Chapter 115 - 15

Chapter 15: The Conditions of a Winner — "I want you!""Shut up!"Uchiha Itachi's voice was cold and stern, a stark contrast to his usual gentle image.He shook off Sasuke's hand, snatched away the Explosive Tags, and his gaze scraped across his younger brother's face like a blade."Uchiha Sasuke! What are you doing?! Using Explosive Tags against a comrade in the Village? Do you want to kill him?! Is this the Ninja Way I taught you? Is this the honor of the Uchiha Clan?!""I..."Sasuke was stunned by his older sister's unprecedented harshness and stammered, "I just wanted to win... to wash away the family's shame... those three...""Those three idiots were the ones who provoked the trouble first! Father and Hokage-sama have already reached a conclusion about that matter!"Uchiha Itachi interrupted him, his voice filled with disappointment at his failure to live up to expectations, "It seems that the family has been too indulgent with you! Has it made you unable to distinguish right from wrong, or the boundary between a comrade and an enemy?!"At this moment, the medical Ninja who had rushed over began to treat the wound on Sasuke's forehead and the bruises on his body.Sasuke hung his head, letting the medical Ninjatend to him, his voice muffled as he spoke, "I didn't mean to kill him... I just heard he was very strong and wanted to increase my chances of winning... Father said that Ninja tools are also a part of strength...""Increase your chances of winning?"Uchiha Itachi's voice rose sharply, "Using stolen, lethally dangerous Explosive Tags to ambush a comrade during a sparring session—is that what you call increasing your chances of winning?! I ask you, if Mr. Naruto hadn't blocked that strike just now, or if I had been a step slower, what would the consequences have been?! Have you thought about that?!"Sasuke was speechless, his face turning red and then pale."Now, immediately, apologize to Mr. Naruto!" Uchiha Itachi's tone was unquestionable."I..." Sasuke looked up at the silent Naruto, then at his older sister's cold profile. Finally, under the pressure of Uchiha Itachi's stern gaze, he bowed to Naruto extremely reluctantly and stiffly."S-sorry, Naruto. It... it was my fault. I... I just wanted to defeat you too badly..." His voice was as low as a mosquito's buzzing. Under the supervision of his older sister, Uchiha Sasuke bowed to Narutounwillingly.After his brother finished apologizing, Uchiha Itachistepped forward, half-blocking him in a protective stance, then turned to Naruto and bowed slightly, his posture solemn and sincere:"Mr. Uzumaki Naruto, I offer you my most sincere apologies for my younger brother's reckless and dangerous behavior today. It is my failure as his older sister to discipline him properly that led him to do such an absurd thing. The Uchiha Clan has been lax in its upbringing, and I am truly ashamed."He raised his head, those black eyes, similar to Sasuke's but deeper and more composed, looking directly at Naruto, "The responsibility for today's incident lies entirely with my Uchiha side. If you have any requests, as long as it is within my power, the Uchiha Clan is willing to provide appropriate compensation to show our apology and sincerity."Naruto watched the two siblings in front of him in silence.It's so nice...Is this what it feels like to have family to protect and discipline you?If I had such a family... would someone scold me and protect me like this when I made a mistake? When I needed it, would someone stand in front of me like this?This thought was like a tiny thorn, pricking the softest part of his heart, causing a wave of sour, numbing ache.He studied Uchiha Itachi: his fair cheeks showed a faint flush, and a few strands of black hair had fallen across his forehead due to his rapid movement, which he brushed behind his ear with a hint of impatience.He was wearing a dark, high-collared, sleeveless top and trousers designed for mobility, covered by a light gray vest with a small fan clan emblem printed on the back. His posture was upright and sharp, carrying an air of competence and composure.A faint scent, like soap mixed with some kind of crisp plant, lingered at the tip of Naruto's nose as he approached.Thinking of the frustration of being besieged by three Uchiha Genin yesterday, thinking of the fire and burning pain of the Explosive Tags exploding before his eyes just now, and then seeing this scene before him...An inexplicable impulse, mixed with grievances, unwillingness, jealousy, longing, and even a touch of malice, surged up from the deepest part of Naruto's heart without warning."I want you."Naruto looked at Uchiha Itachi and said calmly.His voice was not loud, but it clearly carried across the suddenly quiet training ground.Everyone present—Iruka, Hinata, the watching students, the medical Ninja, and even Sasuke, who was still feeling aggrieved after being slapped by his older sister—All were stunned, their gazes focusing uniformly on Naruto, then looking at Uchiha Itachi with suspicion and uncertainty."Eh?"Uchiha Itachi clearly hadn't expected Naruto to make such a "request," and his calm black eyes widened slightly, flashing with a momentary shock and confusion.He subconsciously looked the blonde boy in front of him up and down again:He was tall for his age, almost shoulder-to-shoulder with him. His slightly immature face was still stained with smoke and dust, and his azure blue eyes were staring straight at him. On his exposed arms and abdomen, the red marks and slight charring from the explosion and combat were clearly visible, his muscle lines smooth and full of power.What on earth are kids thinking these days...?This request is just too...Uchiha Itachi felt his ears heating up uncontrollably, and his heart skipped a beat.Just as he was about to ask or refuse, Narutocontinued, his tone still flat, but he completed the words that were so easily misunderstood:"I want you to be my older sister for a while."He paused, his gaze sweeping over Sasuke, who was staring with wide eyes and an expression that said "Are you crazy?", before landing back on Uchiha Itachi's face."I don't have family, and I don't know what it's like to have an older sister. Since the Uchiha Clanwants to apologize and compensate, this is what I want."The air stagnated again.Uchiha Itachi's heart, which had just lifted slightly, slowly settled back down, but another, heavier and more complex emotion rose in its place.He looked at Naruto's blue eyes, which seemed calm but hid an unspeakable loneliness and longing deep within, and listened to the "compensation" he had proposed in the most direct and even somewhat clumsy way...The flush on his ears faded, replaced by a subtle, pin-prick-like stinging sensation.So that's how it is...It was a misunderstanding.And that makes sense, this child's parents...I've heard Mother mention it; that Aunt Kushina of the Uzumaki Clan was once a close friend of Mother's, like a sister.If it hadn't been for that sudden Nine-Tailedcatastrophe...This child named Naruto before me might have grown up like Sasuke, under the care of his parents and the love of his siblings, instead of how he is now: bearing the stigma of being the "Demon Fox," living alone in a cold apartment, struggling even to have enough to eat?A trace of imperceptible pity and a sigh quietly passed through Uchiha Itachi's heart.