Sasuke, not expecting the other party to suddenly ask about his brother, straightened up in shock.
But his butt slipped, he lost his balance, stumbled, and fell from the tree.
“Danger!”
Chizhao had intended to offer help, but then she reconsidered, thinking that this height was no big deal for Sasuke, so her hand quietly withdrew.
She decided against doing this good deed.
“Ouch, ouch….” Sasuke grimaced in pain, his entire face twisted.
“Are you alright?”
Still feeling a little guilty, Chizhao friendly extended her hand to help him up, but Sasuke unceremoniously slapped it away, his tone dissatisfied.
“Why are you looking for my brother?”
Seeing his wary expression, Chizhao had no choice but to lower her hand and begin to explain her intentions.
The moment she opened her mouth, she froze.
She didn't have any reasonable intention; she had just impulsively wanted to stop Itachi.
But at this moment, she realized she was just a child; how could she possibly make an elite Ninja listen to her advice?
However, the words were already out, and she had to find a way to dispel Sasuke’s doubts.
So, a thought flashed through her mind, and she concocted an excuse.
“I… I want to ask him for some tips on Shuriken techniques.”
“Huh? Why do you have to find my brother?”
“Because I heard he’s very good…”
Sasuke proudly lifted his small head, as if the person being praised was himself.
“My brother is already amazing!”
Then he glanced at Chizhao, an expression on his face as if he was unwilling to share his treasured gifts with others.
“Besides, my brother only teaches me Shuriken; he doesn’t teach anyone else, so don’t even think about it.”
Chizhao, feigning disappointment, sighed softly.
“Alright then…”
She paused, then softly murmured another sentence.
“Sasuke really likes his brother.”
Sasuke’s small face flushed slightly at being exposed, and he instinctively wanted to retort, but how could he refute the fact that he liked his brother?
So he was momentarily speechless, letting out a cold snort from his nose, and turned his head away haughtily.
How could she always manage to embarrass him so perfectly with just one sentence?
At this moment, Chizhao wanted to take the opportunity to probe Sasuke’s true thoughts, so she put on a casual expression and leaned against the big tree.
“Suppose, and I mean suppose, your brother became an enemy you had to face, what would you do?”
Sasuke’s eyes instantly turned cold, his brows furrowed, clearly resistant to the topic.
“What do you mean?”
Realizing the atmosphere was off, Chizhao quickly waved her hands to explain.
“You… don’t be nervous… I don’t mean any harm…”
“It’s just that Iruka has been talking about the previous Ninja World wars these past few days, mentioning many brothers who fought on the battlefield due to conflicting beliefs, so…”
“It’s impossible for my brother and me to become like that.” Sasuke looked firmly at the ground.
“There are no differences in beliefs between us, and it’s even less possible for us to hate each other…”
“What if he deliberately made you hate him?”
Sasuke impatiently “tsk”ed.
Clearly sensing that the other party was already annoyed by the question, Chizhao wisely covered her mouth, indicating she wouldn't ask anymore.
The silent Sasuke watched two ants helping each other carry leaves on the ground, and slowly spoke:
“I would ask him clearly why he did it… and then figure out a solution with him.”
Chizhao was stunned; Sasuke’s tone was so calm, yet why could she feel a hint of genuine emotion?
Sasuke was also very surprised that he had said these words.
Perhaps it was because his brother had been busy with something lately and wouldn’t tell him why.
Coupled with the death of his brother’s good friend, Shisui, his brother had become even more taciturn.
As his younger brother, he really wanted to help his brother share some of the burden.
But his brother always said he was still young, always protecting him in a greenhouse, ignorant of the ways of the world.
“I see…”
But Sasuke, at your current age, you would indeed find it difficult to understand Itachi’s thoughts.
Don’t worry though, I’ve already decided to change the fate of the Uchiha Clan.
You, your brother, and the entire clan will all be safe and sound.
“It’s okay! Aren’t you and your brother siblings! The bond between siblings is unbreakable by anyone; you can definitely overcome difficulties!”
Looking at the girl in front of him, giving a thumbs-up, full of youthful energy and positive vibes.
His gaze softened involuntarily, and he smiled helplessly.
“Well, I’ll take your word for it.”
…
Accompanied by the sound of the class bell, Chizhao and Sasuke walked side by side into the classroom under everyone’s gaze.
The two were already “popular figures” in the school, and the sight of them walking into the classroom together instantly ignited a wave of discussion throughout the room.
Whispers rose and fell around them, as if everyone was excited by this sudden pairing.
Among them, there were even some gazes of “shipping” them, which surged towards them like a tide.
“How rare… Sasuke and Chizhao are together…”
“Ah… truly a perfect match.”
“Damn it! Sasuke is mine…”
Seeing this scene, Naruto felt an inexplicable surge of irritation.
The unpleasant whispers pierced his ears like needles.
The scene he had imagined that morning appeared before his eyes, as if all his conjectures were confirmed at this moment.
Some emotion suddenly churned within him, as if it was about to drown him.
Naruto gritted his teeth, slammed his hands on the desk, and stood up, the loud noise instantly quieting the previously noisy classroom.
Everyone’s eyes uniformly turned to Naruto’s displeased face.
“You’re too loud!!!”
Shikamaru sighed, rubbing his forehead in exasperation.
This guy was always easily controlled by his emotions and then did something stupid.
He looked up, his gaze unconsciously drifting towards Chizhao’s bewildered face.
He suppressed the hint of concern in his heart, retracted his gaze, and lazily looked out the window.
Chizhao, back in her seat, poked Naruto’s arm in surprise, not understanding where his anger came from.
“What’s wrong, Naruto? Who upset you now?”
Naruto pouted, wanting to speak but hesitating.
The complex emotions in his heart were tangled like a mess of threads, and finally, he simply lay on his desk, a muffled voice coming from within his arms.
“Nothing…”
Something was off.
Very off.
After so long together, based on Chizhao’s understanding of Naruto.
This guy was definitely angry about something, but she racked her brain and couldn't find a single clue.
There was no other way; she could only turn to the “strongest brain” for help.
She fumbled under the desk, pulling out a blank note.
She glanced at Naruto, who was still slumped on his desk, and quickly scribbled a few words.
Shikamaru propped his cheek, boredly listening to Iruka’s passionate speech.
The soft and comfortable sunlight made him feel sleepy.
A regular touch on his back made his heavy eyelids lift again.
This was their secret signal for passing notes among themselves.
Shikamaru’s heart stirred, and much of his sleepiness dissipated.
What a bother.
Although he thought so, he still cooperated and put his hand behind him.
Chizhao observed Iruka while quickly stuffing the crumpled note into Shikamaru’s palm.
【Do you know what’s wrong with Naruto?】
Shikamaru pouted, picked up his pen, and prepared to write a few words.
“Cough…”
A light cough from beside him made him wary.
He turned his head and saw Choji constantly peeking at the contents of the note.
He had an expression that said, “I want to join the group chat too.”
Helpless, Shikamaru pushed the note towards him.
Choji looked at it carefully, then shrugged, his lips pursed into a straight line, indicating that he also didn’t know, and then he exited the group chat.
Shikamaru, speechless, shook his head helplessly, and finally put pen to paper, writing a few words.
Shikamaru: 【It might be because of Sasuke.】
Chizhao: 【But his reaction today is very unusual ᓫ(° ⌑ °)ǃ】
Looking at the emoji drawn on the paper, Shikamaru’s lips curled into an almost imperceptible smile.
He picked up his pen, hesitated for a moment, then impatiently scratched his head mentally.
Tsk, why do I care about these things? It’s such a bother.
Shikamaru: 【Have you been getting along well with Sasuke lately?】
Chizhao frowned, silently rereading the words on the note.
She looked up at Naruto, who was still sulking and slumped on his desk, then at Shikamaru, who was motionless in front.
What did that mean? Why were these two silly boys so concerned about Sasuke?
But on second thought, she hadn't spent much time with Sasuke; she had only deliberately gotten closer to him recently because of the Uchiha Clan massacre.
Chizhao: 【It’s alright. Just the last few competitions, and then, today I went to ask about his brother’s Shuriken techniques, and that’s it.】
Shikamaru held the note and raised an eyebrow.
Shikamaru: 【That’s all?】
Chizhao: 【That’s all! Oh, right, weren’t we talking about Naruto? (〃＞Head＜)】
Shikamaru: 【Then you just need to talk to him properly; that idiot is very simple-minded.】
After writing that sentence, Shikamaru also drew a small emoji at the end, imitating Chizhao, but it wasn’t as good as hers.
Embarrassed by his own action, he quickly crossed out the emoji and swiftly threw the note back.
After reading the content, Chizhao felt like the conversation had been pointless and rested her chin in her hand, speechless.
Finally, her gaze fell on the crossed-out emoji, and she let out a soft chuckle.
She hadn’t expected Shikamaru, who usually seemed indifferent to everything, to have such a cute side.
Hearing the movement behind him, a blush gradually crept up Shikamaru’s ears; he propped his cheek, still staring at the podium with a poker face.