Chapter 47: Preventive Measures (Part 2)
"Sensei, did you come specifically to pick me up?" Sasuke asked his round, cherubic face looking quite different from the handsome Sasuke of the future.
"Hah, look at you, so pleased with yourself. I came to pick up both of you."
Naruto was overjoyed to hear that Yamaki had explicitly come to pick them up. Although Yamaki treated him well, he rarely had time to visit him. Just picking him up from school made Naruto so happy; it showed how much love he had lacked.
Damn that Third Hokage, Yamaki thought, firming his resolve. Such a pure child mustn't fall into bad habits.
"Let's go," Yamaki said, walking ahead. "Have you heard any rumors today?"
Naruto scratched his head. "A lot of classmates said Lord Jiraiya was arrested."
Yamaki's capture of Jiraiya had happened at noon, yet it had already spread throughout the academy.
"Who is Jiraiya?" Naruto asked curiously, as they hadn't learned about him yet.
Sasuke couldn't help but answer, "Jiraiya is Lord Third Hokage's student, one of the legendary Sannin. He's a hero of Konoha."
"A hero?"
Naruto looked puzzled. "If he's a hero, why was he arrested?"
"Because he was peeping into the women's bathhouse," Yamaki explained.
Sasuke made a face of disgust.
"Why would he peep into the women's bathhouse?" Having grown up without proper guidance, Naruto was as innocent as a blank slate.
Yamaki ruffled Naruto's hair. Previously, no one had taught Naruto about grooming, and he didn't care much either. Now, Naruto seemed to understand the importance of his appearance, keeping his hair smooth. If he grew out the sides a bit, he'd look just like his father, Minato Namikaze.
"Right now, you're too young to understand why, but you need to know that peeping on women is wrong."
"Oh..." Naruto seemed somewhat confused.
Yamaki continued, "Let's say you have some good female friends at school."
Naruto nodded eagerly, counting on his fingers. "Yeah, Hinata, Sakura, and Ino are our friends."
"If someone peeped on them while they were bathing, how would you feel?"
Naruto frowned, thinking momentarily before slamming his fist into his palm. "I'd be furious! I'd want to hit them!"
Yamaki nodded in satisfaction. "Exactly. So never do such things. People who do are of poor character."
"No matter how powerful they are, even if they're one of the Sannin, if they do such things, they're just perverts."
Naruto thumped his chest. "Don't worry, Yamaki-senpai. I'll never do such things!"
Yamaki turned to Sasuke. "What about you, Sasuke?"
Sasuke turned his head proudly. "I wouldn't do such a boring thing. I'm an Uchiha."
Yamaki rolled his eyes. I hope you'll be a bit more romantic in the future. Otherwise, if not for a certain someone, you'd likely be single forever.
"Naruto, I heard your grades aren't very good," Yamaki said.
Naruto looked embarrassed. "Yamaki-senpai, the school stuff is hard. I learn slowly."
Yamaki didn't blame him. After all, Naruto used to be a wild child; expecting him to become a top student right away was unrealistic.
"It's okay, Naruto. If you struggle with academics, take your time to improve. Just make sure to work hard in other subjects. Don't be the last in the class."
Naruto nodded vigorously. "Don't worry, Yamaki-senpai. I'll work hard."
Seeing Yamaki's concern for Naruto, Sasuke suddenly felt jealous. He shook his head, pushing the feeling away. Seeing Naruto's happiness, Sasuke smiled, too.
During their walk, Yamaki checked on Naruto's life and listened to Sasuke discuss what they learned at school. The three chatted and laughed, much to the frustration of the ANBU watching them. Every time Yamaki visited Naruto, the ANBU was on edge, fearing he might instil strange ideas in Naruto. Especially after Jiraiya's morning ordeal, the ANBU were nervous.
Ignoring the ANBU's concerns, Yamaki acted like a caring elder, asking about Naruto's life before taking him home without unusual actions, much to the ANBU's relief.
After the ANBU left, Yamaki returned to the Uchiha compound with Sasuke. He pulled out an envelope.
"This is a letter from Itachi."
"Ah!" Sasuke was thrilled—a letter from his brother.
He knew he'd see Itachi again someday, but Sasuke still missed him terribly.
Sasuke opened the envelope in front of Yamaki. Despite the short content, Sasuke read it several times before carefully returning it.
Yamaki chuckled softly. Sasuke was adorable.
"What did Itachi say?"
Sasuke couldn't hide his joy. "He told me to listen to you, study hard at school, and not disgrace the Uchiha name."
Itachi's soothing words were akin to comforting a child. At Sasuke's age, Itachi had already been on the battlefield.
After storing the letter, Sasuke followed Yamaki back to the compound. Fugaku was out, dealing with some applicable compensation from the Hidden Cloud.
Before leaving, Yamaki asked Sasuke, "Sasuke, what do you think of Naruto?"
Sasuke was puzzled. "What do you mean?"
Yamaki stroked his chin. "What do you think of him as a person?"
Sasuke muttered "idiot" under his breath but answered thoughtfully, "Naruto is a good person, very kind-hearted. He's simple-minded. Even if people talk behind his back, he doesn't hold grudges."
Yamaki nodded. Sasuke was right. Naruto's simplicity could be seen as openness but also naive. Growing up in such harsh conditions without becoming bitter was remarkable.
Seeing that Sasuke had no prejudice against Naruto, Yamaki asked, "What do you think of his strength?"
Sasuke looked confused. "Strength? What strength? Naruto's grades are poor, and he definitely can't beat me in a fight."
Sasuke ended with a proud expression, waiting for praise.
Yamaki smiled. "Don't get too cocky, Sasuke. You're stronger than Naruto now because you had parents to teach you. Naruto didn't have anyone, so he's behind you."
Sasuke lifted his chin. "Even if Naruto had someone to teach him, he wouldn't be better than me. I'm an Uchiha!"
Yamaki nodded. "How about we make a bet?"
Sasuke asked, "What kind of bet?"
"If Naruto beats you in any way during your time at the academy, you lose."
"If you consistently outperform Naruto, you win."
Full of confidence, Sasuke said, "Don't worry, sensei. You're going to lose."
Yamaki chuckled. "Alright, if you win, I'll give you a valuable gift."
"And if I lose..."
Before Yamaki could finish, Sasuke declared confidently, "Don't worry, sensei. I won't lose."
Yamaki shook his head. "Confidence is good, but don't get arrogant. If you lose, I'll have you do something."
Sasuke nodded. "What is it?"
"Hmm, I haven't decided yet."
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