Konohagakure No Sato :
Hokage Office :
The air inside the office had gone still—especially after watching Uzumaki Naruto's actions for the past hour through the crystal ball.
From scrubbing the floors to doing laundry, collecting trash, and cleaning windows—clumsy, mismatched, and disordered as it all was—the boy's actions were still mind-boggling when measured against his past reputation.
Then, things changed. After finishing his chores, Naruto stood in the middle of his living room and began practicing the Transformation Jutsu.
Measured against Naruto's history—his reputation, his academy record, his chaos—this quiet diligence was wrong.
Then the rhythm shifted.
The Transformation Jutsu.
It failed.
Once.Twice.Again.
The chakra wavered, collapsed, reformed. Progress was slow—painfully incremental. But Naruto didn't stop. He corrected. Adjusted. Tried again.
Finally, the transformation stabilized.
It wasn't complete. His face remained his own, but his hair darkened, and a crude half-mask formed over his features—evoking Kakashi, if only faintly.
Imperfect.
But functional.
Failure followed by correction. Again and again. The pattern spoke louder than talent ever could
There were initial failures, followed by slow, incremental progress. Repeated mistakes were met with steady adaptation. The new transformation wasn't complete .
It was crude, but it worked. The gradual improvement—however small—spoke volumes about the boy's perseverance. Failure after failure, followed by correction, until the jutsu finally held.
Watching the child through the crystal ball, the Third Hokage finally spoke. "What do you both think?"
"As head of the Intelligence Division, I'd classify it as a qualified E-rank jutsu," Inoichi replied calmly.
"Not that, Jōnin Inoichi," the Hokage cut in. "You. Shikaku."
"Ugh... troublesome," the man muttered.
( He dodged it completely and tossed it to me ) Shikaku thought.
"Jōnin Shikaku." The Hokage's voice hardened. His chakra leaked out deliberately—not hostile, but unmistakably authoritative.
Feeling the pressure, the Jōnin Commander groaned before answering. "Too little information, Hokage-sama."
Inoichi nodded. "We can't afford to be hasty in situations like this."
Hearing the counsel of his two most trusted aides, Sarutobi Hiruzen fell silent for a moment. Then, he pushed a previously read intelligence scroll across the desk toward them. "See for yourselves."
The two Jōnin leaned in, reading in earnest. This wasn't just about the Jinchūriki's changes—it was also about the legacy of their fallen friend. Meanwhile, the Third Hokage turned slightly and gave an order to his shadow guards.
"Summon Chūnin Iruka."
The Streets of Konoha :
Meanwhile, in a certain park, a young man in his early twenties with a scar across his nose had finally managed to salvage his date with a mountain of flowers and sweets
. He was roaming happily with his companion, a pretty fellow Chūnin teacher. Just as they were finally able to relax and look for a spot to enjoy each other's company, a cold voice interrupted them.
"Chūnin Iruka."
"Huh?" Looking at the ANBU guard, Iruka had only one thought
( Please... I beg of you, don't )
"The Hokage summons you."
"Ehh?"
Instead of the usual orders to catch Uzumaki Naruto, this was a personal summons. But
( I bet it's still about Naruto ) the teacher thought gloomily.
His date looked bewildered. It wasn't the first time they had been interrupted. Even though it was a direct order from the Hokage, she had reached her limit. With a sharp huff, the girl—a fellow Academy teacher who had already deduced this was about the "demon fox"—simply walked away.
( Forget it ) she thought bitterly
( Mizuki is much better. As long as he changes his hairstyle .......and Iruka is more interested in that fox-monster anyway )
Watching her walk away without even stopping for an explanation, Iruka felt his heart sink. "It's over."
"Chūnin Iruka, Hokage's office. Now." The ANBU's voice softened, but there was a hidden glee in it
( If I am single, then you should be single too, hehehe )
Hearing it, Iruka—who had effectively lost his soul—simply began walking toward the Administration Building, muttering to himself, "At this rate, I will be single... forever."
And so, a soulless Iruka and a gleeful ANBU made their way back to the Hokage's office.
Ichiraku Ramen :
Walking through the streets, Naruto finally experienced a normal walk around Konoha.
With his transformation active, there was no shunning, no obstruction from shopkeepers, and no pointing fingers. There were no mutterings that pierced through his ears to his heart.
After navigating the familiar streets, Naruto finally spotted Ichiraku Ramen.
( I can only sign in once a day, but at the moment, I am really hungry ) he thought.
Going inside the shop, Naruto released his jutsu and took his familiar seat in the empty stall. "Teuchi-jisan!"
"Yo, Naruto! Good morning. What do you need?"
Naruto noticed the clock on the wall; it would soon be 11:00 AM. "Two bowls of Special Ramen!"
"Coming right up!"
Teuchi started working but faintly noticed something different. The usual Naruto would have already started boasting about his exploits and pranks, but now the boy sat in silence, calmly watching the steam rise from the pots.
"Everything okay, Naruto?"
"Hmmm? Yeah, it's good," the blond muttered.
"...Naruto, you can always talk to me, you know."
"Hmm. Teuchi-jisan, do you need more hands around here?" Naruto inquired, finally reaching his main objective.
"Ha! Where did that come from?"
"Well, just asking."
Teuchi paused, looking at him. "Well, sometimes Ayame comes around, but other times it's just me. An extra pair of hands would definitely help. Why? Do you need a job, Naruto?"
( Did he spend all his savings already? )
Teuchi wondered.
( But he didn't eat here... and as for eating anywhere else...)
Teuvhi sighed internally and decided to help the boy. Just then, he heard Naruto's response.
"It's just... I want to learn cooking."
"Cooking?"
"Grandpa and Sensei say it's not healthy to always eat ramen and instant noodles. But Grandpa has his Hokage work, and Iruka-sensei is busy... and you know my situation. So I thought—" Naruto's voice softened and trailed off.
In his head, the real reason was much colder: If I just get up one day and start making food and cutting vegetables, especially when I'm under surveillance, I'm 100% sure the Yamanaka or that one-eyed dragon Danzo will visit at midnight without knocking.
Hearing Naruto's circumstances, Teuchi's heart softened. He placed a steaming bowl in front of the boy and made a decision. "Then you can come help me during these holidays. From 7:00 AM to 12:00 PM."
"Really? Thank you, Teuchi-jisan!"
"All right, all right. Now eat up!"
Naruto's eyes brightened. He let out a cheerful noise and began feasting, his mind already planning the next course of action.
( Acting is so tiring but this time I am genuinely happy. With my mornings busy, no one will question the lack of pranks. I have a legit reason to learn basic chores, and getting a little quieter won't hurt )
Naruto finished his first bowl just as Teuchi placed another in front of him. "Here."
"Thanks, Boss Teuchi!"
Hearing the change in address, Teuchi smiled. "Your main work will be washing dishes with Ayame, but first, we will all have breakfast together where me or Ayame will teach you how to cook."
"Thaankz Bosss!" Naruto slurped, stopping only to reply.
Looking at the small boy, Teuchi decided to probe softly one last time. "Is everything really okay, Naruto?"
Naruto looked bewildered for a split second, then looked Teuchi in the eye. "Hmm. I want to be Hokage."
"Haha, of course! But that's not what I was asking."
Hearing the genuine concern on Uncle Teuchi's face , Naruto remembered Teuchi's care and also the silent support . Naruto took a deep breath and decided to speak.
"...Teacher Iruka says, 'How can one become Hokage if you can't even do basic ninjutsu?'" Naruto's voice took on a serious edge. "I've thought about it. If I want to be Hokage, I have to master the basics first and become first in my class. Iruka-sensei is right. From now on, I will train seriously."
The conviction in his voice—unwavering and calm—brought a different impact not only to Teuchi and the ANBU guards in the rafters but also to the individuals watching through the crystal ball.
==============================
In the Hokage's office, the silence was broken by the sound of the door opening. Iruka stepped inside, looking like a man who had seen his future collapse.
"Hokage-sama," Iruka bowed, his voice hollow. "You... you wanted to see me?"
Hiruzen didn't answer immediately. He gestured toward the crystal ball where Naruto was currently finishing his third bowl—the one "on the house."
"Listen," Hiruzen commanded.
The speakers in the office played back Naruto's words: "...From now on, I will train seriously to become Hokage."
"Did you hear that, Iruka?" Hiruzen asked, not turning around.
"Yes, Hokage-sama," Iruka whispered, his voice trembling. "He... he said that because of me?.........I... I didn't think Naruto was listening that closely."
"He was always listening, Iruka," Shikaku remarked, crossing his arms. "The difference is that now, he's acting on it. Look at his exit."
On the crystal ball, Naruto stood up, bowed politely to Teuchi—a gesture so un-Naruto-like that it made Inoichi raise an eyebrow—and the Naruto walked out into the street. He didn't run. He didn't shout. He walked with a relax, purposeful gait toward the Academy training grounds.
"He's avoiding the crowded residential areas," Inoichi noted. "He's maintaining the transformation he used earlier. Lord Third, this level of tactical awareness in a boy his age... it's as if he finally started to notice "
"Or perhaps," Hiruzen mused, "the weight of the village's gaze finally forced him to grow a shell. Iruka, what is your assessment of his academic standing?"
Iruka straightened his vest. "Poor, Hokage-sama. His chakra control is abysmal, and his focus is non-existent. But if he truly intends to 'master the basics' as he said... if he applies the same energy he used for pranking into his studies..."
"Then we may finally see the sprout bloom," Hiruzen finished. "I want a full report on his first day at Ichiraku. And I want the ANBU to maintain a respectful distance. If he is trying to be 'normal,' let us not remind him of his cage more than necessary."
Inoichi stepped forward. "Hokage-sama, if Naruto is truly trying to 'reset' his life, we have a window of opportunity. But if this is a defensive mechanism against the village's hatred, he might be closing himself off from everyone except those he trusts—like Teuchi and Iruka."
The Third Hokage leaned back, his pipe forgotten
. "Iruka, you are no longer just his teacher. I want you to monitor his progress . Don't interfere, but support him. If the boy wants to master the basics, we will give him the room to do so........Also don't approach unless Naruto moves first "
As Iruka nodded fervently, Naruto stepped out of the ramen shop, wiping his mouth. He looked up at the carved faces on the monument, specifically the Fourth Hokage.
.