That afternoon was their very first outdoor class.
Iruka had everyone start with a 3,000-meter run to test the kids' physical base.
Naruto, burning with competitive spirit, charged ahead with all his might, determined to leave Sasuke in the dust. But Sasuke, taking his glorious big brother as his role model, was just as determined to be number one in the class—especially when it came to Naruto. He simply couldn't lose to him.
As for Natsuki, he ran leisurely in the middle of the pack, pretending to be tired while secretly enjoying the drama unfold like a soap opera.
By the time the 3,000 meters were done, Natsuki barely had a drop of sweat on him. Naruto, meanwhile, had collapsed like a dead dog on the ground, barely able to breathe—and he didn't even place that well.
See? Having Uzumaki vitality and the Nine-Tails' chakra doesn't mean much if you're malnourished every day. That body's way too frail.
Naturally, first place went to Sasuke. The little pretty boy gave Naruto a smug glance, then stood coolly off to the side as the girls erupted into squeals and admiration.
Naruto shot up in a rage. "What's that Sasuke guy being so smug for, dattebayo?!"
Natsuki, meanwhile, noticed something interesting among the girls. They had already split into factions—one led by Yamanaka Ino, another by Haruno Sakura, and a few scattered cliques. While all of them were Sasuke fans, they clearly didn't get along with each other and looked ready to tear each other apart at any moment.
Ino and Sakura used to be close friends, but now their friendship lay in ruins—shattered by their shared crush on Sasuke.
They even started exchanging snide insults. It was quite the spectacle.
And just as Naruto began trying to impress Sakura with a barrage of praise and goofy grins, Sakura rolled her eyes and stared only at Sasuke, clearly finding Naruto annoying.
Oh, and over in the corner, a certain timid girl with white eyes was giving Naruto nonstop side-eyes. Too bad Naruto didn't notice.
"These girls... such a drag," Shikamaru muttered, annoyed.
Chōji crunched his chips, entirely ignoring the chaos around him.
Natsuki and Shino exchanged glances and shrugged. Not their business. If it got too noisy, they could just cover their ears.
Next up: kunai throwing practice.
The kids from ninja clans had obviously trained before. Their accuracy wasn't bad at all.
Especially Sasuke—shurikenjutsu was a signature skill of the Uchiha clan. Every throw hit the bullseye, which earned him another round of shrieking fangirls.
Not to be outdone, Naruto started yelling again and tried to show off. The result? None of his kunai hit the target, and one of them almost neutered Iruka—who promptly scolded him with a stormy face.
Natsuki, meanwhile, ignored all the drama and followed Iruka's instructions step by step. He also drew on the throwing techniques recorded in his father's scroll. At first, he barely hit the target, but with consistent practice, his accuracy rose steadily. A few even landed in the bullseye.
His improvement was so noticeable that Iruka gave him direct praise.
Other students were envious, but what could they do? They wasted their time squabbling and posturing instead of focusing during class. Who else could they blame?
After school, Natsuki took Shino shopping. They bought fresh meat and seasonings before heading to his house.
"This is my place. A bit out of the way," Natsuki said as he opened the gate.
"My parents passed away, so I live here alone. Grew some veggies out back for food. I'll go cook. Shino, could you help pick some vegetables?"
He really didn't treat Shino like a guest at all—which meant he wasn't treating him like an outsider.
"These plants look great," Shino said, complimenting the garden as he picked up a basket. He started plucking leaves as he added, "The Aburame clan grows vegetables too—for feeding our bugs. But yours look much healthier. Can I take a few leaves to feed mine?"
Natsuki responded casually. He'd already put the rice on, marinated the meat, and even chopped off a piece of cured pork. Only then did he finally free up his hands.
Shino had finished picking the vegetables. He fed a tender leaf to one of his bugs. They didn't speak, but the atmosphere was peaceful. Even with his sunglasses on, Natsuki could tell Shino was genuinely happy.
Maybe it was because he'd finally made a friend. Maybe it was because it was his first time being invited to a friend's house.
Natsuki didn't beat around the bush. "Shino, I actually stayed up all night researching one-handed hand seals. That's why I was so tired."
"One-handed... hand seals?!"
Shino was visibly shaken. Even behind his glasses, you could feel his surprise.
Everyone knew how rare one-handed seals were. Even elite jōnin rarely used them—Kakashi himself was stunned when he saw Haku do it during the Land of Waves mission.
Someone who could do one-handed seals was undoubtedly a genius.
And Natsuki was only six years old. A genius among geniuses.
Natsuki lifted his left hand and performed several seals. Poof! He transformed into Shino himself—with one hand.
Shino couldn't deny it even if he wanted to. "Natsuki, you're incredible."
Natsuki smiled. "I invited you over not just for dinner—but to teach you one-handed seals. Not for free, though. The thing is... my appetite's grown a lot. Between my savings and the orphan stipend, I won't be able to make ends meet soon. So I figured, maybe you—my friend—could help out. Want to learn?"
"I do. Just tell me how much."
Shino agreed without hesitation.
Honestly, he would've been happy to lend Natsuki money. He was Natsuki's first friend, after all. Even if Natsuki never paid him back, he didn't mind—he could tell Natsuki's situation was tough and genuinely cared about him.
But he also understood Natsuki's pride. Natsuki wouldn't take a handout. That's why he offered something valuable in exchange instead.
And really, learning one-handed seals was an incredible opportunity. It was more than worth it. A win-win.
Natsuki scratched his head. "Just give me whatever you think is fair. Enough to get through the next two months. I have no idea what it should cost."
Shino thought about it. "I'll ask my dad tonight. He should know what a fair rate is. I'll make sure neither of us gets shortchanged."
"Sounds good. But you and your dad have to keep this secret. I don't want anyone else knowing."
"Don't worry. I understand."
He knew Konoha wasn't all sunshine and rainbows. Especially after his friend Torune volunteered to take his place and join Danzo's "Root." That's when Shino realized how dark the village could be.
Talented kids didn't stay free for long. They got noticed.
Even as the heir to the Aburame clan, he couldn't fight it. If not for Torune stepping forward, he would've been the one taken.
Let alone someone like Natsuki—an orphan with no backing. If word got out that he was a prodigy, Root would snatch him up before anyone could blink.
Which is why Natsuki's talent had to stay hidden—no matter what.
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