Shisui, hiding around the corner of the alley, was filled with remorse.
He hadn't even managed to say a single word, and why had he bowed to him?
Uchiha Shisui, you're a big idiot!
He covered his face, silently screaming.
Then he heard the Clan Head's wife seem to bid farewell to an acquaintance she had been chatting with, before turning to Uchiha Naraku and cheerfully chattering.
"Oh, that child who ran away just now, he's the one who gave you that string of paper cranes."
"So it was him."
Uchiha Naraku's voice sounded gentle and pure, like a clear spring flowing in the mountains.
The wife continued, "Yes, he's a shy child. His name is Uchiha Shisui."
"Shisui..." Naraku repeated the name with a hint of surprise in his tone, then added, "What a good name."
He seemed to be smiling as he spoke, but there was no hint of teasing or mockery; it was a pure, gentle smile.
Shisui felt a warmth in his heart and, in a daze, walked all the way home, taking a long time to recover his senses.
Next time, I must have a proper conversation with Naraku-senpai!
...His mother's birthday was approaching, and his father had written to say he would likely return to the village that afternoon, so the family could have a reunion dinner.
Shisui was troubled about what gift to give his mother that would show his sincerity.
On his way to school, he bumped into Obito-nii, and mentioned his recent worries about a gift. Obito-nii, who always had ideas, quickly came up with a plan.
"Let's go hunting! I know where there are wild rabbits!"
"Auntie will definitely love a wild rabbit you caught yourself!"
So Shisui was thoroughly moved.
The two fearless young children first informed their families the next day, saying they would be training together and would be home late.
As soon as school was out, they immediately packed their things and headed straight for the small woods Obito had mentioned.
After some effort, the two successfully caught a wild rabbit.
But by then, the sun had already set, and it was too dark. While chasing the rabbit, they accidentally trespassed into the territory of an adult wild boar.
Logically, there shouldn't have been such a creature in this small patch of woods; it was most likely a recent migrant.
By the time Obito noticed the wild boar, the massive creature was already about to charge behind Shisui, whose eyes were still fixed on the rabbit.
"Get out of the way! Shisui!"
To protect his Clan Member, he had no choice but to confront it almost head-on.
As the Kunai pierced the wild boar's neck, Obito himself was gored and slammed into a large tree, spitting out a mouthful of blood on the spot.
Shisui, caught off guard, was also scraped by a tusk and fell down a dirt slope, rolling several times before stopping his descent. He even dropped the rabbit and scrambled back up the slope, eager to help.
The two fought again, and after much difficulty, they managed to kill the wild boar, collapsing to the ground, panting heavily.
"Cough!"
Obito spat out another mouthful of blood, felt his broken ribs and his agonizingly painful calf, and sighed at his luck—he didn't know if it was bad or good.
I can't let Rin know, or I'll get another lecture... hehe.
"Are you okay, Obito-nii?"
Shisui could still walk, and bypassed the wild boar's corpse to check on him.
"It's nothing serious, I just can't walk. You go back first, go to the Hospital and find someone to bring me."
Seeing that Obito's breathing was stable, and he was only grimacing in pain from the broken bones, Shisui nodded and ran towards Konoha Hospital at the fastest speed he could muster... He was almost at the Hospital. Hang in there, Uchiha Shisui, Obito-nii is waiting for you to find someone to rescue him!
Shisui gritted his teeth, enduring the stinging pain in his ankle with every step, panting as he struggled forward on the path.
Ahead, a figure emerged from the grassy slope below. Shisui hadn't yet clearly seen the person's face when he heard a voice he would never mistake.
"Uchiha Shisui?"
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