"Kurenai, would you like to join me for lunch?"
On the bustling streets of Konoha, a boy of the same age chased two 6-year-old girls, chattering endlessly.
"Kurenai, do you agree?" The girl with shoulder-length black hair smiled bitterly at her long-haired friend, whose hair was slightly curled up to the waist, and her eyes were like rubies.
"I don't want to, Asuma; this guy just keeps bragging about how amazing his father is, and he's so boring—then, what is that!?" Kurenai's words were interrupted as she pointed to something in the sky.
A black crescent streaked across the sky above Konoha and struck Hokage Rock on the back mountain.
BOOM!
The explosion created a storm that swept almost half of Konoha, causing Yuhi Kurenai, Shizune, Asuma, and the other young ninja students who had just entered the ninja school to be blown to the ground.
Even the ordinary people around fell on their rears and were in a state of panic.
"What's going on? An earthquake?"
"Look at Hokage Rock!"
"Is the Third Hokage's face, It's gone?"
"Is it an enemy attack?"
"Hurry up and notify the Uchiha guard!"
After witnessing the Third Hokage's face sculpture disappear without a trace due to the mountain explosion, panic spread across Konoha. This was the period of the Ninja World War, so the first reaction of many was to assume an enemy attack.
Amidst the chaos, the two 6-year-olds, Kurenai and Shizune, got up from the ground.
"The attack just now had the power of a very strong ninjutsu, right?" Shizune's face turned pale, still in shock.
"Yeah, but it looked like a sword slash. My dad couldn't do something at that level... Could it be Uncle Sukomo? No, that's not right; Uncle Sakumo uses Lightning Style."
Kurenai's father, Yuhitaka, was a famous swordsman and Genjutsu ninja in Konoha, and she recognized that the attack was a sword slash.
However, it was far beyond her father's abilities.
In her mind, only her father's friend, the renowned White Fang, could perform such a feat. But that didn't make sense!
Looking at the weird black flames burning on the mountain wall, it was clearly different from the lightning-style slashing technique that White Fang was famous for.
"Let's go and see!"
Kurenai took her best friend's hand and quickly ran towards the direction where the sword energy had exploded.
"Hey! Wait for me, Kurenai!"
Asuma hurriedly got up from the ground and rushed to catch up with them.
...
Meanwhile, at the centre of the Uchiha clan's village, Uchiha Fugaku, who was only 23 years old and not yet the patriarch, stared blankly at the still-burning black flames on the back mountain rock wall, and said to himself in shock:
"No, no? Then, is that... the inexhaustible flames recorded in Uchiha history, Amaterasu?!"
...
In front of Hatake's house, a group of Sarutobi ninjas, led by Sarutobi Shinnosuke, collapsed to the ground in fright upon seeing Tatsuya raising his katana.
As they looked towards the back mountain, they noticed that the face of Hiruzen Shinousuke's father had disappeared and was destroyed by the explosion.
Sarutobi Shinnosuke and the others were in disbelief. Could this really be the Eternal Genin as infamous as Might Dai?
Behind them, Hatake Sakumo and his son Kakashi showed little surprise. They knew firsthand how terrifying the power of Tatsuya, their younger brother (or uncle), could be.
"Do you still want to commit suicide?" Tatsuya didn't even pay attention to the frightened Sarutobi Shinnosuke on the ground and turned to ask his big brother.
There were some words missing from the emotional message, but it didn't change the message. The talk between men doesn't need too many words just the emotions behind it are enough. Be it father-son or Brothers some words are enough to know what the other party is saying.
Hatake Sakumo's face was suddenly startled. Lately, he had faced endless accusations from other ninjas, making him consider suicide. Unexpectedly, his indifferent brother saw through his feelings.
"Dad!?" Kakashi was also completely frightened. The thought of his father wanting to commit suicide shocked him.
"I don't know what you did on the previous mission, but suicide is the stupidest thing in the world." Tatsuya calmly sheathed his katana and said indifferently, "When you die, there is nothing left."
"With that kind of thought, I'll be here to beat some sense into you whenever it arises." Tatsuya embraced his brother with both hands to help him stand up after all he is the one who slapped him too hard.
As someone who had lived another life on earth and read the Naruto manga, Tatsuya already felt that Hatake Shumao, his brother, was on a dead-end path.
And now, Sakumo was Tatsuya's big brother. He couldn't just stand by and watch him suffer and die.
Hatake Sakumo was speechless, and to be honest, his face still hurt from Tatsuya's hug.
"Dad, don't think like that!" Kakashi's eyes were teary as he clung to his father's clothes and pleaded. Seeing the emotional exchange between the father and son, Tatsuya couldn't help but sigh.
Hatake Sakumo's heart began to soften, and he gave a faint smile, saying, "Don't worry, I won't."
Suddenly, a cold humming sound reached their ears. The three members of the Hatake family turned their heads to look.
More than a dozen figures wearing grey vests and animal masks suddenly appeared, flashing with the Body Flicker Technique, surrounding the Hatake mansion in an instant.
At the same time, Kurenai and her group of young academy students arrived.
Accompanying them were two other kids of the same age, Uchiha Obito and Nohara Lin.
The two groups met on the road.
"Are you Anbu or Root?" Tatsuya asked, looking at the masked figures with interest.
The difference between Sarutobi Hiruzen's Anbu and Shimura Danzo's Root was subtle, mainly in the characteristics of their masks. However, as a simple Genin living outside Konoha for so many years, Tatsuya couldn't discern them from each other.