My brother is called Uzumaki Naruto

Two small figures were sparring against each other. Despite their size, their movements were sharp and precise, each punch and kick cutting through the air with force. Even a sweeping kick was enough to send a flurry of leaves flying.

Both Namikaze Yue and Uchiha Itachi were wearing protective gear, with their eyes, heads, chests, and groins securely shielded.

In his past life, Yue had trained his body extensively, dabbling in nearly all traditional martial arts, including Wing Chun, Bajiquan, Xingyiquan, and Tai Chi. After meeting Itachi, he also passed these techniques on to him.

Itachi acknowledged their effectiveness but felt they weren't particularly practical in battle.

However, the two always wore protective gear during their sparring sessions. Traditional martial arts had some rather underhanded techniques, often targeting weak spots.

That said, these techniques were just forms—only the Hyuga Clan of Konoha truly incorporated martial arts as their core, and even then, they relied heavily on their bloodline abilities.

At first glance, Yue and Itachi seemed evenly matched, exchanging blows without pause. But in reality, Itachi was already covered in bruises. His movements were gradually slowing, and Yue estimated that he wouldn't last much longer.

Shortly after refining his chakra last year, Yue discovered he had a unique ability—when he focused, he could sense other people's chakra.

For example, Marusame Kosuke, the man who had given him a sword, had nearly as much chakra as Yue's father in Yue's perception.

Additionally, after countless sparring matches with Itachi, Yue noticed that he could predict Itachi's movements just a fraction of a second in advance. Though it was only about 0.1 seconds, it was enough for his body to react.

Because of this, Itachi had never won against Yue. Every time, he ended up bruised and battered…

But both of them improved with each bout.

Blocking Itachi's hook punch, Yue quickly spun and crouched, sweeping at Itachi's legs. Itachi, now drained, saw the attack coming but couldn't react in time. As expected, he was knocked to the ground. He tried to get up, but Yue's knee was already pressing against his chest.

"I win, Itachi."

Yue pulled Itachi up, and they both removed their protective gear before checking each other's injuries.

Itachi was covered in bruises, but with the circulation techniques Yue had taught him, he'd recover within two days.

In contrast, Yue remained spotless—not a single trace of battle on his body, not even dust on his clothes.

"You're really strong in taijutsu… I didn't even give you any trouble this time," Itachi said helplessly.

Yue glanced up at the sun, estimating that it was almost time for lunch. He needed to head home.

"I'm heading off, Itachi."

With that, Yue picked up his Ryūken sword and walked home, leaving Itachi standing there alone.

Itachi stared at Yue's retreating figure for a while before checking his own injuries. Then, he got up and headed in the opposite direction.

'Compared to Yue, I'm still too weak. Even though training with him has helped me improve a lot… getting beaten up all the time isn't exactly fun. I'll go find Shisui this afternoon and ask him to guide me.'

Yue came to a stop in the middle of the street, his gaze landing on a silver-haired figure in the distance—his father's only surviving disciple, Hatake Kakashi.

Minato had previously suggested that their family visit Kakashi to check in on him and offer some encouragement. But with everything that happened after Minato's return, the idea had been set aside and forgotten—until now, when Yue happened to run into Kakashi on the street.

Kakashi seemed to be out buying household necessities. Yue had overheard his parents talking about Kakashi's situation before and found it quite tragic.

Born to a single parent, he lost his father to suicide at a young age. Just when he finally gained two friends who warmed his heart, both of them died in the war. And to make it worse… that short-lived fool didn't even leave behind a body…

After finishing his shopping, Kakashi happened to walk directly toward Yue. It wasn't until he was right in front of him that he noticed the child standing there.

Yue studied him as Kakashi lazily lifted his half-lidded eyes, shifting his gaze from Yue's feet to his face, his expression completely indifferent.

They stared at each other for a few seconds. Yue felt like he should say something to comfort him, but he wasn't sure how. What was he supposed to say? The dead are dead—just move on?

"Do you need something?"

Yue was still thinking when Kakashi spoke, his voice devoid of any emotion.

"Not really. You just don't look too well."

"No, I'm fine."

The same lifeless, mechanical response.

Yue considered how to keep the conversation going, but Kakashi had already shifted to the side and continued walking past him.

As their shoulders brushed, Yue swore he felt a hint of death in the air.

'Has he already given up on life? …Whatever. It's not my problem.'

Kakashi and Yue had only met a few times. They had no special relationship—only Minato's presence connecting them.

Still, Yue knew that Kakashi was someone who was cold on the outside but warm within. He had been deprived of love from a young age, and just when he finally experienced friendship, it was ripped away from him. The overwhelming shock had completely shattered him.

And pulling him out of that abyss wasn't something that a few words from Yue could accomplish. Yue didn't even think he had the right to console him.

Shaking his head slightly, Yue continued on his way home, dragging his Ryūken behind him. He realized he was running a bit late. Although Kushina was usually gentle with him, he had seen her explode in anger before…

Quickening his pace, he arrived home just as Kushina was setting the table for lunch.

"Sorry, I'm late."

"It's okay, Yue. Our little sun hasn't returned yet either. Let's wait for him together."

"Mm."

Kushina was as gentle as ever. After putting his sword away, Yue immediately went to wash his hands and dust off his clothes before climbing onto his usual high stool.

"Is something important happening today?" Yue asked.

He had noticed that Kushina had prepared an especially lavish meal and that she seemed both nervous and excited. She kept glancing toward the door, clearly waiting for Minato.

He had never seen her act this way before. Something big must have happened—probably something good.

"Yue, take a guess! If you get it right, I'll grant you a wish!"

Now, Yue was sure of it—it had to be good news. And he had a strong hunch about what it was.

"Did Father get chosen as Hokage?"

"Bingo! You got it! The election for the Fourth Hokage happened this morning, and I even snuck over to the Hokage Office to listen in! Minato is officially going to be the Fourth Hokage! So, Yue, aren't you proud of your father? Hahaha!"

Kushina was practically glowing with excitement. She usually restrained her fiery and straightforward nature around Yue, but today, she couldn't hold it in.

"Really? Father is amazing," Yue said with a small smile.

Seeing Yue smile, Kushina became even more overjoyed.

"I'm home!"

Just then, Minato walked through the door. As soon as he stepped in, Kushina immediately threw herself at him, showering him with congratulations.

"Haha, not so fast, Kushina. It's been decided, but I won't officially take office for another six months. There's still a lot of work to do before the handover."

Seeing his son watching them, Minato awkwardly scratched his head.

"Six months, huh? Oh well, our little sun is going to be the Fourth Hokage soon!"

Wanting to show his support, Yue climbed down from his stool, walked up to Minato, and took his hand.

"Congratulations, Father."

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