“Naruto, why don’t you introduce your friend to Grandpa?” After putting the festival snacks he had brought into the refrigerator, Hiruzen Sarutobi pulled out a chair and sat down as though he were in his own home.
He looked like an exhausted old man who had walked a long way and wanted to sit for a while.
It was an appearance that easily inspired sympathy.
Coming to Naruto’s home for New Year’s had been part of his plans all along.
For one thing, neither his son nor his grandson was by his side, making him something of a lonely old man who genuinely needed some companionship from children.
For another, doing this would make Naruto, as a Jinchūriki, depend on and trust him more.
Had the two children not suddenly brought up the Nine-Tails, Hiruzen would have followed his original plan: wait until the evening fireworks, when Naruto was at the height of his loneliness, and then suddenly appear with a big surprise.
That way, Naruto’s feelings toward him would become much stronger.
In Naruto’s heart, Hiruzen Sarutobi would forever be the person who had rescued him from darkness and solitude.
If the worst happened and the tailed beast rampaged in the future, Hiruzen could also rely on this deeply cultivated “bond” to awaken Naruto’s humanity and prevent the worst possible outcome.
But no matter how carefully he had calculated everything, he had never expected the youngest son of Uchiha Fugaku to begin forming memories before he was even three months old.
To prevent the two children from continuing to discuss the Nine-Tails and upsetting Naruto, he had no choice but to send his Shadow Clone over ahead of schedule.
Besides steering the conversation away from the Nine-Tails, he also wanted to observe this precocious child’s personality and determine whether he could become a shinobi who, like Uchiha Kagami or Shisui, believed in the Will of Fire.
Most importantly, Hiruzen wanted to determine whether Tōru’s approach to Naruto was genuinely his own idea, or whether someone else was deliberately guiding him.
He narrowed his eyes into the crescent shape befitting a kindly grandfather and smiled warmly at Tōru, hoping it would lower the boy’s guard.
Unfortunately, Tōru was accustomed to stern elders like Sakonji Urokodaki.
On top of that, he had difficulty interpreting facial expressions.
As a result, all of Hiruzen’s outward efforts were like stones tossed into the ocean.
Not even a ripple appeared.
Tōru’s only impression of Hiruzen was that the old man looked familiar.
[This shape of his mustache…
Why does it feel like I’ve seen it somewhere?] “Grandpa, this is Uchiha Tōru.” Naruto happily introduced him.
“He’s the one who gave me the mask before.” Then Naruto turned happily toward Tōru.
“This Grandpa is a really good person.
Ever since I started living here, he’s the only person who’s come to visit me.” In Naruto’s eyes, these two people were among the few sources of warmth in his short life.
“But Grandpa always says he used to be Hokage.
He must be bragging, right?” “The Hokage is supposed to be the strongest person in the village.
How could someone who looks so weak be the Hokage?” “Don’t you agree, Tōru?” Naruto waited cheerfully for Tōru to agree.
Instead, Tōru suddenly realized something.
[No wonder he looked familiar.] “You really are the Third Hokage.” He said it directly.
“The third statue on Hokage Rock looks like you.” “Eh?!” This time, Naruto was the surprised one.
He immediately ran over to Hiruzen and stared at him from up close.
His beautiful blue eyes narrowed into adorable little circles filled with suspicion.
“Really?!” “But the Third Hokage on Hokage Rock looks so fierce!” “He doesn’t look anything like you!” “Ahem.” Hiruzen clenched his fist loosely and coughed.
“That was what I looked like when I first became Hokage.
Of course I’ve changed over the years.” His attention, however, remained on the expressionless Tōru.
From Tōru’s tone, Hiruzen could tell that the boy didn’t seem to have much respect for him.
Perhaps that was the influence of the Uchiha clan’s atmosphere.
It wasn’t a serious problem.
Two years ago, there had even been a Genin named Uchiha Enka who publicly called him an old, incompetent fool at Yakiniku Q.
That incident reflected the Uchiha clan’s attitude toward him to some extent.
Could he learn something about Fugaku’s opinion of him and the village from Uchiha Tōru?
Hiruzen smiled kindly at Tōru.
“Your name is Tōru, right?” “I believe you’re Fugaku and Mikoto’s child?” “Yes.” Tōru nodded.
This was his first time seeing the Hokage in person.
In Tōru’s understanding, the Hokage was the strongest person in the village.
He was roughly equivalent to Gyomei Himejima, the Stone Hashira, within the Demon Slayer Corps.
But could this short old man really be that powerful?
“Just as I thought.” “I was an old friend of your late grandfather, and I watched your father grow up.” “If you don’t mind, you can call me Grandpa just like Naruto does.” The old man explained the relationship between their two families, then casually asked: “Your father and mother have probably mentioned this old man to you, haven’t they?” Kakashi, watching from outside the window, rolled his eyes.
Shisui had told him that Uchiha Tōru never lied.
Apparently, the Third Hokage was going to get quite a lot of information today.
No one could have expected Tōru’s answer to be so short.
“They have.” And that was it.
It was like someone had just presented you with a delicious, fragrant meal, only to cover it up and take it away before you could even approach.
Hiruzen Sarutobi: “…” [When this child was explaining expired milk to Naruto earlier, he was quite talkative.] [Or does he simply not trust me because of the influence of his family?] Although somewhat frustrated, Hiruzen didn’t let it show.
Instead, he shamelessly continued: “Tōru, do you dislike Grandpa?” “Can you tell Grandpa why?” “Did Grandpa do something wrong?” He appeared to be trying to win over a child.
In reality, it was another roundabout way of probing the Uchiha family’s attitude toward him.
Naruto suddenly became nervous.
He didn’t want to see the two people who had shown him so little kindness come into conflict.
Especially when one of them was the Hokage.
“I don’t dislike you.” Tōru’s characteristic formal phrasing appeared once again.
Outside the window, Kakashi felt as though he had been transported back to that day.
“I just want to know something.” “Aren’t orphans in the village supposed to be raised in an orphanage until they’re nine?” “Why does Naruto live here by himself?” It was difficult for Tōru to understand how a child personally looked after by the Hokage could live in such conditions.
Hiruzen’s smile froze.
He hadn’t expected this turn.
Tōru was actually questioning him from Naruto’s perspective.
For the Uchiha, that was highly unusual.
Naruto, who had never thought to ask the same question himself, also looked at Hiruzen curiously.
“Grandpa, if you’re the Hokage, why didn’t you just let me live in the orphanage?” [At least then I wouldn’t be alone.] “Hmm…” Hiruzen’s embarrassment disappeared in an instant.
If he could handle the endless wrangling of the Hokage advisors, how could two children possibly stump him?
“There are some things you don’t know.” “The children in the orphanage are mostly war orphans from other countries.
Their parents weren’t from this village, so the village can only guarantee them basic care.” “Your parents, on the other hand, were shinobi of this village, so your situation naturally has to be handled differently.” Hiruzen paused.
“Also, the children of deceased village shinobi are all expected to become shinobi themselves.” “To cultivate their ability to live independently, we decided that they should grow up living on their own.” “It’s not just Naruto.
The children of other deceased shinobi have grown up this way as well.” At the mention of “parents,” Naruto’s mood sank.
A faint sense of guilt also surfaced in Hiruzen’s heart.
But it would not affect his decisions as Hokage.
“What about the milk?” Tōru continued.
He wasn’t trying to accuse Hiruzen.
Yet paired with his cold expression, his question sounded unusually aggressive.
“Do you come here to visit Naruto so often that you never noticed he was always drinking expired milk?” “And why won’t people in the village sell him things?” [That’s all Danzo’s fault.] Hiruzen almost blurted it out.
But, in truth, he had tacitly approved Danzo’s plan to isolate Naruto from the villagers.
“This was indeed my oversight.” Hiruzen put on a remorseful expression, partly genuine and partly false.
“I usually have a great deal of work to deal with, and I don’t get many opportunities to visit Naruto.” “I never noticed these problems.” “This is all my fault.” “Thank goodness you noticed, Tōru.” “If only every child in the village were as thoughtful as you.” He praised Tōru first, then looked apologetically toward Naruto.
“I’m sorry, Naruto.” “This is Grandpa’s fault.” “I never realized you were having such a difficult time…” Just as Hiruzen expected, Naruto, who was accustomed to pleasing him, panicked.
“It’s okay!” “My body is really strong anyway!” “I only get diarrhea sometimes.
It’s no big deal!” “Haha!” “Anyway, Grandpa promises that I’ll tell the village to start selling things to you again.” “Really?” Naruto’s eyes widened.
They nearly filled with tears.
He rushed over and hugged Hiruzen around the waist.
“Thank you, Grandpa Hokage!” Naruto didn’t understand what had happened.
Neither did Tōru.
But Kakashi, watching from outside, felt a chill in his heart.
He couldn’t help admiring the Third Hokage’s cunning.
With just a few sentences, Hiruzen had first avoided the crucial question of why the villagers refused to sell Naruto things.
Then he used a sincere apology to make Naruto feel guilty for worrying him.
Finally, he directly solved the problem, causing Naruto’s affection and dependence on him to soar.
Yet from beginning to end, he never answered why the villagers treated Naruto differently.
He had simply slipped around the question.
If Kakashi were the Hokage, he’d have already made an excuse and left.
Meanwhile, Tōru was relieved to hear that Naruto would be able to buy things for himself from now on.
His plan to improve Naruto’s health would be much easier.
His normally stern expression relaxed slightly.
Hiruzen noticed the change.
And at that moment, he became certain of one thing— This child genuinely cared about Naruto.
He had been willing to argue with the Hokage from the perspective of a stranger he’d known for less than a day.
Just that alone made Tōru completely different from most narrow-minded Uchiha.
With the right guidance, he could become a shinobi like Kagami and Shisui.
Someone who valued the village and other people above himself and even above the Uchiha clan.
This was the inheritance of the Will of Fire!
[Though I’ve heard this child doesn’t want to become a shinobi…] [But Fugaku surely won’t allow that.
And the speed he displayed before is proof enough.] Hiruzen’s thoughts began racing.
After chatting with Naruto for a while, he gradually steered the conversation toward another topic.
“By the way, Naruto.” “Grandpa will bring you a few books tomorrow.” “Starting next March, you’ll be attending the Ninja Academy.” “You should study in advance so you can keep up with everyone else.” Then he gave a sly smile.
“If Naruto studies hard and gets good enough grades on the entrance assessment, I’ll tell the teachers at the Academy to put you and Tōru in the same class.” “What do you think?” “You might even become desk mates.” “Really?” “Of course.” The old man nodded like a schemer whose plan had succeeded.
Previously, he hadn’t been confident about persuading Naruto, who was constantly bullied by children his age, to attend the Academy.
Now he had found the leverage.
All he needed was to make sure Tōru went too.
Given this child’s tendency to put himself in other people’s shoes, if he made friends with many children in the village, there was no way he would become completely devoted to the Uchiha clan.
And his attitude toward the village would inevitably influence Uchiha Itachi, who was already receiving considerable attention from the village leadership.
[When the time comes, we’ll be able to investigate any movements within the Uchiha clan and Fugaku’s attitude in time, and prepare in advance.] Just as expected, the thought of having someone he knew in his class at the Ninja Academy made Naruto puff out two long streams of air through his nose.
“I, Uzumaki Naruto, will definitely work hard!” After declaring this, he suddenly turned around and grabbed Tōru’s hand.
“I’ll definitely be in the same class as you, Tōru!” “When the time comes, will you be my desk mate?” The pressure was now on Tōru.
He stared at Naruto’s warm little hand, at a loss for what to do.
Itachi had also tried persuading him to attend the Ninja Academy recently.
But Tōru knew very well that although he had already completed the analysis of Flame Breathing, the most convenient place to increase the analysis progress of Moon Breathing was still the Uchiha clan compound.
Going to school would waste a great deal of time.
He would be better off spending that time around clan members who had awakened their Sharingan.
Besides, Itachi had graduated from the Academy at seven.
Tōru’s strength didn’t come from ninjutsu anyway.
There was little the Academy could teach him that would make him stronger.
Most importantly— “I don’t want to become a shinobi.” He hardened his heart and pulled his hand out of Naruto’s grasp.
The light in Naruto’s eyes visibly dimmed.
“Why?” he asked unwillingly.
“Doesn’t everyone in the village want to become a shinobi?” Tōru deliberately avoided his gaze.
Hiruzen, however, smiled as though he’d anticipated this.
“I understand.” “Tōru doesn’t want to hurt other people, right?” Tōru looked up at the Third Hokage in surprise.
That reaction confirmed the rumor Hiruzen had heard earlier.
[A soft-hearted Uchiha like this really is rare…] [But the softer their hearts, the easier they are to persuade.] [They’re always too concerned about other people’s feelings.] “That’s all right.” “Sending children from the village to the Ninja Academy isn’t necessarily about turning them into shinobi.” “It’s also so they won’t be lonely.” “They can learn some knowledge and gain a better understanding of the world.” Hiruzen spoke slowly.
“Attending the Academy doesn’t mean you have to become a shinobi.” “If you have concerns, you simply don’t have to take the graduation examination.” “Besides, I understand you have a twin brother named Sasuke.” “Doesn’t he want to attend the Academy either?” “If you don’t go to school, both he and Naruto will be lonely, won’t they?” At the mention of Sasuke, Tōru hesitated.
But he immediately reaffirmed his decision.
If he didn’t have the goal of reviving the Hashira, perhaps his soft heart would have made him agree immediately.
But now he had a more important mission.
He couldn’t afford to “waste time” at the Ninja Academy.
Just as he was about to reject the Third Hokage’s invitation again, a familiar voice suddenly rang out.
[You have spent one hour in close proximity to Naruto Uzumaki.
Sun Breathing analysis progress +0.005%.] “?” Tōru froze.
His gaze shifted back and forth across Naruto’s face.
In the several months since obtaining the system, this was the first time he had gained any analysis progress for Sun Breathing.
And the amount was astonishingly high!
That meant Naruto possessed extremely high-quality Yang Release chakra.
(Nine-Tails: …) [Mastering Sun Breathing is a prerequisite for reviving Mitsuri.] [If I go to the Academy, the analysis of Moon Breathing will slow down, but it will still steadily increase…] [But if I miss Naruto, finding an excuse to spend extended periods with him later will be troublesome.] “Lord Hokage.” Tōru suddenly switched to a respectful form of address.
“How long do students have to stay at the Academy each day?” “Ten hours.” “In summer, it’s a little longer.” Hiruzen was somewhat puzzled.
Why was Tōru asking the sort of question the Nara clan would normally ask?
He added: “You also get twenty days of vacation each year.” Tōru heard the number and began calculating in his head.
After a while, he finally nodded under Naruto’s expectant gaze.
“Then I’ll attend the Ninja Academy.”