Chapter 116: Naruto Enrolls
The Tobitake Household.
Snap!
"Waaaaah~!"
"Stop hitting us~!"
Tianyu and Maki were being struck on the legs with a bamboo whip, one meter long and thin as a strip of jerky. Red welts appeared on their skin. Both of them were crying their eyes out, hands incessantly rubbing the sore spots as if that could soothe the sting.
"Papa, I was wrong!"
"Wrong about what?"
"I shouldn't lie to people!"
"Nonsense! You still need to lie to people; otherwise, how will you be a ninja in the future?"
"Then... I shouldn't lie to our own people?"
"What did I teach you? If you can't even fool your own people, how do you expect to fool the enemy?"
"Eh... then what exactly did we do wrong?"
"You still say you're not wrong? I think your skin is just itching for a beating!"
Snap!
"Uwaaaa~ Noooo~!"
Tianyu and Maki, feeling the pain on their legs, hopped around trying to dodge. Tonbo didn't put the whip down until he had satisfied his parental urge. The educational methods of his past life were truly excellent; a small bamboo whip didn't hurt the meat or the bone—it just caused pure, unadulterated pain. It was perfect for discipline.
Rubbing their legs and sitting across from their father, the two toddlers had tear-streaked faces. They sensed their dad had something to say.
"First: A person must have a bottom line. You can't just cheat people."
The two little ones could only nod.
"Second: If you cheat, don't cheat your own people."
Wait, didn't you just say the opposite?
"Third: To use your father's craftsmanship to 'empty-handedly' trick someone out of money is very wrong."
Tonbo lectured them earnestly.
Understood. That last sentence was the only one you actually meant, the two thought, looking at their father with disdain.
"The foundation of all this depends on your standpoint. Right now, your standpoint is that you are the sons of Tonbo Tobitake, the grandsons of Tosei Tobitake, and the grandsons of Teuchi from Ichiraku Ramen. If word gets out that you do things like this, it will ruin our family reputation, do you understand? Our family is not short on petty cash. We don't need to use deception to get money. Don't think others are stupid; he just didn't want to argue with you..."
Blah, blah, blah. Tonbo spoke at length. Tianyu and Maki nodded non-stop.
"I know you're smart enough to understand me. If I catch you again, heh heh... you'll get to experience your Big Brother Kiba's 'Ultimate Experience' ahead of schedule."
Tonbo flashed a terrifying smile. Did these two really think they could hide things from their father? With his sensory abilities active, the life signs of the entire Konoha village were under his surveillance. Furthermore, after successfully developing the emotion-sensing jutsu he used on Kiba, he had planted it on his own children long ago to keep track of their location. Every move they made was in his sight.
The terrifying tone of their father finally scared Tianyu and Maki. They could only nod frantically. They did not want to experience Big Brother Kiba's training. It was too horrifying.
"Alright, here is the figurine for Sasuke. Give it to him tomorrow. You can keep the money, but don't do it again."
Tonbo pulled out an Itachi figurine. This was a special edition, woven with special materials from the ninja world and crafted using ninja-tool-making techniques. Since they took the money, he might as well provide a quality product. This thing couldn't even be pierced by a standard kunai; it should be enough for Sasuke.
He really didn't expect the six-year-old Sasuke to still be this naive. Compared to the "Emo" Sasuke of the later years, boys really do change as they grow.
Hearing that they could keep the money, the tear-streaked faces of Tianyu and Maki immediately blossomed into smiles.
That Night.
"Wife, I was wrong..."
"Wrong about what?"
"I..."
Tonbo, who had just finished disciplining the kids, was immediately disciplined by Ayame. All because he forgot to heal the welts on the children's legs.
"Damn it, how did Dad know what we did?" Tianyu thought for a long time but couldn't figure it out.
Maki: "It must be a ninja ability. Just like how we can feel someone approaching without turning around."
"Once we become ninjas, Dad definitely won't be able to find out."
"But we aren't grown up yet, we can't learn it!"
"It's okay. We still have the money, and Mom will naturally take care of Dad."
The Gates of the Ninja Academy.
Swish! Swish!
Anbu ninjas surrounded the school from the shadows. Kakashi was among them. Today was the opening day of the Ninja Academy; to prevent spies from infiltrating and harming the village's future, the Anbu's vigilance never wavered.
Down below, a constant stream of people arrived to drop off their children. Tonbo Tobitake sat on the branch of a large tree, watching the bustling crowd below. There was a hint of exhaustion on his face (from the night before).
"The day the protagonist starts school has finally arrived. The Fourth Great Ninja War isn't far off now!"
Unnoticeably, nine years had passed. He had become a high-ranking official of Konoha and a true part of the ninja world. He couldn't help but sigh: time makes the things that once seemed unimportant become vital.
Once, he was a traveler who viewed the ninja world as an illusion.
Now, he was an experiencer living in its reality.
In nine years, he had formed bonds with Konoha. Every event and every person he encountered had turned into invisible threads connecting to him from all directions. He did not wish for the land he lived on to be disturbed by enemies.
But his dream remained unchanged: go to work, go home, and occasionally interact with the characters he liked—just like everyone he had taught.
Naruto looked around. Seeing others brought by their parents, a visible look of loss filled his eyes. He wanted to find that familiar person—the man with the bandages.
Like drifting in a vast ocean, Naruto felt isolated from the world. Only a few people served as his lighthouses. Many people moved away the moment they saw him. Only some children who had never seen him before felt curious as to why the adults avoided him.
Once the parents whispered the situation, the children were also influenced, no longer daring to look at Naruto for fear of being eaten by a scary monster.
Sasuke held his brother's hand, looking at the lonely Naruto. "Brother, why is everyone looking at him like that?"
Itachi replied, "He is a man carrying a great responsibility. Just like our Uchiha clan. Remember to get along well with everyone at school!"
"Okay, Brother."
Standing nearby, Fugaku Uchiha felt gratified. Itachi was indeed the most outstanding man of the Uchiha besides Shisui; even his younger son had such mature thoughts from a young age. However, he was dissatisfied that Itachi had set aside an important mission just to see Sasuke off to school. If he had completed that mission, he would have had a chance to join the Hokage's direct Anbu.
Itachi Uchiha suddenly looked toward a tree in the distance. A familiar figure entered his sight. The figure gave him a slight smile and waved.
Senior Tonbo, if you were in the Uchiha clan's position, what would you do?
Itachi smiled back, but his heart was heavy with worry. If Tonbo knew his thoughts, he would definitely tell him: If I transmigrated as an Uchiha, countless authors have already told me the answer—rebel against the lot of them!
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