Uchiha Clan Compound.
After dinner Sasuke hesitated for a moment, then headed toward the lake.
Lakeside.
Uchiha Itachi, drenched in sweat, sat by the water catching his breath.
Hearing footsteps, he tilted his head slightly.
"Big brother."
Sasuke walked up, hesitated a little, and offered a towel.
Itachi took it, a faint smile surfacing on his otherwise cold face, and shifted aside to make room.
"I heard you've got a new taijutsu teacher?"
"Mm."
Sasuke nodded.
He thought for a second and said, "His taijutsu and Body Flicker Technique are way better than the last teacher's, and he's amazing with kunai too."
Itachi's gaze softened. "Is he good to you?"
"Mm!"
Sasuke nodded, smiling. "He's not as strong as you, but he teaches seriously and… he's really interesting."
Itachi ruffled his hair, his expression briefly complicated. After a pause he said, "Then promise me you'll get along well with your teacher and classmates."
"I will!"
Sasuke nodded firmly.
After a moment he added, "Big brother, can you teach me shuriken control?"
Before Itachi could answer, another set of footsteps approached.
He looked up… just in time to see Uchiha Shisui drop from the tree.
Shisui was silent for a beat, his eyes dimming, then tapped Sasuke's forehead. "Forgive me, Sasuke, something's come up tonight—next time."
"It's always next time!"
Sasuke rubbed his head, grumbling in protest.
Itachi gave an apologetic smile and vanished with a flicker… Outside Konoha, beside a stream, Naruto sat on the grass grilling fish while Hiruzen Sarutobi tended the fire, smiling gently.
"Naruto, how's your new teacher?"
"Terrible!"
Naruto answered irritably. "He's a jerk—I'm gonna clobber him next time!"
"Oh? What makes him so awful?"
Hiruzen was still smiling as he tossed another branch onto the flames.
"He, he…"
Naruto faltered.
He couldn't exactly say the man's eyes had creeped him out after a prank failed, so after a pause he muttered, "Grandpa Third, he looks down on me!"
"Haha, then why don't you tell me the whole story?"
Hiruzen chuckled.
Naruto lowered his head and gave a brief account.
Then he declared angrily, "Everyone's nice to Sasuke and looks down on me—I'll beat that teacher and make him respect me!"
Hiruzen listened attentively and sighed. "Naruto, many things—and people—can't be judged by appearances…"
"Grandpa Third, I saw his real thoughts!"
Naruto puffed his cheeks, gnawing at the fish.
Hiruzen frowned, glanced at the skewer, and was speechless. "Naruto, that fish isn't cooked yet!"
"Huh? Should I… grill it longer?"
"Forget it, I'll handle the cooking; you keep training."
…Early next morning.
Naruto lay sprawled on his bed in pajamas, snoring softly.
Suddenly—
Bang-bang-bang!
Someone rapped on the window. Naruto cracked his eyes open and muttered groggily, "Who now?"
He sat up, slapping his head.
Six a.m.
He stared at the clock, lost in brief thought.
Next second—
Knock-knock-knock!"
The window sounded again.
Naruto looked up, annoyance flaring.
"Hey, even for pranks, banging on my window at dawn is too much!"
He leapt from the bed and stomped over.
Whoosh!
The window slid open.
Naruto blinked, rubbed his eyes, and stammered, "Teacher Masahiko? You…?"
"Look at the time—at your age, with your grades, how can you still sleep?"
Yagyu Masahiko lounged on the sill.
Naruto's jaw dropped; no words came.
Masahiko stood, brushing off his pants. "My class doesn't allow wastes of space. Up—time to run!"
He flashed a bright grin.
"I'm only calling you—aren't I kind?"
"You—!"
Naruto ground his teeth, furious. "So what if you're a teacher? You can't keep targeting me!"
"Sorry—being a teacher really is something."
Masahiko answered cheerfully.
Naruto glared, then—
Slam!
He slammed the window shut.
A minute later it flew open and Naruto launched a flying kick.
The instant he appeared Masahiko caught his leg, dangling him upside-down.
"Perfect."
"From now on, every morning you'll run fifty laps along my route—otherwise you run twenty-five laps on your hands."
Still holding the fuming Naruto, Masahiko smiled pleasantly. "Feel free to file a complaint."
He hopped from the second floor and unceremoniously dumped the boy on the ground.
"Keep up."
Masahiko jogged off down the road.
Naruto wailed, "I haven't even eaten!"
"Eat? A loser's time is more precious than a normal person's—you don't deserve food, only soldier pills."
He tossed a soldier pill. "Swallow."
Naruto caught it, seething.
Masahiko glanced back and taunted:
"Scared already? With your guts you still dream of being Hokage? Maybe next life!"
"Who says I'm scared!"
Naruto gulped the pill, then his face twisted.
Disgusting!
So gross!
He gagged, grimacing. "Why does it taste so awful?"
"Tasty food is for humans."
Masahiko's words were merciless.
Naruto's face darkened; his hand snuck toward the kunai pouch, then relaxed.
Outside the village, while Masahiko looked away, Naruto quietly hefted a stone and snickered.
It was the turn of winter to spring; six a.m. was still half-dark.
The moment they entered the woods where light and shadow mingled, Naruto hurled the stone at Masahiko's back.
But—
Just before impact Masahiko sidestepped, deflected the stone, and flicked it back—"Ah!"
The rock struck Naruto's stomach; he doubled over in pain.
Yet Masahiko kept running, voice icy. "Fifty extra laps during lunch—price for that sneak attack."
"Damn it!"
Naruto roared, sprinted up, and kicked at Masahiko.
In a flash Masahiko seized his ankle and flung him forward.
Thud!
Naruto crashed to the ground, scrambled up bruised and aching.
"Fifty more this afternoon."
Masahiko beamed at him.
Naruto clenched his teeth, realizing this teacher was different—
Previous instructors had looked at him with cold indifference, mostly pretending he didn't exist.
This Yagyu Masahiko… treated neither himself nor Naruto as human, and every promised punishment would be enforced.
Finally Naruto obeyed, trudging behind while vowing silently—
Once he got strong he'd pummel Yagyu Masahiko senseless!
"I'll get way more screen time next episode!"
Masahiko grinned brightly.
As the villain, he couldn't wait like Iruka for Naruto to come—he had to seek the boy out.
Luckily he was the teacher, so it was all legitimate, and… "Teacher Masahiko, behind you…"
"Oh, my student's taijutsu scores are poor, so I'm taking him for a morning run."
"Even someone like you puts in so much effort… you're really so kind!"
The neighbors would praise him for it!