Saitama's shameless behavior didn't surprise anyone who knew him well.
Shisui stood there, utterly bewildered by the encounter. His five years of life experience had left him completely unprepared for dealing with someone so brazenly mischievous. The older boy's casual cruelty followed by unexpected kindness created a whirlwind of confusion in his young mind.
"What's your name? I'll treat you next time," Saitama said with genuine warmth, his earlier teasing forgotten.
As the heir to a considerable fortune, money meant little to Saitama. The boy standing before him was clearly from a lesser branch of the clan—his simple, well-worn clothes spoke of modest circumstances. Despite his playful nature, Saitama genuinely enjoyed helping those less fortunate.
Shisui's dark eyes lit up like festival lanterns, hope flickering across his features as he processed the unexpected offer.
"Really? You'd do that?" Shisui's voice carried a shy uncertainty, as if good fortune was something he rarely encountered.
"It's nothing!" Saitama waved dismissively, tossing the wooden toothpick aside with casual indifference.
Having settled the matter to his satisfaction, Saitama turned to leave. But after taking only a few steps, he realized he'd forgotten something important. Spinning around, he called back to Shisui, who remained rooted to the spot.
"Hey, kid! What's your name anyway?"
"Ah? Oh!" Shisui startled, then brightened considerably. "My name is Shisui—Uchiha Shisui! I live at the end of this street!" He pointed enthusiastically toward the far end of the district, his entire demeanor transforming with childlike excitement.
"Alright then! I'm Saitama—Uchiha Saitama!"
With that declaration, Saitama turned and walked away, his expression carefully neutral. But internally, his thoughts were churning with barely contained shock.
Does this kid really have no idea who he'll become? The legendary Shisui of the Body Flicker—what an incredible name to live up to!
The irony wasn't lost on him. Here stood one of the future's most legendary shinobi, currently just an ordinary boy with patches on his clothes and stars in his eyes over the promise of free dango.
How fascinating! So this is what Shisui was like as a child—so innocent, so... normal.
•~•
Evening at the Uchiha Compound
"Saitama, you're back!"
Uchiha Kaori had just finished arranging the evening meal when she spotted Saitama approaching the kitchen entrance. At fifty-three, she was a woman who had weathered life's cruelest storms with quiet dignity. Both her son and husband had fallen in battle, leaving her alone in the world until the clan elders assigned her as Saitama's caretaker.
Though officially a nanny, Kaori had raised Saitama as if he were her own flesh and blood, and he returned her affection with the respect and love of a devoted grandson.
"Yes, Grandmother Kaori!" Saitama's voice carried genuine warmth as he stepped into the kitchen, the familiar scents of home cooking enveloping him like a comforting embrace.
"What's got you smiling like that? You look like you're holding onto some amusing secret," Kaori observed with the sharp eye of someone who'd spent years reading his moods.
"It's nothing major," Saitama replied, moving to the washbasin to clean his hands. "I just met an interesting clansman this afternoon. He was... quite entertaining!" He began helping with the dinner preparations, serving rice into bowls with practiced efficiency before presenting one to Kaori.
"Well, at your age, you should be making more friends," she said approvingly, accepting the bowl with a grateful smile. "The clan compound can feel awfully lonely without companions your own age."
After serving his own portion, Saitama knelt across from Kaori in the traditional manner. Despite his mature mindset, he made sure never to burden his caretaker with worry. He handled whatever tasks he could manage independently, understanding that everyone deserved to be treated with consideration—even if this was technically his second lifetime as a human being.
"Eat up quickly! I prepared all your favorite dishes tonight," Kaori said, her weathered face brightening with pride. "I even bought pork knuckles from the village market and cooked them using that special recipe you taught me!"
She brushed a strand of silver hair from her forehead, the gesture unconsciously maternal.
"It smells absolutely delicious, Grandmother Kaori! You always outdid yourself," Saitama praised sincerely, and Kaori's face glowed with pleasure at his words.
The meal unfolded in comfortable conversation, filling the vast courtyard with warmth and laughter. For these precious moments, the sprawling Uchiha estate felt less like a mausoleum and more like a true home.
After dinner, Saitama dutifully collected the dishes and stored the leftovers properly. In the harsh world of shinobi, a woman of Kaori's age was already considered elderly by ordinary standards. Living with her day after day, Saitama could see how her strength gradually diminished, and he'd quietly begun taking over the more strenuous household tasks.
Kaori never protested these gestures. She'd grown accustomed to Saitama's premature maturity, and it brought her deep satisfaction to know he truly regarded her as family.
After watching Saitama complete his evening chores, Kaori bid him goodnight and retired to her quarters, leaving him alone with his thoughts.
"Sleep well, Grandmother Kaori. I'll head to bed shortly!" Saitama called after her retreating figure.
Once she disappeared around the corner, he settled back onto his cushion, his mind already turning to more serious matters.
Grandmother Kaori mentioned that the clan plans to enroll me in the ninja academy. If I calculate correctly, there are only a few days remaining before the new term begins. I should start preparing for what's to come.
The weight of his future knowledge pressed down on him as he sat in the quiet courtyard, surrounded by the gentle sounds of evening—crickets chirping, the distant murmur of other families settling in for the night, and the soft rustle of leaves in the evening breeze. Soon, this peaceful existence would give way to the brutal realities of shinobi training, and his real journey would begin.