"Sasuke, I made this—pretty impressive, right?"
Naruto ran up excitedly as Sasuke came over for breakfast, already washed and dressed, and urged him to look at the porridge on the table.
It was just plain rice porridge, but it looked good this time—fragrant and appetizing.
"Mm, big improvement. Keep it up."
Sasuke sat down, tasted it, and didn't forget to praise Naruto with a nod.
"I knew it! There's nothing that can stump me, Uzumaki Naruto!"
Getting recognition from Sasuke made Naruto cheer with joy.
Being praised—this was something he had almost never experienced before. And he'd noticed something: whenever he was with Sasuke, he just felt happy.
"Alright, you two brats, eat up. Naruto said you've got combat training at school today—give it your best!"
Kakashi came out of the kitchen carrying two bento lunches—meals prepared for the boys to take to school.
No one had been making lunch for them before. After asking Naruto, Kakashi had learned that they had actually been going hungry at school waiting for classes to end...
That had made him feel even more pressure. At the very least, he had to make sure these two kids were eating properly.
"Kakashi-senpai, thank you. And also..."
After finishing his meal, Sasuke suddenly stood up and walked over to Kakashi, sincerely thanking him.
Kakashi was sitting on the couch, so as Sasuke walked over, their eyes naturally aligned at the same level.
"And also... please take care of me from now on!"
Sasuke blinked and then gave Kakashi a deep bow.
By the time he raised his head again, Kakashi didn't seem to notice anything unusual—but Sasuke's Kotoamatsukami Trial Card had already been used.
Target of the Kotoamatsukami: Hatake Kakashi.
Command implanted: Protect Uchiha Sasuke.
"Uh... no, no need to be so formal, that's a little awkward. But since you said that—then I hope you'll work hard from now on, Sasuke."
Kakashi scratched his head awkwardly, suddenly finding this humble version of Sasuke a bit unsettling.
Whether it was Itachi, or the comrades he could never get back, every Uchiha he had known had always been proud and strong.
He had a Sharingan, had even learned some of the Uchiha clan's secret techniques—and now, the last surviving member of that proud clan was bowing and thanking him.
But the Third Hokage had given him orders, and this wasn't just about following them—it was about ensuring Sasuke didn't get harmed in the process.
He'd have to find a way to help Sasuke truly grow stronger in a way the Third Hokage wouldn't object to—or even notice. Not just superficial training, but something real.
"Uhh… Sasuke and Kakashi-senpai suddenly got so serious. We should head to class..."
After finishing his meal, Naruto packed the two bentos into his bag and nervously reminded Sasuke it was time to leave.
Since they were living together now, they had to take care of each other. Wasn't all this formality a bit much?
"We're heading to school now, so we'll leave the house in your hands, Kakashi-senpai!"
Sasuke waved at Kakashi and ran off with Naruto toward the Ninja Academy.
He didn't really mind leaving the house unattended—after all, it was regularly inspected by ANBU or Root members anyway, so there were no secrets to keep.
Still, Kakashi would be reporting back to the Third Hokage soon. Hopefully, he'd use that chance to improve their living conditions a bit.
These were still two growing boys, after all. Without proper nutrition, their futures could be at risk.
How everything would play out depended on how Kakashi handled things with the Third Hokage.
PS: Read Advance Chapters Visit https://www.patreon.com/c/readAkamehere
Thank you for the support you can also leave a review much appreciated.