When Hoshiyomi looked at the boy in front of him—Haku—he couldn't help but smile as he reached out and gently ruffled his hair.
"If you want to repay me, then come with me. As for gratitude and all that… wait until you're older."
Haku trembled at those words. He lifted his head like a frightened little kitten, staring at Hoshiyomi with wide, disbelieving eyes.
"Y-you… you're willing to take me in?"
Hoshiyomi nodded. The moment Haku saw that nod, it was as if his body suddenly regained strength. He shakily tried to stand, clearly intending to bow—but after staying curled up for so long, his legs gave out before he could even straighten himself. He collapsed forward, and would have hit the ground if Hoshiyomi hadn't caught him.
Haku blushed with embarrassment, but even the dirt on his face couldn't hide his soft, delicate, almost girlish features.
Despite his shyness, he still spoke earnestly:
"My name is Haku. From now on, I will do everything I can to repay you, sir."
Hoshiyomi flicked his forehead lightly, helpless but amused.
"Just call me Hoshiyomi. Don't worry about all that repaying business yet—focus on filling your stomach first."
"Yes, Lord Hoshiyomi!"
Haku devoured the bread in his hands in just a few bites, terrified that eating too slowly would annoy Hoshiyomi and make him change his mind.
The boy who had nearly lost hope in life now looked at Hoshiyomi as if he were a sudden beam of light in endless darkness. No matter what, he wanted to hold onto that light.
Seeing Haku practically choking himself in his desperation, Hoshiyomi smiled beneath his mask.
This personality… really makes one's heart ache.
In his previous life, Hoshiyomi had been deeply moved by the tragic story of Haku and Zabuza—one of the reasons he fell in love with Naruto. Back then, he had no power to change their fates.
But now… by pure coincidence, he had run into Haku himself. There was no way he was going to leave Haku to Zabuza.
Zabuza cared about the boy in his own way, but life with him would always be harsh. Hoshiyomi wanted Haku to live a gentler, easier life.
When Haku finished eating, Hoshiyomi grabbed his hand and helped him stand.
"Let's go. I'll take you somewhere safe so you can rest. If you end up with permanent injuries, you won't be able to repay me even if you want to."
At the word repay, Haku jolted and nodded rapidly like a pecking chick, terrified of losing that chance.
And so Hoshiyomi walked toward the designated resting point, bringing along the small tail now following closely behind him.
He didn't look back, but he kept his sensory perception focused on Haku.
The boy had been running for two days straight—both his body and mind were utterly exhausted—yet he didn't utter a single complaint, forcing himself to keep up with Hoshiyomi.
Watching him stumble countless times but never give up, Hoshiyomi nodded with satisfaction. What he admired most about Haku was his gentle, spring-like nature and his unwavering dedication once he chose a goal.
Finding Haku on the very first day in Kirigakure… it seemed this mission was off to a promising start.
When they reached the temporary residence, Hoshiyomi listened briefly to Haku describe his situation. Then he pushed the boy toward the bathroom.
"Go take a good bath."
Meanwhile, Hoshiyomi sat on the bed, waiting quietly for Sakumo and the others to return.
Because he had slowed his pace for Haku's sake, they arrived around six or seven in the morning.
Right on schedule.
Sure enough, just as the sound of running water from the bathroom faded, Sakumo and the others arrived—with breakfast.
The three members of the Flying Thunder God squad weren't close enough with Hoshiyomi's group to eat together, so the trio quietly took their meals back to their own room.
When Sakumo and the others sensed Hoshiyomi's presence, they pushed the door open directly. Seeing that Hoshiyomi was indeed inside, Jiraiya spoke in disbelief:
"Staying quietly in your room? That's not like you at all."
Just as Jiraiya finished speaking, the bathroom door opened.
Haku, hair still dripping with water, stepped out wrapped in Hoshiyomi's oversized robe.
"Lord Hoshiyomi, I've finished washing."
Since they'd returned so early, Hoshiyomi hadn't been able to buy Haku new clothes, so Haku had no choice but to wear Hoshiyomi's.
Freshly bathed, the dirt washed from his face, Haku's clean and delicate features were revealed. His cheeks were still flushed from the hot water, and his half-length damp hair framed his bright, shining eyes—looking even prettier than most girls his age.
The moment Haku spoke, the entire room went silent.
Haku blinked in confusion. He had only gone to bathe for a moment—why were there suddenly so many people in the room? And none of them wore masks. Which one was the man who saved him?
On the other side, Sakumo and the others stared at the seemingly adorable little girl (in their eyes), at Hoshiyomi's robe draped over him, then turned to Hoshiyomi's innocent-looking face, replaying the words they had just heard:
"Lord Hoshiyomi, I've finished washing."
Holy sht holy sht holy sht holy sht holy sh*t————
Kuugetsu actually reacted the most normally—she knew her teacher was extremely soft-hearted and instantly imagined him taking in a homeless little girl from the streets, much like how he had taken her in as a disciple back then…
…Wait, no, that wasn't how he'd taken her in…
Sakumo and Jiraiya stared blankly at Hoshiyomi, their eyes clearly asking: "Where did this girl come from?"
The couple Dan and Pakura were even more stunned. Their expressions turned strange, and the looks they gave Hoshiyomi carried a faint—very faint but very clear—hint of contempt.
Kakashi, young and overflowing with a sense of justice, glanced at the petite, blushing, shy-looking Haku, then at Hoshiyomi's innocent expression. His face immediately twisted with disgust.
"Scumbag!"
Hoshiyomi's entire face turned into a giant question mark. Even he could tell what those looks meant! Back in his previous life when he'd heard about "lolicons," he'd made the exact same expression!
"Hey—hey! What on earth are you all imagining?! It's not what you think! Haku is a boy. A boy!"
Hearing this, Kakashi and the Dan/Pakura couple turned back to look at Haku—who was shrinking shyly because of the crowd—then turned back to Hoshiyomi.
Their expressions… somehow got even worse.
Sakumo and Jiraiya, though they understood what was really going on now, still couldn't resist teasing:
"Well damn, so you even go after boys?"
Jiraiya raised an eyebrow wickedly.
"Don't worry, we're all brothers here. If you've got… special hobbies… we'll definitely make sure Tsunade hears about it."
Hoshiyomi: Where's my sword? Nobody stop me. NOBODY. (▼皿▼#)
...
Drop some POWERSTONES to push the story forward!
PS: Read Advance Chapters at https://www.patreon.com/c/ReadJin