The Hokage's Office.
"Shinichi, you're here."
Seeing Shinichi arrive, the Third Hokage put a seemingly kindly smile on his aged face. "How has little Naruto been doing lately?"
"Lord Hokage, Naruto has been eating and sleeping well with us in the Hatake Clan."
Although he wasn't quite sure why the old man had summoned him, Shinichi answered calmly, "Kakashi and I both treat him as our little brother. As long as we're around, no one will dare bully him."
"That's good."
The Third Hokage let out a long breath, looking relieved. "Entrusting Naruto to you may truly have been a good decision. However, some special guests will be visiting the village soon, so you'll need to be more vigilant."
"Special guests?"
Shinichi raised an eyebrow and asked, "Is someone planning to harm Naruto?"
"Not necessarily."
The Third Hokage shook his head and explained, "The Kumogakure Envoy Group is coming to Konoha. The war only recently ended, and they're sending people to conduct exchanges with us. But Kumogakure and Konoha have a long-standing grudge, and Naruto's identity is so sensitive. I hope you'll keep a close eye on him during this time and give those people no opportunity to approach him."
The Third Shinobi World War had finally subsided, and everything needed rebuilding. As Hokage, the Third Hokage naturally didn't want any more trouble.
Especially now, with the Sannin having left the village and White Fang, Minato, and Minato's wife all dead, Konoha's top-level fighting strength was sorely lacking. To put it bluntly, the village was little more than a paper tiger.
The Kumogakure Envoy Group?
Something stirred in Shinichi's mind.
Having read the original story thoroughly, he naturally knew that Kumogakure came with ill intentions this time. Their target was the Hyuga Clan's Byakugan.
This was one of the original story's most infuriating plotlines. Kumogakure's aggression and the Third Hokage's cowardice had led to the innocent Hizashi Hyuga's death, leaving Neji fatherless as a child and laying the groundwork for his later withdrawn personality.
But this time, with him, Hatake Washing Machine, around, could he possibly let that tragedy happen again?
The answer, of course, was no.
"Lord Hokage, I understand."
As the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, Naruto's importance to Konoha was self-evident.
The Third Hokage would naturally assign people to protect Naruto in secret. He had only summoned Shinichi to give him a reminder. After all, in his eyes, Shinichi was a total weakling with no ability to protect Naruto whatsoever.
Without the assurance of having an elite Jonin like Kakashi around, he would never have entrusted Naruto to the Hatake Clan in the first place.
Looks like it's time to give the Konoha High Command a little surprise, so those old fossils stop thinking I'm useless.
After leaving the Hokage Building, Shinichi quietly considered his plans.
He had kept his head down for so long that he now possessed ample strength, yet no one in Konoha knew it.
Even Kakashi and Guy, who had trained with him, had only seen the tip of the iceberg.
This incident with the Kumogakure Envoy Group was the perfect opportunity to give them a little surprise. It would also stop Danzo, that king of dirty schemes, from constantly plotting to take Naruto's guardianship away from him.
No matter the world, only the strong commanded respect!
Back at the Hatake home.
Kakashi was teaching Naruto Taijutsu. Shinichi took the opportunity to call Naruto over and ask, "Naruto, have you played with Hinata lately?"
Under Shinichi's firm insistence, Naruto naturally had far more contact with Hinata than in the original story.
To cement this couple's future, he had actually sent Kakashi to the Hyuga Clan to deliver letters to Hinata in secret, forcing opportunities for the two little ones to meet and play. He had certainly gone to great lengths.
Kakashi had been opposed to this deep down.
But after Shinichi gave him a thorough beating, he finally realized that his big brother's strength was unfathomable. He was no ordinary Chunin.
Unable to beat him or talk him out of it, Kakashi could only obediently do as he was told.
It was worth mentioning that Naruto was quite happy about it. After all, Hinata was currently the only child his age who didn't reject him. As for little Hinata, there was no need to ask. Her affection for Naruto had been maxed out since childhood!
"No. Her family found out she was sneaking out to see me last time, and then her father grounded her..."
Naruto looked dejected as he spoke.
As one of Konoha's major clans, the Hyuga Clan took pride and arrogance for granted. Hinata's father, Hiashi, was also notoriously rigid, stern, and strict about rules. Naturally, he wouldn't want her going out to play with people whenever she pleased.
According to Naruto, the Hyuga Clan had even sent someone to warn him that he was nothing but a stray kid and had no business aspiring to associate with their young lady.
"Damn it! The Hyuga Clan really doesn't know what's good for them!"
Shinichi flew into a rage on the spot. "Naruto, just you wait. Your big brother is going to the Hyuga Clan to settle this right now!"
"Big Brother, calm down!"
Seeing that his big brother was about to go on another rampage, Kakashi hurried forward to stop him, smiling bitterly. "If you really storm the Hyuga Clan, this will turn into a huge mess! Don't forget what you said yourself. The Hatake Clan needs to keep a low profile right now! A low profile!"
"To hell with keeping a low profile!"
Shinichi was speechless.
Keeping a low profile was fine, but that had been before. Back then, he had been a total weakling, and Kakashi had looked half-dead. The Hatake Clan was a declining clan in Konoha, so naturally, they had needed to tread carefully.
But now he had even awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan. What the hell did the Hatake Clan have to fear?
In the end, Kakashi couldn't talk Shinichi out of it.
And so a thoroughly bewildered Naruto was dragged off by Shinichi to demand an explanation from the Hyuga Clan. Kakashi went along too, worried that his big brother would blow things out of proportion. With him there, perhaps he could rein him in a little.
"Oh, isn't that Kakashi?"
As luck would have it, the three brothers ran into a few familiar faces shortly after leaving home.
They were Choza Akimichi, Shikaku Nara, and Inoichi Yamanaka, collectively known as Ino-Shika-Cho.
Kurenai Yuhi was there too. From the looks of it, they were heading out for a get-together.
"Big Brother Shinichi and Naruto are here too. Where are you all going?"
Kurenai Yuhi asked curiously.
"Nothing much. Just paying the Hyuga Clan a visit."
Shinichi chuckled. "Their people have no manners. They actually dared to bully our little guy, so as his big brother, I'm going to demand an explanation. Well, to put it simply, I suppose we're going to challenge them on their own turf!"
He had a rather good impression of the beautiful Kurenai Yuhi.
The only pity was that she had married that middle-aged-looking Asuma Sarutobi in the original story. What a waste of a beautiful woman on such a poor match.
Of course, Shinichi had nothing against Asuma himself. He simply disliked anyone from the Sarutobi Clan. After all, while his adoptive father Hatake Sakumo's death appeared to have been orchestrated by Danzo alone, the Third Hokage wasn't free of blame either.
Wait. If I don't like this pairing, why don't I just find a way to break them up?
At that thought, Shinichi's eyes brightened.
How could he bear to let such a good woman as Kurenai become a widow?
Of course he had to find a way to marry her into the Hatake Clan and give her a happy, fulfilling life instead!
Heh heh!
Your old man, Hiruzen Sarutobi, drove Hatake Sakumo to his death. A son pays his father's debts, so it's perfectly reasonable for the Hatake Clan to steal your wife, isn't it?
Then I'll leave this glorious mission of stealing another man's girl to Kakashi!
Shinichi thought to himself.
In the original story, the deaths of Obito and Rin had somehow turned Kakashi into an aging bachelor who spent his days reading the erotic book Icha Icha Paradise.
He was clearly a handsome man, yet he had remained single into old age. That simply made no sense.
This time, as the Hatake Clan's eldest son, Shinichi absolutely wouldn't let Kakashi remain single, and Kurenai shouldn't have to become a widow either!
And just like that, a certain someone made a major life decision on his little brother's behalf.
"Why do I keep feeling a chill down my back...?"
Kakashi wore a strange expression.
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