"I see. Yugao, you can look after little Naruto a bit from now on."
The Third thought it over. He would soon be leaving the village for a meeting and would not be able to watch little Naruto during that time, so having Yugao look after him would work.
She was in the Anbu directly under his command, after all, so he could entrust her with the task.
"Yes."
A faint smile appeared on Yugao's face beneath her mask.
"But exercise restraint. Avoid showing yourself whenever possible."
The Third gave her those instructions.
Then he left the village for the meeting, accompanied by several Anbu.
Root.
Danzo looked at the information his subordinates had sent him.
"Heh heh, has he finally set off?"
"Hahaha, Hiruzen, go without a care."
"Konoha will grow even stronger under my leadership."
Inside the dark Root Base, Danzo laughed without restraint, as though he were already sitting on the Hokage's throne.
A little snake quietly flicked its tongue, watching Danzo laugh arrogantly.
"Heh heh."
Far away, Orochimaru, dressed in an Akatsuki robe, gave a faint chuckle. As for what he was thinking, it was, of course, how to send his aging teacher and that skulking rat Danzo to their deaths.
A partnership could be terminated at any time, couldn't it?
Naruto's life had become a little different lately.
Although the villagers on the streets no longer cursed him to his face or hit him, they all looked at him with eyes full of hatred.
And the people in the shops were getting close to refusing to serve him altogether.
If that big sister had not suddenly appeared, he would not even have been able to buy milk.
Little Naruto had no playmates, though. None of the children around him wanted to come near him.
A few children had tried to beat him up before, but after little Naruto broke their bones with one punch each, no one dared go near him anymore.
Little Naruto insisted that he had really only used a tiny bit of strength. They had been throwing stones at him, after all.
But while out shopping once, Naruto saw a boy who somehow felt very familiar.
Then, from the boy's conversation with his older brother, he learned that his name was Sasuke, Sasuke Uchiha.
He did not look at Naruto the way those other children did, so Naruto wanted to go over and make friends with him.
But his older brother soon took him away. He rode on his brother's shoulders, making Naruto very envious.
Right, he has an older brother.
Naruto's initial feeling that he had found someone like himself vanished in an instant.
This gave Hashirama and Kurama in the Sealing Space a headache.
"Let me think. What should we do?"
Hashirama stroked his chin and sank into thought.
In the end, with Kurama's reluctant support, little Naruto got to ride a little Nine-Tails encased in wood that night.
It more or less counted as a Wood Release version of Majestic Attire: Susanoo.
And so little Naruto gained another form of entertainment every night.
Then winter was almost upon them.
Little Naruto walked down the street in the thick clothes he had bought.
There was some sort of festival or ritual that day, so there were fewer people on the streets, and little Naruto received considerably fewer dirty looks.
"If you're a daughter of the Hyuga Clan, show us your Byakugan."
"If you won't, don't look our way!"
"Those eyes are so creepy..."
"Hmph, you're practically a monster!"
Three brats crowded onto a little path Naruto often took.
The path was fairly secluded and usually had few people, so he did not have to endure too many murderous stares.
What's going on?
Little Naruto looked over and discovered that the three brats had cornered a little girl.
She was a girl with short bangs, white eyes, and a round, very cute face.
"So you're pretty brave, huh?"
Little Naruto placed his left hand on the lead boy's shoulder.
"Of course! I'm super brave. I'm not even scared of the Nine-Tailed Fox."
Without turning around, the boy raised his head proudly.
"I see. Why don't you turn around and look?"
At that moment, the two little fellows beside him tapped him with trembling hands, signaling for him to look behind him.
"Ah!!! The demon fox!! Run!!"
The super-brave little fellow let out a piercing shriek, then left crying after Naruto punched him hard (knocking his nasal bone crooked).
"This is all your fault, influencing little Naruto to be so violent."
Hashirama covered his eyes as he watched the tragedy unfolding outside and complained to Kurama.
"Huh? Weren't you the one who taught him the Force Application Method? Didn't you design his training?"
Kurama was utterly shocked by Hashirama's accusation. I haven't leaked a single bit of chakra. The few times I did, it was to heal little Naruto's body.
And now you're complaining that I've influenced little Naruto?
Are you kidding me?!
Leaving aside the Sealing Space, little Naruto successfully drove all three of them away with his fists before turning back to look at the little girl.
"Um, are you okay?"
Little Naruto held out his gloved left hand and pulled up the little girl crouching on the ground.
The faint warmth of the winter sunlight fell across little Naruto's face. His golden hair gleamed, and there was a hint of awkwardness on his little face.
"I'm okay... Thank you."
The girl's voice was very quiet, and having Naruto hold her hand made her a little shy.
"Huh, aren't you scared of me?"
Little Naruto had found another child who was not afraid of him.
"Why would I be scared of you?"
The little girl stared at little Naruto with eyes full of bewilderment and asked her question.
"Because I'm the Nine-Tailed Fox."
"But you're a human."
In little Hinata's eyes, Naruto's chakra was very warm. There was no Nine-Tailed Fox at all.
Instead, little Naruto was left at a loss for words.
"Um, it's cold. You should hurry home."
Little Naruto withdrew his hand and motioned for little Hinata to go home. After all, judging by the personality he had seen so far, she would probably get bullied again in a little while.
"Um..."
Little Hinata mustered her courage.
"My name is Hinata Hyuga. Thank you very much for helping me."
Little Naruto froze for a moment, then answered with a happy smile.
"My name is Naruto Uzumaki, and I'm the man who's going to become Hokage someday."
Little Naruto's figure at that moment became deeply etched in Hinata's memory.
"Since we've exchanged names, that means we're friends now, right?"
Naruto asked rather quietly. After all, this was his first time making friends with anyone.
Little Hinata's face was red, and she gave a soft murmur of agreement.
"Yay!"
Naruto had made the first friend of his life!
He was happy!
Little Naruto took off his gloves and put them on Hinata's hands as she began to give off steam.
"These are a present for you. Make sure to stay warm in winter."
Little Hinata buried her face in her scarf and nodded.
Meanwhile, Hashirama and Kurama in the Sealing Space were already stunned by Naruto's moves.
Well, now. He really is Minato Namikaze's son.
Kurama knew the story of Minato Namikaze flirting under the moonlight through Kushina's memories, but he had never expected his son to be so damn good at it too.
"Are children these days all this precocious?"
Hashirama felt that he had already fallen behind the times.
But setting aside those two whose minds had gone off in the wrong direction, after Naruto and Hinata exchanged addresses, he decided to walk his friend home.
Before you continue