NIP Chapter 13 Meeting Again
Chapter 13 Meeting Again
The Third Hokage slowly exhaled a smoke ring, and the image of Uchiha Satsuki appeared in his mind—Uchiha Fugaku's second daughter.
He remembered clearly that before Sasuke was born, Fugaku held the hope that the child would definitely grow into a powerful ninja, and even planned to use his father's name, "Sasuke." However, both his children were daughters, so he had to slightly modify the name.
When the Third Hokage first saw little Satsuki, he had to admit that a pang of jealousy rose in his heart. Why could Fugaku have such a lovely daughter? That little girl was only three years old, yet her delicate features already showed the beginnings of a beauty.
If she weren't a child of the Uchiha clan...
The Third Hokage even considered arranging a marriage between Satsuki and his newborn grandson. Of course, this absurd idea was quickly dismissed by reality. A marriage between the Uchiha clan and the Hokage's lineage? He would have no face to face the Second Hokage in the afterlife if that were the case.
Thinking of this, the Third Hokage turned his gaze back to Naruto, who was munching on an apple. It was a good thing to help this lonely child build bonds, but the object of those bonds was none other than the daughter of the Uchiha clan head... This choice was far too sensitive.
"Naruto," the Third Hokage asked, trying to make it sound casual, "Have you made any new friends lately?"
Naruto paused slightly upon hearing this. Although the Third Hokage seemed to be asking casually, he knew very well that this was a test to find out about his meeting with Sasuke yesterday.
"Mmm!" Naruto swallowed the apple in his mouth, a bright smile spreading across his face. "I met a really nice person yesterday who practiced shuriken with me for ages! But..."
"But what?"
"That person's personality is a bit strange, how should I put it, she has a deliberate arrogance." Naruto pouted, "Like, 'Your throwing technique is not bad,' even though she was just hiding behind a tree saying 'Wow, that's amazing.' But it was my fault in the first place, using her training ground without permission."
The Third Hokage nodded thoughtfully. "I see. But... doesn't Konoha have public training grounds? Why go to such a far place to train?"
"Because the people there don't like me. I don't know why, but the way they look at me...it's really uncomfortable. To avoid causing trouble for everyone, I had to go further away."
The Third Hokage's grip on his pipe tightened slightly. "...I see, Naruto." He deliberately slowed his speech. "So, your new friend...did she agree to let you go see her again?"
Naruto's lips curled into a knowing smile. He understood perfectly well the Third Hokage's probing words—he was trying to confirm whether Satsuki had deliberately led him to the Uchiha clan's territory.
"Hmm! She said if there's a chance... we can go to the forest outside Konoha for training together next time. After training, we can sit by the river with amazing scenery, eat while enjoying the view."
The Third Hokage breathed a barely perceptible sigh of relief. It was within the Anbu's surveillance range... Now, the suspicion of the Uchiha clan deliberately orchestrating it could be largely ruled out; the two children's meeting was likely just a coincidence.
"Naruto..." The Third Hokage shifted into a more casual sitting posture, making the conversation sound like the concern of an elder, "About that friend, what are your thoughts on that child?"
Naruto gripped the apple core tightly in his hand. He knew that the next sentence would determine whether the Third Hokage would allow this friendship to continue.
"That guy..." Naruto deliberately feigned disgust, "Although his personality is super weird, and he's always acting like he looks down on people..." His voice softened, "but..."
The Third Hokage raised an eyebrow with interest, watching Naruto's unusually coy demeanor.
"But..." Naruto scratched his head, "she is quite good-looking!"
The Third Hokage nearly choked on his smoke. He hadn't expected such a pure and childlike answer. Seeing Naruto's rare display of shyness befitting his age, a complex emotion flashed in the old man's eyes.
So that's how it is... Children have an instinctive preference for "pretty things".
Let's go and call Fugaku Uchiha over for a talk later.
------
After cleaning the house, Naruto neatly tied his ninja tool pouch to his waist, checked that the lunchbox was packed properly, and pushed open the door to step into the sunlight.
Everything that needed to be said has been made very clear...
Naruto looked towards the Hokage Rock. If that old man still intended to prevent him from associating with Sasuke... then he shouldn't blame him for being petty.
The small figure leaped nimbly between rooftops, golden hair fluttering in the wind. This method of travel, which seemed dangerous to ordinary people, was commonplace for ninjas—even a three-year-old child.
After a period of rapid travel, the familiar training ground finally came into view. Naruto slowed his pace and looked around expectantly...
I didn't see Satsuki. Did she not come today?
Just when Naruto thought he was going to make a wasted trip, a soft "poof" sound suddenly came from the riverbank not far away, like the sound of a match being lit. Curious, he followed the sound.
Satsuki's small figure stood by the river, her hands clumsily forming hand seals. Her brows were furrowed, her lips pursed into a thin line, and her focused expression was incredibly endearing.
"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"
With a childish shout, a fireball about the size of a soccer ball shot out of her mouth, tracing an orange-red path through the air, and then...
It went out with a "whoosh".
It's here! The Fire Release: Lighter Technique from the original work!
Satsuki stood by the river, her small fists clenched white, her mind replaying her father's disappointed sigh. "I guess I can't be like Itachi back then..."
...Is the gap between my sister and me really that big?
She bit her lower lip, stubbornly shaking her head to suppress her disappointment. If talent isn't enough, she'll make up for it with hard work! Zuo Yue resumed her hand seals. "I must surpass my sister... and become a ninja that my clan can be proud of!"
"Hey! You're here! I kept my promise and came to find you!"
The sudden sound startled Zuo Yue, almost causing her to lose her balance. She whirled around and saw Naruto's bright, smiling face right in front of her.
"It's you..." Zuo Yue tried to remain calm and turned her face away.
Naruto, completely oblivious to her embarrassment, excitedly approached her. "Anosa, anosa~ Were you practicing ninjutsu with that fireball just now?"
Satsuki froze, realizing his clumsy Fireball Jutsu had been seen. A wave of shame washed over him—he'd boasted that the Uchiha were the strongest, yet he couldn't even execute the most basic Fire Release technique properly...
"That's amazing!"
Unexpectedly, Naruto suddenly exclaimed in surprise, his eyes shining. Satsuki turned around in astonishment, meeting those sparkling blue eyes.
"You haven't even gone to ninja school yet! But you've already started practicing ninjutsu like a real ninja! You're amazing!"