"Sakura, are you here to play with Ino again? Lately, I get to see you almost every morning."
Haruto complained, "I told you, you don't have to come so early. That girl sleeps in so late—Ino is lazy and always bullies me. If only my sister were as cute as you, Sakura."
He let out a sigh, frustrated that his supposedly capable sister was actually a slacker.
"Cute, huh… me " Sakura looked away, her cheeks flushing. "Well, I don't mind coming early—I'd just be bored if I stayed home."
"Oh, that's up to you," Haruto replied casually. He didn't think much of it. As a five-year-old, he just assumed Sakura didn't have many other friends and came over to play with Ino because of that.
Just then, the wooden door creaked open, and Ino's little head popped out.
"Smelly brother! How dare you talk bad about me! I won't let you get away with it! Wait—don't go anywhere without me. If you're going out to play, take me too!"
Seeing Ino struggling to catch up, Haruto felt a sudden chill run down his spine.
"Uh, I-I'll go on ahead. Bye, Sakura!" he stammered before quickly taking off.
Moments later, Ino came out, fully dressed. "Where's that jerk?"
Sakura, sweating nervously at Ino's fierce expression, replied, "He already left…"
"What kind of brother talks bad about me every day, won't take me out to play, and always yells at me? Just wait till he comes back—I'll show him!"
Ino was clearly annoyed that Haruto had gone off without her again.
"Maybe he's just busy… Everyone in the village really likes him," Sakura said hesitantly.
"Hmph. Doesn't matter. Who'd even want a brother like that anyway?" Ino huffed, clearly unimpressed.
Sakura thought to herself, People really do like him a lot.
Haruto had mentioned that Ino had been getting more and more annoying lately, and he'd never been this way before. The first few times, he had to take her out to play, but every time, he failed the tasks and lost a lot of points.
Today's mission was no different: help Tachibana Suzu's grandma grow vegetables. Why couldn't it be something easier? This was such a hassle.
"Boss—" a familiar voice called out. It was Naruto.
"Naruto, you can play on your own today. I don't have time right now," Haruto replied. "Go have fun by yourself."
"Boss, I didn't come to you for fun," Naruto said, his gaze firm as he looked at Haruto. "Please, teach me how to be recognized by everyone."
Haruto fell silent.
He knew all too well that despite having a friend like him, Naruto still faced constant isolation. The villagers didn't accept him. They bullied him, rejected him, and looked at him with cold eyes. Haruto wanted to help, but he didn't know where to begin. The only thing he could do was help improve Naruto's food and occasionally hang out with him. Everything else seemed out of his reach, especially with Naruto being the Nine-Tails.
"Boss, please." Seeing the pleading look in Naruto's eyes, Haruto couldn't bear to refuse.
"Alright, let's give it a try," Haruto agreed, though he knew it was going to be tough to change things.
Haruto then led Naruto to a small house in the western part of the village, where an elderly woman lived—Tachibana Suzu. She had once been a strong ninja, but after sustaining injuries and growing older, she needed help with tasks that required physical strength. Her son and grandson had both died in battle.
Haruto knocked on the door and called out loudly, "Grandma Suzu, I'm here to help!"
"Oh, it's Haruto! I've been waiting for you for the past few days. I even made sweet rice cakes for you to enjoy," came the warm response from inside the house. The door opened, revealing an elderly woman with a kind face.
"This, this child is—" The moment she saw Naruto, her expression changed.
"Grandma Suzu, this is Naruto. He—" Before Haruto could finish, the old woman cut him off sharply.
"Go, go, he's not welcome here," she insisted, her voice filled with a sense of urgency.
Even though Haruto heard her words, he pretended not to, "Grandma Suzu just wants to help, really—"
"I said go! Didn't you hear me?" Grandma Suzu suddenly roared, her pain evident in her voice.
Haruto felt a chill down his spine, sensing that something was wrong. He realized he might have picked the wrong place. Clearly, Grandma Suzu harbored deep hatred for the Nine-Tails. Haruto had never asked her how her son and grandson had died, but now he wondered if…
Suddenly, Grandma Suzu broke down, tears streaming down her face. "My son and grandson were killed by him... I lost them on that day, and I had tried to forget. Why are you reminding me of it? Why did you bring the murderer here?"
Naruto stood frozen, his face filled with confusion and hurt. After a moment, he clenched his fists and pulled Haruto's sleeve, his voice low. "Boss, let's go."
Haruto could hear the pain in Naruto's voice, the quiet sobs that betrayed his heartbreak.
Naruto, in that moment, was deeply disappointed. Even though the third Hokage had forbidden people from talking about the Nine-Tails in the village, Naruto could still pick up bits of gossip from people. The uncomfortable feeling he had been carrying—was this what they meant by calling him a "monster"? Had the Nine-Tails really killed so many people in the village? Did that mean he was a monster, too?
Haruto understood that what had just happened would leave a deep emotional scar on Naruto. He also realized that the cause of this pain was his own mistake, and it made him feel worse. He could only feel the weight of the situation press down on him.
Naruto held Haruto's hand and said softly, "Boss, let's go, I'm fine."
Haruto stood still for a moment, despite Naruto's persistent tugging. He remained unmoved.
Then, suddenly, Haruto looked up at Grandma Suzu and said, "My parents were also killed by the Nine-Tails."
Both Naruto and Suzu were taken aback, their eyes widening in surprise. Naruto's heart raced. Boss, boss...
Haruto continued, "So, I understand your feelings. I, too, hate the Nine-Tails."
The atmosphere grew heavy with silence, the only sound being the rustling of leaves stirred by the wind.
"But he's not the Nine-Tails," Haruto shouted passionately. "He's just a friend of mine—Naruto Uzumaki! He's a child who deserves to be recognized and loved by others. Have you seen the way he looks at the world, with eyes full of hope, yearning to be accepted?"
Haruto's voice rose with conviction. "Naruto is Naruto, and the Nine-Tails is the Nine-Tails. Hating the Nine-Tails isn't a reason to take out your anger on Naruto. Can you feel the pain in his heart? Shouldn't we be more understanding of others who are suffering? Please, give Naruto a chance to prove himself."
Then, Haruto knelt down on the ground, his expression serious. "Please."
Grandma Suzu stood there, staring at the two children in front of her, her eyes filled with inner turmoil. They were still so young. Maybe... I was wrong.
Naruto, who had been crying silently for some time, fell to his knees and choked out, "Boss."
Suzu hesitated for a moment, then squatted down and gently helped the two children to their feet. "Come in."
The third Hokage had been watching the entire scene unfold through a crystal ball. He puffed on his cigarette in silence, deep in thought. After a long pause, he muttered to himself, "This child will definitely become a great ninja in the future."
"One day, I will be recognized by the whole village!" Naruto suddenly declared, raising his head with a determined look. "I will definitely be recognized by everyone, and then, I'll become Hokage."
Haruto watched Naruto, a proud smile spreading across his face. This is the Naruto I've always wanted to see.
Though the things Haruto had said earlier weren't entirely true—especially his feelings about his parents—the thoughts he expressed were his genuine feelings.
Back in his previous life, watching Naruto as a child had deeply moved him, and he had felt a great sadness for all that Naruto had to endure. He shouldn't have had to bear all that pain. Wasn't I sent to this world of Hokage to change these tragedies?
"What a big talk," Haruto said suddenly, interrupting Naruto's hopeful speech.
Naruto stared at Haruto in surprise, unable to process the comment at first.
"I'll be the first to become Hokage," Haruto declared, pointing at Naruto. "You'll be the sixth generation, and I'll be the fifth."
"No, I want to be the fifth! You can be the sixth!" Naruto retorted, his voice full of defiance.
"Haha," Haruto laughed, enjoying the playful back-and-forth.