Naruto, born from the world of his parents.

"Fighting is the most patient thing to do, so even if you witness unbearable tragedies or unacceptable atrocities, you must remain calm once the fight begins."

By the flowing river, Sasuke listened to Naruto's words somewhat absentmindedly.

To be honest, he's a little embarrassed to face Naruto directly right now.

Heaven knows what possessed him to call Naruto "Onii-chan," even though Naruto is actually younger than him.

and.

The thought of the word "Onii-chan" made Sasuke's eyes darken again.

He shook his head vigorously, feeling unusually vulnerable today.

But it was precisely because of this word that Sasuke's troubled thoughts were swept away. He looked up at Naruto: "Does calmness make you stronger?"

"At least I won't be unable to perform to my full potential."

Naruto smiled and asked softly, "Do you know why you lost just now?"

"Because I'm too weak."

Naruto shook his head: "Weakness is always relative, and what exactly constitutes strength, and what exactly constitutes weakness?"

This question stumped Sasuke. He stared blankly at Naruto, unsure how to answer.

"There may indeed be a gap between you and me, but it's not as exaggerated as it seemed in the fight just now. The reason you lost so decisively wasn't because you were too weak, but simply because you were too impatient."

"You always seem obsessed with killing with one blow, but the last survivor of a battle is always the most patient one."

Hearing Naruto's words, Sasuke instinctively retorted, "But the fact is, you're stronger than me, and your taijutsu is better, that's why I lost to you."

"This is just the surface."

Naruto shook his head: "The reason you lost is because you were too fixated on using your strongest power. That's certainly not wrong, but it's foolish not to test the waters."

As he spoke, Naruto created a shadow clone, jumped into the air, and delivered a high kick straight at the shadow clone, but the shadow clone blocked it with its hand.

"Do you see the problem?"

Sasuke hesitated for a moment, then said somewhat uncertainly, "Is it too risky?"

Naruto nodded: "That's the point. Whether it's ninjutsu, taijutsu, or genjutsu, you should always leave yourself some room to maneuver. Don't go all out from the start. While that may seem intimidating, if your opponent can handle it, then it becomes your weakness."

Sasuke nodded, seemingly understanding, "Then what should I do?"

Naruto smiled but didn't explain. Instead, he said, "Next, I'll keep my strength and taijutsu at the same level as yours. You can experience it for yourself."

After saying that, Naruto rushed forward and threw a punch, but Sasuke blocked it with great ease.

Sasuke frowned as he felt the force of the punch.

It wasn't because the punch was too strong; on the contrary, it was because the punch was too weak.

This made Sasuke feel slighted. He looked up at Naruto, somewhat annoyed, and pushed Naruto's hand away, throwing a punch in the process. But the next moment, he was sent flying.

Sitting under the tree, reflecting on the battle that had just taken place, Sasuke blinked rapidly, as if he had sensed something.

The battle that followed was still one-sided, but Sasuke was improving at an unprecedented rate.

From being completely defenseless at the beginning to gradually being able to occasionally fight back.

This undeniable progress made Sasuke's eyes shine even brighter. He dusted himself off, having lost count of how many times Naruto had kicked him away, but his eyes were filled with joy.

He instinctively rushed towards Naruto, but after only a few steps, he stumbled and fell to the ground.

Feeling the soft, yielding body and looking at the round, disc-like moon in the sky, thirteen-year-old Sasuke's eyes showed a rare hint of childlike confusion.

"Why is it dark?"

Seeing Sasuke fall to the ground, Naruto, who was also exhausted, breathed a sigh of relief.

"This guy really has a lot of energy."

In their own world, Naruto and Sasuke spar almost every day, but never once has it lasted as long as today. Usually, Sasuke is full of confidence, Sasuke throws all his punches, Sasuke is smug, and Sasuke painfully admits defeat, and that's the end of the process.

After all, Sasuke and Naruto's training was more about figuring out the gap between themselves and Naruto. If they lost, they would just let it go. Unlike this Sasuke.

Recalling how Sasuke had absorbed so much nourishment from him like a sponge throughout the day, Naruto couldn't help but smile. He carried Sasuke on his back and walked into the village under the moonlight.

Exhausted, Sasuke fell asleep on Naruto's back without realizing it.

Hearing the boy behind him calling him "brother," Naruto suddenly realized that he had overlooked something.

"Where's Itachi?"

Konoha Village, Hokage's office.

Sitting in front of the floor-to-ceiling window overlooking the entire village, Hiruzen Sarutobi kept smoking his pipe. The thick smoke shrouded his aged face, which flickered in the moonlight, making him look like an ancient statue.

Kakashi stood silently beside him, his eyes lowered.

He had been standing in the Hokage's office for most of the day, but he wasn't tired at all; on the contrary, he was extremely shocked.

His gaze swept lightly over the crystal ball on the desk, a hint of nostalgia flashing in his eyes.

"Kakashi."

Upon hearing Hiruzen Sarutobi's voice, Kakashi stepped forward: "I'm here, Hokage-sama."

What do you think?

Kakashi hesitated for a moment, recalling the scene he had seen with the telescope technique, before finally speaking, "I think I saw my teacher."

Upon hearing Kakashi's words, Hiruzen Sarutobi paused for a moment while holding his pipe, then took a long drag of smoke.

"Minato? It really does look like it."

"I want to protect Konoha, not just the village itself, but everyone who lives on this land and considers themselves a Konoha person. I want to protect their lives, their smiles, and their dreams."

"That's definitely something Minato would say."

Hearing Hiruzen Sarutobi's words, Kakashi felt a sense of relief.

"But why didn't he demonstrate such talent at the ninja academy?"

Hearing Hiruzen Sarutobi's words, Kakashi paused for a moment, then tentatively said, "Perhaps it's because of Iruka's sacrifice? Sometimes, a person's growth only takes a moment."

"I see."

Hiruzen Sarutobi exhaled a thick cloud of smoke, turned around, and looked at Konoha through the floor-to-ceiling window.

"Where the leaves dance, the fire will never die. The firelight will continue to illuminate the village and allow new leaves to sprout."

Muttering this phrase he had said countless times, Hiruzen Sarutobi's eyes narrowed, as if he had made up his mind.

"Thank you for keeping this old man company, Kakashi."

"It is my honor to serve the Hokage."

"Haha, let's go home quickly. The moon is so beautiful tonight, it's perfect for the elderly to go out for a walk."

After saying that, the hunchbacked old man vanished from the spot in an instant.