The next day.

Sasuke left home alone with a sour expression, heading to school without Runtu as usual.

Last night, both he and the dog had been punished.

Sasuke accepted the beating—after all, being disciplined by his parents for his mistakes was nothing unusual.

But what infuriated him was that damned dog, Runtu...

Having been the first to take the beating, Sasuke had been genuinely worried when he saw Runtu strung up on the tree just like him. In that moment, he believed he was being the most loyal friend possible.

After years together, Runtu had treated him well—training with him, looking after him.

Sasuke had even tried to take all the blame himself, insisting that if anyone should be punished, it should be him alone.

But before he could even finish speaking, Runtu frantically raised a paw and declared it was all his fault...

In that instant, Sasuke tasted the bitter sting of betrayal—by a dog, no less.

His father and Kaito said nothing, only continuing to swing that wrist-thick whip without pause.The cries of the man and the dog were so pitiful that not only did the Uchiha in the Secret Realm stay awake all night, but everyone in Amegakure also failed to close their eyes for the entire night.

They were truly terrified.

What made Sasuke even more upset was...

His father, to ensure he remembered this lesson, wouldn't even allow Kaito to treat his injuries.

Now, apart from his face which remained unharmed, his entire body was covered in whip marks.

The wounds weren't particularly severe, but the constant friction against his clothes as he moved made them sting unbearably.

Sasuke walked along the path to school, hissing through his teeth with every step, limping noticeably—enough to draw the curious gazes of passersby.

Nearly everyone had the same thought...

Uchiha Sasuke must have gone and trained with Lightning Release again, ending up in such a sorry state.

Some found it amusing, while others worried about their own children.

Ever since the village had put up signs on the power poles warning against touching or roughhousing, the number of kids messing around with them had inexplicably increased.

Children were just like that—the more they were told not to do something, the more rebellious they became.

And with the ninja academy's Lightning Release prodigy—Uchiha Sasuke—on one hand, and the Fourth Raikage, who wielded the massive Golden Lightning forbidden technique, on the other, people had started to wonder if training with power poles was actually viable.

Every year, a few unlucky souls in Konoha ended up electrocuted, but that didn't deter anyone. Instead, they'd now developed even more extreme methods—like touching the village's main power switch or swimming in electrified rivers.

The Third Hokage had a headache over it.

He'd even installed protective barriers around the power poles, but nothing could stop those idiots hell-bent on getting themselves killed...

"Good morning, Sasuke!"

Just as Sasuke finally reached the school gate, a loud, familiar voice boomed from behind, nearly making him stumble and fall.

"Are you an idiot?"

Sasuke snapped without turning around, ignoring the noisy nuisance as he shoved his hands into his pockets and slowly made his way toward the classroom.

Whack!

"Man, you're so cold, Sasuke! I was just being polite!"

Completely oblivious to Sasuke's condition, Naruto cheerfully slapped his friend's shoulder with full force.

Normally, this would earn him an immediate over-the-shoulder throw, but he'd gotten stronger lately—he'd even learned an incredible new technique...

Just watch!

I, Uzumaki Naruto, will definitely defeat you!

The thought alone made Naruto's heart race, as if he were already the most dazzling figure in the entire school.

But instead of the usual throw, Sasuke winced and nearly toppled sideways.

Luckily, Naruto reacted quickly and caught him before the prideful jerk could embarrass himself.

"Sasuke! What's wrong?!"

"Nothing."

Sasuke's stubbornness in front of Naruto was even worse than when he'd endured the beating last night. Despite the pain, he didn't make a sound, shaking off Naruto's hand and forcing himself to walk into the classroom as if nothing had happened.

"Huh?!"

"There's definitely something wrong with you!"

Naruto hurried after him, circling around Sasuke like a hyperactive puppy, occasionally trying to support him as they made their way inside.

Their noisy bickering continued all the way into the classroom, where Sakura, who had been watching them from the window, found herself grinding her back teeth for some reason...

Meanwhile, as Sasuke waited at school for his team's jonin instructor, Kaito was at home, tugging at Runtu's leash with clear irritation.

"Stupid dog, are you coming or not?!"

Runtu didn't answer, clinging stubbornly to the door with all four limbs.

"No!!"

"Dog! Dog! Doggy!"Uchiha Hikari stood in the living room, watching the standoff between the man and the dog for over half an hour, a dark cloud of frustration forming above her head.

She slowly raised her hand, pointed at Runtu, and spoke with barely contained anger.

"If you dare take it back with you..."

"Don't blame me for turning against you."

Runtu's appearance had undergone a dramatic transformation. Its once dark, sleek coat was now dyed pink, evenly coated from head to toe. Its mouth was painted with bright red lipstick, and right in the middle of its head was a bow made from two crossed kunai—also red.

The visual impact was overwhelming. Even Hikari, standing to the side, couldn't bear to look at it for too long, afraid her Sharingan might suffer irreparable damage...

"Ancestor! Save me!!"

With a pitiful cry, Runtu teleported to Hikari's feet and clung desperately to her leg. If it could cry, it would have burst into tears to vent its grievances.

Really.

It had been so foolish.

Why had it ever thought its owner—who was more dog-like than any actual dog—couldn't outsmart it...

"Ew—get off me!"

Hikari's face twisted in disgust as she tried several times to shake Runtu off, but the dog clung to her leg like sticky plaster.

Left with no choice, she shot Kaito a threatening glare.

"Get that paint off it right now!!"

Hikari couldn't even imagine the strange looks she'd get if she walked down the street with a bright pink dog in tow.

She really couldn't afford that kind of embarrassment.

Runtu nodded vigorously in agreement.

It couldn't afford that kind of embarrassment either.

At this, the smile on Kaito's face vanished, replaced by an expression of utmost seriousness. His gaze turned deep and sharp, making both the girl and the dog across from him hesitate to meet his eyes.

"What does it matter what others say or think?"

"Their mockery means nothing!"

Hikari: "..."

Runtu: "..."

Kaito's voice was passionate and resolute, as though he were proclaiming some universal truth.

And strictly speaking, he wasn't wrong.

But the sheer absurdity of the situation made both girl and dog struggle to hold back their rage, their eyes boring into him with murderous intent.

Hikari's voice was icy, colder than the snows of midwinter.

"So?"

"Who exactly is the reason we're being mocked in the first place?"

...

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