Chapter 95: Parents' Sequel, Children's Prequel, Friend's Side Story
Because Naruto didn't hide his strength,
Sarutobi Hiruzen also saw his performance.
Unheard-of taijutsu, a peculiar training method, and exceptionally strong Wind Release chakra nature transformation...
If it were a few years ago, Sarutobi Hiruzen would definitely have some doubts.
But now...
"Sigh, old, old. Naruto has also grown up without me realizing."
Unsure if it was because too many things had happened in recent years, and he, being too old, felt inadequate to the task,
Sarutobi Hiruzen didn't pay too much mind to the abnormalities surrounding Naruto, just shaking his head with a bitter smile.
It's the era of young people now.
If Naruto, who harbors the Will of Fire, can grow up smoothly, then cultivating him to become one of my indispensable assistants might not be impossible.
"However, I still need to observe Naruto's performance a bit more."
Thinking this, Sarutobi Hiruzen picked up the Hokage hat nearby, stood up, and walked towards Naruto's home.
...
Meanwhile, Naruto, having returned home, took off his soaked clothes and took a bath.
Then, after changing into clean clothes, he walked into the kitchen and began preparing dinner.
But just as Naruto was preparing dinner,
"Coo coo coo!"
A snow-white dove with soft and smooth feathers suddenly landed on the windowsill, just quietly staring at Naruto.
Compared to ordinary white doves, this one looked larger in size, but also more slender.
Naruto wasn't surprised by the dove's arrival. With practiced ease, he reached out and gently stroked its head.
"Coo coo coo~"
The white dove also rubbed against his palm, a hint of human-like enjoyment on its face.
Immediately, Naruto took some feed from his pocket and fed it to the dove.
The white dove pecked the feed into its mouth, then, contentedly, flapped its wings and flew back to its cage in the living room.
Naruto hummed softly while stir-frying, but his mind was also making some calculations.
"Finally couldn't resist anymore?"
Knock knock knock!
After a while, a knock suddenly came from outside the door.
Naruto rubbed his face, then opened the door with a puzzled expression.
He saw Sarutobi Hiruzen standing outside, looking at him with a kind smile.
The puzzlement in Naruto's eyes vanished, his expression quickly changing to one of mixed surprise and joy.
But, as if realizing his reaction was too much, he suppressed his joy, his expression turning to feigned annoyance.
"Grandpa Third, you're here to freeload a meal again?"
"Could it be Naruto doesn't want to see this nagging old man?"
Sarutobi Hiruzen feigned disappointment, lowering his head and saying melancholically: "Then I'd better leave."
Simultaneously, he turned his body, counting down from three in his mind.
3... 2...
"Hey hey hey!"
Naruto quickly stepped forward and grabbed his sleeve: "Grandpa Third, since you're already here, you can help me try my new dish!"
Then, ignoring his reaction, he turned and excitedly pulled him to sit at the dining table.
Sarutobi Hiruzen took a drag from his pipe, chuckling inwardly.
"Although he looks very mature, he's essentially still a child who misses his elders but isn't frank enough to show it."
Naruto, as the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki, displaying extraordinary ninja talent – whether as an elder or as Hokage, he was naturally glad to see it succeed.
But if Naruto wanted to stand by his side, he must possess the Will of Fire.
Just as Sarutobi Hiruzen stood up, intending to go to the kitchen to check the situation,
"Coo coo coo."
The sound of the white dove nearby caught his attention.
"Huh? When did Naruto get a pigeon?"
Looking puzzled, Sarutobi Hiruzen reached out, tentatively wanting to stroke the pigeon's head.
But the pigeon cooed a few times and proactively nuzzled against his palm.
Sarutobi Hiruzen was also taken aback upon seeing this.
Snapping back, stroking the soft feathers, a genuine smile appeared on his face, and his mood couldn't help but relax.
Naruto also walked out from the kitchen at this moment, carrying plates, and then took off his apron.
"Does Grandpa Third like this pigeon very much?"
Looking at Sarutobi Hiruzen teasing the pigeon, Naruto narrowed his eyes and asked with a smile.
"This pigeon is very well-behaved."
Sarutobi Hiruzen sighed with emotion: "A pigeon of this size... Naruto, did you feed it ninja beast feed?"
Ninja beasts are ninja's combat tools.
They can be widely used in various situations, including direct combat, information relay, scouting, assisting ninja in battle, etc.
Ordinary pigeons normally can't grow to this size.
Only by specifically feeding them that special ninja beast feed could they possibly grow so large.
"Yeah. During training earlier, I unintentionally saw this pigeon."
Naruto served two bowls of rice, explaining: "Its wing was injured at the time, so I helped bandage it. Didn't expect it to just stay at my place and not leave."
"Then I simply tried to train it as my reconnaissance-type ninja beast, based on the Ninja Beast Training Method Grandpa Third gave me."
Sarutobi Hiruzen also smiled upon hearing this, once again sighing with emotion at Naruto's kindness.
Many ninja like to use birds as their reconnaissance-type ninja beasts, but most ninja are more accustomed to using birds with stronger concealment like crows.
Compared to crows, white doves are somewhat too conspicuous.
"Naruto, if I remember correctly, you haven't learned the Summoning Technique yet, right?"
Sarutobi Hiruzen pondered for a moment, then said: "Would you like to try and see if you have the talent to learn the Summoning Technique?"
The Summoning Technique is a Space-Time Ninjutsu performed after the caster forms a blood contract with a summoned beast.
Ninja who train ninja beasts generally form a blood contract with them. When they need the ninja beast's assistance, they use the Summoning Technique to summon the distant creature to their side.
However, Naruto didn't agree immediately, instead complaining: "Grandpa Third, really! My usual training is tiring enough, yet every time you come, you have to talk about ninjutsu-related things."
With that, he picked up his bowl and started eating, simultaneously saying: "Let's eat quickly! I'm starving!"
Sarutobi Hiruzen chuckled bitterly, then also sat back down in his seat.
However, he failed to notice that when he turned his back to the white dove,
The white dove's right eye turned scarlet, faintly revealing the shape of a shuriken.
Sarutobi Hiruzen, sitting at the table, looked at the steaming hot dishes filling the table, watching Naruto continuously put food into his bowl.
A feeling of warmth and emotion involuntarily rose in his heart, and this feeling was instantly amplified.
Perhaps in others' eyes, he, as Hokage, should be very glorious.
But who knew the pain in his heart.
Every day, not only did he have to deal with a pile of political affairs, but also engage in battles of wits with those fellows.
After work, he had to return to that empty home.
His wife was killed by that masked man during the Nine-Tails Rampage. His younger son left home due to ideological differences with him.
And his remaining elder son, Sarutobi Shinnosuke, as Konoha's ANBU Director, was busy with long-term missions every day.
Every time he lay on that cold bed, an intense feeling of emptiness would rise in Sarutobi Hiruzen's heart.
And now, looking at the obedient and sensible Naruto, a strong impulse suddenly arose in him.
"Cultivate Naruto as my own child with all my effort. After he grows up, let him inherit the Hokage position."
This thought naturally popped into his mind, and then was naturally acknowledged and accepted by him.
Although still somewhat hesitant, this thought lingered in his mind.
Whether from the perspective of the Will of Fire, or talent and disposition, Naruto was worthy of sitting in the Hokage's seat.
"Perhaps... I really am old, and tired. Maybe I can try cultivating Naruto?"
Thinking this, Sarutobi Hiruzen hesitated for a moment, but finally placed Naruto in the position of Hokage candidate in his heart.
That is, on par with his eldest son, Sarutobi Shinnosuke.
"Grandpa Third, why aren't you eating? The food will get cold soon!"
Naruto's words interrupted Sarutobi Hiruzen's thoughts.
Looking at the bowl full of food, Sarutobi Hiruzen smiled from the bottom of his heart.
Then he also began to feast heartily like Naruto.
"Little Naruto, eat more vegetables to grow taller!"
"Grandpa Third, you're so naggy!"
After a while, the entire table of food was polished off by the two.
Lying back in his chair, patting his bulging belly, Sarutobi Hiruzen took out two scrolls from his robes and handed them to Naruto.
"You've already learned the Shadow Clone Technique and the C-rank Wind Style: Great Breakthrough. This time, I'll teach you the B-rank Wind Style: Vacuum Wave and Wind Style: Pressure Damage."
"If there's anything you don't understand, you can come to the Hokage Office to ask me."
Although Sarutobi Hiruzen possessed all five chakra natures, he was more skilled in Earth and Fire Release; Wind Release wasn't his strongest.
Unfortunately, Naruto's chakra nature was only Wind. Besides non-elemental ninjutsu like the Shadow Clone Technique, he could only cultivate Wind Release ninjutsu.
To learn ninjutsu of other natures, he would need to cultivate chakra natures he wasn't born with through acquired training.
"Thank you, Grandpa Third!"
Naruto's face lit up. After taking the scrolls and saying thanks, he began to look through them eagerly.
Wind Style: Pressure Damage – expels a high-pressure wind sphere from the mouth, capable of forming a large-scale air burst, sweeping away surrounding objects with super-high wind pressure. It's a conventional Wind Release ninjutsu that relies solely on the inherent characteristics of 'wind' formed by Wind Release chakra, without adding other effects for combat.
Wind Style: Vacuum Wave – expels sharp, sickle weasel-like blasts of breath from the mouth, severing both the target's physical body and the chakra protecting it. It's an unconventional Wind Release ninjutsu that directly attacks chakra using Wind Release, possessing unique advantages, but its wind force is inferior to conventional Wind Release of the same scale.
These two ninjutsu could be said to each have their pros and cons.
Although Naruto had gradually mastered Wind Release chakra nature transformation, he still needed to draw on the activation principles of some ninjutsu to help him open up ideas for creating new ninjutsu.
Sarutobi Hiruzen watched the focused Naruto with a smile, not disturbing him, instead quietly getting up and leaving.
Before leaving, he didn't forget to pat the white dove's head.
Click!
Hearing the door close, the smile on Naruto's face gradually faded.
"Coo coo coo~"
After feeding the white dove some more feed, he turned and went back to his bedroom, lay on the bed, and closed his eyes.
Sound of waves~
The familiar sound of waves entered his ears. Besides the Nine-Tails, another figure he hadn't seen in a long time now appeared before Naruto.
"Menma-nii!"
Seeing Naruto pounce into his embrace, Menma smiled and patted his head.
Simultaneously asking: "The pigeon I sent you, is it useful?"
As he spoke, Menma looked towards Naruto's palm.
The Mangekyō Sharingan originally transplanted there was now gone.
"Very obedient, and very useful. I can feel the Third Hokage's attitude towards me has changed."
Naruto nodded, very satisfied and happy with the gift Menma brought him.
Although he didn't really mind having an extra eye on his palm, it always felt a bit strange and wasn't convenient to use.
Now that the eye had been transplanted onto the ninja beast, his operational space had actually increased.
"Is that so?"
Menma nodded, unsurprised: "Since that white dove can bear the Mangekyō's consumption, my fusion liquid wasn't wasted."
The purpose of that Mangekyō Sharingan was originally to assist Naruto in awakening the Sage Body within him.
Now that it had begun to awaken, keeping it on his body would instead make it easy for others to discover.
After some consideration, Menma simply learned from a certain senior and directly placed the Mangekyō onto the ninja beast.
As for why he chose a white dove instead of a crow...
"White doves are not only beautiful but also symbolize peace, while crows are not only ugly but also symbolize darkness."
As someone who yearns for peace, naturally, one should choose the more amicable and kind-looking white dove.
"What subconscious suggestion did you implant in Sarutobi Hiruzen?"
"To cultivate me as his child with all his effort, and let me inherit the Hokage position after I grow up."
Naruto frowned and said puzzledly: "His attitude towards me has indeed changed from the hypocrisy of treating me like a tool to the sincerity of treating me like family."
"But it doesn't seem like he's made up his mind to let me sit in the Hokage's seat."
Menma smiled, unsurprised, and explained: "It's normal. The Mangekyō I gave you cannot directly modify the target's consciousness; it works more on a subconscious level."
This method has its pros and cons.
The con is that it takes effect slowly and cannot directly control the target.
The pro is that it's more subtle, not easily discovered, and irreversible after implantation.
"Menma-nii, are you back this time to teach me something?"
Seeing the slight apprehension hidden within Naruto's expectant little expression, Menma chuckled and tapped his forehead.
This little brat... he's already guessed it, yet still playing dumb.
"You need to understand clearly the script of your own life. It's not your parents' sequel, not your children's prequel, and certainly not your friend's side story."
Menma patted Naruto's head, saying gently: "A fledgling eagle must sooner or later leave the warmth of its parents' embrace. But I hope you don't forget: the higher we fly, the smaller our image becomes in the eyes of those who cannot fly."
Although he had long anticipated it, seeing Menma-nii's attitude as if entrusting his last affairs, Naruto still felt a reluctance to part, his mood heavy as he lowered his head.
"Why so dejected?"
Menma sighed inwardly upon seeing this, roughly ruffling Naruto's hair: "It's not like we can't contact each other again. I've prepared a gift for you in your cabinet. You can go take a look later."
Hearing they wouldn't completely lose contact, Naruto's dejection lessened somewhat.
"Come on. No supervising your studies this time."
Seeing Naruto had regained some spirit, Menma turned and waved his hand towards the side.
Two very "modern" looking computers instantly appeared before them.
"What are you standing there for? This time, I'll play with you to your heart's content!"
Menma's voice interrupted Naruto's complex thoughts.
Looking at Menma-nii sitting before the computer, beckoning him, Naruto smiled with relief.
Even if he could control his actions, he couldn't restrain his emotions, because emotions are ever-changing.
But if one wants to reach high places, one must use their own two legs.
Not let others lift them to high places, not sit on others' backs and heads.
"Menma-nii, I will stand by your side."
(End of Chapter)
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