9 Сhapter 9

- You still haven't told me about my parents, old man. I muttered, laying down on the bed. - Why should I wait for you now? - I drawled, acting out my childish resentment. Although I didn't play that much, the boy's memory affected me.… And his main problem, no matter what he thought, was loneliness and lack of parental care. In this regard, I was really a little offended for the kid, whose place I have recently occupied.

- You're talking about it again, Naruto. - Sighing heavily, the third Hokage grunted. - I've already told you, this question doesn't make sense. You can't bring the dead back, and I'm not the best storyteller to tell you about it. Grandpa grumbled, making me wince inwardly. Apparently, the old man really didn't really know how to communicate with children. Such a formulation of the original Naruto would only provoke him more, but would not stop him from asking questions in any way.

"But you knew my parents. So, you can at least tell me something about them ... - I continued to be stubborn, rather simply because of the need to support the chosen role. Well, for a better understanding of my interlocutor, nevertheless, in the presence of an unintelligent child, even such a bison had to relax his vigilance somewhat, letting a little more sincere emotions into the light. This is always the case, adults subconsciously do not expect danger from a child, which is why they behave with children, as a rule, much more openly and honestly.

- Naruto… I really knew your parents, just like most other Konoha shinobi. That's why it's difficult for me to tell you anything about them ... - The elderly Shinobi found an answer, apparently realizing that I would not leave him so easily. This is for other Shinobi that is a leader and authority, but I am a simple child, I don't care about all these statuses from a high bell tower.

- Still, I was forced to retreat, secretly rejoicing at the end of this stage of the conversation. - So why did you come, old man? I immediately asked, not giving the brave Hokage too much time to think… Well, I was also bursting with curiosity about what this time this old man came to a harmless and completely unremarkable orphan. I was so interested in this question that I couldn't even contain the emotions rushing out, quite sincerely gushing with emotions.

- Huh. - Proudly lifting his chin, the old man chuckled. "I didn't come to you empty-handed this time. - Taking out a small box from a deep pocket of his robe, the old man said... - Even if it's a little early… But you can consider it my birthday present. - Handing me an unremarkable box that turned out to be quite weighty, even if it didn't look like it, the old man said. At the same time, I almost felt his curious gaze with my skin, with which he began to observe how I opened my gift…

- Thanks, old man… this is a very cool gift. - I sincerely thanked the Hokage, having found in the box a full set of throwing iron - a dozen kunai and fifteen shurikens… The very minimum that Shinobi is obliged to carry with him on a mission, we have already been told about this even at the academy. At the same time, the weapons from the set presented to me looked just fine. Not to compare with the cheap stuff that Naruto sometimes found in the local forests.

- You're welcome, Naruto. The old man smiled gently at me, apparently satisfied with my reaction. - Such things are needed by every Shinobi, to whom, no doubt, you will soon

time will become ... - Continuing to beam with contentment, the old man drawled… That's just at the end of his own words, Hiruzen suddenly removed the soft smile from his face, becoming somewhat more serious. - Speaking of which… Naruto, Iruka told me that you have learned to feel your chakra. It's true? The old man looked into my eyes with some concern and asked seriously.

- yes. I nodded, suddenly picking up the mood of my own interlocutor. - So far, I can't clearly feel it at normal times… But during meditations, I can clearly feel my chakra. - I answered somewhat confusingly, at the end of the conversation having already lost all my serious attitude and becoming just a joyful child. - It seems that I even begin to feel the chakra circulation system gradually... - I added a little less happily at the end, realizing that my words somewhat puzzled and surprised the old man.

- Yeah ... - suddenly exhaled the third Hokage. - You surprised me, Naruto… Nowadays, few people use meditation to feel their own chakra. And it's not so easy to do it. - The man reasoned seriously enough, making me somewhat nervous. It seems to me that I did something wrong by doing all these meditations.

- I tried a lot of things in order to feel the chakra… But it turned out in the end only with meditations. And then after two months of trying. - Somewhat hesitating, I drawled, under the examining gaze of the old man. Although, I hesitated not at all because of Hiruzen's views. The old man looked at me too calmly and kindly… I would even say that he looked at me with some concern about me. Well, or at least that's how I felt his gaze.

- Why did you try to feel your chakra at all? After a few years at the academy, they were supposed to help you with this anyway? The old man suddenly asked me. "Or didn't you even know about it?" - He immediately clarified, apparently, for the time being discarding his own feelings about me. However, the questions he voiced were not the best alternative to the previously shown concern. Fortunately, I was already waiting for the answer to these questions, having thought out the answers to the most obvious questions in advance.

- I knew… The librarian immediately told me about it when I came to get books on this topic… But I didn't want to wait a few years. - Embarrassed and looking away, I replied. - It became too interesting to feel my own chakra... and I was already kind of tired of getting hit in the face. - Continuing to avoid other people's eyes, I added. Although I probably blurted out the last one in vain. The Hokage's grunt was too expressive at this point.

- Naruto, I understand you… But still, I will ask you not to use the chakra during fights for now. This is dangerous primarily for yourself. Abruptly lowering his voice and becoming completely serious, the old man addressed me. - You have not yet fully formed the chakrosystem and the tanketsu. Too sharp a release of the chakra can harm you. - For greater impressiveness, the man explained, although I would not violate his request anyway. That's just his last words were still able to impress me… After all, I have recently tried to cause this chakra release in myself on my own.

- But it was said in the scrolls that with the help of strong chakra emissions, you can feel your chakra as a whole. I even tried to cause such an outburst in myself... - I immediately voiced my thoughts, a little scared… And remembering at the same time that I'm not the most ordinary Shinobi. There's a huge fox demon sitting in my stomach, that's it. And it definitely affects something…

- And I'm glad that you didn't manage to do it... - the old man said seriously. - You see, Naruto, you have quite a lot of chakra and without proper control over this chakra, you can accidentally harm yourself ... Although, of course, such volumes of chakra at your age is already a kind of achievement. - The old man explained, at the end, suddenly, praising me. Apparently, he saw my overloaded pug and decided to cheer up a little…

- And what should I do?.. Don't use your chakra at all? I asked somewhat dejectedly. Although this depression was rather external, the Hokage's words about the amount of my chakra did not make me so happy, because the original Naruto in the series took out his opponents, often only due to the huge amount of chakra and shadow cloning techniques.

- No, just be careful and don't overexert yourself... and a little later I'll ask Iruka to pick up some chakra control scrolls for you. I think it will help you, and in the future it will be easier for you to control..." The old man even drawled thoughtfully, but I definitely liked the way he thought. What I told him about with my very happy little dog…

And with that, my conversation with the current Hokage could be considered over. Of course, we chatted a little more, Hiruzen told me a little about the chakra, and about the fact that more of this chakra is not always good… In general, the old man was engaged in educating the younger generation, which at some point was replaced by the walls of Ichiraku. My stomach, as always, decided to remind me of myself at the most inopportune moment.

Fortunately, the old man himself decided to treat me, immediately winning my favor with this action. Although I did not feel any particular negativity towards our Hokage, sensibly assessing his actions and any concern for me. And even the knowledge gained from watching anime a long time ago did not change my attitude to Hiruzen much.… He was dangerous, but he didn't do me any direct harm. Even his promise to my father, to some extent, fulfilled, even if not without selfish motives…