Not to mention that the Third Hokage had already eaten breakfast—even if he hadn’t, there was no way he would accept that bread with a ring of teeth marks on it.
“Hehe~~ Little Naruto, I’ve already eaten. You can eat it yourself. The main reason I came this time is to discuss something with you. I’m planning to have you train under Kakashi, and once your training is complete, you’ll directly join the ANBU. What do you think?”
“Pfft!”
Those words made Naruto spray all the milk in his mouth at once.
The smiling Third Hokage was sprayed all over the face, and Naruto quickly shut his mouth and forcefully swallowed the remaining milk.
“You mean, the ANBU?”
The Third Hokage took a handkerchief from his pocket and calmly wiped the milk from his face.
Although he didn’t seem angry, his previously kind smile had disappeared, replaced by a very calm expression.
“That’s right. You met Kakashi yesterday, didn’t you? Don’t let his usual carefree behavior fool you. He’s an ANBU squad captain, a genuine jonin. From now on, you’ll train under him, and once your training is complete, you’ll directly join the ANBU and become his direct subordinate. What do you think?”
Naruto was completely dumbfounded.
His mind went blank as his vacant eyes shifted from the Third Hokage to Kakashi and back again.
He simply couldn’t figure out what was going on.
[What the hell is going on? Why am I suddenly being told to join the ANBU? If I join the ANBU, how am I supposed to act out the rest of the story? And I’m just about to go to school and enjoy the good life. Wouldn’t joining the ANBU ruin all that? I still have six carefree years ahead of me, so why the hell would I join some stupid ANBU?]
In Naruto’s eyes, the ANBU was nothing but crap.
Going to school was the proper path.
So, he put on a confused expression.
“Grandpa Hokage, I heard that children can go to the Ninja Academy when they turn six. I’m about to turn six too. I want to go to school and become a ninja. I don’t want to join some ANBU!”
Naruto put on the appearance of someone with lofty ideals, clenched his little fist, and tilted his head upward at a forty-five-degree angle.
The Third Hokage smiled again, took a puff from his pipe, and exhaled the smoke with a chuckle.
“Hehe~~ Little Naruto, only excellent ninjas can join the ANBU. In other words, as long as you can join the ANBU, it means you’re already an excellent ninja. If you successfully join the ANBU, you’ll be several steps ahead of many people your age. This is an opportunity Kakashi specially fought for on your behalf.”
As he spoke, the Third Hokage glanced at Kakashi standing behind him.
Kakashi nodded imperceptibly, acknowledging it.
[Damn! So it was you, Kakashi! I was wondering why you suddenly showed up yesterday. So this is what you were waiting for! Damn it, I should’ve guarded against this from the start. To hell with you! I’m about to start living my happy life, so how could I possibly go with you to some stupid ANBU!]
Naruto cursed Kakashi furiously in his heart and treated the ANBU as completely worthless.
Kakashi’s mouth twitched slightly, and he couldn’t help glancing at the Third Hokage’s face.
He discovered that the Third Hokage showed no unusual reaction, clearly indicating that he hadn’t heard Naruto’s inner thoughts.
“Naruto, just train with me. Didn’t you say yesterday that you wanted to become Hokage and make everyone acknowledge you? Since you’re so ambitious, you should start from a young age.”
Naruto felt as though he had been struck by lightning after hearing this, and his head began buzzing.
[Damn it!
So this is because of that.
I really have a big mouth.
Why did I say I wanted to become Hokage?
Kakashi, you’re really naive enough to believe it.
I just said it casually, and you actually took it seriously?
Besides, are you even cut out to be a teacher?
What ninjutsu can you teach me?
You want me to suffer and work myself to the bone with you and give up my peaceful school life?
Dream on!]
Naruto was now filled with regret, deeply regretful.
But he still had to keep fooling them, so he used his traditional trick again.
He lowered his head and rubbed his eyes hard with his arms.
His shoulders trembled slightly, and his voice turned into a sob.
“Grandpa Hokage~~ I-I’ve been alone since I was little. No one has ever been willing to play with me. I thought that as long as I could go to school, I’d be able to meet friends there. Even if I don’t join the ANBU, I can still become an excellent ninja. But if I don’t go to school, I might never make any friends for the rest of my life. Are you really going to be so heartless?! I don’t want to join the ANBU! I want to go to school! Sob, sob, sob, sob~~”
Naruto suddenly raised his head and stared at the Third Hokage with his eyes rubbed red.
The moment their gazes met, the Third Hokage immediately looked away, completely unable to meet Naruto’s eyes.
He felt extremely guilty inside.
The Third Hokage had always felt guilty toward Naruto, and now, seeing Naruto cry so bitterly, he was practically defenseless.
“This… Little Naruto, I…”
Seeing the guilt practically written all over the Third Hokage’s face, Naruto was delighted inside.
If he didn’t still have to continue acting, he would have wanted to throw his head back and laugh three times immediately.
[Hehe! I knew the old man would fall for this. This should settle it! Maybe I can even take this chance to squeeze some more money out of him. Hahaha! The wonderful life at school, here I come! Hinata, here I come! The days of sleeping during class, here I come! Wahahahahaha!]
Naruto was feeling extremely smug inside, and the Third Hokage looked as though he was about to give in.
He had even opened his mouth, ready to say something.
However, at that moment, Kakashi suddenly stepped forward several paces and came to the Third Hokage’s side.
He lowered his head and looked down at Naruto with an extremely cold gaze.
“Lord Hokage, since Naruto wants to go to school, then let him go to school. I don’t think going to school conflicts with training under me at all. Naruto, from now on, I’ll pick you up from school every day. Then I’ll take you to train until the evening, and I’ll also provide you with dinner.”
The Third Hokage stuffed his pipe into his open mouth, smoke coming out of his nostrils as he nodded.
“Mm~~ That’s actually a good idea. This way, Naruto can go to school, meet classmates, make friends, and train at the same time. Kakashi will even provide his meals, so the pressure of daily life will be much lower. The best of all three worlds!”
Naruto, who had thought victory was already in his grasp, immediately widened his eyes.
He had never expected things to develop this way.
[What the hell?
What is this situation?!
How did things turn out like this?
Doesn’t this mean that after spending an entire day at school, I’ll have to drag my exhausted body along with Kakashi for special training after class?
One or two days would be fine, but six years!
A whole six years!
How can that work?
Even if I’m a Jinchuriki, I can’t endure this kind of torture!
And what I want is a wonderful life.
These are supposed to be the happiest six years of my life.
How can they be ruined like this?!
Absolutely not!
I will never allow it!]
Naruto screamed in his heart and suddenly glared at Kakashi.
For a brief moment, Naruto actually had the illusion that there was a mocking smile beneath Kakashi’s mask.
In reality, it wasn’t an illusion at all.
Seeing Naruto’s shocked expression, Kakashi couldn’t have been more pleased with himself.
‘Hmph!
How could I possibly stand by and watch my teacher’s child willingly waste away at school?
Lord Hokage might be fooled by you, but do you think I’d be fooled too?
Just accept your fate!’