Crossing

As the sun set, Masayo hummed a little tune as he headed home, looking thoroughly pleased. Whenever he passed acquaintances on the road, he greeted them with a smile and told them that he had become a ninja.

After crossing a street, the area instantly felt much quieter.

That was because Naruto Uzumaki, the protagonist of this story, lived on this street.

Naruto Uzumaki, the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, had the Nine-Tailed Fox sealed inside him. His father had been the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze. Now an orphan, he had endured the villagers' discrimination all his life because he was the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki.

Ten people had ten different minds. The Hokage's technology was not advanced enough yet; no matter how tightly public opinion was controlled or how discussion was forbidden, people's mouths could never truly be sealed.

Did they really think that humans living together in large groups would obediently follow orders? If that were the case, they would not be human; they would be puppets or robots manipulated by programmed commands.

If the people's own will and hearts could truly be controlled so easily, then there would be no saying, "Are kings and generals born to their stations?"

The strong drew their blades against those stronger than themselves, while the weak timidly drew their blades against those weaker than themselves.

Most of Konoha's villagers were clearly the latter. Masayo would not approach Naruto Uzumaki, but he would not discriminate against him either, nor would he follow the crowd just because everyone around him did. He treated Naruto Uzumaki like any ordinary passerby, though he occasionally kept a subtle eye on him because of his special circumstances.

"The stars in the sky don't speak, the child on the ground misses his mother, the eyes in the sky blink and blink... Sigh, why am I singing this? Honestly, change it. Something more grand."

Masayo muttered to himself. When he passed the apartment building where Naruto Uzumaki lived, he did not pause in the slightest, nor did he even glance at it, simply walking on.

"Right, this one. Now that I'm a ninja, I should sing something grander! True love is as vast as the grasslands, unable to be blocked by storm after storm, and someday the clouds will part... No, why did it turn into 'One Plum Blossom' again? Pah, pah, pah. I'm almost home, so I'm done singing. Honestly."

One street farther on was Masayo's home. It stood in a secluded area, a two-story apartment villa with an elegant, peaceful atmosphere. Behind it lay a large bamboo grove and lawn. According to memories from Masayo's previous life, a house like this would have cost at least tens of millions of yuan.

But because of Naruto Uzumaki, all the nearby residents had moved away. Moreover, from the second-floor windows, one could see the windows of Naruto's home, and Naruto could see this place as well. That was why Masayo had been able to buy such a house so cheaply.

The setting sun gave off its final rays as night quietly approached. Naruto Uzumaki, dressed in orange, sat before a wooden table with a bowl of instant ramen on it.

Naruto absentmindedly counted the seconds, hating the three-minute wait for the ramen to finish soaking.

"Huh? Is that the big brother from across the way coming back?"

Naruto suddenly leaned against the window. His blond hair looked somewhat dim beneath the sunset's glow, and his blue eyes trembled slightly as they watched Masayo's receding figure.

"He became a ninja? That's amazing!"

Naruto's gaze fell upon the Konoha forehead protector in Masayo's hand, his blue eyes filled with longing. He wanted to rush over right away. He had so much he wanted to say to Masayo.

But he did not dare. The villagers' fear, wariness, dislike, and disgust had made him extremely sensitive to such looks. He could sense that Masayo did not look at him the way the other villagers did.

The surrounding villagers had moved away because of him. Other than Masayo, there was no one left. In the pitch-black nights, only Masayo's home still shone with light. Naruto watched it and wanted to hold on to it. That was also why he feared that Masayo would be isolated and hated by the villagers because of him, just like he was.

"Hehe... Once I become a ninja, I'll definitely save enough money to have that big brother carve a little statue of Naruto Uzumaki just for me!"

That was right, carving. Though Masayo could not compare to true master sculptors, he was no mere showpiece. At the very least, he carved better than the Hokage Rock. He had learned a few basics from genuine carving masters, and his limit was carving a nineteen-layer Puzzle Ball.

That was why Masayo was not short on money. Aside from Konoha's subsidies, he earned quite a bit through carving. During festivals such as the Cherry Blossom Festival, he would display nineteen-layer Puzzle Balls, micro-carved rings, grains of rice, and other handicrafts. His wooden and jade carvings sold especially quickly. Besides that, he often received custom carving commissions, sometimes even from wealthy clients.

Masayo remembered carving five-centimeter oval jade pendants for Itachi Uchiha and Shisui Uchiha. When unfolded, the micro-carving on them formed a complete panorama of Konoha. That commission from Shisui Uchiha and Itachi Uchiha had earned him quite a lot of money.

After returning home, Masayo casually made himself dinner and went to bed early. At this time, nighttime entertainment mostly consisted of night markets, but there was nothing particularly interesting about them.

The incandescent lamp brightly illuminated the entire room. Masayo stared at the clean, tidy ceiling. He had finally become a ninja.

If he had not possessed ninja talent, Masayo might have relied on his carving skills to open a shop and live a comfortable life of his own.

But he did have talent. Without receiving any guidance, he had comprehended the Wind Nature. Even the major clans of his own class, whether the Hyuga or others, including the Uchiha before their extermination in the first few years after enrollment, had all been left behind by him. He had consistently held first place in the entire year.

"Perhaps that's why the Third Hokage arranged for Kakashi to become my jonin instructor!"

Masayo could not help muttering. He had talent, so how could he be content to fade into obscurity? As for conspiracies and power struggles among the higher-ups, people should not think too highly of themselves. At least, Masayo had never seen Root or Anbu come looking for him. At this point in time, Danzo, the target of universal scorn, was still being suppressed by the Third Hokage and could not show his face at all.

"Kakashi-sensei has already taught me the Shadow Clone Jutsu. I'm an elite Genin now. If I pass Konoha's internal Chunin examination later, I'll become a Chunin and be completely independent. I'll also have to part ways with Kakashi-sensei."

What Masayo wanted now was to learn as much as he could from Kakashi. Konoha's number one technician—he would learn whatever he could.

Filled with anticipation, Masayo set his alarm and slowly drifted into sleep.

In his dream, he sat at the Hokage's desk, looking as though he were commanding the realm. A black-haired beauty wore a faint smile, as fresh and lovely as a lotus in clear water, dreamlike in a neutral pink kimono. Masayo found himself unconsciously drawn toward her.

"Lord Masayo!"

That voice was gentle and tranquil, and Masayo could not help becoming intoxicated by such tenderness. The two slowly drew closer, seemingly able to feel each other's breath.

"Damn..."

Suddenly, Masayo remembered something. He blurted out a curse, violently shoved away the black-haired beauty in the neutral kimono before him, and jolted awake from his dream.

Masayo panted heavily. The alarm clock on the cabinet beside him showed that it was only two thirty.