Be My Son, Hiruzen!

During the holiday, Naruto had not been idle.

Over ten days, he had accumulated 20 Mom Coins and drawn twice more.

He had not been as lucky with those two draws as with the previous ones. The first gave him a case of milk, while the second gave him ten thousand ryō.

(1 ryō equals 10 yen.)

Both draws had been D-rank rewards.

Still, they were not useless to Naruto. Milk and money were both survival supplies he urgently needed. He was in his growth stage now, and with milk and money, he could effectively strengthen his body.

Taking the money, Naruto asked Ayame to help him buy ingredients every day.

A person could not eat ramen every day, after all. Nutrition had to be balanced!

And so, in the days that followed, Naruto began traveling back and forth every day between Ichiraku Ramen and the apartment where he lived.

While also keeping an eye out for suitable candidates to be his mom.

Although simply walking down the street could easily invite bullying from Konoha's villagers.

Naruto had not been afraid before, and now that he had mastered the complete collection of E-rank ninjutsu, he was even less afraid.

He was not like the original owner of this body, who meekly endured being bullied by the villagers. Not only did he not retaliate, he even tried to please them and gain their approval.

Nor was he like Konoha's White Fang, Hatake Sakumo, who had clearly been strong but had been bullied into suicide by weak villagers because of his fragile heart.

If someone targeted Naruto, he would hit back immediately. As a result, although plenty of people still cursed him, the number of ordinary villagers who dared lay hands on him had visibly decreased.

Today, after beating up another department store owner who had thrown an egg at him, Naruto clapped his hands and cursed.

"Do you have Mother's Protection too, daring to challenge me!"

"Naruto!"

The sudden voice startled Naruto.

Anyone who could appear without him noticing had to be strong enough to beat him senseless.

Turning around, he found an old man wearing a red hat bearing the character for "Fire" standing behind him.

The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi.

Naruto had already seen him in his memories, so he recognized him.

Behind Hiruzen Sarutobi stood a purple-haired female ANBU wearing a mask. How could he be sure she was female?

Because the system spoke up.

[Thirty-year-old widow Uzuki Yugao was exceptionally beautiful, with an unusually voluptuous figure. She was exactly the curvy type of woman Naruto Uzumaki drooled over. Today, she wore a fitted, tight ninja bodysuit beneath an ANBU vest.]

[About ten centimeters below the ANBU vest were her snug ninja pants, which made Naruto Uzumaki unable to resist sneaking glances.]

[Naruto Uzumaki secretly praised them in his heart. The female ANBU ninja pants were truly amazing. Like yoga pants, they perfectly wrapped her graceful curves.]

[After the system's appraisal, Uzuki Yugao was a suitable B-rank candidate.]

Am I really that sleazy?

That was pure slander!

And why was Uzuki Yugao thirty?

And a widow?

Naruto grumbled to himself. He roughly understood now; the system had probably malfunctioned. Just like when he had encountered Hinata before, it had mixed up the timeline.

No wonder it was always so damned talkative.

While complaining about the system, he glanced over at Uzuki Yugao.

She was obviously quite different from what the Valorant System had described. First of all, she did not seem particularly voluptuous.

Still, he had to admit that those tight ninja pants were pretty nice.

They had a real aesthetic appeal.

Of course, that was not important. What mattered most was that Uzuki Yugao actually met the requirements, even if she was only B-rank.

I need to find a way to make her my mom.

Even if she's only B-rank, as long as there are rewards, I'll take them!

[Go, young man!]

[A new mom has appeared. How can you stop moving forward!]

"Ahem, Naruto!"

Seeing Naruto's gaze was not on him, Hiruzen Sarutobi coughed awkwardly twice.

Today, he had come for Naruto's mental well-being.

Ever since discovering that Naruto had called Hinata Mom that day, Hiruzen Sarutobi had paid special attention to Naruto's physical and mental health, using his crystal ball multiple times to spy on Naruto's life.

Hiruzen Sarutobi had already sent Tsunade a letter asking her to return to Konoha and help care for Naruto, but that money-grubbing disciple of his had demanded payment the moment she opened her mouth.

And she had named an astronomical price.

Hiruzen Sarutobi was currently bargaining with Tsunade over the matter, but Naruto's situation did not look optimistic to him.

"Naruto, why have you been causing trouble so often lately? Can you tell me why?"

"When did I cause trouble?" Naruto asked in confusion.

"You're talking back too. You fight with villagers every day, and dozens upon dozens of villagers have already gone to the Hokage's Office to accuse you."

Hiruzen Sarutobi frowned. Fighting was one thing, but Naruto actually refused to admit it. If Naruto kept fooling around like this, he worried there would be a problem with the Will of Fire in Naruto's heart.

"They still have the nerve to accuse me first. Every time, eggs and stones come flying at me while I'm walking. It takes two to make a fight. If they didn't provoke me, would I beat them up?" Naruto said.

Hiruzen Sarutobi fell silent because he knew Naruto was telling the truth. But did not every Jinchūriki in every ninja village grow up this way?

A moment later.

"You're wrong, Naruto. Your approach is wrong."

"A true strong person needs a tolerant heart. You should try to move them with love, so that they will acknowledge and accept you."

"After all, they're only villagers."

The strong ought to tolerate the weak. That had always been the Will of Fire.

"They're villagers, so am I not one? When they beat me, is it because I was picked up from outside Konoha, so I deserve it?"

Naruto retorted again, his angry expression seeming to ask:

Am I even a person?

"Uh..."

Hiruzen Sarutobi fell silent again. In his eyes, Naruto was the Fourth Hokage's son and the Nine-Tails' Jinchūriki. He ought to have been a strong person.

But when he switched to Naruto's perspective based on Naruto's words, his own reasoning really did seem difficult to justify.

After all, Naruto did not know any of that.

"Of course you're one of Konoha's people. Your parents were heroes who sacrificed themselves for Konoha, which is why I must be even more diligent in teaching you."

"Naruto, be good. Don't clash with the villagers anymore."

"I remember that your dream is to become Hokage, right? Since you want to become Hokage, you need to think like a strong person."

What twisted logic!

How could one repay virtue with virtue if one repaid resentment with virtue?

As a new-era youth from the twenty-first century, Naruto had never believed in the so-called Will of Fire. He would not forgive anyone who bullied him.

Nor would he, like in the original story, turn around and beg these vile commoners for their acknowledgment.

But right now, Konoha's strongest man and highest authority stood before Naruto.

If he kept arguing stubbornly, it would clearly be inappropriate.

In fact, Naruto had not argued with Hiruzen Sarutobi from the beginning merely to vent his anger. He was simply negotiating the price.

He deliberately curled his lips in indignation. "I understand. I won't fight with people in the village anymore, but I have one condition."

Seeing that Naruto no longer objected, Hiruzen Sarutobi visibly relaxed. "What condition?"

"I want her to be my mom. If you agree, I'll listen to you." Naruto pointed at Uzuki Yugao.

At those words...

Although Uzuki Yugao's expression could not be seen beneath her mask, her body visibly trembled.

For a moment, she could not help raising her hand to point at herself.

As if asking, Me?

To make a rigorously trained ANBU ninja lose her composure like that was truly something else.

"Naruto, the villagers, including me, can all be your family too. There's no need to insist on recognizing a mother."

Hiruzen Sarutobi smiled faintly. In his eyes, all of Naruto's stubbornness from before had transformed at this moment into the awkward longing of a lonely child for familial affection.

He decided that he would simply become the first person to acknowledge Naruto. He held out his arms and opened his embrace.

He saw Naruto's eyes light up.

He was very pleased.

Hiruzen Sarutobi thought to himself, What will Naruto do next? Rush into my arms and affectionately call me Grandpa?

That would not be bad!

"Since that's the case."

The next moment, Naruto also held out a hand. Then, with an arrogant expression, he said, "Be my son, Hiruzen!"

The world fell silent.

"Pfft!"

A laugh from behind the mask was the first sound to break the silence.

Uzuki Yugao hurriedly covered her mouth, only to realize she was wearing a mask and could not cover it at all. She quickly lowered her head and apologized.

"Sumimasen, Third Hokage-sama!"

..." Hiruzen Sarutobi's mouth twitched. He took a deep breath, then withdrew his embrace and clasped his hands behind his back.

Why was this not at all what he had imagined?

"Forget it. For now, you can temporarily help look after him!"

Glancing helplessly at Uzuki Yugao, who was still holding back laughter beside him, Hiruzen Sarutobi said.

Originally, he had planned to have Uzuki Yugao watch Naruto until Tsunade arrived, so Naruto would not cause more trouble. That was why he had brought Uzuki Yugao along.

Now, he was merely moving her from the shadows into the open.

"Yes!" Uzuki Yugao bowed to accept the order.

Perhaps because he felt a little embarrassed himself, Hiruzen Sarutobi used the Body Flicker Technique and left immediately after speaking.

Only Naruto and Uzuki Yugao were left staring at each other.

All right, a lone man and woman together. It was time for Naruto Uzumaki to perform.

He had always been a man who boldly took the initiative.

The next moment, Naruto Uzumaki struck a pose, arranged his expression, then rushed straight at Uzuki Yugao and threw himself into her arms.

Uzuki Yugao was caught off guard and did not know what to do for a moment.

This...

This was where his advantage lay. If he had been someone around Uzuki Yugao's age, he would probably have been pushed away and beaten up by now.

But Naruto was not.

"Mom, that rotten old man isn't mad at me, is he?"

After saying that, Naruto felt that he seemed to have quite a bit of Momonosuke's vibe.

Damn it, everyone hates Momonosuke.

Everyone wants to become Momonosuke.

Uzuki Yugao, held by Naruto, breathed a little heavily. She did not know how to respond.

She had not even dated yet, but someone was hugging her and calling her Mom. If word got out, how would she ever find a boyfriend?

Only recently, Hayate-senpai had revealed that he wanted to pursue her.

But...

This was an assignment from the Third Hokage.

Forget it. Once Lady Tsunade arrives, I'll be able to leave anyway.

Gently patting Naruto's head, Uzuki Yugao tried to speak in a gentle voice. "He won't be. The Third Hokage isn't that petty."

"Mom, let's go home. Can you cook for me?" Naruto took Uzuki Yugao's hand.

"Mm...!" Uzuki Yugao nodded, reluctantly accepting this relationship.

[Mom, I want food-food~!]

[Praise the host for successfully finding a gentle, mature big-sister mom. What a cause for celebration.]

[After appraisal, Uzuki Yugao has above-average looks, an average figure, passable strength, a kind personality, and an ordinary family background. She is a B-rank Mom.]

[Mother's Protection +1!]

[Current remaining Mother's Protection: 3 layers!]

[Mom Coins +10!]

[Keep this relationship going. As long as the relationship remains unbroken, you can still obtain 1 Mom Coin every day.]