September 7th, Year 65, Uchiha Compound.
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Finishing my training, I returned home to find my father's flak jacket hanging on the clothes stand. It was an unusual sight considering how busy he and the other senior members of the clan had been lately. Curiosity piqued, I headed to the kitchen where I knew my mother would be.
"Mother, is father home? Oh, Susuke-kun is here too!" I greeted her with a smile, noticing my little brother lying in his crib near the table.
"Oh, Izuna-chan, welcome back. Yes, your father and the other seniors returned from their mission about an hour ago. They were quite exhausted, so your father went straight to bed," my mother replied, stirring the pot on the stove.
Seating myself beside Sasuke, I let him play with my finger while I engaged in conversation with my mother. Something felt different within the clan, and I wanted to understand why.
"Do you know what mission they were on? They've been acting very serious lately," I inquired, sensing an air of tension within our clan.
Sighing softly, my mother turned her attention to me. "Well, honey, you're a smart child, so I suppose I can share a little with you. You see, there was an intruder in the village recently. This person was spying on the Hokage's student."
Surprised by the revelation, I couldn't fathom how someone could infiltrate our village with its supposedly strong security measures. My mother noticed my astonishment and let out a chuckle before continuing.
"Yes, dear, it was quite a breach. The higher-ups were immediately alerted," she explained while stirring the pot. "But what does it have to do with father and the senior Uchihas?" I asked, sensing a connection.
Sighing again, my mother looked at me with a hint of worry in her eyes. "The intruder, you see, was possibly an Uchiha or someone who had stolen a Sharingan and was able to use it. Regardless, it reflects poorly on our clan."
I nodded in understanding. It was a dire situation for our clan, as anyone could easily suspect our involvement in sending the spy.
"Did... Did Lord Hokage punish father and the others for this?" I asked hesitantly, my voice barely audible.
My mother's expression softened, and she gave me a faint smile before shaking her head. "No, dear. Lord Hokage and Lord Third are wise leaders. They did not lay blame on the clan, but they didn't declare our innocence either. Instead, they gave us the opportunity to prove our loyalty and innocence through our actions. They have assigned the clan the mission to hunt down this intruder with a Sharingan, not only to seek vengeance but also to demonstrate our sincerity."
Surprised yet relieved, I felt a sense of gratitude that our clan was not directly held responsible for the intrusion.
"I'm glad that Lord Hokage didn't directly accuse us," I expressed with relief.
"Yes, Izuna-chan, I've known Minato for a long time. He is a kind man, and I believe under his leadership, the village will prosper," my mother replied with a smile before returning to her cooking.
As I played with Sasuke, thoughts filled my mind. Who was this intruder with a Sharingan? Would they cause trouble for our clan?
…
…
After enjoying a family lunch, my father asked me to meet him in the courtyard. I complied and stood before him, ready to listen.
"How's your training going, Izuna?" he inquired, and I shared an honest account of my progress and the areas I was focusing on.
He nodded solemnly, but a faint smile tugged at his lips. Then, he began, "You're already six years old, and I believe it's time for you to enroll in the academy and embark on your journey to become a ninja."
I nodded, understanding that my father was doing his best to train me to become a strong ninja who could bring pride to our clan. I had worked hard, and with Kuro-kun's unconventional training methods and the assistance of his Shadows, I had grown faster than I had anticipated.
Continuing, my father said, "A few members of the clan will also join the academy alongside you. Some of them, like Uchiha Shun and Uchiha Izumi, are considered quite talented. You may get to know them."
Once again, I nodded, comprehending my father's intentions. Uchiha Shun and Izumi were likely regarded as geniuses within the clan, and my father wanted me to build connections and gain their support. I was determined to make my father proud and would seize this opportunity to befriend my fellow Uchiha clan members.
Suddenly, father furrowed his brows and questioned, "I've heard from your mother that you've made friends with a boy named Kuro. An Uchiha shouldn't associate with those who will be left far behind us."
Hearing those words, my brows instinctively furrowed, and for the first time in my life, I retorted against my father. "Forgive me, Father, but Kuro-kun will not be left behind. He is my friend."
My father's expression grew even more stern as he admonished me. "Izuna! You are an Uchiha, an elite. With your talents, you'll graduate in a year and be on your way to becoming a strong ninja. Can your so-called friend keep up? Will you still be friends with him when you're already a Chunin and he's still struggling in the academy?"
His words surprised me. I pondered for a moment and found it peculiar. Based on what I knew of Kuro-kun, it did sound like he would prolong his time in the academy to avoid real responsibilities.
With a sigh, I responded to my father. "Well, yes, Kuro-kun, with his personality, might stay in the academy for as long as he can. But I will still remain friends with him. And I believe that if I become strong quickly, I can eventually catch up to him."
My father had a perplexed expression as he softly asked, "What do you mean by catching up to him?"
Raising an eyebrow, I replied sincerely, "Well, Kuro-kun is truly strong. Most of the time, he's lazy and avoids training with me. But when he does, he comes up with these unconventional ideas to make me stronger, and his shadows act as impenetrable shields. Whenever I manage to convince Kuro-kun to spar with me, he effortlessly defeats me with his shadows so he can go back to being lazy."
I sighed, recalling the difficulties I faced in getting Kuro-kun to engage in training and sparring. The only times I could motivate him were with Aunt Yoshino's assistance or after annoying him for an extended period.
It was really baffling to think about how Kuro-kun feared his sweet and kind mother.
My father's expression became complex as he inquired, "Izuna... What's the full name of your friend?"
"His full name is Nara Shikakuro, Father. But everyone calls him Kuro for convenience," I replied.
My father's face underwent several rapid changes of emotions, but it eventually settled on understanding. He turned around and said before walking away, "Very well... You can remain friends with... Kuro-sa...san."
Although I was puzzled by my father's sudden change in attitude, a sense of happiness filled me as I thanked my father.
…
Later that day, I stood in front of Kuro-kun's house and knocked on the door. Aunt Yoshino soon emerged to greet me with a warm smile.
"Oh, Izuna-chan! It's so good to see you. How are you?" she asked kindly.
Aunt Yoshino was a genuinely nice woman, just like my mother. But when it came to Kuro...
"Hello, Aunt Yoshino, I'm doing well. How about you? I'm here to see Kuro-kun," I replied politely, following the manners my mother taught me.
But every time I did this...
"Awww! Your serious expression is so cuteeee, Izuna-chan! And I told you that you can just call me 'mom,'" Aunt Yoshino exclaimed, hugging me tightly.
I still didn't understand how her mind worked, but I retorted instinctively, "That would be inappropriate, Aunt Yoshino. And Kuro-kun says my serious expression doesn't make me look cute."
Upon hearing that, Aunt Yoshino chuckled and responded, "What do boys know about being cute? And I'm pretty sure Kuro is just going through his denial phase. Don't worry, he'll get over it someday. Anyway, if you're looking for Kuro, he should be slacking off somewhere in the forest. I would check near the deer."
Deciding not to dwell on Aunt Yoshino's remarks about Kuro-kun, I thanked her for the information and prepared to head in the direction she mentioned. However, before I could leave, she stopped me and went to the kitchen to retrieve a bento box.
"That lazy kid is probably napping there and hasn't even shown up for lunch. Can you give this to him, please?" Aunt Yoshino requested.
I nodded quickly and made my way to find Kuro-kun.
I had been to the Nara forest many times before since Kuro-kun had told me I was welcome to come whenever. Aunt Yoshino was always accommodating and had assured me that their door was always open to me.
Being near them felt really comforting and warm.
Even though Kuro-kun often acted disinterested and lazy, whenever I truly needed him to listen, offer advice, or provide assistance, he never denied me. Even though he would say it was troublesome all the time, he would still help me any way possible.
He was genuinely kind-hearted, even though he kept his lazy and annoyed look as a default.
I smiled as I thought about my friendship with him and soon found Kuro-kun lying under a tree, observing the deer.
He immediately noticed me and I saw him controlling his shadows to disappear as he lazily sat up to greet me.
"Yo... Why are you here so early?" he asked lazily.
"It's 3 PM, Kuro-kun... Sigh... Here's your lunch. Aunt Yoshino asked me to give it to you," I said, handing him the bento box.
He seemed surprised when I told him the time and lazily remarked, "Huh? No wonder I was feeling a bit hungry... I thought I was becoming an Akimichi... Thanks for bringing it here, Izuna."
I smiled and sat down beside him as he began eating his lunch. I glanced at his hair and noticed that it had grown longer, giving him a slightly wild appearance.
"Why are you staring at me?" he asked while chewing.
Unable to contain my observation, I replied, "Your hair is getting long; you look wild."
He shrugged and said, "Cutting hair is so troublesome... Maybe I'll just let it grow."
For some reason, I didn't like that idea. Kuro-kun looked good with medium or short-length hair, but ultimately, it was his decision, so I didn't say anything about it.
Curiosity got the better of him, and he asked, "So, what brings you here? Don't tell me it's about training again? You troublesome Uchiha..." He groaned.
Shaking my head, I responded, "No... I wanted to tell you that my father got me enrolled in the academy for next session. I was wondering if you'll be enrolling as well."
He stared at me for a moment, likely considering the troubles of attending the academy. Then, with a sigh, he said, "I really don't want to enroll... But I'm pretty sure the moment my mother hears about you or the other kids enrolling, she'll drag me there, even if she has to bind me... Sigh... So, I'll go out on a limb and say yes, we'll be classmates..."
Hearing his response, unbeknownst to myself, I gave Kuro-kun a broad smile and exclaimed, "That will be great, Kuro-kun!"
He appeared slightly taken aback by my enthusiasm, grumbling and looking away, muttering, "Troublesome Uchiha..."
But I didn't mind. Now I knew that I would be attending the Ninja Academy with my friend. Hopefully, we would learn a lot and become strong ninjas.
I was determined to find a way to protect everyone I cared about, including Kuro-kun.
...
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Hey there, friends! Lumi here, sorry I was busy the last few days with work and other stuff. Though I will try to upload at least one more chapter today to make up for it.
Don't forget to check out the Discord and Patreon links in the synopsis. Join our community and get in on the fun discussions! Also I have uploaded the chapters I talked about on the Patreon if you wanna check that out.