Chapter 259: Four Years Old
A tall man with pink hair, green eyes, and a star-shaped hairstyle was carrying food in one hand, excitedly telling his wife about something interesting that had happened a couple of days ago.
"Get out! You're not welcome here!"
A commotion broke out in the shop ahead.
A blonde boy was kicked out by the owner.
The boy who was kicked out calmly dusted himself off and then extended his right hand.
"If you won't sell me the stuff, then give me back my money."
"Tch, who knows where a dem... brat like you got such dirty money!"
The owner was about to curse him as a Demon Fox, but thinking of the rumors, he changed it to "brat" instead.
"This is money given to me by Third Hokage Grandpa. I won't let you call Third Hokage Grandpa's money dirty!"
Unexpectedly, this provoked the boy. He looked around, found a small stone, and threw it at the owner's face.
When the owner heard it was money from the Third Hokage, his expression changed instantly.
But he still braced himself and said, "You must have used a Demonic Technique to bewitch Lord Third Hokage!"
He threw the money he had intended to pocket onto the ground.
"Take your stinking money and get lost!"
Seeing the owner throw the money on the ground, the boy wasn't upset. He nimbly picked up the money, blew on it, and then turned to leave.
Haruno Mebuki leaned in and whispered to her husband.
"That boy, blonde hair, whiskers on his face... Is he the rumored Demon Fox?"
Haruno Hiashi stared at the receding Naruto; people on both sides avoided him like the plague.
"Don't just repeat what others say; it's just a rumor."
As he spoke, Haruno Hiashi chuckled foolishly and pointed at his own hair.
"Didn't someone say before that my hair looks like a starfish that plays with a sponge? Whether my hair is hair or a starfish, do I not know, or do you not know?"
"Sponges are food for starfish; how could those two things play together?"
"Look."
Haruno Hiashi picked up a section of hair and pointed at the split ends.
"And my hairstyle isn't some starfish; it's a cherry blossom!"
"Fine, fine. But if you want our Sakura to have this hairstyle too, I absolutely won't agree!"
Haruno Mebuki slapped her husband's back in annoyance.
Where would you find a sponge that plays with a starfish!
That must have been something her husband made up on the spot to amuse her.
"Hahahaha, I will definitely respect Sakura's wishes."
Haruno Hiashi took his wife's hand.
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During lunch, Haruno Hiashi leaned toward his daughter, who looked very happy.
"Did something very happy happen today?"
"Mhm, mhm!"
Sakura pulled three candies out of her pocket.
"I made a friend today! I helped him buy snacks, and he gave me candy!"
"Oh my, our Sakura has made a friend. That's quite something."
Haruno Hiashi picked Sakura up.
"Alright, Hiashi. Let the child eat. Don't lift her up every time you're happy."
Mebuki, opposite them, looked at her husband with a helpless expression.
The father and daughter soon sat back down.
"By the way, whose child is that friend of yours?"
Haruno Mebuki asked.
"Um..."
Sakura thought for a moment.
"He said his name is Naruto. He's a blonde boy, and his eyes are very pretty!"
Haruno Mebuki's expression changed instantly.
She thought of the rumors in the Village about the Demon Fox.
"Papa, Mama, here's some candy for you."
Sakura was still immersed in her happiness, showing the candies with both hands.
"Our Sakura is so good."
Haruno Hiashi pinched a candy from Sakura's hand.
"Mebuki, I told you my way of raising Sakura was right. Look, our Sakura..."
Haruno Mebuki reached out and slapped the candy out of Sakura's hand.
"Sakura, stay away from that fellow from now on, and don't eat anything he gives you, do you hear me!"
Seeing the stunned Sakura and her husband, Haruno Mebuki grew even angrier.
"That's a monster. Aren't you afraid the candy he gave is some cursed demonic object?"
As she spoke, Haruno Mebuki went to snatch the candy from her husband's hand.
Haruno Hiashi was one step ahead and popped the candy into his mouth.
"You're overreacting, Mebuki. And didn't I say? Rumors aren't to be believed!"
"Haruno Hiashi! I'm doing this for the safety of our family of three! That brat has six whiskers on his face. Have you ever seen someone so young with whiskers? He's definitely the Demon Fox!"
Compared to his wife's agitation, Haruno Hiashi was much calmer. He pulled his somewhat confused and frightened daughter into his arms.
"Mebuki, didn't we agree not to get angry in front of Sakura?"
"Besides, that child has blonde hair and blue eyes. Don't you think he looks a lot like the Fourth Hokage?"
"How can that be the same!?"
"The Fourth Hokage is the Fourth Hokage, and that monster is a monster. Can they even be compared?"
Haruno Mebuki didn't understand why her husband always looked so cheerful. Could he not see the danger?
At the thought of the Demon Fox wandering around the Village all day, Haruno Mebuki wished she could just move away from Konoha Village.
But compared to the outside world, Hidden Leaf Village was indeed a safe place.
Thinking it over, Haruno Mebuki came up with a good idea.
"From now on, you just focus on earning money to support the family. Leave Sakura's education to me. Look at you, you've taught Sakura to have no sense of caution at all."
Haruno Hiashi was not pleased.
"Why? I think I've taught Sakura quite well—polite, helpful, and likes to share."
"Besides, who are you trying to be cautious against in the Village? As long as we have no ill intentions, it's fine."
"Hiashi, why are you as naive as a child?"
"It's not that I'm too naive; it's clearly that you're too suspicious, Mebuki. There aren't that many bad people in the Village."
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"Why is Ino so unhappy?"
Inoichi leaned toward his daughter and asked.
"Huh? Because of a nuisance."
Ino's cheeks puffed out.
"Sakura helped a blonde boy buy things, and as a result, she was mocked by Ayane and the others."
"They called Sakura a wide-forehead monster next to the Demon Fox. When I told that boy about it, he actually ran off without saying anything."
A blonde boy?
Inoichi Yamanaka fell silent.
Inoichi Yamanaka pondered.
Inoichi Yamanaka suddenly realized.
It's that kid!
He gently stroked his daughter's hair.
"He's not like you. He doesn't have parents to back him up, so he has to be very careful in his actions."
"Because he has no parents, when facing people other than a few serious ones like Lord Third Hokage, reason doesn't naturally stand by his side."
It wasn't that the Third Hokage was serious; it was just that he knew who Naruto's parents were.
An orphan is born with two fewer influential mouths than others!
Listening to her father's words, Ino nodded thoughtfully.
Then she wouldn't dislike him next time.
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