In the middle of the wilderness, where the sunlight slipped through the dense leaves of the trees, casting shadows across the grassy ground, and the sound of flowing water from the nearby river created a soothing natural melody, two children were arguing loudly on the riverbank, competing over who could throw a stone horizontally across the surface of the water for the greater distance. Each one raised his voice at the other, trying to prove that his technique was the best and that his stone would travel the farthest, without noticing that there was a third person listening to their argument from atop a nearby tree trunk, where he lay in a state of complete tranquility.
Suddenly, a sharp shout came from above, like a sudden clap of thunder in a clear sky, cutting through their voices and bringing their argument to an immediate halt.
"Shut up, you two! You woke me up from my sleep!"
This caused the two children to quickly raise their heads toward the source of the voice, where they saw a young man lying on a thick tree trunk. He appeared to have been sleeping before their loud argument woke him, and his features carried a certain sense of relaxation, although his eyes appeared sharp.
Hashirama raised his head, his bright eyes staring in surprise at the blue-haired young man. Then he quickly bowed, as though apologizing without hesitation, and said in a shy voice:
"I'm sorry for waking you, uncle. We didn't know someone was sleeping here. We were just playing and racing, and we didn't mean to disturb you."
But the other child standing beside him, whose eyes appeared sharper and whose features were bolder, did not apologize. Instead, he raised his voice and confronted the young man in a loud tone:
"Who are you, bastard, and why are you even sleeping in a place like this? This is our land. We're playing here, and you have no right to come here, sleep, and shout at us as though you own the place."
Leon sighed as he heard the bold words coming from the child's mouth, as though he were facing a miniature version of someone he knew very well. Then he jumped down from the trunk where he had been sitting, landed on the ground, and walked toward the two children until he stood before them. He looked at them with eyes carrying a mixture of curiosity and nostalgia, as though he were seeing something from a distant past, then spoke in a calm voice carrying a strange tone:
"You two really resemble them."
Hashirama raised his head in confusion and curiosity, for he did not understand what this strange young man meant. However, his words aroused his curiosity, so he looked toward Madara beside him as though asking whether he understood anything that was happening. But Madara was busy staring at Leon defiantly, and quickly replied, his voice still filled with suspicion and hostility:
"What are you talking about? Are you crazy? We don't know you, yet you're talking as though we've known each other for a long time. What resemblance are you talking about, and what two friends?"
Leon smiled as though he was enjoying their childish conversation, then said:
"You two resemble two friends I knew. They were exactly like you. One was calm and polite, while the other was bold and challenging, and they were always arguing over everything, exactly as you two are doing now."
As the two children prepared to ask more questions, Leon bent down and picked up a flat stone from the ground. Its shape was perfect for skipping across the surface of the water. He spoke in a challenging tone:
"Come on. If you can beat me at skipping stones across the water, I'll tell you the details. I'll tell you everything you want to know, but you have to beat me first."
He did not wait for their response. Instead, he threw the stone with a smooth and masterful motion. The stone left his hand at the perfect speed and angle, touching the surface of the water repeatedly. Each contact left behind perfectly symmetrical circular ripples that glittered beneath the sunlight. The stone continued bouncing lightly and rhythmically across the water until it reached the opposite bank of the river, as though it had touched the water only to leap across it once again.
The two children stared at the scene in astonishment, because it was not merely an ordinary throw, but an artistic display of precision and control.
Leon then turned toward them with a faint smile and said in a voice that no longer carried his previous tone of annoyance, but had instead become gentler while remaining challenging:
"Come on. Can you achieve a similar result? Show me what you can do."
The expressions of Hashirama and Madara suddenly changed. They had noticed the perfect technique with which he had thrown the stone, as well as the extraordinary precision with which he had controlled the angle and force. This was not something ordinary. It was evidence that this young man was not merely some ordinary person sleeping on tree trunks.
He was at least a ninja, or at the very least someone trained in throwing knives and other sharp tools. This discovery caused their excitement to double, and each of them looked at the other with eyes shining with curiosity and challenge, ready to accept this new challenge and prove themselves before the stranger who had suddenly appeared in their small world.
***
And so, here we are, as the main feast has finally begun. I hope, my dear readers, that you enjoy it.
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If you are enjoying this work , My P*atreo*n is more than 70 chapters ahead.
P*atreo*n :Aaron4dicard
Thank you to everyone who reads and supports the work .