If Lexon knew Sarutobi Hiruzen had been spooked by his "pulling things from a space ring" trick, he probably would have wanted to laugh.
But Lexon didn't know this at the time; he was still on a quest with Naruto to save the princess.
"Eat that one," Lexon said to Naruto.
"This one? The red one or the blue one?" Naruto asked, confused.
"The blue one. Red is fire, blue is ice. I already ate the red one, so I can use fire. You eat the blue one, and you can freeze those little monsters. We can coordinate. You freeze, and I'll use fire to break the ice," Lexon explained.
"Is it ninjutsu?" Naruto, watching his character turn blue and casually shoot ice balls, freezing the little monsters one by one, was ecstatic.
"You can understand it that way," Lexon replied.
"Knock, knock, knock..." Suddenly, a light, rapid knocking came from the closed door.
"Is someone here?" Naruto looked at the door, slightly puzzled. "I heard knocking."
"No, you're imagining things." Lexon had a good idea who it was, so he just grabbed the remote and turned up the TV's volume.
"Oh, okay..." Naruto replied, turning his attention back to the screen.
"BANG, BANG, BANG!!" As if there was no response, the person outside knocked harder.
But this time, the knocking was completely drowned out by the TV's volume.
Click...
Lexon heard it clearly: the faint sound of a key turning in the lock.
The door swung open.
It was noon outside. Light instantly flooded the room, making it much brighter.
An old man in a white robe walked in. His face was covered in wrinkles, his hair was white, and he had a small white goatee. He looked kind and benevolent, wearing a gentle smile.
Lexon glanced at Sarutobi Hiruzen. 'So you have a key...'
"Grandpa Third!" Naruto, naturally, noticed someone entering this time. He cried out in pleasant surprise, glanced at Sarutobi Hiruzen, and then immediately turned back to the game. "Grandpa Third, wait a sec, let me finish this level."
The smile on Sarutobi Hiruzen's face froze. 'So many years of care, all for nothing.'
He closed the door, walked into the house, and sat down next to them like he owned the place. "What are you two doing? What is this thing?"
"Grandpa Third, don't talk right now, let us finish playing," little Naruto said, not holding back at all.
'You little...'
Sarutobi Hiruzen almost bopped him on the head.
And so, the old man could only sit quietly and watch the two play.
It didn't take long. With little Naruto being unfamiliar with the game and Lexon deliberately dying whenever Naruto did, they were out of lives in half an hour. The game ended.
"Grandpa Third, what did you come here for?" Little Naruto looked at Sarutobi Hiruzen and asked.
"To give you your living expenses," Sarutobi Hiruzen said, grabbing a random excuse.
"But didn't you just give them to me a few days ago..." Little Naruto's innocent eyes rested on Sarutobi Hiruzen, puzzled.
'You're deliberately calling me out, aren't you!'
Sarutobi Hiruzen almost lost his composure. But as the Hokage, he was a deep man, so of course he wouldn't...
"Pfft." Lexon couldn't hold it in and burst out laughing.
Sarutobi Hiruzen's face darkened slightly as he looked at him.
"Don't mind me, I just thought of something happy..." Lexon said with a smile.
"Fine, I just came to see you two," Sarutobi Hiruzen said, giving up the pretense.
"Us?" Naruto asked, confused. "Grandpa Third, do you know Lexon?"
"I do." Sarutobi Hiruzen looked at Lexon. He assumed "Lexon" was a fake name and didn't expose him.
"Lexon?" Naruto looked at Lexon.
"I do," Lexon replied.
"That's great! Let's play games together!" Young Naruto didn't overthink it. He just thought it was a great thing that someone he was close to also knew the new friend he had just made.
"Alright, alright." Lexon opened a fighting game. "Since there are three of us, let's play a versus game. We'll take turns. Whoever loses swaps out."
He then briefly explained the buttons to Sarutobi Hiruzen, and they began.
...
Time passed, and noon quietly turned to night.
"You! How can you be so brutal when you fight an old man like me, but you keep losing to Naruto?" Sarutobi Hiruzen put down the controller and said to Lexon indignantly.
"..." Lexon looked at him, speechless.
'Can a "Ninjutsu Expert" be treated the same as a child?'
"That's enough for today. I'm leaving," Lexon put down his controller and said to Naruto.
"This old man is leaving too," Sarutobi Hiruzen said.
"Huh? You're leaving?" Naruto was very reluctant. Grandpa Third rarely came, and he didn't know when Lexon would be back. The chance for the three of them to play together probably wouldn't come again for a long, long time.
Naruto's mood instantly dropped.
"I'll be back soon," Lexon said, ruffling Naruto's hair to comfort him.
'Hm? Am I becoming a "child-head-patting-maniac"?'
Lexon suddenly realized.
"Also, I'll leave these things for you, Naruto." Lexon pointed to the display and other equipment, then reminded him, "But be careful not to get addicted."
"Okay!" Naruto replied firmly.
"See you," Lexon said his goodbyes.
"Goodbye, Naruto," Sarutobi Hiruzen said at the same time.
"Goodbye, Lexon! Goodbye, Grandpa Third!" Naruto waved, watching them walk out the door and close it.
...
Standing on the somewhat cold, wind-swept street of Konoha, Lexon turned his body slightly to look at the old man before him. "Why are you following me, Lord Third Hokage?"
"Just heading the same way," Sarutobi Hiruzen said, his face kind, his voice gentle.
"You're sure it's nothing?" Lexon stressed.
"Actually, there is something," Sarutobi Hiruzen said awkwardly. His slightly cloudy old eyes glinted sharply. "Uchiha Lexon, are you interested in working for Konoha?"
'Oh, great. Every single one of you wants to recruit me.'
Lexon complained internally upon hearing Sarutobi Hiruzen's words.
'Root wants me, Akatsuki wants me, and now the Hokage's side wants me too...'
'Uchiha, Root, Akatsuki, Hokage...'
'Do you want me to be a four-surnamed vassal? Even more of a Lü Bu than Lü Bu, who only had three?'
"'Root' is Konoha, isn't it?" Lexon said.
He knew Sarutobi Hiruzen definitely knew he was a member of "Root."
"You know exactly what I mean. Don't play dumb, Uchiha Lexon." Sarutobi Hiruzen saw right through his act.
His meaning was: stand with him, not with "Root."
Lexon fell silent.
"Danzo wouldn't trust someone so completely, much less strongly recommend you to contact Naruto. That doesn't fit his character," Sarutobi Hiruzen continued. "You've awakened the Mangekyo Sharingan, haven't you? Did you use one of its associated ocular jutsu on him?"
'He figured it out...'
Lexon thought.
'After all, something like "Kotoamatsukami" might not be noticed by the victim, but it looks different to others. Especially to a friend of several decades, who has schemed with and against him for just as long.'
Sarutobi Hiruzen was certain Lexon had done something to Danzo.
"Then aren't you afraid I'll do the same thing to you?" Lexon didn't deny Sarutobi Hiruzen's words, but asked a question back.
"I have enough confidence," the "Ninjutsu Expert" Sarutobi Hiruzen's aura flared.
"Fine, then," Lexon replied, agreeing to join Sarutobi Hiruzen's side. "As long as you don't stop me from contacting Naruto."
'Anyway, I'm already juggling three factions. I'm not afraid to add one more. I'll just do whatever I find fun.'
"Good." Sarutobi Hiruzen smiled again.
"Then I'll be heading back," Lexon said.
"By the way, Uchiha Itachi is one of ours," Sarutobi Hiruzen revealed.
'I knew that already,' Lexon grumbled internally.
"Got it," Lexon said, about to leave.
'Ah... I feel like I forgot something...'
Suddenly, Lexon felt like he had forgotten something, but after thinking for a long time, he couldn't remember what.
'Forget it. I'll stop trying.'
He simply gave up.
With a flash, Lexon vanished.
Watching Lexon's figure depart, Sarutobi Hiruzen's cloudy eyes gradually deepened, his thoughts unknown.
And at the same time, in a certain alternate dimension...
A certain giant fox, hanging from golden chains, was feeling pretty damned screwed.
[Reviews - Power St0nes - Comments are highly appreciated to keep me going.....(+50 chapters) patre0n.c0m/talecrafter]