Ninja school is back in session. It was drizzling lightly on the day of school opening, and not long ago, the surveillance gaze had also disappeared. Thinking of the adorable dog mask worn by the silver-haired ninja, Naruto felt a faint sense of loss in his heart. So, he really was alone now. However, when Naruto saw the ponytailed youth leaning against the wall with his eyes closed, a sudden warmth surged in his heart. This person... was still there with him. The youth named Shikamaru always disregarded the disdainful gazes of others, smiling away their various admonitions. Although he looked troubled, he always stood firmly by Naruto's side, familiarly saying: "Ah, what a hassle." The youth's determination always moved people. Just as he was thinking, Shikamaru opened his eyes from his rest against the wall, and Naruto saw a flicker of light in his slender eyes. "Hey, Shikamaru, you never bring an umbrella." Watching the youth lean against the wall again, hands empty, Naruto raised a playful smile, as if scolding him half-heartedly. However, his umbrella instinctively tilted towards the youth's head. Watching Naruto's actions, Shikamaru felt a faint warmth in his heart. A layer of light flashed in his narrow eyes but quickly disappeared. "Tch, such a hassle." Shikamaru lazily scratched the back of his head, with a hint of laziness in his demeanor. Feeling Shikamaru leaning on his shoulder and the warmth of his hand, Naruto paused for a moment, then suddenly burst into laughter. This person, did he notice his loneliness? Although just a small youth, he was unexpectedly sensitive. With that thought, Naruto turned his face to Shikamaru and revealed a bright smile. The sky was gloomy, raindrops hitting the umbrella surface, making crisp tapping sounds. Shikamaru looked lazy, while Naruto suddenly squinted his eyes, watching a pair of teenagers walking ahead. The tall youth had long fingers, powerful joints. He held a black umbrella, and as he turned a corner, his stern profile was revealed, with tightly drawn features and lips pressed into a straight line, even his eyes were as black as ink, showing no emotion. But the fan emblem on his back seemed to be burning, adding a few degrees of brightness to the youth's image. —Itachi. Just as he was thinking, Naruto suddenly noticed that Itachi Uchiha's eyes seemed to glance at him from the corner of his eye, but it was as if it was devoid of any emotion. Naruto felt like he was about to freeze. —A human ice weapon. That's what Naruto thought at that moment. However, even so... why did it always feel like there were intense struggles hidden in the youth's eyes? Beside him, the child also had black hair and a conspicuous fan emblem on his back. Then, the child turned his head to Itachi and smiled. Seeing the child's smiling face, the cold and aloof Itachi's lips curved slightly, the smile melting like ice and snow, dazzling like the blossoming flowers of March. —Perhaps it's because of his ruthless indifference that his emotions unexpectedly run deep. Naruto suddenly burst out with this thought. Like... light refracted through crystal. Because emotions easily lead to obsession. Has that youth also fallen into such a struggle and obsession... Naruto suddenly felt a bit stunned by his own thoughts. It seems like something big is about to happen. The Uchiha clan... His intuition could sometimes be prophetic in a certain sense. —Naruto was left speechless with black lines all over his head. Why did that sound like something a charlatan would say... "Do you know that person?" Shikamaru, the genius with an IQ of 200, had already roughly understood that there was an unusual relationship between Naruto and that Uchiha person, so he asked with a somewhat blocked heart. Naruto was a bit puzzled when he heard the lazy voice tinged with a hint of trembling, quite unlike Shikamaru's usual self. In his impression, Shikamaru always lounged under the sunlight, showing a lazy smile, and then they would go eat ramen together hand in hand. Sometimes they would also see a chubby boy named "Choji", his mouth always stuffed with potato chips, wearing an expression of "eating is the greatest joy," but no matter how excited he was about eating, he would always leave some for Shikamaru. When Shikamaru looked at the sky, his eyes were always filled with a gentle light, and at that moment, when the youth turned to him, the smile on his lips carried a calm and warm affection. The youth's voice mixed with a hint of youthful awkwardness and a bit of hoarse magnetism, with a lazy mood. It was a bit different from now. Seeing the complex emotions in Shikamaru's eyes disappear, Naruto felt a bit strange. —Could it be that Shikamaru has some grudge against that Uchiha genius? Naruto speculated with a bit of gossip in his heart. In the end, he chose to ignore the matter. After all, if Shikamaru wanted to talk about it, he would bring it up himself. Naruto was never one to pry into others' affairs, and one could even say he was a bit indifferent. Because life is his own, and others cannot play any role... that's all there is to it. So any attempt to inquire about others' private matters under the guise of concern was just to satisfy one's own curiosity. Too despicable. Shikamaru glanced at Naruto's calm appearance and couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. Actually, Naruto, didn't you notice? When you look at that youth, your eyes are full of pity, making me feel a bit worried... Shikamaru watched Naruto with a relieved expression. The entrance of the ninja school was still crowded with new students, their apple-like faces filled with excitement. Just like Naruto himself when he was about to start training. Thirsty for the unknown. But, can this intensity really be sustained? Naruto lay on the desk, listening to the teacher's passionate lecture with spit flying. So tired, he slowly closed his eyes and drifted into a dream. The sky in his dream was azure, with fluffy white clouds, soft grass, and ticklish sensations. "Naruto Uzumaki! You're sleeping again! I'm going to make you stand!" Just as he was about to enter his dream, a sudden roar startled him awake... it was Iruka, with a scar running across his face, looking exceptionally fierce but actually kind-hearted. This person was different from others; his gaze was sympathetic... he always silently watched over Naruto, many times hesitating to speak. And whenever he yelled at him fiercely, there was always a look of worry in his eyes. Thinking about it, Naruto yawned lazily, rolled over, and went out.
Recently, the surveillance gaze has disappeared, so it's time to exercise this thing called chakra.
With that in mind, Naruto returned home. Thinking back to what Kurama said about the energy of life, he closed his eyes and began to feel the presence of chakra. Slowly, he felt the power overflowing from every part of his body, ultimately compressing into a small nucleus spinning.
Recalling the explanation about "Transformation Jutsu" from the textbooks, Naruto opened his eyes, swiftly formed hand seals, and uttered the final incantation. With a "poof" sound, a familiar face appeared in the mirror. Long, waterfall-like black hair, and silver eyes gleaming with enchanting radiance.
It was indeed the appearance of Rixi. Naruto gently stroked his cheek, then felt tears suddenly streaming down. It had been a long time since he had seen this appearance. Naruto concealed the complex emotions in his eyes, and after three minutes, he returned to his usual self, looking at the clear blue eyes in the mirror, feeling a strange sense of discordance in his heart. It was as if those eyes were inherently his.
--- Perhaps, it was the similarity in the gleam in those eyes.
He thought somewhat vaguely.
Naruto walked out of the house, his eyes filled with confusion. What should he do now?
Thinking of the icy and complex gaze of the boy named Itachi, he focused his mind and ultimately decided to visit the Uchiha clan. Perhaps he didn't know why he cared about that boy's matters, but the struggling gaze of the boy still lingered in his mind, refusing to dissipate. Perhaps he just didn't want those eyes to be tainted with such profound colors...
After a few somersaults, Naruto sneakily crawled into the Uchiha clan's compound.
--- This is a real hindrance...
Naruto, swaying back and forth, eventually sat down on the ground with eyes half-closed. He was... lost on the path of life (big mistake).
However, Naruto stood up, gazing ahead. After a few flips, the boy with black hair tied up flipped several times, and ten kunai accurately pierced the target. The boy looked silently at the kunai embedded in the target, his mouth moving as if murmuring something.
Naruto couldn't help but approach, his body causing the leaves to rustle slightly.
Lost in his thoughts, Itachi heard a faint sound and turned around, several kunai flying out as he did so. "Who's there?" Itachi turned back warily, but the five kunai in his hand were shot out. Naruto frowned, swiftly rolling to the side to dodge the kunai.
A glimmer of light flashed in Itachi's eyes, but his expression darkened. The Uchiha compound was not a place one could enter casually. This brash person was so reckless, ignoring the danger to his life? Thinking so, he involuntarily furrowed his brow.
"Naruto Uzumaki, this is not where you should be." Itachi's tone was flat, tinged with a hint of severity, his expression stern, his complexion as if frozen for millions of years.
You, an eternal iceberg. Naruto cursed inwardly. However, he wore a embarrassed smile on his face.
"Hahaha, I got lost." Naruto waved his hand, looking at Itachi with innocent eyes, almost as if he should have a "I'm directionally challenged" sign on his face.
Itachi's gloomy eyes stared at him for a moment, a hint of complexity crossing his face. Naruto felt a cold sweat dripping down his back.
A breeze passed by, and the two of them stared at each other in silence...
Damn, this guy's expression clearly hasn't changed at all. He looks like he's owed eight million. Really...
Thinking so, Naruto couldn't help but lower his face... Hey hey hey... does he really have no way to deal with this iceberg-type guy?... Those black eyes were as deep as the night, completely unreadable... Hey hey hey, isn't this considered intimidation? Damn!
Watching Naruto cursing lowly, his face filled with fear, Itachi pursed his lips, feeling somewhat dissatisfied with the boy's recklessness.
"Let's go." Itachi turned away, his slender figure gradually receding.
As Itachi turned to leave, a hint of darkness flashed in his eyes. Kyuubi, keep your distance, the night is about to fall.
Naruto felt puzzled, watching the boy walk away, a trace of pain crossing his heart. That Itachi boy...
His back seemed to exude a kind of lonely and confused aura.
So... lonely.
That straight spine seemed to be his only pride. So firm, as if unbreakable...
"Hey..." Naruto didn't know why, but he shouted out. Then he saw the boy's steps pause slightly. Naruto clenched his fists, feeling a strange nervousness, "I really don't know the way." Naruto blurted out.
Then he saw the boy turn back. His face still as cold as ever, but there was a hint of helplessness and annoyance in his eyes.
Looking at the boy's appearance...
--- I didn't expect this guy, who is as cold as an iceberg, to have such an expression. Naruto chuckled inwardly, but on the surface, he pretended to be timid.
Even though he had made the decision to keep his distance from someone who was naturally the center of attention, he still worried about this boy. Because the gaze the boy looked up with was tinged with a faint softness, as if... like a family member...
It reminded him of his long-lost mother...
Naruto suppressed the emotions in his eyes, looking at the boy as if he was about to turn around. So he showed a faint smile, "Just let me stay here."
Then he saw the boy close his eyes, as if to hide the turbulent emotions in his eyes.
And when he opened his eyes, they were calm and serene. "As you wish." Itachi lightly brushed Naruto's cheek, then turned around with firm steps. That Naruto Uzumaki, why did he look at him with such eyes... as if he knew all his secrets hidden beneath his calm facade... with those piercing, clear eyes, and those ever calm and clear blue eyes. Calming his mind, Itachi quickened his pace slightly, feeling a shallow sense of annoyance in his heart,
--- Really... like fleeing in panic.
Watching Itachi walk out of his sight, Naruto left behind the kunai deeply buried in the tree trunk. He raised his lips slightly, smiling. What was he panicking about?
Without following the boy, he just sat against the tree. As Itachi's figure gradually disappeared, Naruto's gaze was fixed on the distant cherry blossom tree. The pink petals drifted down, creating a special beauty. It reminded him of the pink cherry blossom petals that had fallen on the boy's sapphire-colored headband. And his kimono with pink cherry blossom petals printed on it.
Until the sunset cast its glow on Naruto's forehead, he realized that it was already late.
Itachi, why were you hesitating and panicking?
Naruto dusted off his clothes and stood up. Finally, he glanced lightly at the distant cherry blossom tree and walked away.
Suddenly, as if he saw the boy's eyes as dark as ink, Naruto stopped and looked back, only to see emptiness. He chuckled, shaking his head, and turned to walk away.
Meanwhile, amidst the falling cherry blossoms, the slender figure of the boy appeared beside the tree, watching Naruto's departing figure, pursing his lips, then turning away.