In the grove.
Sasuke felt the change in his eyes. A sensation of utter bliss spread from his eyes to his cerebral cortex.
He covered his eyes and lowered his head.
Just as Naruto was about to ask what was going on, Kurama's voice reached him.
"Hey, Naruto, Sasuke awakened his eyes."
Sasuke's trembling gradually subsided, but peals of laughter rang out again.
He abruptly raised his head, his scarlet eyes staring straight at Naruto, a single black tomoe slowly spinning in each pupil.
Power!
I felt unparalleled power!!!
Hey, Naruto, the way I am now, I'm so strong I could...
Duang!
Naruto brought a knife-hand chop straight down on Sasuke's little head.
ヾ(｡ꏿ﹏ꏿ)ﾉﾞ
"All right, so you awakened your eyes. Let's hurry back. Free training is about to start."
Naruto hadn't used much force, just enough to leave him dazed without damaging his brain.
"Hiss... fine."
Sasuke: That chop shattered my dream of being the big brother.
After Sasuke finished venting, the two walked back to the training ground together.
"Ah, Sasuke-kun, you're back."
Ino boldly sidled up to him and started asking him all sorts of questions.
Not to be outdone, Sakura came over too.
But how strange. Why had Sasuke-kun's whole air changed after a trip to the bathroom?
He was in a strange state now, a little colder and more aloof than before, yet dazed.
Naruto: Hehehe.
"Hey, Naruto, what were you and that guy Sasuke doing just now? Hinata said you went to the bathroom."
Kiba came over, slung an arm around Naruto, and asked.
Naruto glanced at the blushing Hinata and immediately worked out why.
"Ah, yes, that's right."
Yep, he didn't panic in the slightest when lying.
It was a white lie, after all. If he told them outright that Sasuke had spent two whole minutes laughing hysterically over there, how was Sasuke supposed to survive in their class afterward?
Kurama was certain that, with Sasuke's textbook Uchiha personality, if Naruto told the truth, the kid might just awaken his second tomoe.
"Oh, okay. Take me along next time."
Kiba nodded, then put in a request to go to the bathroom together.
"Okay."
Naruto nodded. It wasn't a big deal anyway.
Amid everyone's chatting and training, their first day at the Ninja Academy came to an end.
At the Ninja Academy gates, the three little ones waited for Iruka-sensei to pack his things while explaining the situation to their respective parents.
"Father, our teacher is treating the three of us to dinner today."
Hinata spoke softly to Hiashi, who had come especially to pick up his precious daughter, a trace of embarrassment in her voice.
"Huh?"
The usually composed Hiashi was startled by Hinata's words. With her appetite, a meal at an upscale restaurant could eat up half a month of Iruka's salary.
Sensing her father's odd gaze, Hinata shyly lowered her head. She knew she ate a lot, but this was a chance to have dinner with Naruto-kun.
"Well, Hinata, I'll save you some food at home, so keep that in mind."
"Also, where are you planning to eat? I'll have Tetsu pick you up afterward."
Hiashi thought it over and came up with a solution.
Though he phrased it tactfully, everything he said amounted to telling Hinata to eat less and not make her teacher spend too much.
Sasuke and Naruto put their hands behind their backs in unison. They both understood what Hiashi meant.
"Yes, we're eating at Ichiraku Ramen."
Hinata nodded, secretly deciding to eat until she was only half full this time.
⁄(⁄ ⁄•⁄ω⁄•⁄ ⁄)⁄
"Oh, hello, Clan Head Hyuga."
Iruka finally arrived. He had been about to call out to the three little ones, but suddenly spotted the very stern-looking Hyuga clan head.
Hiashi greeted Iruka.
"Hello, Iruka-sensei. I'll leave my daughter in your care tonight."
"I'll send someone to pick her up afterward."
"I hope you'll continue to look after her studies at school."
Iruka smiled and responded to Hiashi.
Still, he kept feeling that something was off about the way this clan head looked at him.
It felt like he had seen that look somewhere before, but he simply couldn't remember where.
Especially with the Hyuga Clan's eyes being all white, he really couldn't get what Hiashi's gaze meant.
After Hiashi left, Sasuke's older brother hurried over too. When he heard that Iruka was treating them to dinner, he lavishly praised Sasuke and even patted his head.
Then he headed home first, leaving Sasuke looking smug, his little face flushed red.
But Naruto could sense something strange about Itachi's emotions. Though suppressed, there was still a faint sense of urgency, tension, and worry.
As for Naruto, he didn't need to inform his parents. After all, his parents were inside his belly.
How comical.
"All right, let's head out."
With a grand wave of his hand, Iruka led a delighted Naruto, a faintly blushing Hinata, and Uchiha Sasuke with his head held high toward Konoha's mysterious gathering spot.
Ichiraku Ramen Shop!
"Welcome."
A girl with long brown hair greeted Iruka, Naruto, and the others.
"Oh, it's Iruka-sensei. Have you brought more outstanding juniors over for ramen?"
Ayame recognized Iruka-sensei, who had once taught her for a school year.
"Oh, Ayame. Yes, I've brought some students again."
Iruka smiled and introduced the shop to Naruto and the others.
"Chef Teuchi's ramen is absolutely delicious. Ever since I first tried it back then, I've never been able to forget the taste."
Iruka sang the praises of Ichiraku Ramen's delicious food, making Ayame a little embarrassed.
Honestly, he did this every time he came. He was exaggerating way too much!
"Oh, all right, all right. What would you like to order, Iruka-sensei?"
Ayame interrupted Iruka before he could keep praising Ichiraku Ramen and handed him the menu.
Since it was their first visit, the three little ones silently turned toward Iruka-sensei.
They didn't know what was good anyway, so they might as well let Iruka-sensei, who had just praised the ramen to the skies, order for them.
"Ah, all right. Let's start with three bowls of Ichiraku tonkotsu ramen and one bowl of spicy miso vegetable ramen."
"Large bowls for all of them, please."
Iruka ordered three large bowls of Ichiraku's most famous tonkotsu ramen for the three little ones, and a spicy miso vegetable ramen for himself.
Since he didn't know the children's tastes, this was the safest choice.
Before long, steaming bowls of tonkotsu ramen were set before the three little ones.
Dried bamboo shoots, broth simmered from pork bones, soft-boiled eggs, green peppers, nori, tender slices of chashu pork, all paired with springy noodles.
The bowls, as big as Naruto's face, gave off a tempting aroma.
"Hey, um, Naruto, your teacher wants some too."
A voice that sounded a little embarrassed, though not very, reached Naruto's mind from the Sealing Space.
Kurama speechlessly glanced at the drooling Hashirama. Honestly, how was Naruto supposed to bring him noodles under these circumstances?
Glutton.
Before you continue