He Said He Was an Ordinary Old Man

"Bang, bang, bang..."

An arm-thick Wooden Stick struck his chest and back, producing dull thuds.

A year had passed. Naruto had switched from a Bamboo Whip to a Wooden Stick, and his skin had completed its first round of Body Tempering.

Now, he was tempering his Muscle Tissue.

Just then, the weeds ahead rustled and parted to either side as an Old Man emerged. He wore ordinary Casual Clothes. Every villager in Konoha knew this Old Man: the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi.

The great figure carved into Hokage Rock.

Naruto continued tempering his body without reacting.

Hiruzen Sarutobi studied Naruto as he struck himself with repeated "bang, bang, bangs," an unusual expression appearing on his face. He opened his mouth, about to speak...

"Click."

The sound of metal snapping shut rang out.

Hiruzen Sarutobi's brow twitched. Looking down, he saw a Boar Trap clamped around his right foot, blood gushing from it.

Hiruzen Sarutobi looked at Naruto with a mournful expression, as though he were saying:

"Kid, you trapped an old man. Even if you sold everything you owned, you couldn't afford the compensation!"

Naruto noticed it too and responded to Hiruzen Sarutobi with an innocent look.

That Boar Trap had indeed been set by him, meant to catch small animals like wild boars, rabbits, and foxes.

Who could have imagined that the dignified Third Hokage would get caught in a Boar Trap?

Naruto expressed his apology.

But he could not say it aloud right now. His Body Tempering could not be interrupted; once interrupted, he would lose his rhythm, and the effects would be greatly diminished.

So, he could only give Hiruzen Sarutobi an apologetic look before continuing his Body Tempering.

Having received Naruto's apology, Hiruzen Sarutobi sat down, pulled off the Boar Trap, stopped the bleeding, then looked up at Naruto again.

Honestly, over the past two years, Naruto had given him quite a surprise. The skinny, frail little Naruto of before was long gone.

In his place stood a strong Naruto.

Though he was still a child, in Hiruzen Sarutobi's eyes, Naruto's physique was already no weaker than that of some adults.

Perhaps even stronger!

I thought Naruto had some kind of mental problem before. Now, it seems he may have obtained some sort of Inherited Taijutsu. This Taijutsu looked simple, but Hiruzen Sarutobi had never seen it before.

He quietly watched Naruto temper his body, a trace of envy in his eyes. If he had been able to practice such Taijutsu in his youth, perhaps he would not so often feel powerless when looking at the Crystal Ball now.

Three hundred meters away, two Anbu Ninjas stood on the slender branches of a towering tree. With their arms crossed, they stood against the wind, looking exceptionally cool.

But the moment Hiruzen Sarutobi appeared, both their pupils shrank. They crouched down and exchanged a glance.

One Anbu Ninja looked at his new companion and asked, "That Old Man is the Third Hokage, right?"

He had actually already recognized the Third Hokage. He merely wanted to confirm it with his new companion.

The new companion gazed into the distance and was about to nod when Hiruzen Sarutobi's foot was caught in the Boar Trap. The Anbu Ninja swallowed the words that had nearly left his mouth and changed them instead. "No. He's just an ordinary Old Man. I've never seen him before."

The Anbu Ninja turned to look at his new companion. That was clearly the Third Hokage. What was wrong with this new guy? How could he be so clueless and unable to read the room?!

He suddenly missed his old partner. His old partner had been perceptive, smart, and willing to run errands. He just did not know where the man had gone to receive his promotion.

"Oh my, the Third Hokage got caught in a Boar Trap," the Anbu Ninja said in surprise.

"You saw wrong. The Third Hokage was not caught in a Boar Trap." The new Anbu Ninja looked at his partner and spoke seriously.

That serious expression of his looked so foolish!

The Anbu Ninja turned his head away. He decided he would no longer bother with this new companion.

"Phew..."

After letting out a long breath, Naruto put down the Wooden Stick and moved his body a little before saying to Hiruzen Sarutobi, "Sorry, Third Hokage. I didn't know the Boar Trap would catch you."

Honestly, Naruto could not understand it either. How could the Hokage get caught in a Boar Trap?

"Naruto, call me Grandpa." Hiruzen Sarutobi looked at Naruto, who was nearly as tall as him, and spoke.

"Alright, Grandpa Third."

After saying that, Naruto took out a Medicine Bottle and began applying Ointment to his body.

Watching Naruto skillfully apply the Ointment, Hiruzen Sarutobi suddenly felt a little heartache. He said, "Naruto, let Grandpa help you."

"Thank you, Grandpa."

Naruto thanked him and handed the Medicine Bottle to Hiruzen Sarutobi. Hiruzen Sarutobi took it, poured some into his palm, and sniffed it. The smell was pungent. He could identify some of the ingredients, but there were even more medicines he did not recognize.

"Is this amount of pressure alright?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi kneaded Naruto's back, feeling the powerful muscles and vigorous physique. A faint flush could not help but cross his face.

"You can use a little more force. Yes, Grandpa Third, that's the right pressure. Keep it there."

It had to be said that Hiruzen Sarutobi truly deserved to be the Third Hokage. His learning ability was exceptional. Before long, he found the precise amount of force and continued kneading at an unhurried pace.

A comfortable expression appeared on Naruto's face.

"Naruto, are you wondering how I, as the Hokage, could get caught in a Boar Trap?"

Naruto nodded.

A smile appeared on Hiruzen Sarutobi's face as he said, "Actually, Grandpa Third is just an ordinary Old Man too. An ordinary person who spends every day thinking about how to make Konoha prosperous and strong."

"Making Konoha prosperous and strong? Is that Grandpa Third's dream?" Naruto asked.

"Mm, I suppose it is!" Hiruzen Sarutobi pondered for a moment, then asked, "Does Naruto have a dream too?"

"I do!" Naruto clenched his fists and answered with a serious expression.

"Oh."

With a kindly smile, Hiruzen Sarutobi chuckled. "Is Naruto's dream to become Hokage?"

"No."

Naruto shook his head and said softly, "My dream is very small. I just want to have lots of friends."

Hearing this, Hiruzen Sarutobi froze. Looking at Naruto, who had suddenly become somewhat dejected, he thought, It seems my previous thoughts were not too far off. Naruto, growing up in such an environment, still feels lonely inside.

So he only wants lots of friends.

Such a simple dream?

Hiruzen Sarutobi's eyelids trembled slightly. He sighed and said gently, "Do you want Grandpa to help you?"

"No."

Naruto raised his head, his face full of fighting spirit. "Grandpa Third, I've already thought of a way to have lots of friends. Before long, Grandpa will definitely see me surrounded by friends."

Watching Naruto sweep away his dejection and regain his fighting spirit, Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded in satisfaction. "Mm, then Grandpa is looking forward to that day."

After the Ointment had been applied, Hiruzen Sarutobi withdrew his hand, set the Medicine Bottle aside, and said, "It's about time. Grandpa needs to go back and handle Official Duties."

"Goodbye, Grandpa."

Naruto waved.

The corner of Hiruzen Sarutobi's mouth twitched. This child was truly honest. He had not even left yet, and Naruto was already saying goodbye. Still, Naruto was only a child, so before leaving, he added one last sentence.

"Naruto, if anything comes up, you can come find Grandpa!"