58Conversation with Hiruzen SarutobiAI Model: gemini-3.0-flashChapter 58: Conversation with Hiruzen Sarutobi
The air froze instantly.
A faint blush appeared on Kurenai Yuhi's face.
...Huh?!
Let alone Naruto, even she, in her twenty-plus years of life, had never experienced something like this.
Only Hinata's small, rhythmic snoring and Naruto's close-range breathing remained in the room.
She stared at that profile for a few seconds.
Clean-cut and sharp-featured, it was indeed a face that could be called handsome for a young boy.
But he was still just a brat.
"I just saved your life. Such a simple request shouldn't be too much, right?" Naruto struck while the iron was hot.
"Who does things like you!"
Kurenai was both embarrassed and annoyed, but she found she couldn't muster any Aura at all.
Silence for a few seconds.
Finally, as if she had made some kind of decision, she took a deep breath.
"O-only one kiss, and no funny ideas!"
Naruto nodded honestly, "Deal."
Kurenai Yuhi slowly leaned in, her heart racing for some reason.
It's just a kiss on the cheek.
He's just a brat.
Nothing can be done; after all, he saved her.
Naruto is also quite pitiful, living with the stigma of the Demon Fox since childhood; it must have been very difficult... she kept comforting herself in her heart.
Just as Kurenai's lips were about to touch the boy's cheek.
Naruto suddenly turned his head.
Chu.
A soft sensation landed on the corner of her lips, and in the next second, her mouth was pried open bit by bit... five minutes later.
[Ding!]
[Detected host shamelessly assaulting his teacher, evil points +100!]
"...You bastard!!!"
Kurenai Yuhi was ready to explode at the blonde in front of her, but he nimbly dodged with his movements.
She couldn't understand what had possessed her to believe such nonsense.
Ugh...
Just then, a groggy Hinata woke up.
"Naruto-kun? Kurenai-sensei?"
Hinata opened her eyes and looked around the surroundings in confusion.
Suddenly, she seemed to remember something, and her body couldn't help but tremble.
"It's alright now, Hinata."
Naruto quickly went to her side, patted her head, and comforted her.
He briefly explained the situation to Hinata.
Of course, he omitted the details regarding Danzoand the Root.
Roughly, it was a group of very bad people who, out of resentment toward the Nine-Tailed, planned the previous kidnapping.
Now, they had all been defeated.
But because he was worried these people might have accomplices, he had to send Hinata home first; she would be safer staying with the Hyuga Clan.
Hinata nodded, somewhat understanding, and said uneasily:
"Then what about you, Naruto-kun?"
By that logic, Naruto's current situation was the most dangerous.
If possible, Hinata wanted to take him home with her.
Although her father was very strict and would definitely refuse... she would still try.
"Don't worry, besides, Kurenai-sensei will protect me, right?"
Naruto said while patting her head.
"...Ah? Oh."
Kurenai Yuhi hadn't yet recovered from her previous state and gave a perfunctory response.
Hinata was still a bit hesitant.
But she also knew she couldn't help much.
Soon, Naruto sent Hinata home and also left her a Flying Thunder God Kunai.
After a brief, friendly, and honest communication with Hiashi Hyuga, the matter was settled.
On the way back, Naruto thought about his future plans.
The current apartment was too small, with no defensive depth at all, and he couldn't set up any arrangements.
Once he encountered an enemy attack, it would be far too passive.
Although he wouldn't stay in Konoha forever, he wasn't without attachments.
He still had to find a way to change to a larger residence... and then there was Danzo.
He had to find a way to deal with this major threat as soon as possible.
For every day this guy remained in the world, he would have one less bit of peace.
But that old man's arm full of Izanagi was not something he was currently capable of handling.
"Three minutes... as expected, is it still too short?"
Although his combat power in Tailed Beast Transformation plus Sage Mode was now close to Kage-level, if it really came down to a war of attrition, he would definitely not be a match for Danzo.
While Naruto was lost in thought, two Anbuwearing cat-face masks suddenly appeared before him.
"Cough, cough... Naruto, can we have a talk?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi stepped out from the shadows, a smile forced onto his aged face.
Since when exactly did Naruto change?
The previously sunny and positive child was almost like a second Minato.
But tonight, his cold-blooded, murderous appearance made Hiruzen Sarutobi feel exceptionally estranged.
"Is there something?"
Naruto said flatly.
"You two go back first... Naruto, walk with Grandpafor a bit, okay?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi waved his hand at the two cat-faced Anbu, and they vanished on the spot.
The night was deep.
The streets were empty.
Hiruzen Sarutobi held his pipe, walking not very fast, looking just like an ordinary old man.
Naruto didn't refuse either.
The two walked side by side for a while, neither speaking first.
Not until the wind blew through the treetops with a rustling sound did Hiruzen Sarutobi slowly let out a sigh.
"Naruto, Grandpa has never asked you this question before—do you hate the Village, do you hate the people in the Village?"
"I can't say I like them, and I can't say I hate them."
Naruto answered straightforwardly, "As for the people, it's even more complicated... you're not going to preach to me about the 'will of fire' next, are you?"
For the vast majority of villagers, he had no feelings whatsoever and didn't even care about their life or death.
Of course, there were exceptions.
For example, Hinata, and others who would care about him, value him, and could truly be called companions or teachers.
Hiruzen Sarutobi shook his head, "Grandpa once knew someone."
"He was a truly good person. Like you, he had brilliant golden hair and could show the most sincere smile to anyone."
"He had amazing talent and great strength, yet he was never arrogant and remained gentle throughout."
"Even during the cruelest war, he always believed that as long as someone was willing to lend a helping hand, this world could still be saved."
At this point, Hiruzen Sarutobi turned his head.
A complex emotion flickered in his cloudy eyes—a pain woven of nostalgia and guilt.
"Later, he met a girl... she had fiery red hair, a spunky personality, and was very direct."
"But she was gentler than anyone and stronger than anyone."
"Even with a burden unimaginable to ordinary people on her shoulders, she never bowed to fate."
"And then..."
"And then they got married and had me."
Naruto interrupted his reminiscence, "Then, they both sacrificed their lives to protect the Village and me."
Hiruzen Sarutobi was stunned.
Under the moonlight, the boy's face was very calm.
No anger, no sadness, as if he were just recounting something that had nothing to do with him.
"Naruto..."
Hiruzen Sarutobi's throat tightened, "You knew all along?"
"Guessed it."
Naruto replied lazily, seeing the old man before him reveal a helpless and awkward bitter smile.
"That's right. Your father, Minato Namikaze, was the Fourth Hokage. Your mother, Uzumaki Kushina, was the previous Nine-Tails Jinchuriki. They were both heroes of the Village."
"But the descendant of this hero doesn't seem to be doing very well..." Naruto lamented.
"This is all my fault; I can't blame anyone else."
Hiruzen Sarutobi's voice lowered, as if all his strength had been suddenly drained away.
"In the past, I always felt you were still young. There were some words and things I wanted to wait until you grew up to tell you."
"I thought this could temper your Heart-Natureand hone your will... after all, when Minato sealed the Nine-Tailed inside you, he left that responsibility to you."
"Now it seems, I may have truly been wrong."
He picked up his pipe, took a deep drag, and looked at the Hokage Rock statues in the distance, his heart filled with mixed emotions.
"So, what do you want to say?"
Naruto didn't buy it; the emotional card didn't work on him.
"Naruto."
Hiruzen Sarutobi stopped walking, "I today Looking for you, not for the sake of persuading you, nor for the matter earlier this evening."
"Minato and Kushina, they left some things behind before they left."
"Originally, I thought these things should be handed to you when you had enough strength and were psychologically prepared."
"But now..."
He laughed self-deprecatingly, "You no longer need anyone to 'prepare' for you."