Goodbye, Naruto

"Your attempts at comfort are truly unpleasant to hear." Hatake Kakashi rolled his eyes. "Since you've already mastered it, let's head down the mountain. If you have questions in the future, just come and ask me. In this godforsaken weather, if we stay any longer, we'll be dried into jerky."

"Perfect. It's not past mealtime yet, so let's go grab lunch together. Consider it my treat to thank you, Senior. Any preferences? How about Ichiraku Ramen?" Chiya suggested.

"Haven't you already decided for me?" Hatake Kakashi said, sounding listless.

Perhaps it was because Chiya frequented the Uchiha compound and, like him, possessed a close Uchiha friend.

He didn't feel much aversion toward Chiya.

He simply felt that this was a junior with a somewhat dark, scheming side.

Soon, the two arrived at the Ichiraku Ramen shop.

There, they encountered an unexpected person: Uzumaki Naruto.

"Chiya-nii-san!" It had been a year since last winter, and seeing Chiya again, Naruto appeared exceptionally excited.

Perhaps even Chiya himself didn't realize that by simply treating Naruto to ramen twice—even while intercepting Hinata—he had allowed Naruto to feel the warmth of familial affection.

He had replaced Iruka as the first person to walk into the boy's heart.

"Yo, it's you. How are you still so short after a year? Have you been living on instant noodles again instead of eating proper meals?" Chiya stepped forward and ruffled Naruto's yellow, spiky hair as if petting a dog.

Upon seeing the orphan of his teacher, Hatake Kakashi's expression shifted abruptly, and his face beneath the mask appeared extremely unnatural.

"Hehe." Naruto chuckled, clearly enjoying the time spent with Chiya.

Immediately, he said with a tone of worship and excitement:

"Chiya-nii-san, I've heard about it! You were promoted to Jonin less than a year after graduating from the Ninja Academy. I'm going to become an excellent ninja like you, and then I'll become Hokage!"

"Is that so? Then give it your all. If it's you, I believe you can definitely do it." Chiya replied casually before sitting down. "Boss, three bowls of tonkotsu ramen. As for the toppings, add whatever is best. My treat today."

"You got it, young man Chiya!" Ichiraku replied happily and began preparing the noodles.

Upon hearing Chiya's words of encouragement, Naruto stood frozen. Invisibly, Chiya had gained another label in Naruto's heart: the first person to truly acknowledge him.

Hatake Kakashi watched the change in Naruto's expression, remaining silent throughout.

After the meal, Naruto had to return to the academy, so he finished quickly and left early.

Only then did Hatake Kakashi speak, asking with some hesitation: "Chiya, are you very close with that kid?"

Chiya feigned a moment of surprise and replied: "I wouldn't call it close. Including today, we've only met three times in total. I just saw him all alone and treated him to ramen a few times, that's all."

"I see." Hatake Kakashi repeated, then continued: "Then you must know his identity. If I recall correctly, your parents died during the Nine-Tails Incident. Can you tell me why you don't harbor hatred toward that kid?"

"Why should I hate him? The Nine-Tails is the Nine-Tails, and Naruto is Naruto. That little guy was just a newborn baby at the time; what could he possibly have done?"

Chiya asked back, then immediately began to criticize the situation indirectly.

"I don't know which heartless bastard started the rumors about Naruto being the Nine-Tails. It turned a perfectly fine child—already an orphan—into someone living his childhood amidst the hatred and hostility of the villagers."

"Drinking expired milk, eating instant noodles, and when he wants to buy something, no one is willing to sell to him. He goes hungry all day long."

"It's a miracle he's managed to grow up this strong."

Having said that, he didn't forget to add: "If I ever find out who started it, I will report them to the Third Hokage immediately."

"Rumors, huh?" Hatake Kakashi recalled his own father, the White Fang of Konoha, who had been driven to his death by rumors. He then thought of Naruto's current plight and couldn't help but feel a sense of self-reproach.

Although the Third Hokage had issued orders forbidding anyone from approaching the Jinchuriki, he, as a student of Naruto's father, Namikaze Minato, had never once shown care for his teacher's orphan all these years.

What exactly had he been doing all this time?

As evening approached, the sun began to set.

The sunset glow in the west complemented the various buildings of Konoha, making the village look exceptionally beautiful and prosperous.

At this moment, on the rooftop of the Hokage Building.

Sarutobi Hiruzen stood with his hands behind his back. Behind him, Hatake Kakashi, now dressed in his Anbu uniform, knelt on one knee.

"How was it, Kakashi? What impression did that child, Chiya, leave on you?" Sarutobi Hiruzen asked, his back turned to Hatake Kakashi, his eyes narrowed.

He certainly wasn't kind enough to have Kakashi teach Chiya ninjutsu for no reason.

It was more of a test for Chiya.

Although Yuhi Kurenai had already reported 'everything' regarding Chiya to him, and he trusted her deeply, in the end, she was Chiya's mentor.

Given his own past experience with Orochimaru, it was inevitable that Yuhi Kurenai might hide some seemingly insignificant details from him, the Hokage.

And these details were often what truly revealed a person's character.

This was why he had assigned Kakashi to test him before sending Chiya to infiltrate the Uchiha.

Hatake Kakashi lowered his head, pondered for a moment, and spoke his thoughts in a respectful tone: "Excluding his Kekkei Genkai, he is undoubtedly a genius who does not lose to Uchiha Itachi. It took him less than half an hour to master the B-rank Earth Style: Earth Wall and the A-rank jutsu Chidori."

"In terms of character, he is not a man of great evil. On the contrary, he possesses a strong sense of justice and can view problems rationally."

"Perhaps because they are both orphans, he harbors sympathy for the weak."

"I see." Sarutobi Hiruzen let out a long breath. Overall, Kakashi's assessment didn't differ much from the intelligence he already possessed.

But the fact that he could view problems rationally was somewhat troublesome.

What he needed was a pawn that worshipped him blindly, someone to go undercover within the Uchiha Clan.

He did not need a Fujiwara Chiya who possessed the ability to think independently; if things were handled poorly, who knew—Chiya might truly, just as Danzo had said, do something contrary to the will of the Hokage for the sake of that little girl from the Uchiha Clan.

This was something Sarutobi Hiruzen was unwilling to see.

It seems I will have to expend some effort to guide him; that boy's Will of Fire is not yet pure enough, Sarutobi Hiruzen sighed inwardly.

"Hokage-sama." Just as Sarutobi Hiruzen was contemplating how to instill the 'Will of Fire' into Chiya, Kakashi's voice interrupted his train of thought.