Chapter 7
Hinata, who had been nearby, quickly stepped in. With a gentle smile, she knelt beside the child and softly said, "Yes, that's right! This is Sasuke Uchiha."
The girl's eyes widened. "Really?"
Hinata nodded. "Mhm! He's very strong, and he helps protect the village."
The child gasped dramatically, clutching the plushie tighter. "Like Naruto-nii?!"
Hinata paused for half a second before nodding again. "Yes, just like Naruto."
Sasuke shot her a look, but Hinata continued, smiling sweetly. "He's also really smart and can do powerful jutsus," she added, as if listing off more "good" traits for the child's understanding. "And even though he looks serious, he's actually a good person."
Sasuke wasn't sure if he should be impressed or offended that she said that last part in a way a child could understand.
The little girl turned back to him, eyes filled with admiration. "Sasuke-nii! Can I see your Susanoo?!"
Sasuke blinked. "Now?"
She nodded excitedly.
Sasuke glanced at Hinata, as if silently asking if this was normal. She only smiled, her lavender eyes kind. "You don't have to use it, but maybe you can show her something?"
Before Sasuke could think of a response—
"Naruto-nii! Shadow clone! Shadow clone!" a group of kids cheered from across the room.
Sasuke turned to see Naruto being swarmed by children tugging at his sleeves, bouncing around him eagerly.
Naruto laughed. "Alright, alright! Hold on—" With a puff of smoke, several identical Narutos appeared, sending the children into a frenzy of excitement.
Sasuke sighed, shaking his head. Leave it to Naruto to turn this into a full-blown event.
The girl in front of him still waited expectantly, her small hands gripping the Susanoo plushie. Sasuke wasn't particularly great with kids. But somehow, under the expectant gaze of both the child and Hinata, he found himself lifting his hand. With minimal chakra effort, a small flicker of purple energy formed in his palm—a harmless, miniature version of his chakra.
The little girl's face lit up in awe. "Wooooah!" she gasped, bouncing on her heels. "It's real! You're so cool, Sasuke-nii!"
Hinata giggled softly. Sasuke lowered his hand and looked away, pretending he wasn't affected by the compliment. "Hn."
The little girl dashed back to her friends, her tiny feet barely keeping up with her excitement.
"Sasuke-nii showed me his Susanoo!" she announced loudly, holding up her plushie like a prized treasure.
A chorus of gasps and cheers erupted from the other children.
"No way!"
"What did it look like?!"
"Did it have a sword?!"
Puffing up proudly, she nodded. "It was super cool! Purple and glowy!"
Their laughter filled the room as they excitedly chattered about it, completely enthralled by the idea that Sasuke Uchiha had entertained them—even if just for a moment. Sasuke, standing in his now-quiet corner, exhaled through his nose. He hadn't done much, but somehow, it had turned into an event.
Meanwhile, Naruto was completely swarmed. A pile of children clung to him, demanding shadow clones, piggyback rides, and chakra tricks.
"Alright, alright!" Naruto laughed, hoisting a kid onto his shoulders while summoning another set of clones. "One at a time, dattebayo!"
Hinata, standing beside Sasuke, watched with a soft smile. Her gaze followed the children, then drifted toward Sasuke. The silence between them stretched for a moment.
Then, unexpectedly, Sasuke was the one to break it.