Slurp… slurp…
Hearing the sound of noodles being eaten inside Ichiraku Ramen, the corner of Kakashi's eye twitched slightly.
He had actually been taken advantage of… by a junior.
And to make matters worse—he was even hungrier now.
This was the first time Kakashi had ever experienced something like this. Normally, when people saw him, they would immediately keep their distance.
But that Uchiha kid—Uchiha Yuan—had dared to meet his gaze head-on, showing not the slightest fear or hesitation toward his cold attitude.
That alone made Kakashi remember the name Uchiha Yuan.
Inside Ichiraku Ramen, sensing Kakashi's fluctuating aura, Uchiha Yuan's lips curled slightly, revealing a faint, teasing smile.
Truth be told, he was deliberately toying with Kakashi.
He had always admired Kakashi.
The thought of Kakashi after emerging from pain—a young man with a stoic face but secretly obsessed with those little orange books—contrasted sharply with the cold, distant figure he was now. It made Yuan want to mess with him even more.
A few moments later, Uchiha Yuan stepped out of Ichiraku Ramen, rubbing his full stomach as he walked.
"Ahh, that hit the spot. Can't believe I ran into Kakashi-senpai today. Guess my luck's not bad."
Once Yuan was out of sight, a flicker of movement appeared near the ramen shop's entrance.
Kakashi.
He gazed at the departing figure of Uchiha Yuan, then turned and walked inside.
"One seafood ramen," he said simply.
Ayame, who had been cleaning up the dishes, looked up in pleasant surprise. "Kakashi-kun! Why did you leave so suddenly earlier?"
Kakashi was silent for a moment before replying, "That Uchiha kid from just now… he's kind of annoying."
Ayame chuckled softly. "But Kakashi-kun is the senior all the academy students look up to. Yuan-kun was just talking about you—he seems to respect you a lot."
Hearing that, Kakashi's mouth twitched beneath his mask. Respect? He hadn't felt even an ounce of respect from that kid.
If he really respected his senpai, would he have stolen his ramen?
Leaving the marketplace behind, Uchiha Yuan made his way toward the Uchiha compound.
As he passed by a riverside embankment, he spotted Hatake Seikū in the distance and immediately stopped in his tracks.
On the grassy bank by the river, Seikū was surrounded by a group of boys. A few of them were shoving him roughly.
"Hey, Hatake brat! If you don't wanna get beat up, hand over your pocket money!"
As he spoke, one of the boys grabbed a small pouch from Seikū's clothes.
Several coins clattered to the ground. The leader sneered. "That's it? This all you got today? You really are a broke loser."
"Well, what do you expect? He's from the Hatake clan—the clan of the 'Shame of the Ninja.'"
"Hey, Aoki-nii, who's the 'Shame of the Ninja'?"
"No idea. I just overheard some of the elders talking—apparently someone from the Hatake clan did something disgraceful. Said he was the village's biggest sinner."
Hearing that, Seikū's eyes went red with fury. He threw a punch at one of them—
—but the leader reacted faster, kicking him hard and sending him sprawling to the ground.
Seikū tried to push himself up, but two of the boys stepped forward, pressing their feet down on his back, pinning him in place.
No matter how he struggled, he couldn't break free.
The leader took a few steps closer, sneering. "I've always heard how amazing Hatake Kakashi is—how he was already Chūnin-level at five years old.
But you? You can't even dodge one of my kicks. Guess the Hatake clan isn't so great after all. A clan with a 'Shame of the Ninja' can only produce trash like you."
Seikū gritted his teeth and shouted from the ground, "Shimura Ken! You can insult me all you want—but don't you dare insult the Hatake clan!"
"Hmph. The Hatake clan?"
Shimura Ken sneered. "To me, your clan's nothing but garbage. Even if that so-called genius Hatake Kakashi were here, I'd say it to his face—
The Hatake clan is full of trash!"
"Peh!"
Seikū spat at him with all his strength.
Ken wiped the saliva off his face, his expression twisting into rage. "You filthy brat! Beat him up—don't hold back!"
A flurry of fists and kicks rained down. Seikū stayed silent, his eyes wide and burning with fury as he glared up at Ken.
Seeing that defiant look, Ken's lips curled into a cruel grin. He raised his foot and stomped down toward Seikū's head.
Bang!
A sudden gust of wind swept through. In an instant, everyone's vision blurred—and the next thing they knew, Ken and three of his followers were sent flying into the river with a loud splash.
"Ken!"
"Boss Ken!"
The unexpected scene made the rest of the boys freeze where they stood.
Then they noticed someone standing among them—a handsome, unfamiliar boy.
His calm presence showed not the slightest fear of being surrounded. His eyes were fixed only on Hatake Seikū.
The group of bullies exchanged wary looks, none daring to make a move.
Because they'd seen the fan-shaped crest on the boy's back.
He was a member of the Uchiha clan.
"Hatake, you look pretty rough," Uchiha Yuan said, glancing down at Seikū.
Avoiding Yuan's gaze, Seikū lowered his head, his voice quiet. "Sorry you had to see that, Uchiha-kun. I didn't think anyone would be here."
Being caught by a classmate in such a humiliating situation—he didn't know what to say.
"I just happened to be passing by," Yuan replied with a faint smile. Then his expression turned sharp as his eyes swept over the surrounding boys.
He didn't recognize all of them, but he knew a few faces—they were students from other classes at the Academy.
"You've got guts," he said coldly. "Bullying one of my classmates right in front of me."
"So what if we did?" one of the boys stepped forward, refusing to back down. "You think everyone's scared of the Uchiha?"
Yuan's eyes flicked to the boy's clan emblem—it was the crest of the Sarutobi clan.
Just then, water exploded upward from the river. Shimura Ken leapt out, landing heavily on the bank.
"Who the hell attacked me?!" he roared.
His eyes locked onto Uchiha Yuan, and his expression darkened. "So it's an Uchiha brat."
The next instant, Ken stomped the ground and shot forward like a cannonball straight toward Yuan.
No words—just a direct attack.
Four sharp collisions rang out in rapid succession.
Then, a single figure was sent flying backward.
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