Corrected:
*Kurozawa Ren is Sasuke*
Itachi's gentle voice reached Sasuke's ears, making him suppress the question he had been about to ask.
"Mm."
Sasuke closed his eyes and leaned into Itachi's embrace.
Although he agreed to Itachi's words, he had no intention of letting the incident slide without understanding it himself. Itachi's reaction had confirmed that the situation was far from simple—perhaps even more severe than he had imagined.
Still, he didn't press Itachi further. His brother was the type who bore everything alone, always trying to shoulder the burden by himself.
But what Itachi never realized was that a person's capabilities were limited. No matter how powerful, diligent, or resolute someone was, there were things that couldn't be handled by one person alone—much less handled perfectly.
And sometimes, others didn't want their lives managed by someone else—didn't want their problems "solved" for them at all.
Sasuke resolved to investigate this incident on his own. After all, Itachi's way of dealing with things had never truly put his mind at ease.
After resting through the next morning, Sasuke headed to the Ninja Academy. His earlier collapse had been due to chakra exhaustion—nothing that rest couldn't resolve.
As usual, Fugaku wasn't home, but Mikoto was. Since Sasuke's birth, she had stepped away from shinobi missions, focusing entirely on family life. Unless something major occurred, she was always at home.
This made Sasuke all the more certain of the situation's seriousness.
When Itachi heard he was heading to the Academy, he initially wanted to escort him. But after receiving a message from a summoned crow, he left abruptly and asked Izumi Uchiha to take his place. Izumi was now a Chūnin, and she had awakened her two-tomoe Sharingan.
As soon as they arrived at the Academy, Sasuke realized his suspicions had been accurate. The stares they received were colder, and the murmurs carried open disdain.
The villagers had always been wary of the Uchiha, but before, they mostly whispered behind their backs. Now, the hatred was on full display.
"Look, it's them—the 'traitor clan.'"
"Seriously, what nerve they have, walking around like nothing happened."
"If the village were filled with people like them, it would've been destroyed by now."
"Let's see what Lord Fourth decides to do with them…"
"I wish they'd just disappear already."
Every whispered remark found its way to Sasuke's ears. In that moment, he began to understand what Naruto must have felt growing up. And even then, what he was facing now was probably mild in comparison.
The people of Konoha… were frighteningly easy to manipulate.
It had to be Danzō again. That man always had ways to steer public opinion.
But buried within their hateful words, Sasuke picked up on something—"traitor clan." That particular phrasing struck him.
A "traitor clan"? Did that mean someone in the Uchiha clan had defected? Based on what little he knew, the most likely person would be Uchiha Setsuna. But even if Setsuna had defected, could that alone provoke this level of reaction?
Orochimaru had defected from the village just a year ago. No one called Hiruzen Sarutobi a "traitor's teacher." Even Danzō, who had close ties with Orochimaru, hadn't been publicly punished. It spoke volumes about the power dynamics in the village.
Danzō lurked in the shadows, absorbing the blame on behalf of Hiruzen, while Hiruzen maintained his place in the sunlight, shielding Danzō and enabling him. Together, they were almost untouchable.
If those two hadn't disagreed on certain matters, Sasuke couldn't imagine what force could bring either of them down.
Izumi had clearly heard the villagers' remarks as well. Her usual smile had vanished, and she glanced at Sasuke, concerned.
"Little Sasuke," she whispered, "how about we skip class today and go get some Sansewanzi dumplings?"
She was afraid the child wouldn't be able to endure the hurtful gossip.
Sasuke, deep in thought, quickly understood her intent.
"No need, Sister Izumi. My friend is waiting for me," he said with a smile.
"But—" Izumi was about to protest when a voice cut her off.
"Yo—Sasuke!"
A blond boy in a black shirt with a red swirl on the back waved excitedly as he ran up.
"You're back! Iruka-sensei said you were sick and missed school this morning. You've got no stamina, huh? A strong ninja like me doesn't get sick!"
Naruto puffed up his chest with pride. Strangely enough, nearby villagers who had been whispering earlier quieted down upon seeing him.
"You? Strong ninja?" Sasuke scoffed. "That doesn't match you at all, idiot. Want to race me to class?"
Naruto, a mix of Minato's calm charisma and Kushina's fiery spirit, practically jumped in place with excitement.
"You're on! I'll show you who's boss today! Let's race to the classroom!"
"Want me to give you a few seconds?" Sasuke asked coolly.
Seeing the spark return to his eyes, Izumi relaxed a little.
"Hmph! No way! And don't come crying when you lose!" Naruto pouted confidently.
"Let's go then. Sister Izumi, I'm heading in!"
"Alright, take care!" she called after him with a smile, waving goodbye.
"Three!"
"Two!"
"One—go!"
At Sasuke's shout, the two shot forward like arrows from a bow.
Initially, Sasuke thought about holding back. But when he noticed Naruto's speed—he was using the Body Flicker Technique (Shunshin no Jutsu)—he abandoned the idea. Naruto's version was highly proficient, even more so than Sasuke's current Shunpo. The distance and burst speed of Naruto's flicker were slightly superior.
Sasuke narrowed his eyes and activated his own Shunpo, a technique more refined in short bursts. Two blurs—one black, one yellow—streaked across the Academy.
Ten seconds later, they appeared at the classroom entrance simultaneously. Though Naruto's Body Flicker covered greater distances, Sasuke's Shunpo had shorter recovery times. In the end, their speeds were nearly equal.
"Not bad! You kept up with me," said Naruto, still full of energy. He didn't even look winded, which was impressive compared to some who collapsed from just using Sharingan too long.
"I should be saying that to you," Sasuke replied coolly.
The two exchanged glances—then smiled in sync. Without another word, they pushed open the classroom doors and walked in together.