The forest behind Konohagakure.
Shihouin Naraku and Uzumaki Naruto sat in front of a crackling bonfire. The firewood popped and snapped while the fresh fish that had been grilling for some time began to release an enticing aroma.
Uzumaki Naruto was chatting enthusiastically with Shihouin Naraku; even the sizzling grilled fish couldn't distract him from the conversation.
By now, the two had already introduced themselves, and to Uzumaki Naruto, it felt like he had made a new friend.
Shihouin Naraku's eyes fell on the grilled fish, and he picked it up to turn it over. "It's almost ready to eat. Go wash your face."
"Okay!"
Uzumaki Naruto jumped up, ran quickly to the river, scrubbed his face and hands vigorously, and then dashed back like a gust of wind.
"Grab your jacket first. It will dry faster by the fire."
"Got it."
Uzumaki Naruto was remarkably obedient, willing to do whatever Shihouin Naraku suggested. He was afraid of making Naraku angry and losing this new friend.
"It smells so good!"
Shihouin Naraku cut the grilled fish in half and began eating without hesitation, while Uzumaki Naruto also held his portion and ate with obvious delight.
"That's strange..." Uzumaki Naruto was puzzled about why his own cooking never turned out well. "Why does the fish I grill always taste so bad?"
Ignoring Uzumaki Naruto's question, Shihouin Naraku glanced back and spotted Hatake Kakashi standing behind a large tree not far away. He wondered why Kakashi hadn't joined them.
Hatake Kakashi was equally troubled, mainly because he truly didn't know how to face Uzumaki Naruto or what to say to him.
So he could only watch from the shadows as Uzumaki Naruto and Shihouin Naraku sat in front of the fire eating grilled fish, and Hatake Kakashi himself felt miserable about the situation.
"Hey, you there passing by, could you help me buy some food from the village?"
Hatake Kakashi had been observing the pair when he noticed Shihouin Naraku waving at him. He pointed at himself questioningly and then saw Shihouin Naraku nod to confirm that he was indeed talking to him.
By this time, Uzumaki Naruto had been alerted and turned to look in the direction Shihouin Naraku was waving. He immediately spotted Hatake Kakashi, who had no choice but to emerge from behind the large tree.
"Who's this guy? When did he show up?"
Hatake Kakashi's appearance was quite striking, especially since he used his Konoha forehead protector and mask to cover most of his face, leaving only one eye visible.
Uzumaki Naruto stared intently at Hatake Kakashi, making him feel somewhat uncomfortable.
Shihouin Naraku raised an eyebrow at Kakashi, indicating he had done this deliberately. "Please, mister... Go and come back quickly."
Blinking his half-lidded eye, Hatake Kakashi turned and left under Uzumaki Naruto's curious gaze. He quickly made his way to where Tenzō and the shinobi team were hiding.
Tenzō looked at Hatake Kakashi, who suddenly appeared before him with confusion, and then heard Kakashi say: "Tenzō, you're my most trusted subordinate, so I'll leave the shopping to you. Hurry up."
So you have to take advantage of the subordinates you trust, right?
Kakashi-senpai, do you even hear what you're saying?
Of course, Yamato could only mutter these complaints in his mind.
However, Yamato was quick to react. He turned to the shinobi in his team with an expression that said, "Delta, the task of buying food is now yours. Get going."
A higher-ranking officer can push all the work downhill!
The Anbu shinobi, his code name "Delta", looked at his captain helplessly, then turned and quickly ran toward Konohagakure to purchase the items. There was no other option. For an Anbu shinobi, orders were orders and had to be followed.
As a result, an extremely unusual scene unfolded at the food stalls and snack shops in Konohagakure.
An Anbu shinobi, completely concealed in robes and a mask, swept through collecting a variety of food like a whirlwind, tossed down some money, and vanished instantly like a gust of wind. The customers and shop owners hadn't even processed what had happened.
The food was passed along a chain—from Anbu member Delta to Tenzō, then from Tenzō to Hatake Kakashi, and finally from Kakashi to Shihouin Naraku.
"Sit down. Why are you standing?" Shihouin Naraku opened the wrapped food and placed it in the centre of their small circle. "Naruto, eat with us. You gave me half of your grilled fish earlier, so I'll treat you to a meal."
Uzumaki Naruto hesitated before reaching out, looking at Shihouin Naraku uncertainly. Even he could see that the fish he had caught couldn't compare to all the food now spread before them.
Shihouin Naraku noticed Naruto's embarrassment, so he simply grabbed a skewer of meatballs and took a bite. "Eat up quickly. I'll tell you something, Naruto—I'm very wealthy."
"I'm a Jōnin of Konohagakure. Jōnin, you know, are very rich!"
Hatake Kakashi also picked up a snack and slipped it under his mask into his mouth.
Anyway, Anbu would reimburse the cost of these items, so it would be wasteful not to eat them.
However, Shihouin Naraku wasn't exaggerating when he said he was wealthy. Although he didn't know the exact amount, Hatake Kakashi was well aware of how well-funded the medical emergency team was, and as the supervisor, it was impossible for Shihouin Naraku not to have substantial resources at his disposal.
Uzumaki Naruto's eyes brightened as he moved closer. "Brother Naraku is a Jōnin? That must mean you're really strong!"
Shihouin Naraku lifted his chin, looking extremely proud as he boasted: "There are few people in all of Konohagakure who are stronger than me. A kid like you who's still in the academy wouldn't understand."
At this point, Uzumaki Naruto became somewhat sceptical and asked, "Really? Isn't Grandpa Hokage the strongest ninja?"
The Hokage is the strongest ninja!
This belief was ingrained in the hearts of many children in Konohagakure from a young age, and Uzumaki Naruto was no exception.
Shihouin Naraku waved his hand dismissively, a hint of disdain on his lips. "See, this is why kids your age don't understand. The Hokage is indeed very strong, but he's old now and definitely no match for a young man like me."
"I could defeat the Hokage with just one surprise attack!"
"Huh?"
Shihouin Naraku's bold statement shocked everyone present, as well as Tenzō and the Anbu members hiding in the darkness.
"Cough, cough, cough..."
Through his crystal ball, Sarutobi Hiruzen, who had been watching while wearing his official hat, couldn't stop coughing. He, too, was shocked by Shihouin Naraku's audacious claim.
"This brat is such a liar... I really need to find an opportunity to teach him a lesson..."
Sarutobi Hiruzen was so angry his teeth itched at the thought that someone would dare question his strength.
"Hey, Naraku, don't talk nonsense."
"The Hokage is indeed very powerful. Naruto isn't wrong."
Hatake Kakashi finally couldn't help but intervene.
"Tch!"
Shihouin Naraku pouted, which gave Hatake Kakashi a headache.
It's really strange. Why do I feel like something is off with Naraku today?
Hatake Kakashi was quick to sense that something wasn't right, though he couldn't pinpoint exactly what it was. Shihouin Naraku was definitely behaving unusually today.
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