After a hearty meal, Naruto patted his round, full belly, then wrapped his arms around Kiyosuke's head and asked,
"Kiyosuke-san, what kind of people were my mom and dad?"
Naruto was a cheerful kid. Though still young, he already understood quite a lot.
He knew he wasn't Kiyosuke's biological son and was aware of who his real parents were—he just didn't know what they were like.
Minato and Kushina felt like complete strangers to him. All he had were photos to show him what they looked like.
"Well… how should I put it… Your dad was a really cool guy. Super fast—fastest in the whole ninja world. Blond hair. Gentle. Totally scared of his wife. He never raised his voice in front of your mom."
"Hmph, that's pretty much what Rin-chan said too." Naruto flopped onto Kiyosuke's head. "Lame. Scared of his wife!"
"..."
Minato.
"What about my mom?"
"She was a really cheerful and outgoing person, very easy to get along with. But when she got mad… she was scary."
"How scary?"
"Her hair would float up like tentacles, like an octopus."
"Terrifying!"
Night had already fallen. Kiyosuke was walking slowly with Naruto on his back. Naruto let out a big yawn as drowsiness overtook him. He didn't even notice that they weren't walking along the road home.
"Kiyosuke-san, will you always take care of me?"
"Of course."
"Kiyosuke-san, I like you best."
"..."
Kids are so hard to deal with. Damn it, why is there sand in my eyes when there's no wind?
"Naruto, how are things with Sasuke?"
"Hmph! I don't play with him! All he does is go 'big brother, big brother' all day. Kiyosuke-san, don't I have a big brother too?" Naruto, who had been half-asleep, instantly perked up at the mention of the Uchiha boy.
Well, now I'm wide awake!
"Uh… you can call me your big brother."
"Nope, you're an uncle!"
"You brat! I'm only eighteen! What's so wrong with calling me big brother? Am I that old?"
"You're an uncle!"
"You little punk, you're asking for it!"
"Wahhh! Kiyosuke-san, don't hit me!!"
As the two of them messed around, Kiyosuke suddenly turned his head. Urgent footsteps echoed from a nearby alley.
Naruto asked,
"What is it, Kiyosuke-san?"
"Someone's here."
Just as he said that, a shadow darted out—cloaked in black robes and masked, moving with astonishing speed. In the person's arms was a very small girl.
Another figure dashed out right behind—Hyūga Hiashi, the head of the Hyūga clan. When he spotted Kiyosuke, he called out urgently,
"Kiyosuke-sama! That man took my daughter—please help!"
"You've got to be kidding me! Broad daylight, in the middle of Konoha, and they dare pull this? They're asking for it!"
Kiyosuke shoved Naruto into Hiashi's arms and took off without another word.
The black-robed figure bolted through the streets—only for a sudden shadow to appear at his side. In an instant, the little girl in his arms was snatched away, and a powerful kick landed square in his chest.
The man was sent flying.
He crashed into a wall. His condition—unknown.
Hiashi arrived carrying Naruto. When he saw Hinata safe in Kiyosuke's arms, he breathed a deep sigh of relief.
"Thank you so much, Kiyosuke-sama."
"It's nothing. She's adorable. Her name's Hinata, right?"
"Yes. My daughter, Hinata. She just turned three today."
"She's about the same age as my Naruto." Kiyosuke handed Hinata back to Hiashi.
He didn't immediately ask for Naruto back. Instead, he walked up to the masked assailant and pulled off his face covering—revealing one of the Kumogakure shinobi who had visited earlier that day.
"Kumogakure's been eyeing the Byakugan for a long time. It looks like this peace talk was just a front—stealing the Byakugan was their real goal. Tch. These thugs are filthy to the core. Naruto, listen up—whenever you see someone from Kumogakure, don't bother with words. Just beat them up first."
"Oh." Naruto nodded, half-understanding. "What if I can't beat them?"
"You really want me to teach you?"
"Got it. If I can't beat them, I'll run." Naruto nodded again.
"Good. A teachable kid."
"..."
Was it really a good idea for the Fourth to leave his son with Kiyosuke-sama?
"I'll take this guy to see the Hokage. Naruto's in your hands tonight."
"Understood." Hiashi nodded. To the village, Naruto was more important than even the Byakugan. For Kiyosuke to entrust Naruto to him—it was a great honor.
If Kiyosuke knew what he was thinking, he'd definitely shake his head.
All he wanted was for Naruto to spend more time with his future wife!
Hinata was a great kid. A bit shy, sure, but otherwise wonderful.
She was also the Hyūga clan's heiress. Sure, if Naruto married her, he'd suffer endless glares and criticism from the clan, but hey—life's never perfect. You win some, you lose some.
"Kiyosuke-san, I'll behave." Even before being told, Naruto obediently spoke up.
"Good. Get along with Hinata, and don't bully her."
"Okay!"
Kiyosuke walked away with the dead Kumogakure ninja.
Hiashi returned to the Hyūga compound with the two children. He had someone take Naruto to rest, while the clan's medical-nin checked Hinata for any injuries.
She was only unconscious. Nothing serious.
Staring at the sleeping Hinata, Hiashi's brow furrowed. The Kumogakure ninja had been killed by Kiyosuke. This could spell serious trouble for the village.
A Kumogakure envoy was killed in Konoha. The matter could be treated lightly, or it could escalate. If not handled carefully, it could grow from a dispute into a diplomatic crisis—and then into a full-blown war.
Regardless of how that man died, Kumogakure would seize the excuse to demand an explanation from Konoha.
Hiashi didn't think Kiyosuke was in the wrong. If it had been him, he would've killed the man too.
Who knew what that ninja's real intentions were?
This time, the Hyūga clan was truly in danger.
But he wouldn't shift the blame onto Kiyosuke. As clan head, Hiashi had both pride and responsibility.
At that moment, his brother's voice came from outside the door.
"Brother, the Hokage-sama is asking for you."
It was bound to happen eventually.
"Alright, I understand." After ensuring Hinata and Naruto were properly guarded, the brothers and their father immediately headed to the Hokage's office.
...
Hokage's Office
All of Konoha's top brass were gathered. The Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, had a pounding headache. The moment Kiyosuke showed up with a corpse, he knew something had gone wrong.
He just hadn't expected the dead man to be a Kumogakure envoy.
Wonderful. That freshly signed peace treaty? Worthless now.
And Kumogakure now had the perfect excuse to launch a war.
Right now, Konoha was in a transitional phase. To suddenly go to war with Kumogakure would be a terrible move. Their only option was to find a way to nip this in the bud.
When Hiashi arrived and explained what had happened in detail—
"Kiyosuke. Hiashi. You two were too impulsive," Hiruzen said with a sigh.
"So what?" Kiyosuke grinned at him, making Hiruzen feel increasingly uneasy.
This brat… he's not planning something crazy again, is he?
Time to brace for trouble.