Zhuludie only had to follow the trend, but fortunately, the attitude of the major ninja clans towards Naruto wasn't as openly hostile as that of the common villagers.
Of course, even within the clans, there were varying degrees of rejection.
If Naruto had gone to eat barbecue on his own, he would have probably been turned away or ignored. But with Jiraiya now back in the village, everything changed.
Jiraiya directly requested the Akimichi clan to reserve a private room for him at their family-owned barbecue restaurant, declaring that he would be bringing Naruto along. The Akimichi clan, understanding the significance of a Sannin's words, didn't utter a word of objection.
In fact, they only responded with utmost respect: "Honored sir, please enjoy whatever you like."
"Wow! This is too delicious!" Naruto exclaimed, his eyes wide and sparkling with joy as he stuffed his face with sizzling meat.
As Hiko had once said, Naruto nearly swallowed his tongue with how fast he was eating.
Though Naruto loved his instant noodles and ramen, perhaps it was just because those were all he could afford or get easily. But were those really the best foods?
Of course not.
Ramen and instant noodles could be eaten any day, but how often could Naruto have premium yakiniku like this?
Sure, he could catch a fish and grill it himself, but how good could a kid's cooking be?
He'd be lucky not to poison himself. There was no chance it would taste anything like the expertly grilled meat they were having now.
"Eat more, but eat slowly. No one's going to fight you for it," Jiraiya said warmly, his face lit with a cheerful smile. He personally grilled meat for Naruto the entire time but didn't eat a single bite himself.
---
Meanwhile, in a secluded courtyard near the Shimura clan grounds, several Root operatives were reporting to Danzo.
The Third Hokage had formally informed the Daimyo's court that Danzo was under surveillance.
The surveillance was real, but ultimately ineffective. Whether Anbu agents were there or not didn't make much difference.
As long as Danzo made a move, those agents had no choice but to let Root operatives carry out their assignments and return with information.
Even if Anbu reported Danzo's activities, Hiruzen Sarutobi turned a blind eye.
To him, as long as Danzo remained within Konoha and didn't amass too many followers, it was acceptable if he collected some information. That alone didn't constitute a crisis.
"Danzo-sama, Jiraiya of the Sannin has returned. He found the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki and claimed to be his godfather. He took Naruto to the Akimichi barbecue house," a Root operative reported calmly.
"Also, after the incident at the Daimyo's residence, Anbu surveillance on the Uchiha has noticeably declined. All agents around Uchiha Hiko have withdrawn."
"Jiraiya…" Danzo muttered, his face twisting with displeasure as he slammed his cane against the wooden floor.
Jiraiya returning now and connecting with Naruto was an unsettling development for him.
In Konoha, most couldn't oppose Danzo, but the Sannin were different. Whether it was Jiraiya or Tsunade, they had the power and status to confront him directly.
Jiraiya typically avoided stirring up trouble, but if Tsunade were to return, she would not tolerate Danzo in any capacity.
Danzo clearly remembered how after the Third Hokage's death in the original timeline, Jiraiya brought Tsunade back and she became the Fifth Hokage.
From that point on, Danzo stayed hidden within Root and didn't act out again—because he knew Tsunade would never turn a blind eye to his scheming the way Hiruzen did.
He didn't reemerge until Pain attacked Konoha.
"If Jiraiya is willing to get close to Naruto, then let him," Danzo finally muttered.
He couldn't control Jiraiya. As much as it pained him, he had to let go.
But Uchiha… the Uchiha could still be pressed.
"Assign tasks to the Uchiha. We cannot relax our monitoring or control over them."
Even if he couldn't interfere with Naruto now, that didn't mean the Uchiha were safe.
He would never allow them to act freely. Did they really think a little reduction in surveillance gave them full liberty?
Even getting close to a Jinchūriki now?
Such boldness.
Danzo was a venomous serpent lurking in the shadows—master of black ops and character assassinations.
When it came to the Uchiha, he could conjure endless plots and manipulations.
Even now, no one expected that Danzo, supposedly under house arrest, could still find ways to undermine the Uchiha with such subtle precision.
---
Elsewhere in the village, Hiko didn't report to the ninja academy today because Itachi had brought his younger brother Sasuke to the police headquarters.
Sasuke had pestered Itachi nonstop, and eventually, the gentle older brother gave in and took him to meet the Police Force captain.
Bringing someone into the police headquarters without authorization could be seen as a serious violation—especially if it involved minors. Yet for Hiko, this presented a small convenience: he had planned to train Sasuke anyway.
"Senior," Itachi said respectfully as he encountered Hiko in the corridor. He bowed his head slightly, and Sasuke peeked from behind his brother, curiously eyeing Hiko.
"This must be the patriarch's youngest son—Sasuke, correct?" Hiko asked with a narrowed gaze, inspecting the child.
A handsome boy indeed. No wonder so many girls at the academy would one day have a crush on him.
"Sasuke is a good name. Show your brother around, but it's best to leave before the patriarch arrives. You know how strict his temper is," Hiko advised before ruffling Sasuke's hair and walking off into the lounge.
Sasuke blinked in confusion. Sasuke is a good name?
He wasn't sure what that meant, but Itachi's lips twitched in amusement. He understood.
After all, the father of the Third Hokage was also named Sasuke Sarutobi. It was a subtle compliment, a nod to the legacy within the name.
"Brother! Did Senior Hiko just praise me? He said my name sounds cool!" Sasuke beamed, shaking Itachi's arm excitedly.
Itachi chuckled and patted his little brother's head. "Yes. It's the name Father personally gave you."
My silly little brother, he thought fondly.
"Alright, let's get going. If Father finds out we're here, he'll scold both of us."
Fugaku was incredibly strict about professionalism. He didn't even allow family members to loiter at the Police Department, fearing it might cause others to talk.
Bringing Sasuke here had already pushed boundaries. If Fugaku caught wind of it, Itachi would face serious reprimand.
"Let's go!" Sasuke said hurriedly, tugging on Itachi's hand. He was terrified their father might pop out from behind a corner any second.
---
Back in the captain's office, Hiko sat at his desk.
"Captain, your tea," said Izumi, placing a carefully brewed cup of tea on the table, eyes filled with anticipation.
Praise me, her look seemed to say.
Hiko chuckled internally, shaking his head. Pretending not to notice her expectant expression, he lowered his head and sipped his tea.
Izumi's shoulders slumped.
Was I not good enough? she wondered glumly.
"Oh right," Hiko said after a moment. "I just saw Itachi in the hallway. He brought his brother Sasuke to look around. Do you want to go say hello?"
Izumi scoffed and pouted. "We see each other nearly every day. What's there to say?"
Hiko sighed with a wry smile.
She was disappointed because he hadn't praised her tea-making.
She didn't even notice that her earlier infatuation with Itachi had gradually faded.
Without realizing it, she now focused almost entirely on Hiko—watching his every move, hoping for his approval.
---
"Captain! Emergency! There's a major fight in the commercial district. Our patrol team is requesting backup!" Zhiyan burst into the office, panting.
He hadn't even knocked, and the door slammed against the wall, making a loud bang! that startled Izumi. She dropped her paperwork all over the floor.
"A major fight?" Hiko echoed.
And in the commercial district of all places?
The patrol team couldn't handle it?
That was rare.
Most brawls in Konoha were trivial. When even a Chūnin-led team couldn't maintain order, it meant that actual shinobi were involved—and not weak ones.
If it were just civilians, the team would've taken care of it easily.
Each patrol unit consisted of three to six Uchiha, most at Chūnin level. For such a team to be overwhelmed spoke volumes about the scale of the conflict.
And the location… the heart of Konoha's commerce.
A mishandled incident here could trigger political backlash or even hint at internal instability.
Who would be foolish enough to start something now—right after the Daming House scandal?
"Let's move," Hiko ordered, bolting out the door with Zhiyan and Izumi close behind. The rest of the squad followed in formation.
The first district of the commercial zone, normally bustling, was now in chaos.
Dozens of individuals were in an all-out melee in the street, including rogue ninjas.
Shoppers screamed and fled in every direction, panicked by the sheer violence erupting before their eyes…
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