Do you want to go to the Ninja Academy?

On the way to the Hokage Building, Chunin Tanabe fussed over him the whole time.

"When you meet the Third Hokage, answer whatever he asks you. Don't say anything out of line."

"Especially with that mouth of yours. Saying strange things on the road is one thing, but this time you're meeting the Third. You'd better rein it all in."

"And another thing..."

"Uncle Tanabe," Uzumaki Hayashi interrupted him. "If you keep going, I'll die of nerves before I even meet the Third Hokage."

"You? Nervous?" Chunin Tanabe gave him a sidelong glance.

Who was it who took off running at the village entrance this afternoon?

But he didn't say that aloud. There was no point.

The Hokage Building wasn't particularly tall. The three of them pushed open the main doors, climbed the stairs, and turned into a corridor.

The corridor was silent, and the light abruptly dimmed. Before their eyes could adjust to the gloom, the mingled scent of aged wood and paper files reached their noses.

As they approached the end of the corridor, all they could hear were their own footsteps, landing softly on the floor one after another.

Uzumaki Hayashi silently weighed things up as he walked.

He knew about the Third's Telescope Technique. The entire village lay under that crystal ball's watchful eye. How could that old fox have missed what had happened in the alley that afternoon?

He figured the Third had probably seen it.

But that was fine.

Other people had bullied Naruto; he had protected him. However anyone tallied things up, he couldn't be blamed. At most, he had submitted an early proof of loyalty.

As for his background-

That was even easier.

He didn't need to invent a background for this body. His Redhead alone was enough to prove everything.

Chunin Iwai stopped before a heavy wooden door, raised his hand, and knocked twice, neither too loudly nor too softly.

"Come in."

An aged, gentle voice came through the door.

Chunin Iwai pushed it open and stepped aside. Chunin Tanabe brought up the rear, glancing back at Uzumaki Hayashi before entering.

The meaning in his eyes was clear: don't be afraid.

Uzumaki Hayashi gave him a reassuring look and stepped inside.

No lamps were lit in the office. Only the crystal ball on the desk gave off a faint glow.

The Third Hokage sat behind the desk, his ceremonial robe draped over his shoulders and a pipe held at an angle between his lips. A smile spread across his face as the three entered.

They came to a stop before the desk. Chunin Tanabe took half a step forward and began:

"Lord Hokage, this is the boy we found near the ruins of Uzushio Village..."

"I know."

The Third waved a hand with a warm smile, cutting him off.

"Thank you both for your efforts on the journey. You may go now."

Chunin Tanabe paused. "But..."

"Go on." The Third's voice was gentle but left no room for argument. "I'd like to speak with this child alone."

"...Yes, sir."

The two Chunin bowed and withdrew. At the door, Chunin Tanabe couldn't help looking back at Uzumaki Hayashi once more before gently closing it.

The room fell quiet.

"Look up, child."

Uzumaki Hayashi raised his head as instructed.

The Third set down his pipe and studied him carefully across the desk, his clouded eyes lingering on that red hair.

"The resemblance," the old man suddenly said. "It's uncanny."

"What resemblance?" Uzumaki Hayashi asked.

The Third didn't answer. He merely smiled and changed the subject. "I hear both your birth parents have passed away?"

"Yes."

"How did they die?"

"My dad died early, before I could remember anything." Uzumaki Hayashi answered calmly. "Mom took me with her as she fled, going wherever we could. The winter before last, she didn't make it either."

"Did she say anything to you before she passed?"

Uzumaki Hayashi paused.

"She said the Redhead was the Uzumaki clan's destiny. Wherever I went, I must never let it be dishonored."

The Third's hand froze in midair around his pipe.

The room was silent for several seconds.

"...Then how have you managed on your own these past two years?" The old man's voice grew even softer.

"Begging, odd jobs, watching stalls, hauling goods. I've done all sorts." Uzumaki Hayashi counted them off on his fingers. "Anyway, I haven't starved to death yet."

"Was it hard?"

"It was pretty tough, yeah."

His answer was so straightforward that it caught the Third off guard.

But then the child before him smiled again, tossed his red hair, and said breezily:

"But I got through it. I'm hard to kill. Starving me to death isn't that easy."

The Third watched him for a long time.

Redhead, pale skin. He spoke of his hardships as though they had happened to someone else, his bright eyes holding not a trace of resentment.

Just like that little girl brought to Konoha so many years ago. She'd had the same red hair. Everyone in her class at the Ninja Academy had mocked her, yet she had single-handedly beaten up the entire class.

Kushina Uzumaki.

The child before him now didn't merely look like her. Even that spirit seemed cast from the same mold.

And besides-

The Third's gaze drifted discreetly toward the crystal ball at the corner of his desk, its glow now somewhat dim.

Half an hour earlier, another scene had been reflected in that ball.

The old man didn't need to revisit what had happened in the alley. What had made him lose himself in thought was the sight of those two colors together.

One red, one gold.

Those same two colors had appeared one night many years ago.

The red-haired girl abducted by Kumogakure had scattered strands of her hair through the night as markers. Of everyone in the village, only that blond boy had understood. He had pursued them alone and brought her back.

It wasn't until after they were married that Kushina had told him about that night over dinner, pretending it was no big deal.

Back then, the blond had shielded the redhead behind him. Now, the redhead had crouched in front of the blond.

In the blink of an eye, two generations had completely switched places.

The Third held his pipe, saying nothing for a long while.

Minato, Kushina.

Perhaps your boy will have someone looking out for him from now on, too.

He lifted his pipe and tapped it against the edge of the desk. The wrinkles on his face creased into a smile, making him look like a kindly old neighbor waiting for his grandchildren to come home.

"Hayashi, may I call you that?"

"Yes, Third Hokage."

"Just call me Grandpa Third. And from now on, Konoha is your home."

The Third looked at him with a warm smile.

"Now then, at your age, would you like to go to the Ninja Academy?"

"To study and train alongside children your own age?"

The Ninja Academy?

Uzumaki Hayashi raised his eyebrows.

Naruto, Sasuke, and that whole crowd of kids who would one day shake up the Shinobi World were all there right now.

"Sure. I think going to school sounds pretty good, too."

He answered without the slightest hesitation.

-I wonder what Naruto's face will look like when he sees me tomorrow.