Here's @riojiyo131, your trusted writer.
You can now get early access to Chapter 72 of Re: Naruto Uzumaki on my Patreon. You can also read up to Chapter 14 of Naruto: Satoru Senju.
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The next day, at the Third Training Ground.
"As you already know, my name is Yūgao Uzuki," said the ANBU Kunoichi firmly. "But you can call me Cat."
Satoru sighed when he saw that Yūgao didn't remove her mask, even though he already knew her identity. She was very serious. Too serious. Satoru dared to think she was a little cold.
"Got it, Kitty," he answered cheekily, not missing the chance to mock her alias.
Underneath the mask, Yūgao frowned, though she said nothing.
Satoru raised an eyebrow, surprised that she didn't react.
He decided to interpret her silence as a challenge.
And it was in that instant that he realized it: he loved teasing people.
"So, Kitty, shall we begin? Or would you rather I scratch you behind the ear...? Wait... will you purr if I do?"
The atmosphere changed instantly. Even though Yūgao didn't say a word, Satoru could feel it. She was pissed. Really pissed. But as a good ANBU, she knew how to hide her emotions.
Satoru whistled, impressed.
Of course, it was to be expected. She was Yūgao Uzuki: selected for ANBU right after graduating from the Ninja Academy, thanks to her kenjutsu prowess and refined sensory skills.
But she was incredibly serious. Honestly, she reminded him a bit of Kakashi.
Now that he thought about it... wasn't Kakashi her role model?
Pfff~ What a role model she had chosen.
Then again, Konoha was full of weird people. Now he could add Yūgao to the list.
Without saying another word, she drew her sword with a swift, elegant motion.
"You'll learn the hard way," she said in a low, sharp voice.
Oh...
Satoru smiled, amused, and unsheathed his tantō: a double-edged chakra metal blade, barely twenty centimeters long. He had gotten it shortly after deciding to learn kenjutsu, and usually carried it on his back, placed vertically near his left shoulder.
Seeing the gesture, Yūgao assumed he was ready. In the blink of an eye, she lunged at him.
Satoru didn't even flinch. In fact, his smile grew wider.
...
"So, how was your training with Yūgao? Was she very hard on you??" asked Kakashi in that usual laid-back tone of his.
It was already late. After training with Yūgao and taking a break, Satoru had met up with him, just as they had agreed.
"Not bad. She's good with a sword..." Satoru answered lazily, without much interest.
Honestly, that was all he could say about her.
Yeah, she was good. Pretty good. One of the best in the village. But for Satoru, that didn't mean much. There wasn't anything he could learn from Yūgao beyond her kenjutsu style. And after just one training session, he had already copied it almost completely.
He doubted Yūgao would remain his instructor for more than a week or two. Same with Kakashi: after teaching him the Rasengan, he wouldn't have anything else to offer.
Kakashi raised his single visible eyebrow, visibly surprised.
"Yūgao is a kenjutsu master. Possibly the best in the entire village."
"And still, that's all she is. Good with a sword," Satoru repeated, not changing his tone.
Besides that, what else did she have? She knew some basic fūinjutsu, was a decent sensory ninja, and had limited medical knowledge. Useful, sure. But nothing extraordinary. Nothing Satoru couldn't learn on his own.
He didn't say it out loud, of course. No need. But he thought it.
Kakashi didn't seem to fully grasp what lay behind his words. Judging by his expression, he seemed to believe Satoru was unfairly underestimating her.
Satoru let out a long sigh.
Sometimes he struggled to express himself clearly, and that often led to misunderstandings like this.
It wasn't that he was belittling Yūgao. It was just that compared to others...
After all, Yūgao didn't have any special Kekkei Genkai, nor a powerful Dōjutsu.
Cases of civilian-born ninjas reaching Kage rank were rare, and she didn't seem destined to be an exception.
"Let's drop it. How about you teach me the Rasengan already?"
Kakashi, not pushing the subject further, nodded.
"Alright. Listen carefully. The Rasengan is one of the most difficult techniques to master, Satoru. Not even you will be able to learn it that easily."
Satoru smiled calmly.
With the Six Eyes, and the accelerated growth granted by the King's Piece, there was nothing he couldn't learn.
"The Rasengan requires extreme chakra control and absolute concentration," Kakashi continued, pulling out a scroll and unrolling it.
A sealed box full of water balloons appeared.
"Lesson one: rotation. The first step is to make the water inside the balloon rotate in multiple directions at once until it bursts."
Satoru approached without hesitation and grabbed two balloons, one in each hand.
Kakashi frowned.
"Don't try to impress me, it won't work—"
He didn't finish the sentence. Both balloons burst at the same time.
Water splashed onto the ground in front of them. Satoru just looked at him, unfazed.
"I thought I heard this was supposed to be complicated."
Kakashi observed him silently. Under his mask, he was probably grimacing.
"Mhph. You still have a lot to learn. That was just the first step," he said, resealing the box of water balloons and pulling out another scroll.
This time, the box contained rubber balls.
"Lesson two: power. These balls are a hundred times harder to burst than a balloon. Let's see how you handle it."
Satoru took a ball and looked at it curiously.
This did seem like a challenge. But he wasn't worried.
Controlling his chakra was almost as easy as breathing. Mastering the Rasengan would be just a matter of time.
And in the meantime, he could keep doing what he loved most: showing off.
...
The rubber balls didn't pose much of a challenge for Satoru either.
It took him about two hours to make them burst, and when he did, Kakashi, seeing that there was nothing else to teach him that day, abruptly ended the lesson. He told him to meet again at the same time the next day.
Satoru just shrugged, accepting without much enthusiasm. Then he turned and walked toward his house. The sun was already setting and the streets of Konoha looked peaceful.
When he arrived, he pushed open the door and noticed a pair of black heeled sandals by the entrance. A strange sense of discomfort washed over him.
"I'm home," he said aloud, as usual, expecting the familiar silence.
But this time, it was different.
From the hallway, a head popped out and a warm smile appeared. "Oh, welcome home, Satoru! I've been waiting for you! Where have you been?"
Satoru looked up, and when he saw the woman in front of him, he couldn't help but let a slight smile form on his face. "Just as I thought, it's you, Aunt Shizune."
Shizune was a young woman, with short dark hair and matching dark eyes. She wore a dark bluish-black kimono with white edges.
Beside her, the small pig Tonton peeked out.
"Oink~" the pig welcomed him too.
Satoru, as always, ignored Tonton and looked at his aunt with a somewhat tired expression.
"Has that old gambling drunk already spent all the money you brought her last time?"
Shizune pursed her lips, letting out a sigh. "I'm afraid so, Satoru..." she replied resignedly, looking down, clearly embarrassed by her master's poor choices.
Satoru shrugged, unsurprised. He knew Tsunade would never change.
"Figured as much," he murmured with a slight smile. He didn't expect his mother to fix her habits.
After all, all she cared about was spending, chasing the next bet... and drinking to forget her sorrows.
"Did she even bother coming?" he asked while taking off his shoes and letting out a small yawn.
Shizune shook her head. "No, Satoru. You know how she is. She just sent Tonton and me, as usual."
"What a surprise," he murmured sarcastically. Tsunade never showed up in person. "Same old, same old," he added with disdain, though the truth was it didn't bother him that much.
He began walking toward the stairs, intending to go up to his room. Shizune watched him silently, worry clear in her eyes. It was obvious how much it hurt her to see her friend's absence in Satoru's life.
As he climbed the first few steps, he heard Shizune call him.
"Satoru...!"
He stopped and slightly turned to look at her. Shizune had stepped a little closer, and her eyes showed that silent struggle to find the right words.
As always, she worried about him, even when it wasn't necessary.
Satoru raised an eyebrow, curious, though he already guessed what was coming. "What is it, Aunt Shizune?"
"Happy birthday!" she exclaimed warmly. "Don't think I forgot."
For a moment, Satoru remained silent, staring at her.
It was true that his mother, Tsunade, had forgotten his birthday —as always—, but Shizune never failed to remember.
Despite his usual attitude, he couldn't help but smile, even if just a little.
"Hm. Thanks," he replied with a half-smile. He wasn't one to show many emotions, but he could feel her sincerity.
After all, Shizune was the only family he had. And he valued her more than anyone.
Shizune seemed relieved by his response. "I'm really sorry, Satoru..." she began, a bit hesitantly. "I know your mother can't be here. But she..." She struggled to find a way to justify Tsunade's absence.
"It's fine," he interrupted her.
Shizune sighed, knowing Satoru wasn't someone who sought comfort. Still, she wanted to try.
Tonton, who had remained silent until then, let out a long sigh too, as if he shared the same sorrow.
"I'm sorry, Satoru," she said at last, looking at him with affection and a touch of pity. "I know it's hard."
Satoru didn't answer immediately. In reality, he didn't need comforting words. His life had always been this way: with his mother's absence, with Shizune as his only family.
He turned again toward the stairs. "It's no big deal," he said, continuing up without looking back. "See you later, Aunt Shizune."
"OINK~!"
"Yeah~ Yeah~ You too, you fat pig," Satoru said, bidding farewell to Tonton too.
Shizune watched Satoru disappear down the hallway. Sadness in her heart grew as she saw how distant he could be, even though she knew it was his way of dealing with things: bottling it all up, without showing more than necessary.
Tonton looked at her, as if he also understood the weight of the moment.
"Buhi~"
"Hmm? Are you hungry, Tonton? Give me a second, I'll get you something," Shizune said softly, kneeling to stroke his head.
Tonton wagged his tail enthusiastically, letting out another "Buhi~" as he followed her into the kitchen.
Shizune glanced toward the stairs where Satoru had disappeared. Her expression turned melancholic for a brief moment.
"He's growing up too fast... don't you think, Tonton?" she whispered, more to herself than to him, knowing she wouldn't get an answer.
She decided not to push it any further that night. Satoru needed time, and she respected that. She knew him well. Forcing a conversation would only push him farther away.
"Tomorrow," she said quietly as she began to prepare a small plate for Tonton.
"Tomorrow I'll try again..."