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The next morning, the sun shone warmly on the earth, and a breeze gently carried the fragrance of soil and grass. Yuuki Yuichi stood at the gate, raising his hand to block the sun. A beam of light peeked through his fingers and landed on the tip of his nose.
"I looked up and saw a beam of light leading to the horizon," he said poetically, his eyes turning to Yuhi Kurenai standing beside him. "I looked down and saw a dream, and in that dream, there was only you."
Yuhi Kurenai's face flushed, but despite her shy expression, a small smile crept onto her lips. "Yuichi-kun, you're so annoying~" she muttered, awkwardly tugging at the corners of her clothes.
Before she could say anything further, her father, Yuhi shinku, interrupted with a sharp glance at Yuuki Yuichi. "If you don't hurry to the ninja school, you're going to be late."
Kurenai pouted at her father for ruining the moment, thinking how annoying he was. "Yuichi-kun is so much better," she thought, her big red eyes glimmering.
"Don't worry, Uncle Shinku! I'll take good care of Kurenai!" Yuuki Yuichi declared confidently, puffing out his chest.
Yuhi shinku, though internally exasperated, decided to escort the two himself. "Today is your first day, so I'll walk you there."
Yuuki waved it off with bravado. "No need for that, Uncle! As a handsome young man known throughout the village, I'm probably more familiar with this place than you are!" With that, he grabbed Kurenai's hand and started walking.
"Yes!" Kurenai added, holding Yuichi's hand tighter as she smiled at her father. "We don't need you, Dad!"
Yuhi shinku clenched his fists in frustration. "This brat! What was I thinking, adopting him back then?" His thoughts spiraled." I raised a son-in-law, not a godson!"
Despite his irritation, Yuhi shinku couldn't help but smile a little. Even though Yuuki Yuichi could be mischievous, he knew deep down the boy had a good heart.
As they walked through the village, Yuuki greeted everyone they passed with familiarity. "Good morning, Uncle Hayata! Selling fish again?"
"Sister Nako, looking good as always."
"Sister zinker, you're glowing today!"
Yuhi shinku was speechless. "How did this kid know so many villagers? Even he didn't know this many people."
Suddenly, Yuuki's eyes lit up when he saw Kakashi. "Hey, Kakashi!" he called out, excitedly dragging Kurenai behind him.
"Good morning, Kakashi!" Yuuki grinned.
Kakashi, spotting Yuuki, immediately took a step back, pulling up his mask defensively. "Good morning…" he replied, cautious of another mask-snatching attempt.
"Kakashi, you can't always be so guarded," Hatake Sakumo, Kakashi's father, chided gently. "When you meet friends, you should be more enthusiastic."
"He's not my friend," Kakashi retorted.
Sakumo sighed, "It's rude not to be polite to everyone."
Yuuki Yuichi watched Sakumo and couldn't help but think how gentle the legendary White Fang of Konoha was. But looking at Kakashi's annoyed expression, Yuuki pitied him slightly."Poor kid. You won't have many moments like this with your dad."
Yuhi greeted Sakumo as they continued walking. "Long time no see, Brother Sakumo."
"Indeed, it's been a while," Sakumo replied. "Is Yuichi also enrolling today?"
"Yes, finally!" Yuhi Shinku replied. "Sends him off to school to keep him out of trouble, haha!"
Sakumo nodded, understanding completely. They shared a look of camaraderie, two single men with mischievous children to handle.
Ahead, Yuuki and Kakashi were bickering. "Kakashi, why won't you let me see what's under the mask?"
"Stop calling me Koukouxi! My name is Kakashi!"
Their lighthearted argument was interrupted by a loud, youthful voice, "Yuichi! His name is Kakashi, Hatake Kakashi!" It was Might Guy, standing alongside his father, Might Dai.
"Uncle Dai!" Yuuki greeted him with a wide grin, giving him a thumbs-up.
Might Dai flashed his signature smile, his teeth shining brightly. "Long time no see, boy!"
Might Dai was a joke among many villagers, a Genin who knew no ninjutsu and practiced taijutsu in his eccentric green tights. Most people laughed at him, but Yuuki Yuichi knew better. "These guys," Yuuki thought, "are the real deal. They would one day prove themselves as legends."
Looking at Might Guy and his father, Yuuki's grin widened. 'These are the friends worth having.'
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