Sasuke set down his teacup, looking completely calm—as if the one who had been shouting himself hoarse moments ago wasn't him.
Uchiha Fugaku coughed lightly. He, too, had been putting on a show with Shisui and the others. According to Kiyosuke, his second son carried the burden of saving the world on his shoulders. It was necessary, even if Fugaku didn't want Sasuke to awaken the Mangekyō Sharingan.
"Same old routine," Shisui said with a faint smile.
Back when Itachi awakened his Mangekyō, it had gone just like this. And now, they were repeating the same act with his younger brother—tried and true, and undeniably effective. As expected of Kiyosuke-sama.
"So," Sasuke said, lowering his teacup, "why do all this?"
Kiyosuke replied, "For the sake of the future. Naruto is the Child of Prophecy, said to change the fate of the shinobi world—but in truth, you are too. Your destinies are intertwined. Neither of you can grow without the other. From here on, both you and Naruto must gain power strong enough to surpass even me."
Everyone froze in shock.
Surpass Kiyosuke?
His strength already ranked among the very top in the ninja world. To surpass him would require power on par with the First Hokage or Uchiha Madara.
Sasuke's eyes burned with determination. Kiyosuke cautioned,
"Sasuke, remember—great power comes with great responsibility. The fate of this world rests on you and Naruto."
Sasuke nodded solemnly.
"I understand. I will."
"That's my boy." Fugaku smiled proudly. "You're the pride of the Uchiha. The fate of the world lies with you and Naruto. No matter what, you two must move forward together—shoulder to shoulder, through every trial."
Naruto was a boy Fugaku had watched grow up. He knew the child well—brash but good-hearted. Seeing him and Sasuke build the future together was a comforting thought. And yet… was it truly right to place the burden of the world on two children?
"They have their own destinies, Fugaku-san," Kiyosuke said calmly. "Sasuke and Naruto are like Hashirama Senju and Uchiha Madara. When united, the world knows peace. When divided, chaos follows."
The reincarnations of Asura and Indra—together, they could suppress any foe. But if they ever turned against each other, the world would be engulfed in calamity.
"Hashirama Senju and Uchiha Madara, huh…" Fugaku couldn't help but marvel that Kiyosuke held his son and Naruto in such high regard. Still, he wasn't sure if his son could truly live up to that comparison.
"Next, Sasuke," Kiyosuke said, "get used to your Mangekyō Sharingan. After that, we'll move against the Akatsuki. Itachi and Obito will meet us halfway."
"I understand."
They discussed the plan for a while—until barking echoed outside. The voice was familiar—it sounded like Akamaru's.
Kiyosuke looked up and saw Kiba leap onto the courtyard wall.
"Kiyosuke-sensei! There's a woman outside! Says she's Naruto's fiancée! She wants to challenge him—if Naruto wins, she'll be his wife; if he loses, he has to marry into her clan!"
So no matter who wins… they're getting married?
"What? Finally, some entertainment?!" Kiyosuke sprang to his feet. "Where are they? I'm going to watch!"
"..." Everyone else was speechless.
"What the hell is that idiot doing now?" Sasuke groaned, rubbing his temples. Then his expression turned suspicious.
"Wait—since when does he have a fiancée?"
They'd grown up together. Apart from a couple of years training separately, they'd been side by side almost constantly. Sasuke even knew what color Naruto's underwear was. So how could a fiancée suddenly appear? Wasn't Naruto supposed to end up with the Hyūga clan's heiress?
"Come on, come on! Let's go watch!" Kiyosuke said, practically bouncing out the door.
"Guess we're going too," Shisui said, pulling on his mask and following. Fugaku and Sasuke stood and went after them.
Under Kiba's lead, they arrived at Konoha Square, where a crowd had already gathered.
Members of the Konoha Police Force were maintaining order.
Across from Naruto stood a young woman in a long robe, wearing a forehead protector from Nadeshiko Village. Her long black hair was tied into a high ponytail, and she carried herself with striking confidence.
"Hahaha, sorry, Naruto," Jiraiya said, slapping his student's shoulder. "I forgot to tell you—back in the day, I made a promise with this young lady's master. Our duel back then was left unfinished, so we decided our disciples would continue it. And now, you're the only one of mine who's still single!"
"Stop making decisions for me, you pervy sage!!"
Naruto roared.
You caused this mess, why the hell do I have to clean it up?!
"Relax, relax. Just fight her—it'll be fun. Besides, she's cute." Jiraiya leaned close, grinning wickedly, clearly enjoying the show.
"Damn it! No way! Find someone else! If it comes to that, let Kiyosuke-san do it!"
Bam!
A solid punch answered him. Kiyosuke stood there with a dark scowl.
"Oi, brat! What the hell are you saying? If Rin heard that, she'd kill me! Don't ever say something like that again—or I'll end you myself!"
That little bastard almost got me killed!
"Y-Yes, sir!"
Naruto straightened instantly. Kiyosuke-san was terrifying when angry!
With a pleasant smile, Kiyosuke stepped forward.
"Welcome, honored guests. Sorry for the lack of reception. I'm Naruto's guardian—Asakawa Kiyosuke. It's a pleasure to meet you."
"Greetings, Kiyosuke-sama."
Nadeshiko Shizuka and her subordinate Tokiwa both bowed respectfully.
The man's reputation preceded him—his fame now eclipsed even the Legendary Sannin, rivaling the God of Shinobi, Hashirama Senju, and the Shura of the Ninja World, Uchiha Madara.
"I've heard the situation," Kiyosuke said warmly. "Since Jiraiya-sama and Miss Shizuka's master made this agreement, we'll honor it. However, after traveling so far, Miss Shizuka must be tired. How about some rest first? You can face Naruto once you've recovered."
His tone was cheerful—but anyone who knew him could tell he was up to something.
Jiraiya caught the mischievous gleam in Kiyosuke's eye and smirked.
"Yeah, yeah, that's fine. But let me warn you, my student's strong. Trained personally by me and Kiyosuke—if you don't go all out, you won't stand a chance!"
As he spoke, he clamped a hand over Naruto's mouth to stop him from protesting and pinned him in place with Kiyosuke's help.
Shizuka shook her head. "There's no need. I'm in perfect condition."
"Oh? In such a hurry to make Naruto the son-in-law of Nadeshiko Village?" Kiyosuke asked, stroking the stubble on his chin with a teasing grin.
Shizuka flushed slightly. "Please don't joke like that, Kiyosuke-sama."
"Haha, fair enough. Alright then—this afternoon, at Konoha's training grounds, you'll duel under the witness of Jiraiya-sama and me. If you win, Naruto will be yours. If you lose, return home and train harder. How does that sound?"
"Deal!" Shizuka nodded after a brief thought.
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