My brother is called Uzumaki Naruto

"Ha!"

In a secluded training ground behind Konoha, a place exclusively used by Namikaze Minato for his training—

A small figure wielded a weapon slightly oversized for his frame, swinging it continuously. This was Namikaze Yue. His delicate, adorable face had already taken on a hint of handsomeness, and his slightly long red hair draped naturally down to the nape of his neck. His sky-blue eyes reflected unwavering determination.

Thrust! Stab! Slash!

Each of his movements was precise, but the more precise they were, the more stamina they consumed. Yue had been at it for nearly two hours. Finally, he let go of his sword, Ryūsen, and collapsed onto the ground in a spread-eagle position.

For the past week, Namikaze Yue had maintained this routine daily. His rapid grasp of fundamental sword techniques had astounded Minato and Kushina when they first visited to check on him.

This was because he had always valued his physical well-being. He had incorporated various martial arts into his training, including swordsmanship, which he practiced in his free time.

Looking up at the sun overhead, Yue estimated that it was already noon—time for lunch.

Brushing off the dust from his clothes, he remembered that today was his fourth birthday. Kushina had mentioned in the morning that she had a surprise for him, but Yue wasn't particularly excited. It was nothing more than the standard birthday celebration for a child.

To Yue, these things were insignificant.

Dragging his heavy sword, he trudged home at a leisurely pace. The villagers who saw him no longer found it surprising. Over the past few days, this child of the village's hero had been doing the same—carrying a large sword back and forth, morning, noon, and night. By now, everyone was used to it.

As expected, upon arriving home, Yue saw an exquisitely decorated cake on the table—a typical birthday party setup.

What did surprise him, however, was that aside from Minato and Kushina, there were two additional guests in the house.

One of them was a small figure Yue was quite familiar with, standing with his back to the door. Embroidered on the back of his clothing was a red-and-white fan.

Noticing the movement behind him, the small figure turned around and smiled at Yue, the gesture deepening the nasolabial lines on his face. It was none other than Yue's little friend, Uchiha Itachi.

After greeting Itachi, Yue turned his attention to the other guest—a peculiar-looking man in white, sprawled lazily on the sofa with a book in hand, grinning lecherously.

The forehead protector on his head bore the kanji for "oil," his long white hair nearly touching the floor, and his relaxed yet pervy expression immediately gave off the vibe of an eccentric old man.

Yue instantly knew who he was—his father's mentor: Jiraiya.

"I'm home." Yue walked in unhurriedly and carefully placed his sword on the weapon stand.

Before he could sit down and speak to Itachi, he was suddenly lifted off the ground.

Startled, Yue realized that the culprit was none other than the eccentric old man—Jiraiya.

"Ahahaha! So this is your kid, Minato? This is my first time seeing him! Kawaii! Hahaha!" Jiraiya laughed heartily, lifting and lowering Yue repeatedly.

Being tossed up and down like that, Yue struggled but couldn't break free. Had he not just put his sword away, he had no doubt he would have slashed at the man without hesitation.

Jiraiya held onto Yue excitedly. To him, Minato's child was like a grandson, and he simply couldn't contain himself.

But soon, Jiraiya sensed that something was off. He looked into Yue's eyes—sky blue, just like Minato's. Yet, while Minato's gaze was warm and comforting, Yue's eyes… held only indifference and disdain.

This wasn't the look a child should have.

"This kid…" Jiraiya thought to himself.

His movements stiffened. Yue merely looked at him coolly while suspended in midair.

Minato and Kushina, seeing Jiraiya go from excitement to abrupt silence, felt a pang of sadness. Both of them were such warm and cheerful people—so why was Yue like this…?

Taking advantage of Jiraiya's pause, Yue wriggled free from his grasp, climbed onto a chair, and sat down quietly.

Jiraiya finally snapped out of his daze and let out an awkward laugh.

Minato gave Jiraiya a bitter smile before shifting back to his usual cheerful demeanor as he approached Yue.

"Yue, today's your fourth birthday! Here's your cake and present. What do you think? Do you like them?"

"…Thank you."

And so, an awkward birthday dinner came to a close in a somewhat peculiar atmosphere.

Later, Yue and Uchiha Itachi retreated to his room. Yue wanted to ask about Itachi's experiences on the battlefield.

Meanwhile, in the living room, only Jiraiya and the Namikaze couple remained.

"Minato, why is Yue… like that?"

Jiraiya furrowed his brows at Minato, who sighed helplessly.

"Jiraiya-sensei, Yue has always been like this—far too mature. His only friend is Itachi. I don't understand why he is this way either."

"That sword… it's not just a toy, is it?"

Jiraiya glanced at the weapon rack where the sword rested. Since it lacked a sheath, the angle of the light reflected directly onto his face.

"The day I returned, Yue asked me to buy him a sword. So, I asked Elder Kosuke for help, and he gifted this precious blade to Yue.

He… seems deeply interested in training."

Minato sighed.

"It does look like a fine blade… but for such a young child…"

A heavy silence filled the room.

…

Inside the bedroom, Namikaze Yue sat by the window, absentmindedly playing with two leaves he had plucked from outside.

Uchiha Itachi, seated on a small stool, looked as if he wanted to say something but didn't know how to start.

"How was your time on the battlefield, Itachi?"

In the end, Yue was the one to break the silence.

"…It didn't feel good."

Pain flickered across Itachi's young face.

"Yue, why do people wage war? There's no rationality, only killing. I once saved an Iwa shinobi on the battlefield, but the moment he regained consciousness, his first instinct was to kill me. If not for my father, I would be dead now…"

Yue didn't quite understand why he considered Itachi a friend. They had only met by chance at the training grounds. Before this, Yue had never had friends—only classmates and colleagues.

Even though Itachi's thinking was more mature than other kids and he could hold a conversation with Yue, he was still just a four-year-old child…

As for Itachi's question, Yue understood it perfectly. But he didn't see the point in explaining—it was too troublesome. And even if he explained, what difference would it make?

Ninjas were caught in a never-ending whirlpool, struggling to break free while yearning for peace.

"Don't dwell on it too much, Itachi. This isn't something you can stop right now. If you want to change it, then grow stronger… I believe this world can be reshaped by the strength of a single individual."

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