"You idiot, didn't I already warn you? You'd better stay away from him."
After leaving Ichiraku Ramen, Kotoha Nara shot Yuhara a displeased glare. She clearly hadn't expected him to actually go through with it.
In her memories, Yuhara had always been extremely clever, polite, and calm in how he handled things. Nothing about him seemed like someone who could be part of the Uchiha clan. His insight and analytical ability were impressive—even Kotoha, a member of the Nara clan, had to admit that.
But after years apart, now that she'd met him again, something felt off. He still looked the same, but... his brain seemed to have dulled.
What the hell was he thinking?
Who was that little brat, anyway?
Though no one in the village dared speak of it, and rumors had twisted things beyond recognition, people whispered that Naruto was the embodiment of the Nine-Tails.
And that wasn't exactly wrong. Naruto was the Jinchuriki of the Nine-Tails. That monstrous fox was sealed inside him. On the night of the Nine-Tails attack, many of the shinobi who fought witnessed something unforgettable—reflected in the beast's eyes were the crimson, tomoe-marked Sharingan.
What did that mean? It meant the Nine-Tails had been under someone's control. And that someone... was an Uchiha.
Even though years had passed, the destruction caused that night—especially the death of the Fourth Hokage and his wife—was still fresh in every Konoha resident's mind.
The Nine-Tails' rampage had brought devastation unlike anything the village had ever experienced.
The general public might not know the full story, but did Yuhara really think the village leadership was ignorant? An Uchiha getting close to Naruto? That was basically suicide.
"I know, I know. Don't worry, I've got a handle on things."
Yuhara sighed, waving off Kotoha's scolding. He wasn't angry—he understood this was just her way of looking out for him.
He had no issue when people treated him with kindness. On the contrary, he appreciated it.
The sages once said: "Respond to resentment with honesty, repay kindness with kindness."
Yuhara preferred a modern spin: "If someone's good to you, be good in return. If they're not—handle it however you see fit."
Maybe that twisted the original meaning, but he liked his version better.
Besides, he hadn't forgotten those old family teachings either—"Repay a drop of kindness with a spring, and repay a broken tooth with a head."
The Nara clan was fascinating in its own right. Once you earned their trust, they'd back you up no matter how troublesome they claimed it was.
Naruto and Shikamaru were a prime example. Shikamaru always got dragged into Naruto's messes, yet he still did whatever he could to help him.
And in terms of being a shinobi, the Nara clan had some solid examples. During the Chūnin Exams, Shikamaru volunteered to hold off the enemy alone. He had accepted the possibility of dying that day.
Luckily, Asuma showed up in time. Otherwise, Shikamaru might not have made it.
"Honestly, don't act like you're so innocent. Didn't your cousin Shikamaru ditch class with that Akimichi kid the other day?"
Yuhara changed the subject quickly, not wanting to argue further.
"Tch, Shikamaru's my cousin, not my real brother. Why should I care about his business? So annoying."
But she didn't take the bait, which made things a bit awkward for Yuhara.
Thankfully, Kotoha wasn't the type to nag forever. Her words were a gentle warning, not an ultimatum.
If he insisted on ignoring her advice, she wouldn't push the issue. It wasn't her life, after all—and overstepping would just cause unnecessary tension.
"Fine, fine. Do whatever you want. Just… one last friendly reminder."
She stopped walking, glanced around cautiously, then lowered her voice and even covered her mouth with her hand.
"I've heard some things. And from what I can see, your clan's relationship with the village is only getting worse."
"If you can... I'd suggest staying out of clan affairs for now. Try taking a long-term mission outside the village."
"Wait and see how things unfold before making any decisions."
Her warning was vague, but Yuhara wasn't stupid. He understood exactly what she meant.
He hadn't expected this kind of advice from her, but he had to admit—it was kind and well thought out.
She likely deduced things based on Nara Shikaku's actions and the village's current political climate. Shikaku wouldn't carelessly leak intel, but it was also possible he was subtly trying to help the Uchiha.
Still, Yuhara leaned toward the theory that this was all Kotoha's own analysis. After all, they had once been teammates. He knew firsthand how sharp she could be.
And honestly, her deduction was spot-on. Her suggestion wasn't bad either.
The only problem… was that Yuhara couldn't run away.
"That suggestion of yours—are you basically telling me to leave Konoha if I can?"
Maybe the weight of the conversation got to him, or maybe he just didn't want to confront it yet, but he chuckled and deflected.
"Take it however you want. It was just a friendly suggestion. No one's forcing you to listen."
Kotoha glanced at him briefly, then turned away and walked off.
"Hey, are you trying to incite me to defect? Should I report you for that?"
Yuhara hurried after her, grinning as he whispered.
"Was anyone else around to hear it?" she said with a raised eyebrow, looking at him strangely. "What are you talking about? Defection? I never said anything like that."
She turned back, waved without looking, and continued on.
"Alright, I'm heading home. Hopefully we'll meet again soon."
Watching her walk away, Yuhara smiled slightly. After a brief pause, he called out loudly:
"Thanks, Kotoha!"
Then he turned toward the Uchiha compound.
He had originally planned to get some training done, but now he felt a greater sense of urgency. He wanted to see how the conversation between Shisui and the elder had gone.
Besides, training was better with a partner anyway—especially since his current training partner couldn't afford to be weak.
But to his surprise, as soon as he reached the Uchiha clan gate, Shisui was already waiting.
"Yuhara, come with me. The elder wants to see you."
"Got it."
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