Hyuga Hiashi's Heartache

Sarutobi Hiruzen listened to the Anbu ninja's laughter with a dark expression.

In truth, he wanted to laugh too.

But the thought of such a "wise" person joining the Anbu killed any desire to laugh.

Uchiha Itachi might have been a genius, but his intelligence... seemed genuinely lacking. Letting him join the Anbu had been a little hasty.

This required further discussion!

Very soon.

The Anbu ninja led Sarutobi Hiruzen to the Ninja Academy.

Looking at the familiar building, Sarutobi Hiruzen turned to the Anbu ninja and asked with a frown, "Isn't this the Ninja Academy?"

"Why did we come here?"

Holding back his laughter, the Anbu ninja said, "Lord Hokage, because the one who defeated Uchiha Itachi was a six-year-old brat."

Sarutobi Hiruzen's face darkened further, nearly turning the color of a pot's bottom.

Damn it!!!

He couldn't even beat a six-year-old child!!!

Uchiha Itachi!!!

Just how low was your intelligence!!!

"Who was it!?"

Sarutobi Hiruzen asked with a dark face.

"Uzumaki Naruto."

The Anbu ninja answered casually.

"Who!?"

Sarutobi Hiruzen froze on the spot.

The Anbu ninja pointed him in a direction.

"Uzumaki Naruto. That brat over there—the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki. He's beside the little girl from the Hyuga Clan."

Sarutobi Hiruzen looked over and immediately stiffened.

A handsome boy with tousled blond hair, dressed in a red robe and wearing red eyeshadow at the corners of his eyes, stood beside an adorable girl.

Pale red sunlight fell over the blond boy, forming a warm, ambiguous glow around him.

His clear azure eyes refracted the sunlight like multicolored glass. Combined with his smile, he was as warm as the sun itself.

"Minato..."

Sarutobi Hiruzen could not help murmuring.

He looked so alike!

Far too alike!

The Uzumaki Naruto before his eyes seemed like Minato Namikaze reborn.

No.

He was even more handsome than Minato Namikaze.

"Uzumaki Naruto!?"

"This was Uzumaki Naruto!?"

Sarutobi Hiruzen looked at Uzumaki Naruto with a complicated expression. Though it had lasted only an instant, he had actually mistaken Uzumaki Naruto for Minato Namikaze.

Unbelievable.

The Uzumaki Naruto of the past had not borne the slightest trace of Minato Namikaze.

But now...

"The change was far too great..."

Sarutobi Hiruzen took a deep breath, then looked at the Anbu ninja beside him and said gravely, "Tell me why Uzumaki Naruto changed so much."

The Anbu ninja began recounting what had happened.

When Sarutobi Hiruzen learned that Uzumaki Naruto had bought clothes and groomed his hair, he was not surprised. After all, he had given Uzumaki Naruto thirty thousand Ryo before; it was normal for a child to care about his appearance.

But when Sarutobi Hiruzen learned of Uzumaki Naruto's superb Kunai Throwing Technique, his eyes widened larger than bells.

"You're saying Uzumaki Naruto's Kunai Throwing Technique is even stronger than yours!?"

The Anbu ninja gave a bitter smile and shook his head.

"Lord Hokage, you think too highly of me. In Kunai Throwing Technique alone, even ten of me combined would not compare to Uzumaki Naruto."

Sarutobi Hiruzen drew in a sharp breath.

"He was that strong!?"

The Anbu ninja nodded with a bitter smile.

"Yes. Even in all of Konoha, it would be difficult to find anyone stronger than Uzumaki Naruto."

Sarutobi Hiruzen looked at Uzumaki Naruto with a solemn expression.

He had always believed Uzumaki Naruto lacked talent. He had been wrong—terribly wrong.

Uzumaki Naruto's talent should have been extraordinarily high.

The reason he had never shown it was because Nine-Tails Chakra interfered with his own Chakra, preventing Uzumaki Naruto from using ninjutsu all this time.

If there had been no Nine-Tails, then Uzumaki Naruto's talent...

Fortunately, Uzumaki Naruto cannot use ninjutsu.

Such a thought surfaced from the darkness within Sarutobi Hiruzen's heart.

Taijutsu was certainly powerful as well, but there were only a few taijutsu experts in the entire Ninja World. There was no need for him to fear Uzumaki Naruto's growth.

Even if Uzumaki Naruto trained his taijutsu to the level of a jonin, he would merely be a blade in Sarutobi Hiruzen's hand.

Elsewhere.

The Ninja Academy's training ground.

Though it was a vast open space, it seemed exceptionally crowded, packed with people. Everyone craned their necks to look toward the center of the field.

"Seriously? Uzumaki Naruto defeated someone from the Uchiha Clan!?"

"Isn't that the Fox Demon Brat?"

"When did that monster become so strong!?"

"Hmph, damn it. Of all people to win, it had to be that monster."

"Hehehe, I heard Uzumaki Naruto even won the Uchiha Clan head's house..."

"Exactly. If Uchiha Shisui hadn't returned, the Uchiha Clan head would have had to sleep on the streets tonight."

"If that monster had any sense, he wouldn't have agreed to duel Uchiha Shisui..."

"..."

Amid the sea of people, everyone whispered among themselves.

There were cruel insults.

There was mockery.

There was eager excitement.

But without exception, everyone watched the handsome boy in the center of the training ground with great interest.

"Hahaha, the Uchiha Clan actually lost their prized Kunai Throwing Technique to a brat! Hahaha..."

"I really want to see the Uchiha Clan head's expression. It must be spectacular, hahaha..."

"I heard Second Pillar lost first, then Uchiha Itachi. Hahaha, were those two a little slow in the head? Hahaha..."

Hyuga Hiashi stood atop the Ninja Academy roof and could not help laughing loudly.

The Uchiha and Hyuga had been old rivals.

Ever since Konoha was founded, the Uchiha and Hyuga had never gotten along. Both great clans believed themselves to be the Ninja World's greatest ocular jutsu clan.

They competed with each other openly and in secret.

Now that the Uchiha had suffered such a huge humiliation, Hyuga Hiashi felt utterly delighted. He even developed a favorable impression of Uzumaki Naruto.

"Fortunately, Hinata is very obedient. She would never gamble, hahaha..."

Hyuga Hiashi felt immensely pleased with himself.

Suddenly.

Hyuga Hiashi's expression went blank.

His gaze stiffly fixed on the training ground...

Little Hinata, her face crimson, gave Uzumaki Naruto an encouraging kiss on the cheek. Then, blushing furiously, she ran to the edge of the training ground and softly cheered him on.

"Ha!!!"

Hyuga Hiashi's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.

The two Uchiha brothers had gambled away their house to Uzumaki Naruto.

Hinata...

Had she gambled herself away to Uzumaki Naruto???