Naruto Uzumaki

Shazo did not spend much time before spotting two Anbu ninja on duty atop the neighboring residential building, beside a utility pole.

After repeatedly confirming there was no third Anbu member, he approached from a blind spot in their surveillance and climbed the outer wall of the building to reach the roof.

Hanging from the wall near the rooftop, Shazo carefully sensed something. Then, he suddenly pushed open a small window in the wall and flipped into the top-floor room.

The moment he entered the cramped, filthy room, the blond boy sitting inside in a daze saw him.

It was not that Shazo's skills were poor, nor was the boy particularly powerful.

The room was simply a single unit. Aside from a bed and a low table, there was not even a cabinet—nothing at all to block the view.

That was partly because the boy was destitute, and partly because the Anbu, for easier surveillance, did not allow any furniture that could obstruct their line of sight.

Shazo had timed his entrance precisely, slipping into the room at the very moment both Anbu ninja relaxed their vigilance.

Before the boy could react, Shazo moved like a ghost and cast genjutsu on both the window he had entered through and the window opposite it.

Under the genjutsu's influence, any ninja looking in through the windows would see the scene they expected to see.

Then he abruptly appeared at the ceiling, tapped it lightly, and activated a rather complex Sealing Technique that blocked the voyeuristic function of the [Telescope Technique].

Although lunchtime was one of the Third Hokage's rare opportunities to catch up on sleep, Shazo had to guard against the possibility of him suddenly deciding to take a peek.

Finally, he appeared before the boy, reached both hands behind the boy's ears, and gently pulled backward, as though tearing something away.

The dazed boy's eyes changed, instantly going from muddy and vacant to clear and bright.

His stiff expression became lively as well.

When the blond boy saw Shazo, tears welled in his eyes, yet he forced a strong smile. "Big Brother Shazo, did you bring me something tasty again?"

Shazo's lips trembled for several moments before he softly said, "You've had it hard, Naruto."

The boy's resilience instantly shattered. He became a golden blur and rushed into Shazo's embrace.

Naruto Uzumaki cried, but he did not cry out loud.

He was smart enough to know that while Shazo had cast genjutsu on the doors and windows to create illusions, he could not create illusory sounds. If his crying alerted the Anbu watching outside, they would discover something was wrong.

Shazo did not comfort Naruto. He knew the boy was strong enough.

Ever since the kid had resolutely begun learning the [Mind-Body Separation Technique], Shazo had known that no one could match Naruto Uzumaki's strength of character.

Naruto cried only because he had worn his "mask" for too long and could no longer quite control himself.

After all, he was only seven years old.

Naruto Uzumaki quickly stopped crying, took the towel hanging on the wall, and wiped his face clean.

Then he asked with a radiant smile, "Big Brother Shazo, what delicious food did you bring me today?"

"(⊙o⊙) Wow, fried chicken, grilled meat, grilled fish, and braised beef! This is amazing!"

"Ugh—noodles again."

"╰(°▽°)╯ Whoa, rice balls! Cake!"

"Aaaah! Ice cream! Hooray!"

Before he had even finished speaking, Naruto plunged headfirst into the pile of food and began wolfing it down.

Watching the blond brat stuff himself mindlessly, eating with all the grace of a pig at a trough, Shazo's pity died completely. Veins bulged one by one on his forehead.

The frustration of failing to raise him properly, coupled with the boy deliberately acting up right in front of him, made Shazo's temper flare uncontrollably.

He could not help snapping, "Naruto! Can't you be a little more refined?"

While chewing desperately on a drumstick, Naruto mumbled, "Like Sister Izumi, all quiet and gentle?"

"Big Brother Shazo, I'm a boy, a boy!"

"You said boys should be bold and natural!"

Shazo retorted weakly, "Being natural and being crude are two different things."

Naruto Uzumaki's eyes darted around as he argued, "But Big Brother Shazo, if I suddenly became refined, Lord Hokage would definitely get suspicious."

Shazo grew even angrier. "Bullshit! I've already blocked the [Clairvoyance Technique]. Hiruzen Sarutobi can't spy on you now. He won't know even if you act a little more refined."

Naruto swallowed half a chicken in one bite and continued arguing, "Hey, you have to pay attention to even the tiniest details in everyday life, so you won't slip up when it matters."

"You taught me that too, Big Brother Shazo!"

Shazo finally could not take it anymore and gave him a flick on the forehead. "You brat, now that you've mastered the Mind-Body Separation Technique, your usual disguise has long been handed over to that completed 'mask.' You're clearly just acting cute on purpose in front of me!"

Naruto rubbed the swelling on his forehead and grinned sheepishly. "Hehehe, so you saw through me after all."

Then he suddenly froze, pointing the half-eaten roast chicken in his hand at Shazo. "Ah!"

"Aaaah!"

"Big Brother Shazo, y-you got so tall?"

Naruto Uzumaki had only just noticed that Shazo was much taller than when they had met the previous week. In shock, he exposed the half-chewed food in his mouth.

Disgusted, Shazo gave him another flick on the forehead before the brat finally stopped fooling around.

Naruto Uzumaki was the first thread of the plot Shazo had seized. The other was Uchiha Izumi, his childhood friend.

But Uchiha Izumi had truly been an accident. Before awakening her Sharingan, Izumi did not even have a surname. Who could have known she was Uchiha Izumi?

Even Aunt Miko did not know that she actually had Uchiha blood.

Uncle Heishiro definitely did not, though. He had moved to Konoha from a border region near the Land of Whirlpools alongside the Senju Clan.

Even if Uncle Heishiro had any bloodline, it could only be Senju or Uzumaki Clan blood.

Shazo had clearly only taught Izumi ninjutsu at the request of the two elders, to repay their kindness.

Yet once the girl next door awakened her Sharingan, Izumi instantly became an enormous problem.

After Shazo found a way to grow stronger on his own a few days ago and no longer worried about how to save Uchiha Izumi, she had changed from a huge problem into a powerful thread in his hands.

But in both importance and potential, Naruto Uzumaki was naturally more valuable.

Shazo had once believed Naruto Uzumaki was Konoha's taboo, a terrifying trap no one could approach. Anyone who got close would be warned by the Anbu, or even secretly persecuted by Root.

But Shazo's curiosity was great enough that he secretly conducted an on-site investigation, only to discover in surprise that the Anbu's surveillance was not as outrageous as the rumors claimed.

The Third Hokage was an extremely busy man. He had so many Genin promotions to Chunin to approve, and so many C-rank Missions to review. How could he have time to watch Naruto every day?

Thus, only Anbu ninja monitored and protected Naruto Uzumaki.

For reasons of secrecy, the Third Hokage had not informed the Anbu ninja of Naruto's identity, causing the surveillance and protection assignment to be rated as a D-rank Mission.

Even graduating Ninja Academy students would not take a D-rank Mission like that seriously. How could Anbu ninja who were special Jonin possibly take it seriously?

Even if they were conscientious, could they maintain a serious and vigilant attitude while carrying out a D-rank Mission day after day, year after year?

Everyone would eventually slack off.