Who Was That Man?

Rain fell beneath a gloomy sky, and a long row of portraits of the fallen lined the memorial hall.

Everyone at the funeral wore black mourning clothes. Their faces were stricken with grief as they took turns laying flowers and paying their respects.

The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, should have been seated prominently in the center, but he was nowhere to be seen.

His death had not been announced.

And he was currently presiding over the funeral.

"Every one of the dead is a hero of Konoha Village, forever. They fought for Konoha and gave their lives to pass on the Will of Fire."

"As long as we have the Will of Fire—the determination to protect the village—everyone who lives here is family! They sacrificed themselves for us!"

" Hiruzen Sarutobi" spoke passionately, the fresh scars on his face and the bandages wrapped around his body bearing witness to the ferocity of the battle.

After his final words, he paused and turned, leading everyone at the funeral in bowing to each portrait in the memorial hall.

As Naruto was leaving, "Hiruzen Sarutobi" called out to him and took him to the Hokage Building.

A puff of smoke burst around the man. When it cleared, he had dispelled the Transformation Technique, revealing an old man with bandages wrapped around his right eye and forehead, and an X-shaped scar on his chin.

"I'm Shimura Danzō, a classmate of the Third Hokage and the leader of Konoha Anbu."

At the same time, an old man wearing oval glasses and an old woman with a traditional appearance, earrings, and a hairpin emerged from a side door of the study. Both had gray-white hair.

"We're Konoha's advisors."

Naruto smiled as brightly as sunshine. "Hello, all three of you. What can I do for you?"

Leaning on his cane, Shimura Danzō said, "According to what we know, you were the last person to see the Third Hokage and the one who took him home."

"That's right."

"We hope you won't spread the news that the Third Hokage has died, not until we've consulted with the Land of Fire's daimyo and selected a new Hokage."

Naruto looked confused and innocent. "Why? When are we going to hold Grandpa's funeral, then?"

Danzō fell silent.

The male advisor said, "We were all Hiruzen's classmates. We want to give him a grand funeral more than you do, but Orochimaru is still watching Konoha. We need Hiruzen alive to keep Orochimaru in check."

Naruto felt uncomfortable all over. The three of them looked at him the way people looked at an animal.

A thick sense of danger clung to his skin and crawled over him. All three old men were probably Kage Level fighters.

What had they all been doing while Orochimaru invaded—playing with snakes?

He had already added all three of them to the list of people he'd eliminate once he took power.

"Okay, I understand." Naruto looked like a child who had suddenly figured something out.

Danzō asked, "Did the Third Hokage leave you any final words?"

Naruto shook his head. "Grandpa just asked me to take him home. He said I could take whatever I needed and should treat myself better from now on. Can I go?"

The three exchanged glances, then gave him permission.

Naruto left.

Narrowing his long left eye, Danzō said, "Are you really willing to trust what he said? Perhaps Hiruzen told him everything."

The female advisor said, "Hiruzen wasn't that kind of person."

The male advisor said, "And what if he knows? What are you planning to do to the Jinchuriki? Don't forget, Jiraiya is still in the village."

The female advisor said, "If Jiraiya agrees to take the position, we'll nominate him as the next Hokage."

Danzō fell silent, then sat at the Hokage's desk. He closed his eyes, savoring a seat that still didn't belong to him.

He couldn't help thinking how lucky Naruto was. He should have spent his life locked up and fed like livestock, but one person after another had protected him, giving him freedom against all odds.

He transformed back into Hiruzen Sarutobi. "Don't worry. I won't make decisions on my own. I'll discuss everything with you first. Let's go."

The two advisors left.

Konoha Hospital.

Haruno Sakura placed the daffodils she was holding into a vase, then sat by Sasuke's bed to keep him company.

Yakushi Kabuto had been brutal. He had completely severed the muscles and tendons in both of Sasuke's legs. Even after treatment had healed the injuries, Sasuke would still need a long time to recover.

"Where's Naruto? What does he do every day?" Sasuke sat up against the headboard.

"Train and eat."

Haruno Sakura thought of Naruto playing with women in swimsuits, and of him fighting while holding Hinata in his arms. Her expression turned a little despondent.

She wondered, Did Naruto start acting out on purpose to get back at me because I hurt him? Is he deliberately showing off in front of me?

Sasuke had always been fair-skinned, but against the pure white of the hospital bed, his handsome face looked even paler and more sickly.

He swung his legs off the bed, but the moment his feet touched the floor, a sharp nerve pain shot through him. His eyebrows twitched, and before he could steady himself, he fell back onto the bed.

His fists clenched the sheets.

Haruno Sakura panicked, unable to hide her concern. "Sasuke, you just had surgery. You should stay in bed for another week."

"A week?" Sasuke clenched his teeth.

His vision blurred. He saw Naruto running farther and farther away up a mountain road, climbing higher and higher until he was almost out of sight, while he was stuck at the foot of the mountain, unable to chase after him.

Haruno Sakura understood Sasuke's thoughts all too well. The two of them were like the most precious parts of her, her left and right hands. Every day, she gave her whole heart to figuring out how to take care of both of them.

She also had to work hard at practicing Genjutsu, so she wouldn't fall behind them and become useless.

"A week will pass quickly. Resting well is how you'll train better. You don't want to leave yourself with lasting problems, do you, Sasuke?"

Sasuke's eyes were hollow, and his face seemed to be covered in dark lines.

Bang!

Naruto pushed the door open and walked in.

The oppressive atmosphere made him uncomfortable.

"Damn, you're the least injured of all, so why do you have the worst look on your face?"

He'd just run into Hinata, checked on Neji, whose arms were badly mangled, and then visited Rock Lee, who was half-dead and bedridden with serious injuries.

Sasuke didn't know how to face Naruto. His mind was a tangled mess, and he couldn't make sense of any of it.

In the end, he gave a scoff and turned his head. "I'm fine."

Naruto pulled over a chair with a cold expression and sat beside the bed. "If you have something to say, say it. Don't act like some kind of riddle."

Haruno Sakura tried to ease the tension. "Naruto, don't pressure Sasuke..."

"Am I talking to you? If you want to sit here and listen, then listen. If not, get lost." Naruto pointed toward the door.

Haruno Sakura's eyes instantly filled with tears. She got up and took a few steps, but stopped at the doorway.

Stay strong! You have to be strong!

You're going to win both of them over! You can't let setbacks defeat you!

They only said a few harsh words. You say things like that all the time, too!

She quietly turned around and sat back down.

Naruto was genuinely a little surprised. She still wasn't leaving?

He'd meant to wait until Haruno Sakura left before having a private, man-to-man conversation with Sasuke.

The sun was shining brightly, filling the hospital room with light.

The breeze stirred the white gauze curtains and brushed against the peeling green paint on the willow-patterned windows. The daffodils swayed.

Seeing the two of them clash, Sasuke completely forgot what he'd been thinking. He even smiled without realizing it, then pressed his lips together discreetly when he noticed.

"Answer me," Naruto said seriously. "I see you as the subordinate I'll cherish most in the future. I hope we can be honest with each other."

Sasuke, who had been terrified when they faced Orochimaru during the Chunin Ninja Exams but had still tried to save Naruto and stood in front of him, remained in Naruto's memory.

Sasuke was a proud person. He raised his chin. "I'll make you my subordinate."

Naruto laughed, utterly confident. "Good! Great! No problem! By all means, aim for that. If you're capable enough, what's wrong with me becoming your subordinate?"

Sasuke's eyes lit up.

Outside the window, Kakashi watched over them in secret, his gaze turned toward the clouds.

Haruno Sakura smiled beautifully. If the three of them could stay together forever like this, she would be happy, too.

Then Naruto changed the subject. "Tell me, back when Kakashi-sensei asked about your dream, who was the man you said you wanted to kill?"