Hiruzen Sarutobi was not a fool.
He knew Naruto was lying.
Lying about having a great day in school.
The boy's face was blank, but his body was stiff. Eyes too still. Words too smooth.
It was the kind of lie that wasn't meant to deceive but to make things easier.
Hiruzen had heard enough of them in his life to recognize one instantly.
Still, he didn't call him out.
Naruto had no reason to tell the truth.
Not yet.
So instead, the old man smiled, nodding as if he believed it.
"I'm glad to hear that, Naruto."
The boy didn't answer.
Just kept eating.
Hiruzen watched him, gaze lingering on the way Naruto ate—fast, efficient, like he wasn't sure if he'd get another meal.
He'd brought plenty of food tonight. Enough for two people to eat their fill.
And yet—
Naruto never wasted a single bite.
Even the smallest scraps of rice were scooped up.
Even the bits of meat stuck to the bone were picked clean.
It was the way a child who'd starved ate.
Hiruzen's fingers tightened over his chopsticks.
He exhaled slowly.
This village...
This village, which claimed to honor the Will of Fire, the legacy of kindness and family—
Had abandoned this child to fend for himself.
He swallowed down his frustration.
There was no point in showing it.
Not now.
Instead, he changed the subject.
"Iruka gave me something today," Hiruzen said, reaching into his robes.
Naruto barely glanced up, chewing.
Hiruzen pulled out the rolled-up canvas and placed it on the table.
Naruto froze.
Hiruzen didn't miss it.
Slowly, the boy set his chopsticks down.
His eyes flickered from the painting to Hiruzen's face.
"What about it?" His voice was even, but his shoulders were tense.
Hiruzen took his time unrolling the canvas.
The inked lines stretched across the paper, revealing the massive, ancient centipede Naruto had drawn.
A creature long extinct, brought to life by a child's hand.
Even Hiruzen, who had seen many strange things in his years, could not deny how detailed it was. Of course nothing compared to the painting of Hashirama and Madara, but still, extremely well.
Every segment of its armored body was precise. Every leg, every claw, every venomous fang—meticulously crafted.
It was not the work of a child guessing at what a centipede should look like.
It was the work of someone who had seen it.
Who had known it.
"...Where do you get the ideas for these?" Hiruzen asked, keeping his tone light.
Naruto's expression didn't change.
For a long moment, he said nothing.
Then—
"From my dreams," Naruto said. "Dattebane."
It wasn't a lie— body language suggested so.
Hiruzen held his gaze for a few seconds longer.
Then, he nodded.
"I see."
The boy relaxed slightly, shoulders easing.
Hiruzen hummed, rolling the painting back up.
"You have quite the imagination, Naruto."
Naruto didn't answer.
Instead, he picked his chopsticks back up and continued eating.
The conversation should have ended there.
But—
Naruto paused mid-bite, eyes flicking up to Hiruzen.
He hesitated.
Then, softly—
"Why do humans hate animals?"
Hiruzen blinked.
That—
Wasn't the question he had expected.
The boy wasn't looking at him now, but his grip on his chopsticks was tight.
Hiruzen sat back, stroking his beard.
"...Hate is a strong word," he said carefully.
Naruto frowned.
"Then why do they hurt them?"
Hiruzen sighed.
Where was this coming from?
The answer became clear a second later when Naruto spoke again—
"They threw away a dead dog today."
Hiruzen's heart sank.
Ah.
That was why.
He exhaled through his nose, gathering his thoughts.
"...Many humans see animals as lesser than themselves," he said slowly. "They do not consider their lives as valuable as their own."
Naruto stared at him.
Unblinking.
As if Hiruzen had just spoken nonsense.
"But they are alive," Naruto said, confused. "They have hearts. They breathe."
"Yes," Hiruzen agreed.
"Then why?"
Hiruzen rubbed his temple.
How did one explain this to a child?
A child who seemed to view the world differently than everyone else?
After a moment, he sighed.
"Humans..." He leaned forward, resting his arms on the table. "Humans have always placed themselves above other creatures. We build homes. We create tools. We fight wars."
Naruto listened.
Waiting.
"Because we see ourselves as superior, we believe that our lives hold more value. That our needs come first. And because of that... we often treat other creatures as if they matter less."
Naruto frowned.
Still not getting it.
Hiruzen tried again.
"Think of it this way," he said. "If a wolf kills a rabbit, does it hate the rabbit?"
Naruto's brow furrowed.
"No."
"Why not?"
"Because it's hungry. Dattebane."
"Exactly." Hiruzen nodded. "The wolf does not hate the rabbit. It simply values its own survival more."
Naruto stared at him.
Hiruzen could practically see the gears turning in his head.
Slowly, the boy's frown deepened.
"So humans see animals... as rabbits?"
Hiruzen winced.
Not exactly the lesson he had intended.
"Some do," he admitted. "But not all."
Naruto was quiet.
He turned his gaze down to his food, thinking.
Processing.
And Hiruzen—
Hiruzen could tell he didn't understand.
Not really.
Not yet.
One day, perhaps.
But not today.
Naruto picked up his chopsticks again and continued eating in silence.
Hiruzen sighed.
He had a feeling that wasn't the last time Naruto would ask such questions.