Naruto

Konoha Street.

"Look, that's him."

Ayame pointed at a sneaky-looking little brat.

Tobitake Tonbo looked toward the child, taking in his yellow pineapple-like hair.

His tiny body.

He kept wandering along the street, seemingly wanting to run up and hug any man and woman walking together.

But the instant passersby saw the blond little brat, terror appeared on their faces.

They hurried away.

"Hug."

Naruto spread his arms, seemingly looking for someone to hug him.

But whenever he approached, everyone drove him away.

Before long, seemingly exhausted, he squatted on the ground as tears dripped down his cheeks.

Still so young, he did not understand why everyone hated him so much.

They ran whenever they saw him.

Even though those adults hugged other children.

All alone, he seemed terribly lonely.

Just then, a shadow fell over him.

Naruto looked up and saw a frightening adult wrapped in bandages, along with an adult woman smiling at the corners of her mouth.

"Tonbo, everyone says he's the incarnation of the Demon Fox. Aren't you afraid?" Ayame asked curiously.

She had no real concept of the Demon Fox. She only knew that nearly two years ago, Tobitake Tonbo had told her about the Nine-Tailed Fox.

It had caused a huge commotion back then.

What she saw now was not a Demon Fox, but a lonely child.

She had no idea what was going on with his parents, letting such a small child wander around outside.

Tobitake Tonbo looked at Naruto and chuckled. "Demon Fox? I wasn't afraid of it more than a year ago, and after more than a year,

I'm even less likely to fear it now. Besides, he isn't a Demon Fox. He's just a little brat."

"Right, little brother?" He crouched down, lowering himself to Naruto's level.

Naruto looked at Tobitake Tonbo and felt that he was different from everyone else, just like Grandpa Third.

"Hug."

Little Naruto spread his arms.

Several ANBU figures appeared within Tobitake Tonbo's perception.

But he still picked Naruto up.

To his senses, it was like lifting a massive mass of condensed chakra.

Even under the powerful perception, Tobitake Tonbo could still sense the enormous amount of chakra hidden beneath the Sealing Jutsu.

*Exactly like the Nine-Tails I saw before. It's just hidden by the Sealing Jutsu,

so it isn't as exposed, and the pressure isn't as overwhelming,* Tobitake Tonbo thought.

As for why Naruto, who was only a little over one and a half years old, was alone on the street, he did not know either.

But judging from the hidden ninja around them, it was probably the Third Hokage who had let him out for a walk!

That was the only explanation. Otherwise, the ANBU would have already guided Naruto back.

Watching the ANBU stir restlessly, ready to act at any moment, Tobitake Tonbo shook his head.

The Fourth Hokage's achievements had earned Naruto an environment like this. The Third Hokage was incompetent.

Even if others had interfered, things should not have turned out this way.

But he did not interfere further. He had only happened to run into Naruto today.

What was wrong with picking him up and playing with him for a bit?

"Wow, he's so cute. Ayame, how about we have four in the future?"

Tobitake Tonbo joked.

Ayame's face reddened. "If Tonbo wants to, that would be fine too."

Ah, how could he say something so explicit right in the street?

And how could she answer with something so explicit?

Oh no!

Still, this little brat really was adorable.

Ayame pinched Naruto's cheek. "My name is Ayame. You should call me big sister, okay? What's your name, little one?"

Naruto was in high spirits. Hearing Ayame's words, he happily called out, "Big Sister Ayame, I'm Naruto Uzumaki."

Clearly, though he was young, his awareness was no worse than that of a six-year-old child from Tobitake Tonbo's previous life.

"I'm Tobitake Tonbo. Remember that. I'm the one who held you."

Tobitake Tonbo handed Naruto to Ayame to hold.

"It's the Demon Fox. They're holding the Demon Fox."

"So scary. Aren't they afraid of dying?"

"I still can't forget what happened more than a year ago, when the Demon Fox's claw smashed my house to pieces.

It was terrifying."

The surrounding residents retreated one after another when they saw how bold they were.

If the Demon Fox erupted, they would be as good as dead.

Little Naruto had obviously heard them too, and his expression fell.

Hokage Office.

"Hokage-sama, someone has picked up the Jinchuriki. Do we need to take specific measures?"

The cat-masked ANBU asked Hiruzen Sarutobi.

"Who was it?

Didn't I tell you not to let Naruto go out onto the streets?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi asked in a deep voice.

ANBU: "A ninja named Tobitake Tonbo. He seems to be off duty today."

Though the ANBU inwardly complained, *Wasn't it you who said not to have too much contact with the Jinchuriki?

That Naruto shouldn't be allowed to form attachments?*

Hiruzen Sarutobi froze. Tobitake Tonbo?

"He didn't do anything, did he?"

"He and a girl who appears to be his girlfriend are playing with the Jinchuriki."

The ANBU had not expected that, even after word had spread that Naruto was the Demon Fox, someone would dare to pick him up. Only those who had experienced the Nine-Tails' power knew how dangerous he was.

Usually, such a person was either foolishly bold or had designs on the Jinchuriki. That was why he had returned to report it.

Hiruzen Sarutobi pondered, seemingly deep in thought.

"Hiruzen, anyone approaching the Jinchuriki must have ulterior motives. Hand him over to me, and I'll make him spit out all his intelligence."

An old man with a scar on his chin and an efficient, capable air slowly walked in from outside the door.

His tone was extremely forceful, and the ANBU beside him broke out in cold sweat at the sight of him.

"Danzo, you needn't concern yourself with the Jinchuriki. How is the intelligence on Orochimaru?" Hiruzen Sarutobi changed the subject.

He trusted Tobitake Tonbo. He was the ninja Hiruzen Sarutobi had seen who carried out the Will of Fire most thoroughly. Every action Tobitake Tonbo took allowed one to feel his conviction.

Whether during the Third Shinobi World War, in the Analysis Division, or as a squad captain.

He had always carried out the Will of Fire.

Thus, Hiruzen Sarutobi would not allow Danzo to ruin Tobitake Tonbo's talent.

"Hmph, it's all because of your indecisiveness. Otherwise, we would have killed him long ago. How could he have escaped?" Danzo snorted coldly.

"A year ago, I thought he had merely strayed down the wrong path for a moment. I never expected him to do so many things. I will find him and capture him."

Hiruzen Sarutobi sighed.

More than a year ago, Orochimaru had defected from Konoha, costing Konoha another top-tier fighting force. That was why Konoha's recovery had failed to keep pace.

Danzo said, "The latest news is that Orochimaru seems to have disappeared in the Land of Bears. His whereabouts are unknown."

"Then let that be the end of it. There's no need to search for him specifically. With Orochimaru's abilities, trying to find him abroad would be no different from wasting resources," Hiruzen Sarutobi instructed.

Danzo said, "That's not a problem. There's one more matter."

He swept his gaze over the surrounding ANBU.

Seeing this, the ANBU tactfully left the Hokage Office.

"What is it?"

"The Uchiha clan has been making quite a few unusual moves lately!"

Danzo's words were like a massive bell crashing down on the Third Hokage's head.

Due to the effects of the Nine-Tails' Attack, the Uchiha had not been completely removed from surveillance for more than a year, tying up much of Konoha's manpower.

This had also left the Uchiha deeply dissatisfied with Konoha, and some had already proposed the terrifying idea of defecting from Konoha.

This had become the Third Hokage's greatest headache.

But after a year of investigation, they also knew that the Uchiha had not possessed the ability to control the Nine-Tails during the Nine-Tails' Attack.

"For now, let the Uchiha matter rest. I'll have the spies continue watching them." After pondering for a long time, Hiruzen Sarutobi did not act rashly.

"Hiruzen, you'll regret this."

Having failed to get the action he wanted, Danzo slammed the door and left.