"We're back!"
A playful and energetic voice came from the door like a clear spring, instantly breaking the solemn atmosphere in the room.
Hanabi opened the door, and a small figure appeared at the door. Behind her were the slightly quiet Hinata and the lively Ino.
When Hiashi and Inoichi saw their daughters coming back, they almost breathed a sigh of relief in unison, almost imperceptibly, as if they had seen a savior.
However, as soon as Hanabi, Hinata and Ino entered the door, they were keenly aware of the unusual and extremely heavy atmosphere between the three elders in the room. The three Girl immediately froze at the door, hesitating and not daring to go in rashly.
"You are back."
At this moment, Naruto's voice sounded from behind them.
I saw him holding a dozen Beer that he had just bought from a convenience store and standing behind three Girl. His sunny smile seemed to dispel all the gloom.
He shook the bag in his hand at the three elders in the room and said loudly, "Grandpa Third, uncles, I bought the wine you asked for."
However, as soon as the wine was lifted, two sharp eyes were instantly locked on Hiashi and Inoichi.
Hanabi (hands on hips, sharp eyes): Stare~
Ino (crossed arms, eyes scrutinizing): Stare~
The two old fathers, under the silent gaze of their daughters, suddenly felt inexplicably guilty and uncomfortable.
Regarding the fact that I doted on my daughter so much that I didn't dare to drink in front of her for fear of being lectured by her and damaging my dignity as a father.
"Thank you Naruto."
Third Hokage The gloom on his face was instantly wiped away, replaced by an extremely kind and gentle smile, as if the heavy and tired old man just now was just an illusion.
His dry but steady palms reached into the inner lining of Hokage Robe, took out a slightly old wallet, and then generously took out several large bills from it, and handed them in the direction of Naruto with a smile.
"Oh, Grandpa Third, you... this is too much!"
Naruto looked at the thick stack of money and waved his hand quickly.
"Hey! We three old men are here to drink some wine and talk about some things. You young people are bored here too."
Third involuntarily pushed the money to Naruto with a kind tone.
"Take it, let's go out with your friends!"
Hiashi and Inoichi on the side heard this and had a look of astonishment on their faces.
Why did it suddenly happen that the three of them were drinking and driving all the children away?
"I'm really rich, Grandpa Third!"
Naruto still wants to refuse.
"Grandpa knows that we Naruto can make money when we grow up."
Third's smile became more kind, but his attitude was very firm.
"However, this is grandpa treating you to delicious food, don't refuse!"
He paused, looked at the small figure at the door, and waved. "Come, Little Hanabi, come to Grandpa Hokage."
Hanabi obediently Earth Flow passed by.
Third took out some more money from his wallet, folded them together, put them solemnly into Hanabi's little hand, and said softly, "Take the money and go out to play with brothers Older Sister. You must listen to brother Older Sister."
"How can I bother you Lord Third with this?"
Hiashi stood up quickly, and while talking, he quickly took out a wallet from the inner lining of his exquisitely crafted Kimono.
Almost at the same time, Inoichi also reacted and took out his wallet without hesitation.
"Okay, okay."
Third looked at the two people scrambling for the first place and couldn't help but laugh.
He stretched out his hand, first gently pushed back his stack of bills, and then directly took the two bulging wallets of Hiashi and Inoichi, and placed them together in Hanabi's small hand that was already holding the bills.
Third blinked at Hanabi and said with a smile, "Go ahead, take it and have fun with your brothers Older Sister. Just remember to return the wallet to your father and your uncle Inoichi later."
Hanabi looked at his father.
Hiashi looked at Third and finally nodded.
With his father's permission, Hanabi happily held the money and took the three Naruto out.
After the four children left, there were only three adults left in the room.
Third silently picked up a can of Beer bought by Naruto, and opened the pull ring with a soft "click" sound.
He stared at the Utakata surging in the cup, with a smile that was a mixture of reminiscence and bitterness on his face. He slowly spoke, with a hoarse voice unique to the elderly. "Haha... In the past, when Biwako was still alive, I was always not allowed to drink. He kept saying it over and over again, saying it would hurt my body."
His eyes became distant, as if he had traveled through time, "At that time, I was like a rebellious young man, secretly hiding in Hokage's Office to smoke, secretly meeting old friends for drinks, and I had to find ways to dispel the smell on my body, for fear of being discovered by her..."
As he spoke, his voice gradually became lower, with endless longing. "It has been twelve years... this old woman is still annoying me down there, does she think I have many problems? She has never come to see me in her dreams..."
This sentence seems to be a complaint, but it is full of profound loneliness and affection.
Third paused and raised his glass. "So, after she left, I felt angry. I haven't had a serious drink for a long time. Just this cigarette..."
He shook his head helplessly and touched his pipe habitually, "I have smoked for a lifetime and I have become an old friend. I can't quit."
The old man handed the opened Beer to Hiashi and Inoichi respectively, and he also raised a can. His tone suddenly became extremely open-minded, even with a hint of the carefreeness of life and death. "To be honest, I have lived to this age. One day of living is a day of earning!"
If you reach this age and still avoid eating this and that, and live in fear, then it will be really unhappy!
Come, have a drink with me!"
"Okay!"
Hiashi and Inoichi responded quickly, and their hearts were touched by Third's rare expression of true feelings.
The two of them quickly raised their glasses respectfully, clinked their glasses with Third, and drank the slightly bitter cold liquid in one gulp.
After finishing the Beer in his hand, Third shook his head, as if he felt that Beer was not enough fun.
He looked at Hiashi and Inoichi, and his tone became a little more formal. "Hiashi, Inoichi, go and call Shikaku and Choza over.
Ask them to bring some sake and good Venison, I have something to do and want to have a good chat with you."
Hearing this, Hiashi and Inoichi immediately stood up and responded solemnly, "Yes, Lord Third!"
The two moved quickly, and it didn't take long before they left and came back.
This time, they were followed by Shikaku Nara and Choza Akimichi.
Four middle-aged men who played an important role in Konoha carried several bottles of exquisite sake and portable grills in their hands. Choza even personally carried half of the fresh Venison that had been processed, and came to Naruto's not-so-spacious home again.
"The main reason I came to see you today is to talk about Naruto."
Third Hokage slowly poured himself a glass of clear sake. The wine poured into the glass and made a slight sound, which was particularly clear in this quiet room.
He didn't look at anyone, his eyes seemed to fall on some distant point in the void, and in a tone that was mixed with nostalgia and complexity, he said softly, "He now... looks more and more like Fourth Hokage."
As soon as these words were spoken, it was like dropping a huge boulder on the calm lake!
The four people present instantly widened their eyes, with shock written all over their faces!
The fact that Naruto may be the son of Fourth Hokage Minato Namikaze has long been a tacit secret among Konoha High Command and some big families, and everyone has more or less speculated in private.
However, when it was said by Third Hokage himself in such a formal occasion, the meaning was completely different!
Could it be that he... has finally made up his mind to clear Naruto's name and make his life experience public?
This idea made Hiashi and Ino-Shika-Cho excited. Emotionally and morally, they naturally hoped that Naruto could get rid of the stigma of "Demon Fox" and gain the respect he deserved.
However, what followed immediately was deep worry.
However, the villagers in the village have basically discriminated, excluded and even insulted Naruto to some extent over the years.
If Naruto's life experience is suddenly made public at this moment, it will be like a slap in the face of the whole village, proving that they have been abusing the hero's orphan for so many years!
This will inevitably trigger huge public backlash and social unrest, and even shake the villagers' trust in the village's top management.
After all, if you Third Hokage didn't say it at the beginning, what do you mean by saying it after twelve years?
From the perspective of insiders such as Hiashi and Ino-Shika-Cho Clans, Fourth Hokage treats them well. In their hearts, they must hope that Third can clear Naruto's name. This is about justice and belated justice.
But...Third, he is famous for cherishing feathers and values the stability of the village above all else.
In a situation that may cause huge turmoil and challenge his own prestige, is he... really willing to take this risk for Naruto?