“Huh?”
Naruto was stunned at first when he heard that, and then his face flushed red.
But after that…
He lowered his head dejectedly.
“But everyone looks down on me, including you.”
“Because you have no ability, and you cause trouble and play pranks. You’re a good-for-nothing who only knows how to seek attention. What makes you think anyone should look up to you?”
Masahiko’s answer was direct and cold. “But now… haven’t you noticed?”
“What?”
Naruto raised his head in confusion.
Masahiko replied calmly, “Over the past half month, Iruka-sensei and the other classmates have all changed their attitudes toward you quite a bit.”
Naruto froze for a long while. Then his eyes lit up, and he clapped his hands. “That’s right! Sakura hasn’t yelled at me in ages!”
After that, he scratched his head.
“No wonder I kept feeling like something was off every day…”
Masahiko’s eyelid twitched slightly, but he did not lecture him.
He stood up and paid the bill, saying as he did, “The starting point of life cannot be changed, but the places you pass through and the destination you reach are choices you make yourself.”
Masahiko lowered his head, his expression serious.
“Starting tomorrow, I won’t wake you up anymore. Whether you keep being a good-for-nothing or work hard to change is up to you.”
“You’re free.”
With that, Yagyu Masahiko finished paying and turned to leave.
In front of Ichiraku Ramen, Naruto stood there blankly for a long time.
After nearly twenty days of “torment,” he had thought he would hate and loathe Masahiko.
But what left Naruto at a complete loss was—
When this moment came, he felt no joy, nor any anger or hatred. His heart was filled only with bewilderment and confusion.
…
The next day, before dawn had even broken.
In the early spring morning, the cold wind was still biting.
Before six o’clock, Naruto woke up on his own and mechanically got up to brush his teeth and wash.
Only after he finished washing did he remember—
Starting today, Masahiko-sensei would no longer force him to do anything.
Naruto stood by the window, sitting there in a daze for quite a while. In the end, he stood up, jumped out the window, and ran forward along the usual route.
One lap.
Ten laps.
Twenty laps…
Over an hour later, Naruto trudged with difficulty to a sushi shop and bought rice balls and hot milk.
Thirty-five laps.
That was the total number of laps he had silently counted himself running that morning.
“So I never really finished fifty laps at all.”
Naruto’s mood grew increasingly complicated. There was shock, but also emotion and confusion. He sat in the sushi shop for a long time without moving.
Until someone passed by.
“Naruto? What are you doing here?”
“Pineapple Head? Ahh! No, I’m gonna be late!”
Naruto jolted awake as if from a dream.
Shikamaru gave a speechless sigh. “Today’s Saturday. There’s no school.”
“Saturday?”
Naruto was stunned. Only then did he remember—
It did seem like that was the case.
Shikamaru propped up his head and said, “You’ve changed a lot lately. Now you even care whether you’re late or not.”
“Well…”
Naruto answered, but he had no idea how to explain. Troubled, he grabbed at his hair.
After thinking hard and getting nowhere, he simply stood up and ordered some food for Shikamaru.
After that, Naruto sat down and poured out his worries to Shikamaru.
His friendship with Shikamaru had been born from skipping class together.
Of course.
If one were to say their friendship was particularly deep, that was not true either. Under normal circumstances, Naruto would not have been willing to tell him the truth.
When Shikamaru heard this, a thoughtful look appeared on his lazy face. Then he accepted the sushi that was brought over.
After thanking the server, he finally spoke. “You’re just not used to him not being around.”
“Maybe.”
Naruto scratched his head.
He was not someone who liked to use his brain. Since thinking hard got him nowhere, he simply stopped thinking about it.
Shikamaru ate sushi and drank milk.
“What are you going to do later?”
“Haven’t decided yet.”
Naruto lay on the table and pondered for a long while. Suddenly, he lifted his head. “I’ve got it!”
“Hm?”
“Hehehe, I’m going to find some people to compete and run with!”
Unable to contain his excitement, Naruto got up and left. “Shikamaru, I’m heading out first. Take your time eating.”
“The money…”
“We’ll talk about it later!”
Naruto waved repeatedly, and from time to time, his cheerful, delighted laughter drifted back.
Shikamaru gently shook his head, then quickly finished eating and left the shop.
When he reached an alley, he released the Transformation Technique.
“As expected, one’s nature is hard to change. Forget it. At least he’s better than before. Even if Lord Third wants to hold someone responsible, it has nothing to do with me!”
Masahiko’s face was cold as he walked out of the village.
Outside the village, he practiced the Great Fireball Technique as usual.
Changing chakra nature and turning chakra into flame was only the first step. He also had to continuously refine chakra to maintain it, compress it, and strengthen it…
In the end—
Chakra formed surging waves of fire that poured forward from Masahiko’s mouth, the rolling flames coiling ahead into a massive fireball.
The fireball lasted several seconds before dying down.
Masahiko let out a breath and glanced at the panel.
[Great Fireball Technique: Proficient]
It had improved!
Only upon reaching the proficient level could it truly be used in actual combat.
But.
Just then, a figure appeared behind him with a whoosh.
Masahiko spun around and kicked. The strike had already shot out before his conscious mind could react, landing heavily toward the ninja who had suddenly approached.
The other party caught his foot with one hand, but unexpectedly—
Masahiko supported himself with one hand, twisted his body, and launched a spinning kick, sending one foot toward the other party’s head.
Bang!
The other party hurriedly let go and retreated with a Body Flicker.
Masahiko did not pursue. Instead, he took the chance to observe and size him up.
The other party coughed lightly, and his voice instantly became familiar.
Masahiko steadied himself and lowered his hands. “Hayate?”
“Cough, cough. We haven’t seen each other for a while… Your taijutsu has gotten much stronger than before.”
The other party stood up.
It was indeed Gekko Hayate.
The two of them were of similar age, and they had once been classmates at the Ninja Academy.
However.
Back at school, “Masahiko” had not stood out, and after graduation, he had remained obscure.
If not for the mission he had received today, Gekko Hayate might never have known that Masahiko’s taijutsu had already become this impressive—
Based on taijutsu alone, he was very likely no match for Masahiko!
After his shock, Gekko Hayate coughed lightly and said, “The Hokage-sama asks that you go see him.”
Huh?
Masahiko was stunned for a second. Then, with a headache, he said, “Don’t tell me that idiot Naruto went and caused some trouble again?”
“Naruto was caught by the guards after graffitiing the Hokage Building and leading a group of chunin on a mad dash through the streets.”
Gekko Hayate answered.
He stood up and said, “As for what Hokage-sama wants you to do… sorry, I don’t know either.”
“Thanks. I’ll go right away.”
Masahiko left with a Body Flicker.
Gekko Hayate watched Masahiko’s back, then looked at the scorched pit in the ground. Pressing a hand to his chest, he gave a helpless sigh.
In his memory, Masahiko could not be considered outstanding.
But the other party possessed a healthy body, and through unremitting effort, he was slowly catching up. As for Hayate himself, he would only grow weaker and weaker.
After Masahiko left the woods and arrived at the Hokage Building, his eyelid could not help twitching when he saw the graffiti covering the walls.
This really was…
Under his twenty-some days of training, Naruto’s physical fitness and taijutsu had been developed to a considerable extent, but because of that, he had also become even more troublesome.
He looked up at the Hokage Building and fell into thought for a moment.
Afterward, Masahiko took a deep breath and walked toward the Third Hokage’s office.
The blade would fall whether he stuck his neck out or pulled it back.
There was no avoiding it!
Still, he was not Naruto’s guardian. No matter what, there was only so much responsibility he could bear.
Masahiko went upstairs and knocked on the door.
“Come in.”
The Third Hokage’s voice came from inside.
Masahiko entered. Inside the office, apart from Sarutobi Hiruzen, there was also someone who rather surprised him—
Shimura Danzo.