[After enjoying a slightly salty fish soup.]
[Little Naruto times it carefully.]
[He runs to Ichiraku Ramen and explains his request.]
[Uncle Teuchi agrees with a hearty laugh.]
[Ayame walks out, pats Naruto's head, and heads to the market to buy vegetable seeds.]
[She soon returns with several kinds.]
[She patiently explains basic planting tips.]
[In the end, she only charges Naruto six hundred ryō.]
[Naruto insists on leaving one thousand before jogging home.]
[Father and daughter watch his back, smiling and shaking their heads.]
["Dad, let's count the extra as Naruto's deposit."]
["When he comes next time, give him bigger portions."]
["Of course."]
At this point, Ichiraku Ramen becoming famous is inevitable.
Hmm?
At that moment—
The black-frame screen flickers briefly.
But every Akatsuki member notices it.
Behind Ichiraku Ramen, a man sits in the shadows, a cigarette in his mouth, gazing up at the sky.
That figure—felt eerily familiar to several of them.
"Leader?!" Deidara's eyes widen.
"Sasori, did you see that?!"
From within the puppet, Sasori replies coldly:
"Don't treat my eyes like your low-grade 'art' vision."
"What did you say?!"
"Explosions are NOT low-grade art!"
In Amegakure—
"Nagato… have you infiltrated Konoha before?" Konan asks softly.
The man's silhouette from earlier looks exactly like Yahiko.
"No." Nagato keeps his eyes closed.
But that cloak—
black with red clouds—
is unmistakably Akatsuki's.
[With the seeds in hand, little Naruto begins his first attempt at planting.]
[Though he knows sprouts won't appear quickly, he still smiles at the simple pots he made himself.]
[Chin in hands, he stares at the damp soil.]
[That afternoon, he goes fishing again.]
[He also discovers a reef with many river snails.]
[The following days pass quietly and regularly.]
[One afternoon, little Naruto heads out with seasonings and fire-starting tools.]
[The ANBU monitoring him rushes to report to Hiruzen.]
["Oh?"]
["Finally cooking outdoors?"]
[Hiruzen waves him back, sets down his documents.]
["The timing is about right."]
["It's time to meet Naruto."]
[The sun sets.]
[Night falls silently.]
[Little Naruto places the last fish over the coals.]
[Sizzle—]
[A thin sheen of oil soon appears.]
[He sprinkles salt evenly.]
[The aroma spreads.]
[Changing flavors once in a while is nice.]
[While waiting, he works on branches and fishing line.]
[He remembers a villager's snare he saw yesterday—a wild chicken caught by the neck.]
[He didn't steal it, only observed.]
[Simple. After watching a bit, he learned it.]
[He plans to set traps here later.]
[If nothing comes—he'll shout into the forest: "I want rabbit!"]
[If not, he'll fast.]
[He believes the watching shinobi will intervene again.]
[As he thinks—]
[His gaze sharpens.]
[He grabs a stone and hurls it behind him.]
[*Snap—*]
[An old hand catches it steadily.]
["Smells good~"]
Senju Tobirama: Such sharp perception!
Tobirama: Could he be showing signs of the Uzumaki clan's sensory talent?
Senju Hashirama: Huh? Isn't Black-Frame Naruto always like this?
Uzumaki Mito: Not Kagura's Mind's Eye—but his sensory talent is indeed on par with sensor-type shinobi.
Tobirama: The difference might be that his diet has finally filled long-standing nutritional gaps.
Hyūga Neji: "Don't forget—Black-Frame Naruto resisted the whispers in his mind. That might have caused feedback."
Tenten: "Neji makes sense."
[Little Naruto frowns at the sudden old man, clearly wary.]
[But he senses that strange presence nearby—the shinobi watching him is still there.]
[If this old man meant harm, the watcher wouldn't allow him close.]
["Who are you?" little Naruto asks.]
[The old man doesn't answer immediately, slowly stepping out of the darkness.]
[Firelight reveals a white-haired elder with a gentle smile.]
[His eyes lack the usual disgust—instead, they're full of affection.]
[Yet little Naruto frowns. Something about this man makes him uncomfortable—both his gaze and smile.]
Orochimaru grins at Sarutobi Hiruzen.
"Teacher Sarutobi, do you think Black-Frame Naruto will soon see through your identity as the bastard king?"
Hiruzen's face darkens.
"Don't think of me as that evil."
A flash of inspiration hits him, and he hurriedly posts in chat.
Sarutobi Hiruzen: "For Naruto's safety, I must hide his identity."
Hiruzen: "If his parentage were fully confirmed, he'd become a target for other villages."
Fourth Raikage: "You think we're idiots?"
Ōnoki: "Hide what—Fourth Hokage's son?"
Mei Terumī: "Or the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki identity you already exposed?"
Rasa: "Shameless, Third Hokage. Even you should be embarrassed by such an excuse."
Hiruzen's smile freezes.
Orochimaru's laughter pierces his ears.
[Seeing Naruto remain guarded.]
[Sarutobi Hiruzen removes his Hokage hat and sits across from him.]
["Who am I?"]
["I'm just a passing old grandpa."]
[He smiles kindly—at least, what he thinks is kind.]
[To those unaware, he truly looks like a benevolent elder.]
[Grrr—]
[His gaze falls on the grilled fish. His stomach growls on cue.]
["Smells great~"]
[They stare at each other for a moment.]
[Only Hiruzen is smiling.]
"Hahaha~" Kushina laughs wildly in the Pure Land.
"Good job, Naruto! That's my son—he definitely saw through that old monkey's true face!"
Nearby, Uchiha Mikoto looks around in confusion.
In a blink, her surroundings changed.
Then Kushina's slightly unhinged laughter echoes in her ears.
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