While the "Naruto" who had nearly been late successfully stepped into the Academy with Sasuke and, without meaning to, drew even more of Neji's attention and curiosity, Naruto's real body was already far outside the village with Shisui and Itachi.
The three of them had finished the chilled red bean soup Mikoto had made by hand. Naruto narrowed his eyes in satisfaction, letting the cool sweetness drive away the summer heat while he took the chance to rest his mind after the strain of the morning.
At the same time, he calmly replenished the chakra Shisui and Itachi had burned through earlier and used the opportunity to refine their bodies a little.
"Achoo! Achoo! Ah... ahhh... achoo!"
It was hard to say whether it was because of some mysterious brotherly connection, or simply because Itachi's instincts were too sharp, but even from so far away, he seemed to vaguely sense that "Naruto" had just dumped the blame on him.
His nose suddenly itched for no reason, and he sneezed several times in a row, loudly enough to drag both Naruto's and Shisui's attention over to him.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa. That's some reaction, Itachi." Shisui blinked, then leaned in with a grin. "You okay? Did Mikoto-san's red bean soup freeze you so badly that your body couldn't handle the blessing?"
"No." Itachi rubbed his nose and answered with his usual calm face. "Someone is probably talking about me behind my back."
"Oh?" Shisui's eyes immediately brightened. "For you to react that strongly... could it be Izumi?"
The corner of Itachi's mouth twitched.
Naruto's expression turned subtle. Without anyone noticing, a small recording device in his sleeve quietly began working.
He had been waiting for this. If Itachi accidentally let slip even a single sentence that could be used as evidence, Naruto would absolutely deliver it to his future sister-in-law when they returned. A good younger brother never wasted useful blackmail.
Itachi noticed Naruto's expression and instantly grew alert. "Naruto. Why are you looking at me like that?"
"Nothing." Naruto's face was pure innocence. "I just suddenly felt that Itachi-san has grown up."
"Huh?" Shisui clutched his chest in exaggerated shock. "No, no, this isn't right. The Itachi I know shouldn't have such a terrifyingly high emotional intelligence. Say it, who are you? What have you done with my Itachi?"
"I'm nine," Itachi said flatly. "A nine-year-old isn't supposed to have much emotional intelligence to begin with. If you want to discuss that topic, you should ask Naruto."
The recorder almost slipped from Naruto's sleeve.
'This kid is learning too fast.'
Naruto immediately turned his head and pretended to study the map. If he stayed in this conversation any longer, he would be forced to explain why a child not even five years old already had a complicated relationship situation waiting for him back in the village.
Unfortunately, Shisui had already caught the weakness. He stared at Naruto's back, then looked at Itachi. "Wait. Naruto... has someone?"
Itachi thought about Hinata, then nodded with frightening sincerity. "A girl his age."
"..."
Shisui fell silent.
The silence lasted only a few seconds before Itachi, with the same calm face, added the final blow. "So among the three of us, the only one with no girlfriend and the lowest emotional intelligence is Shisui-san."
"Uchiha Itachi."
Shisui's smile became gentle. Too gentle.
Itachi's expression changed slightly. "Shisui-san, I was only stating the facts."
"Good. Then let's use facts to speak through our fists."
The next moment, the two Uchiha vanished from Naruto's side. A series of muffled explosions, sharp impacts, and suspiciously miserable noises came from the woods behind him.
Naruto listened for a while, silently adjusted the recorder's direction, and pretended he had heard nothing.
'Youth really is terrifying.'
After another burst of movement, Naruto finally lowered his head to the map again. Their original path led toward the Land of Wind and the Hidden Sand Village. If they kept following it, they would pass near several small settlements and arrive at the desert without much trouble.
But Naruto's fingertip paused on one particular region.
The Land of Grass.
More precisely, the Hidden Grass Village.
He remembered that somewhere there, a certain red-haired little girl with the Uzumaki bloodline was enduring a fate that had nothing to do with childhood.
Naruto exhaled softly and folded the map.
"Looks like we may have to take a detour."