The Wild Boar and Uncle Farmer

It is no wonder Inoichi Yamanaka failed to foresee this.

At the dinner table, Ino had not gone into detail about her relationship with Uzumaki Naruto, focusing instead on his recent experiences and actions. Inoichi's own thoughts had been entirely consumed by a complex web of emotions, so he hadn't given it much thought, never imagining his daughter could have formed such a deep connection with Uzumaki Naruto.

Coupled with the fact that he had panicked upon hearing that "his daughter was being dragged away by a man," he had spent the entire journey focused solely on rushing to her side. It was only when he arrived and came face-to-face with Uzumaki Naruto that everything clicked into place.

Then, replacing his anger was a different, heavier, and more rigid emotion.

"Hello, Uncle." Uzumaki Naruto walked up to Inoichi Yamanaka and gave a slight bow.

"He looks just like him..."

Even though he had mentally prepared himself, standing this close and looking at Uzumaki Naruto, Inoichi Yamanaka could not help but feel dazed.

The dazzling gold hair, the similar hairstyle, the cerulean eyes, the familiar features... everything about him was as if that powerful man had returned. Suddenly, memories of that era—when Konoha was besieged on all sides and teetering on the brink of collapse—surfaced uncontrollably, crashing into his mind like a blood-red sunset.

Those were the most passionate and tragic years of Inoichi Yamanaka's life. Countless people fell and died, and the living continued to charge forward, stepping over corpses. The sounds of battle seemed to ring in his ears once more, and he could almost smell the scent of rust and gunpowder lingering in the air...

The reason Ino had once wondered "why her father sounded like a hot-blooded idiot" stemmed from this very period; back then, Inoichi Yamanaka truly was a hot-blooded idiot.

It wasn't just him; nearly every ninja in Konoha at the time had prepared themselves to die in battle. Although there was an unspoken understanding between the Great Nations, it had been crumbling during the Third Shinobi World War, and the side most likely to be annihilated was Konoha.

In that war, Konoha was the only village to fight four Great Nations simultaneously; or, to put it another way, it was the only unlucky soul besieged by all four at once.

Every nation was impatient to see this giant fall, hoping to feast on its flesh and wash away past humiliations. Konoha was truly at a life-or-death juncture, with the flames of war reaching the very doorstep of Konoha. Everyone fought with a death-defying resolve.

Yet, even under such circumstances, no one believed Konoha would truly lose.

Because.

Minato Namikaze was there.

"If you encounter the Yellow Flash on the battlefield, flee immediately. You will not be punished even if you abandon your mission."

This consensus among the nations was the best footnote to the belief that "as long as the Yellow Flash is here, we will surely win."

He supported every battlefield by crossing space, fought the AB Brothers alone on the Cloud Village front and gained the upper hand, killed fifty Iwagakure ninja at the Kannabi Bridge, thwarted the schemes of Iwagakure, and forced Ōnoki to sue for peace with Konoha... Everyone followed that man, cheering for him, fighting alongside him, and offering their lives for him, because he would never let down their sacrifices and expectations. He was the strongest!

And Inoichi Yamanaka was one of those people.

—Even he found it surprising.

He thought he had long since forgotten, long since moved on, but seeing that familiar face again, the man nearing forty felt a long-lost surge of excitement. It was as if he had returned to his youth, kunai in hand, ready to kill the enemy or die for that man.

"Uncle?"

"Dad!"

His daughter's slightly reproachful voice pulled Inoichi back to reality. He realized that at some point, Uzumaki Naruto had extended his hand toward him.

"...Hmm."

Inoichi grunted in response and shook Uzumaki Naruto's hand.

The palm, not as calloused as that man's, helped Inoichi distinguish between the old friend and the old friend's son, yet the same warmth in their palms made him feel that he was indeed the son of his old friend... though, of course, it was possible he was just looking through rose-colored glasses.

"Hmph!"

Ino let out a dissatisfied huff. Not knowing what her father was thinking, she only saw Uzumaki Naruto politely extend his hand, only for her father to remain indifferent, leaving him hanging for quite a while before finally shaking it.

Inoichi, having been on the receiving end of his daughter's Byakugan glare, knew exactly what she was thinking. Unable to explain, he could only offer a bitter smile, while his inner "old father" felt a pang of sorrow.

Damn it... is she already taking his side before they've even confirmed their relationship?

Inoichi Yamanaka finally understood why his own father-in-law had always looked at him with such disdain back in the day. He had been too smug when he successfully "stole" his father-in-law's daughter, and now, karma had come full circle—it was his turn.

The kicker was that Inoichi Yamanaka couldn't even be truly angry at this kid. His father-in-law could at least vent by lecturing him, but for Inoichi, there was nothing left but to swallow his bitterness alone.

"Sorry, Uncle."

After shaking hands, Uzumaki Naruto continued, "I felt my hair was too messy, so I suddenly asked Ino to bring me here for a haircut, which is why she was late getting home... I even borrowed money from her for the cut, so it's all my responsibility. Ino is just too kind."

"Naruto..." Ino bit her lip, her eyes practically melting as she looked at him. She hadn't expected him to take responsibility and defend her like that... though, of course, the main reason was that Uzumaki Naruto had become much better-looking. There was no helping it; being a fan of good looks was a shallow but righteous cause.

"Heh... I'm not senile yet." Watching his daughter's hopeless expression, Inoichi Yamanaka couldn't help but snort. "Lying isn't a good habit."

"Uncle is right." Uzumaki Naruto's reply was faster than expected, as if he had never intended for this clumsy excuse to fool Inoichi Yamanaka in the first place.

He said candidly, "But if lying can protect someone important, I won't hesitate. Besides, I can't stand by and watch someone be blamed for helping me. I had to state my position. I will definitely pay Ino back... and..." He paused, adding earnestly, "Regarding Ino's kindness and the fact that the responsibility is mine, I am not lying."

Ino only heard the part about being an "important person." Her gaze was practically glued to his face until a broad, seemingly exasperated back suddenly cut in, blocking her view.

"My daughter just graduated from the Academy, you brat! Are you trying to snatch her away from me this early?!"

Inoichi Yamanaka gritted his teeth. He finally saw it—this stinking wild boar had a silver tongue, and every word was aimed at winning his daughter's favor. As for whether Inoichi forgave him or knew he was lying, the kid didn't care. He was just going to keep rooting around his cabbage patch... and the worst part was that the kid dared to do it right in front of him, the farmer, and there was nothing he could do about it!

"Uncle?" Uzumaki Naruto tilted his head, seemingly still waiting for a response.

"Don't act cute, you brat!"

Inoichi Yamanaka, who had just been reflecting on how he couldn't be angry because the boy was the son of an old friend, was now truly furious. He realized that the long-lost excitement he'd felt earlier wasn't nostalgia for the battles of the past—it was a burning desire to have a real man-to-man duel with this kid!

Inoichi Yamanaka decided he couldn't let this wild boar stay near his daughter any longer; he was too dangerous—his mouth was dangerous, and his looks were dangerous. With that thought, he hoisted Ino over his shoulder, ignoring her startled cry, and turned to leave.

If he couldn't control the future, he could at least control tonight!

However, after a few steps, perhaps feeling that this behavior was unbecoming of a father-in-law, he stopped, looked back, and said with great solemnity:

"Remember to pay back the money."

"Yes!" Uzumaki Naruto nodded seriously.