Chapter 12: The Third Hokage
Early morning sunlight filtered through the curtains as Naruto rubbed his sleepy eyes and sat up in bed. Despite having slept through the night, he felt mentally drained—like he'd been running on empty for hours.
"Ugh..." He let out a massive yawn, drowsy tears forming at the corners of his eyes. Getting close to that tsundere fox was more exhausting than any training session he'd ever endured.
His mind drifted back to last night's encounter in the seal space. To win over the Kyuubi's favor, he'd spent the entire evening playing "literary plagiarist," retelling novels from his previous life with new twists for the giant fox's entertainment. Judging by the results, his efforts hadn't been wasted.
[Ding!]
[Congratulations Host: Initial bond established with canon character "Kurama"!]
[Reward: 400 points acquired!]
"Whoa!" Naruto shot up from bed with excitement. "As expected of the first character to appear in the original Naruto! Though it's still a bit less than what I got from Sasuke..."
Adding these 400 points to his remaining 100, he now had 500 total. He was halfway to the 1000 points needed for another ten-pull gacha.
"At this rate, I'll be able to draw again soon!" Naruto clenched his fists, his eyes sparkling with anticipation.
As for what stories he'd told the Nine-Tails last night... Naruto had chosen very carefully. That fox had been locked up for years—its heart must be full of frustration and resentment. So he'd deliberately selected crowd-pleasers from the power fantasy genre, stories about ordinary people gaining incredible strength and overcoming impossible odds.
He'd adapted the cultivation systems to fit this world, changing "battle qi" to "chakra," sects to ninja clans, and spirit pills to soldier pills. After this localization, Kurama had quickly become engrossed in the tales.
Sure enough, the otherworldly fox had no resistance to carefully crafted wish-fulfillment literature. As the plot progressed, Naruto had even noticed Kurama's tails unconsciously swaying with the story's rhythm.
When it was time to leave, Kurama had spoken with deliberate casualness: "If you want to come tell more stories... I suppose I could reluctantly keep you company."
That ultimate tsundere response was clearly an invitation for Naruto to return. Achieving this level of rapport on their first meeting far exceeded his expectations.
Naruto understood that truly winning over a tailed beast corrupted by years of hatred would require long-term companionship. Rashly spouting empty words like "I want to resolve the hatred in your heart" would be not only ineffective but potentially counterproductive.
"Slow and steady wins the race..." Naruto bit into a piece of bread, deciding to use a gentle, persistent approach—through repeated visits and conversations, he'd help Kurama rebuild trust in humanity.
But what should he do today? Visit Satsuki? His brow furrowed at the thought of the surveillance the village leadership maintained over the Uchiha clan.
If the Third Hokage or Danzo issued warnings that forced that proud little girl to distance herself due to family pressure... just imagining Satsuki coldly saying "We shouldn't meet anymore" made Naruto's chest tighten with irritation.
Just then—
Knock knock knock
The sound of knocking interrupted his thoughts. Naruto paused mid-bite, knowing exactly who it was. In this village, he could count on one hand the people who would voluntarily knock on his door—actually, to be precise, there was only one person.
"Coming, coming!" Naruto called out, heading to the door. The moment he opened it, he was greeted by the familiar sight of white Hokage robes and the iconic hat.
Hiruzen Sarutobi stood at his doorstep, wrinkled face wearing a kindly smile. Behind him sat several paper bags, through which fresh vegetables, meat, and milk were visible.
"Naruto, I've brought some living supplies," the Third's voice was gentle. "May I come in?"
The amount wasn't excessive—not out of stinginess, but because these were perishable foods that would spoil if given in larger quantities.
"Oh! It's the old man... I mean, Grandpa Third! You came to visit me? Please come in, come in!"
Hiruzen's forehead visibly twitched at the "old man" comment, but he simply shook his head with resignation and walked inside carrying the packages.
[Ding!]
The moment the Third stepped across the threshold, a crisp system notification echoed in Naruto's mind.
[Congratulations Host: Bond established with canon character "Hiruzen Sarutobi" (Level 2)]
[Reward: 300 points acquired!]
Naruto felt a flicker of surprise. So the Third Hokage really did harbor genuine feelings for him... perhaps born from guilt? At least it proved he wasn't purely viewing Naruto as just the Nine-Tails' container, despite what some conspiracy theories might suggest.
Though the bond was only Level 2, and the point reward relatively modest. This number subtly reflected the Third's attitude—like the living arrangements he'd provided for Naruto, it was adequate, but only just adequate.
---
Hiruzen placed the last carton of milk in the refrigerator and turned around with a gentle expression. "Naruto, have you been eating properly? Are your living expenses sufficient?"
Naruto sat at the table, casually grabbing one of the fresh apples that had just been delivered and taking a large bite. "Of course I've been eating well—I'm still growing, you know. And the living expenses are definitely enough since I barely have anywhere to spend money anyway."
These words brought a flash of guilt to the Third's eyes. The child protected by the Fourth Hokage and his wife's sacrifice, the son of a village hero, was now living such a lonely existence...
But the burdens of being Hokage quickly suppressed that guilt. He knew all too well how dangerous it was for a jinchuriki to develop dependence on specific individuals. The people who could be trusted to care for Naruto needed to be not only absolutely reliable, but capable of withstanding pressure from various political factions.
If only Biwako were still alive...
Moreover, Danzo continued to lurk in the shadows, hungrily eyeing the Nine-Tails' power.
The Third studied Naruto with deep, contemplative eyes as the boy munched his apple. More troubling than adequate living supplies was this child's attitude toward Konoha itself.
From the time Naruto had learned to walk, Hiruzen had keenly sensed something unusual about the boy. He'd inherited Minato's precocious nature, but upon noticing the strange looks from villagers, he hadn't sought attention like a normal child would. Instead, he'd quietly built an invisible wall, shutting out the entire village.
Was this really alright?
Ordinary children growing up in isolation might become rebellious or attention-seeking. But Naruto had chosen the most concerning path of all—he'd constructed complete psychological defenses, treating all of Konoha as "outsiders."
In the depths of Naruto's eyes, Hiruzen couldn't find even a trace of belonging to the village. This child, who should have carried on the Will of Fire, looked at the village like it was a temporary stopping point, with a detachment that was genuinely chilling.
But this was also understandable. Human emotions needed something to anchor them—how could anyone develop a sense of belonging in a place where they had not a single meaningful connection?
However, the real purpose of today's visit stemmed from yesterday's events. The ANBU surveillance reports were still fresh in his mind: Naruto had made contact with the Uchiha clan head's daughter, Uchiha Satsuki.
Satsuki... Fugaku's daughter...
Logic told him that a three-year-old couldn't possibly be an Uchiha pawn. According to the reports, Satsuki hadn't said anything manipulative, and Fugaku wasn't ambitious enough to foolishly use his own daughter to approach the jinchuriki—the cost would be far too high.
Still, as Hokage, he couldn't ignore any potential complications involving the Nine-Tails' host. The delicate balance between the Uchiha clan and the village leadership was already precarious enough without adding the unpredictable element of childhood friendships.
Hiruzen settled into the chair across from Naruto, his weathered hands folded in his lap. "Naruto, I heard you made a new friend yesterday."
The statement hung in the air between them, casual enough to seem like innocent conversation, but weighted with the unspoken complexities of village politics that a child shouldn't have to navigate.
****
20 ADVANCE CHAPTERS AT patreon.com/Eatinpieces