's sudden appearance.

Fortunately, these ANBU were good at filling in the blanks. They assumed Naruto had been frightened, ignored him, did what they needed to do, cleaned up the scene when they were finished, and left.