Chapter 54 : I am an Avenger
"Ha~" Haruto yawned loudly, rubbing his eyes as he sat down at the breakfast table. He glanced helplessly at the scene before him. Really, is there no peace even during breakfast?
Naruto and Sasuke were glaring at each other, locked in a fierce standoff—for the last piece of bread.
"Alright, alright," Haruto said. "If it's not enough, I'll make more."
But the two ignored him, both shouting in unison, "I want this piece!"
Haruto shook his head with a sigh. "You're both too old to still be acting like this."
Still, Haruto understood. This childish bickering was just their way of expressing closeness. It might seem immature to others, but he knew it was a form of friendship.
Watching them with a smile, Haruto's thoughts turned inward. Sasuke... I won't let you walk that lonely, painful road. And Naruto... I'll make sure you never have to feel the pain of losing a comrade again. Just keep fighting over dumb things like this. Let me handle the rest.
Suddenly, Haruto asked, "By the way, what's the final match-up list from the preliminaries?"
"Oh, right," Naruto replied. "There are ten of us. You're up against Neji in the first match, Sasuke fights Haku in the second, I go against Gaara for the third, Ino fights Temari in the fourth, and Shikamaru's up against Kankuro in the fifth."
"I see..." Haruto muttered. The butterfly effect is growing stronger. Other than forcing the matchup with Neji, everything else has changed. The variables are harder to predict now.
After breakfast, Sasuke left abruptly, saying little.