Just as Naruto was about to head home, two tall, slender figures suddenly appeared before him.
One wore a mask, and the look in his single visible eye was complicated. The other had a gentle expression and a sunny smile Naruto knew all too well.
They were the Hatake Brothers.
"Shinichi!"
Naruto perked up, an utterly radiant smile spreading across his face as he hurried into Shinichi's arms.
"Naruto, did you go hungry at all today?"
Stroking Naruto's soft blond hair, Shinichi asked with a chuckle.
"Nope! I ate plenty today!"
Naruto grinned.
Unfortunately, his uncooperative little stomach chose that moment to growl again, making things rather awkward.
Shinichi and Kakashi had seen Naruto being refused when he tried to buy food earlier. How could they not know he was deliberately hiding it?
A child who's only three years old is already lying because he doesn't want anyone to worry about him...
Kakashi's guilt deepened. He finally understood why Shinichi had been so furious with him earlier.
The Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, had been the teacher he respected most, and Kushina had always taken good care of him. Yet their orphaned son was now living such a miserable life that he couldn't even get enough to eat.
The ridiculous part was that Kakashi had remained trapped in the shadows of his past, completely unaware of Naruto's plight.
Just as Shinichi had said, he really deserved to be damned for being such a disciple!
"Huh? Another white-haired big brother?"
Naruto looked at Kakashi in confusion.
"He's my little brother, Kakashi. Haven't you noticed how much we look alike?"
Shinichi waggled his eyebrows. "Naruto, I'm not bragging, but the Hatake Clan's genes are top-notch! Look at us brothers-we're equally handsome!"
Beside him, Kakashi couldn't help rolling his eye.
His older brother was always like this. He couldn't get through two sentences without turning silly.
"Yeah! Shinichi's the most handsome!"
As Shinichi's little fan, Naruto obligingly nodded away in agreement.
"All right, enough joking."
Shinichi grew serious and looked at Naruto. "Naruto, we came to find you today because we wanted to ask if you'd like to come home with us and live together from now on."
"Come home with you?"
Naruto froze.
Home. To him, the word was both familiar and strange.
In his mind, a home was nothing more than a house someone lived in. Empty, with only him inside, and without the slightest warmth.
But now Shinichi was saying he wanted to take him home?
"Yeah. To the home Kakashi and I share..."
Shinichi lowered his head, stroking Naruto's little head with a gentle smile. "If you want to, Naruto, you can be our little brother. From now on, the three of us will live together, eat together, and sleep together. Every morning, I'll have piping-hot food ready when you wake up, so you'll never have to go hungry again."
As he listened to Shinichi describe that inviting future, even Kakashi, who liked to keep his face expressionless, couldn't help softening his gaze.
"C-can I really come home with you?"
Naruto asked nervously, "Everyone says I'm some kind of Demon Fox. Nobody wants to play with me..."
He was afraid that if he asked for too much, he would lose Shinichi, the only person who accepted him.
"I told you, you're not a Demon Fox!"
Shinichi said firmly, "You're a good kid. Nobody should say that about you. If anyone dares bully you again, I'll send Kakashi to beat them up and get back at them for you!"
The child of the hero who had saved the village might not receive any special privileges, but he absolutely deserved to live a normal life!
Shinichi didn't care about any of those ridiculous theories on raising a jinchūriki. All he knew was that as long as he remained in Konoha, he would never let Naruto suffer through the miserable days depicted in the original story again!
"Thank you! Shinichi, Kakashi! I... waaah!"
Tears spilled from Naruto's eyes. He could no longer hold back the emotions bursting inside him.
He had been all alone since birth, but now he finally had a family of his own.
"All right! Let's hurry home and cook! Naruto must be hungry... Kakashi, don't think you're getting away with slacking off today. To welcome Naruto, I'm going all out and making a whole table of dishes tonight. We're having a feast!"
Under Shinichi's insistence, Kakashi could only agree helplessly.
Although Kakashi looked reluctant, anyone could see the smile in his eye.
The Hokage's Office.
"Hiruzen, what did you say?"
Danzo slammed his hand on the desk and roared, "You're actually entrusting the jinchūriki to the Hatake Clan? Why didn't you inform me first?"
"Is there a problem?"
The Third Hokage calmly took a puff from his pipe.
The Third Hokage and Danzo weren't the only ones in the office. Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura of the Elders Council were there as well.
Danzo gave them a meaningful look. Homura and Koharu immediately caught on and spoke up. "Hiruzen, you really haven't handled this appropriately."
"We agreed that any matter involving the jinchūriki must be discussed together before a decision is made. Acting on your own like this could bring disaster upon the village..."
Homura and Koharu were typical troublemakers within Konoha High Command. Sitting on the fence was their usual approach.
"This wasn't an impulsive decision. Hatake Shinichi is a fine young man. As a shinobi of Konoha, he carries a very strong will of fire."
The Third Hokage said evenly, "I believe that with him caring for Naruto, Naruto will surely inherit the will of fire and contribute to the village as its jinchūriki. Shinichi was even willing to swear on the Hatake Clan's honor. I think I've seen his resolve quite clearly."
Clearly, the Third Hokage had made up his mind.
"Hiruzen!"
Danzo shouted, "You're playing with fire!"
"You should know perfectly well who's really playing with fire, Danzo."
The Third Hokage gave him a cold glance. "You sent members of Root to attack the Hatake Clan without authorization, and even tried to kill both brothers. Don't tell me you know nothing about this, Danzo."
"White Fang is already dead. We have no reason whatsoever to act against the Hatake Clan again. Doing so would arouse the other shinobi clans' suspicions! If Shinichi and Kakashi hadn't chosen to set aside their resentment and let the matter go, you would have been the first person I held accountable!"
"When did I send anyone to attack the Hatake Clan?"
Danzo was utterly dumbfounded.
He had indeed sent men to warn Hatake Shinichi, but he had never ordered them to eliminate the Hatake Brothers!
"We're all intelligent people here. Why play dumb?"
The Third Hokage said evenly, "In any case, the decision has been made. Also, I hope all three of you will remember that I am the Hokage of Konoha. Before you do anything, make sure you obtain my approval as Hokage first."
This was an unmistakable warning to Danzo.
"Hiruzen, you'll regret this!"
Danzo continued to rage impotently.
The Third Hokage, however, paid him no attention at all, and in the end, the matter went no further.
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