This Hokage Doesn't Seem Like a Good Person...

"Come on! Cheers!"

After preparing the food and filling the cups, Nawaki raised his glass to Shuji and Hiashi.

"Cheers!"

Shuji and Hiashi raised their cups at the same time. And it was at that very moment—

Click!

The sound of the door opening suddenly rang out. Almost instinctively, the three of them turned toward it.

Then they saw Sarutobi Hiruzen, wearing the Hokage's hat and walking in slowly with his hands behind his back.

In that instant, the smile on Nawaki's face froze before slowly fading away. In the end, he stared at Sarutobi Hiruzen with full vigilance.

"Don't be nervous. Go on. I came to visit Lady Mito today and happened to hear that you were having a meal together."

Sarutobi Hiruzen said with a genial smile.

"Oh, right. May I join you?"

As he spoke, Sarutobi Hiruzen slowly walked over to Nawaki.

"You can..."

Looking at Sarutobi Hiruzen, who was making himself at home without the slightest hesitation, Nawaki simply could not bring himself to refuse.

This... was the Hokage, after all...

"What an unexpectedly lavish spread."

Sitting beside the table, Sarutobi Hiruzen spoke to himself as though he had not noticed the stares of Nawaki and the other two at all.

"Huh? These cigarettes are pretty good."

His gaze shifted to the cigarettes Nawaki had tossed aside earlier.

As he spoke, Sarutobi Hiruzen picked them up, skillfully placed one between his lips, and before long, the Dojo was filled with smoke.

"Ah... Nawaki, it's getting late. I should be heading home."

Shuji stood and spoke to Nawaki.

His instincts told him that something unpleasant might happen next.

"Me too. If I get home too late, my father will worry."

Hiashi hurriedly stood as well and spoke to Nawaki.

Although Hiashi did not know why Lord Hokage had suddenly come here.

He did not particularly want to know, either.

After all, if Tokuhiro found out about what he was doing now, it might not be something that a single Eight Trigrams Vacuum Palm could settle.

"Sit down."

Nawaki froze upon hearing Shuji and Hiashi's words. Before he could say anything, Sarutobi Hiruzen's voice slowly rang out.

"Huh?"

Shuji and Hiashi exchanged a glance, pursed their lips, and slowly sat back down.

Clearly, it was already too late to leave...

Putting everything else aside, in this situation, at this time, they had to listen to the Hokage.

"You're all boys. What's wrong with having a little drink? What's wrong with smoking a little? Want one?"

Sarutobi Hiruzen gave a gentle chuckle and pulled out a cigarette, offering it to Shuji.

"Ah... no, thank you."

Shuji gave an awkward laugh, shook his head, and pushed Sarutobi Hiruzen's hand back.

Sarutobi Hiruzen immediately grinned, but said nothing more. He settled back in his seat and continued eating on his own.

"Sir..."

Licking his slightly dry lips, Nawaki looked at Sarutobi Hiruzen and asked tentatively.

"What is it?"

Sarutobi Hiruzen's hand paused slightly, but he did not raise his head.

"You won't tell my sister about what happened today, will you?"

The moment he said that, Shuji and Hiashi both turned their attention to Nawaki.

Honestly, while Shuji did not think there was anything particularly bad about what they had done today either.

But...

Shuji also knew that what he considered bad and what Tsunade considered bad were probably not quite the same.

"Eh? Do I seem like that kind of person?"

Sarutobi Hiruzen waved his hand. Hearing that, Nawaki immediately let out a sigh of relief.

Then—

"Of course I won't only tell your sister."

Before the breath in his chest could fully ease, Nawaki suddenly raised his head and stared at Sarutobi Hiruzen in disbelief.

"I'll also tell Princess Chinatsu and Tokuhiro."

As he spoke, Sarutobi Hiruzen looked toward Shuji and Hiashi.

Hearing that, Shuji closed his eyes in despair.

Whether Sarutobi Hiruzen was a good Hokage or not, Shuji did not know.

But he definitely was not a good person.

"Then it's a good thing I didn't drink."

Helplessly, Nawaki looked regretfully at the tableful of food he had bought with the money he had painstakingly saved and muttered.

"You drank."

Sarutobi Hiruzen spoke without raising his head.

"I didn't drink!"

Nawaki froze and looked at Sarutobi Hiruzen in disbelief.

"You drank."

Sarutobi Hiruzen still did not look up, merely repeating himself softly.

"Your sister won't believe you."

Shuji pursed his lips, quietly tugged Nawaki's arm, and whispered.

"As expected of the genius who developed the A-rank taijutsu Shunpo. Very smart."

Sarutobi Hiruzen raised his head and gave Shuji an approving look.

"Th-thank you for the compliment."

Shuji silently pursed his lips and replied to Sarutobi Hiruzen.

"Not only did you drink, you smoked too."

Sarutobi Hiruzen shifted his gaze away from Shuji and looked at Nawaki again.

"I..."

At that moment, Nawaki's gaze toward Sarutobi Hiruzen was filled with bone-deep hatred.

The grievance of being falsely accused made Nawaki's lips tremble.

"Drink!"

After shooting Sarutobi Hiruzen a resentful glare, Nawaki immediately picked up his cup and looked at Shuji beside him.

If he was destined to bear the consequences of drinking anyway, then why not drink?

"Put it down."

Before Shuji could react, Sarutobi Hiruzen's voice rang out again.

"Huh?"

Nawaki froze and looked at Sarutobi Hiruzen in surprise.

"Minors are forbidden from drinking."

Sarutobi Hiruzen set down his chopsticks, raised his head, and slowly spoke to Nawaki as he leisurely wiped his mouth.

"But didn't you say I drank?"

Nawaki froze and turned to Sarutobi Hiruzen.

"Mhm, you did drink. But you can't drink now."

Sarutobi Hiruzen placed the used tissue on the table and continued speaking to Nawaki.

Isn't this just too much?!

Looking at Sarutobi Hiruzen before him, Nawaki's fairly handsome features immediately twisted.

"You have twenty minutes to fill your stomach, then you'll begin training."

Resting his cheek on one hand, Sarutobi Hiruzen spoke lazily to the three brats before him.

He had originally only wanted to make contact with Nawaki, but he had not expected a member of the Hyuga Clan to be here as well.

So he took Hiashi under his wing too.

Supervising one was supervising, and supervising two was also supervising.

It would not take much effort, but it would allow him to show a certain degree of goodwill toward the Hyuga Clan.

As Konoha's clan second only to the Senju and Uchiha, the Hyuga Clan was worth Sarutobi Hiruzen treating this way.