"Sniff… Bad big brother?"
Eyes red and nose running, little Sasuke looked up at Uchiha Shion and asked softly:
"Bad big brother, why don't I have a dad? Where's my dad?"
Bad guy?!
Well… maybe I am a little bad.
Shion scratched his head. Wait, didn't Itachi take this kid to the Memorial Stone? No way… He's supposed to be obsessed with his little brother.
Glancing toward the monument, Shion thought for a moment and said,
"Come on, I'll take you somewhere."
He led little Sasuke to stand in front of Uchiha Fugaku's engraved stone.
"Hasn't your brother or your mom ever brought you here?"
Sasuke sniffled and nodded. "I've been here before, but…"
Shion ruffled his hair gently.
"But you're wondering why Naruto's father is the Hokage, while your father's name is here instead, right?"
Sasuke gave a small nod.
Shion crouched down, brushed a few fallen leaves off the stone, and then pointed toward the towering Hokage Monument.
"Do you know who's as great as a Hokage?"
Sasuke shook his head.
"Anyone whose name is carved into this memorial stone," Shion said seriously, "is just as great as the Hokage. Because every person here gave their life for Konoha."
Sasuke blinked, not fully understanding, but somehow the words carried weight and stirred something inside him.
Shion continued, staring at Fugaku's name.
"Your father wasn't just the head of the Konoha Military Police Force, he was also the leader of the entire Uchiha clan. His strength and ninjutsu were far greater than mine or even Itachi's."
"Really?" Sasuke asked, wide-eyed.
"Without the sacrifice of the people on this stone, there would be no Konoha—let alone a Hokage."
Shion smirked and added, "Next time Naruto says his dad is the Hokage, just tell him this. Trust me, it'll shut him up every time."
Sasuke froze, still not quite following, but the words had such force behind them that he couldn't help but feel proud.
Wiping his nose, he tucked away his tears. Shion held the boy's hand and led him home, though before leaving he turned back once to glance at Obito's stone.
Back in the Uchiha compound, Shion had just escorted Sasuke to the door when he stopped, stunned.
Standing at the entrance was none other than the Fourth Hokage, Namikaze Minato, watching nervously as Kushina towered over him—fuming.
Kushina's hand was firmly tugging on little Naruto's ear as she scolded him with blazing fury.
"You dare say something so cruel to Sasuke? You're going to wait until he comes back and apologize in person!"
Then, whipping her head toward Minato, she snapped,
"And you! Always 'busy, busy, busy!' Too busy to discipline your own son?! No manners, no upbringing—if he talks like this, who'll ever want to be his friend? Just because his father's the Hokage?!"
Naruto, ear twisted and face pale, kept yelping:
"I'm sorry, Mom! I really am! I was wrong!"
At that moment, Uchiha Mikoto opened the door for the guests and froze at the sight.
What on earth was happening?
But seeing Naruto in pain, Mikoto quickly pried Kushina's hand away, scooped the boy into her arms, and said gently,
"Come now, Kushina, what's the point of being so rough? They're just kids. What did Naruto even say that was so terrible?"
Kushina still fumed, but she held back from hitting her son further. Minato, meanwhile, scratched his head with an awkward smile, not sure what to say.
That was when Shion, still holding Sasuke, stepped inside and said,
"Mikoto-auntie, let's take this inside. It's not good to make a scene outside."
Mikoto blinked, then nodded, and ushered everyone into the house.
Once seated, Naruto sneaked a nervous glance at Sasuke, smiling sheepishly as he tried to grab his hand. Sasuke immediately pulled back.
"Sasuke… I'm sorry."
Sasuke glared, but his eyes softened slightly. Their gazes locked, and Naruto grabbed his hand again—this time, Sasuke didn't dodge.
"We're friends again!" Naruto grinned.
"Hmph!" Sasuke snorted, but then puffed out his chest, trying to repeat what Shion had told him.
"Without… the memorial stone… sacrifices, there'd be no Konoha! Let alone a Hokage!"
His delivery was clumsy, words stumbling out, but his little face was brimming with pride.
"My dad may not be the Hokage, but he's a hero on the memorial stone! Without my dad, there'd be no Konoha—and without Konoha, what Hokage would your dad even be? Hmph!"
The room fell silent.
Mikoto stared at Sasuke, then glanced worriedly at Minato. Sasuke, seeing the shift in atmosphere, faltered for a moment, his earlier confidence dimming.
Then—clap, clap, clap.
Minato smiled and applauded.
"Sasuke's absolutely right! Without the heroes on the memorial stone, there would be no Konoha. And without Konoha, there'd be no Hokage."
He turned serious and looked at Naruto.
"Listen well, Naruto. I always thought you were too young to understand certain things, but what you said before… it shows me I need to take your education more seriously. Being Hokage isn't about power—it's about responsibility."
"A Hokage must protect the village. Protect everyone who lives in Konoha. Only someone recognized by all can truly become Hokage."
He then stood, bowed deeply to Sasuke and Mikoto, and said,
"I must apologize once more. Fugaku's death was tied to protecting my family. I am truly sorry."
At his side, Kushina pulled Naruto up and bowed as well.
"Because of my poor discipline, Naruto spoke those hurtful words. I'm truly sorry."
Mikoto blinked, then quickly helped Kushina up along with Naruto, while Minato straightened as well.
"Fugaku died for Konoha. I've always been proud of him," Mikoto said warmly. "Children fight and quarrel—it's natural. You don't need to apologize so formally."
She pulled Kushina down beside her. "Besides, it's been so long since we sat together like this. Remember the old days…"
Kushina grinned and threw an arm around her shoulder.
"Back then we were sisters, and we still are—and always will be."
Then, glancing at Naruto and Sasuke, she teased,
"If only one of these brats were a girl, we'd already be talking about becoming in-laws."
Naruto and Sasuke immediately shot each other a look, scooted away, and put space between them.
Seeing the families laughing and reconnecting, Shion suddenly felt like a third wheel. Quietly, he rose to excuse himself.
Minato, also needing to attend to Hokage duties, stood as well.
Kushina waved him off with a scowl.
"Go, go! You're always busy, Hokage-sama!"
Minato chuckled awkwardly, flashed the boys a "do your best" hand sign, and then departed with Shion.