Running into Uchiha Sasuke

"Teacher, this really could get someone killed!"

Naruto slowly walked up the towering tree. Suddenly, he looked back, and the distant ground was gradually disappearing from sight.

"Don't worry! Run toward me!"

Standing on a branch above Naruto, Hashirama called out encouragingly to him.

The distance was meant to keep Naruto from being unable to control his chakra precisely because he had too much of it. Besides, wasn't Kurama down below to catch him?

"Aaah~~~"

In the end, Naruto still failed to reach Hashirama's branch. One careless lapse in concentration, and down he went, just like that.

Honestly, Naruto was only three. Had that brute Hashirama failed to realize that?

Resigned, Kurama turned the little Kurama outside into a chakra net, trying to catch the falling Naruto.

Duang!

Naruto crashed straight into the chakra net, then vanished from the Sealing Space.

?

Hashirama looked at Kurama in utter confusion. Hadn't he promised to catch Naruto safely?

Why had Naruto gone out?

"Hey, hey, hey! What's with that look?!"

Kurama looked indignantly at the suspicious Hashirama and slowly explained.

"This wasn't Naruto accidentally 'dying' because I failed to catch him. He couldn't handle the sensation of impact from falling so far, which caused his consciousness to leave this Sealing Space directly."

Hashirama rubbed his chin and nodded.

"So that's it. In that case, it's still Tobirama's fault. He actually failed to consider a child's physical and mental well-being."

Tobirama: I wrote that for Ninja Academy students, specifically those about to graduate with excellent grades.

Those kids are at least ten. Why don't you go ask them?

Watching Hashirama shift the blame onto his younger brother, Kurama silently mourned the deceased Tobirama.

"Then let's teach Naruto some basics tomorrow night, or pick a lower spot as his destination."

Just like that, Hashirama happily decided on the next night's training.

Kurama lay down, intending to catch up on some more sleep.

The next morning, Naruto jolted awake in bed.

"Help!!!"

His mind was still stuck on the moment he had fallen the night before.

The nearby ANBU heard Naruto's voice and hurriedly got up to check on the Jinchūriki.

"It's fine. He just had a nightmare."

One ANBU figured out what had happened.

Could Might Guy have scared him yesterday?

The ANBU whom Yugao had ordered to report the incident yesterday thought this.

Naruto patted his chest, but he really did seem to be fine.

Judging by that, his teacher really hadn't lied to him.

Naruto was pretty carefree, too. Although the little bungee jump last night had frightened him, his fear was gradually fading now.

After all, children generally wouldn't be left traumatized as long as it didn't hurt too much.

Except for a certain green-clad Acorn Kappa...

Today, Naruto planned to play at the park.

There might be some nasty kids there, but none of them could beat him anyway.

Heh heh heh, you stupid little villagers! Your Nine-Tailed Fox is coming!

Awooo!!!

Naruto swaggered toward a park that usually wasn't very crowded and was mostly frequented by children.

But since he had come fairly early, hardly anyone was there.

Only one familiar little boy sat on a swing, swinging all alone.

That fan... He seems to be from the Uchiha Clan.

Naruto tilted his head and thought, recalling the time he had run into him on the street.

His older brother had been with him then, but today he wasn't.

Hehehe, his brother isn't here. Does that mean I can bully him?

"Hey, you! What gives you the right to hog my swing?"

Words like these rolled right off Naruto's tongue. After all, he had already threatened plenty of villagers who called him a demon fox.

It was worth mentioning that although Naruto made verbal threats, he generally wouldn't attack first unless the other party started trouble.

For example, when Hinata had been surrounded before, Naruto had only struck because he thought the other boy was being bad.

Then he hadn't controlled his strength properly and had accidentally broken the boy's nose.

But Medical Ninjutsu was so advanced nowadays that surely the boy could be healed... probably.

Sasuke, who was still a babyish little thing without any of his future swagger, was swinging when he heard Naruto's shout.

His brother had an ANBU mission today and had no time to keep him company. He hadn't expected someone to corner him here.

As the son of the Uchiha Clan's head, Sasuke had learned some simple Taijutsu from his older brother, even though he was only three.

Besides, the clan had always championed the idea that heaven came first, earth second, and the Uchiha third. He wasn't afraid of Naruto.

"What do you mean, yours? Does it have your name on it?"

Sasuke stopped swinging, but he didn't get off the swing.

He just sat there, looking disdainfully at Naruto.

Perfect. I'm bored, and someone has come along to entertain me.

That was what little Sasuke thought.

Huh? Wasn't he supposed to shout, "The demon fox is here!" first?

Then scurry away and leave the swing to me?

"Hey, Naruto, why don't you play with him?"

Hashirama offered a cheeky suggestion. He had seen the shadow of an old acquaintance in Sasuke's face.

Tobirama: Now, a question for the evil Madara Uchiha: what does a blade enter white and leave red?

The answer is-Izuna!

"Mm, no. I have to take the swing first."

Naruto was a little tempted, but his words turned contrary.

He walked straight up to the swing, bit open his thumb, then wrote his name on the swing while Sasuke stared at him as though he had met a lunatic.

"Hey, look closely! My name is Naruto Uzumaki!"

"I'm the man who's going to become the next Hokage!"

Naruto licked his thumb. Because it healed too quickly, the wound had already closed, leaving the final character of his name a little unclear.

"Nonsense! My brother should be the next Hokage!"

Although Naruto's actions had briefly startled him, he refused to back down after hearing Naruto's declaration.

"Naruto Uzumaki? Never heard of you. How could you possibly become Hokage?"

Naruto froze for a moment. He's never heard of me?

I'm the incarnation of the mighty Nine-Tailed Fox! What kid in this village hasn't heard of my fearsome reputation?

"Heh heh, then I'll be generous and tell you! I'm the incarnation of the Nine-Tailed Fox that rampaged through Konoha three years ago-the mighty demon fox Naruto, who eats people without batting an eye!"

Naruto planted both hands on his hips and let out a "Heh hahahaha!"

"Hey, Hashirama! Did you teach Naruto that while I wasn't looking?!"

Listening to Naruto's choice of descriptions, Kurama found it a little hard to save face.

He had been controlled back then, but he hadn't eaten anyone.

With Naruto's vocabulary, he definitely couldn't have come up with those words. So, there was only one truth!

The culprit is you! Hashirama Senju!

Hashirama silently turned his head away. Only after a long while did he say anything.

"Hehe."