Chapter 26. The third Hokage is anxious

"Here, get me two."

"Bring me two of these too."

"Take two of these and wrap them separately."

When Natsuki returned to Eighth Street, Sasuke was buying clothes in a clothing store. Naruto already had several bags in his hands, containing shoes, pants, and more.

Sasuke waved the money and instructed the clerk to run around. As an Uchiha shop, it was impossible not to know Sasuke, the youngest son of the clan leader.

The service was extremely focused, and Sasuke, being generous, never bargained on price and simply bought whatever he liked.

"Bang!" Natsuki hit Sasuke on the head.

"Ouch."

"You kid, how can you buy things like this?"

Sasuke curled his lips in dissatisfaction, then happily handed the items to Naruto and started chatting with him.

It's not that Natsuki is worried about money; the Uchiha family has a thriving business, and they can afford whatever clothes they buy. However, Sasuke must not develop the bad habit of bossing people around.

Naruto looked at the various clothing items with excitement, something he would never have dared to think about. But he was also a little embarrassed.

"Natsuki-senpai, these..."

Natsuki waved his hand. "You're Sasuke's friend, don't say anything else."

Naruto's eyes sparkled, and he nodded enthusiastically.

"Um!..."

"Natsuki-sama." In addition to the clerk, two Uchihas from the security team stood nearby.

"I think you two are too busy." The two Uchiha smiled awkwardly. Sasuke and Naruto, whose status was special, couldn't afford to leave anyone to watch over them.

He also noticed.

He glanced around and saw that it was already getting late. Several ANBU stood at the rooftop corners of the street, keeping a vigilant eye.

"It's getting late, Sasuke, come home with me. Naruto, you go back early too."

"Oh, can I come and play with Sasuke tomorrow?" Naruto asked expectantly.

"Sasuke has something to do these two days, so he can't come out to play."

Naruto looked a little disappointed.

Natsuki smiled and said, "School will start in two days, so we'll see you soon."

"Hehe, yes, school is about to start." Naruto giggled.

"Remember to wear your new clothes for the first day. It's a new start."

"Yeah!" Naruto felt that this was the happiest and most fun day he had experienced in many years.

Natsuki waved to the side: "Kenichi, take Naruto home."

"Yes!" Uchiha Kenichi stood upright.

"Natsuki-senpai, no one needs to see me off, I can find my way home," Naruto said sheepishly.

Natsuki rubbed Naruto's head: "Be obedient. Go back."

"Oh, hehe." Naruto giggled again and held onto his clothes. Kenichi wanted to take Naruto's things, but Naruto resisted.

"Then I'm leaving, Natsuki-senpai! I'm leaving, Sasuke! See you at school!" Naruto, carrying a bunch of things, waved enthusiastically.

He waved his hand: "Go ahead."

Sasuke also waved to Naruto. He had never seen Naruto look so happy.

"Let's go back."

...

"Uchiha Natsuki mentioned that Uzumaki Kushina was kind to her. He just wanted Naruto to eat well and dress well and to let Naruto and Sasuke be good friends."

"According to ANBU's surveillance along the way, Natsuki had no other words or actions."

Sandaime took a drag on his cigarette in frustration. He simply couldn't believe that Natsuki would be so kind.

As for Kushina being kind to him, that happened many years ago, and it was uncertain whether it was true or not.

Kakashi hesitated and said, "Natsuki finally mentioned that in the future, if Naruto thinks Uchiha is better, that is Naruto's business."

The third generation frowned and thought. The Uchiha as a whole had become estranged from Konoha Village.

According to the mission center statistics, the number of Uchiha missions had plummeted.

In addition to the fewer Uchiha ninjas, the remaining Uchiha were also very conservative when taking on tasks.

They collectively lowered their levels and refused to undertake dangerous tasks. Some asked for leave even for critical tasks, leaving Sandaime with nothing to do as others repaired their own houses.

Now Natsuki's sudden contact with the Nine-Tailed Jinchuuriki had made him highly alert. Were the Uchiha preparing to rebel against the village collectively, or even abduct Naruto?

"Lord Hokage, Naruto has been through some hardships these past few years," Kakashi couldn't help but say as he saw the third Hokage pondering.

Sandaime took a puff of his cigarette and asked, "Kakashi, are you blaming me, an old man, for not taking good care of Naruto?"

"Uh..." Although Sandaime's tone was not harsh, Kakashi still bowed and apologized, "It's nothing. The Third Hokage must have your concerns."

The third Hokage nodded, and Kakashi knew he had to remain calm.

He explained to Kakashi earnestly, "Kakashi, there's something you don't know. When the fourth Hokage passed away, everything was left in chaos. There are many ambitious individuals in the village with differing opinions on how to handle the Jinchuuriki, and some even want to imprison Naruto."

"I've fought tirelessly to prevent Naruto from being locked up forever."

"But some people leaked the fact that Naruto is a Jinchuuriki. I could only spread the rumor that he is the son of a demon fox to confuse the public."

"Many villagers lost their families during the Nine-Tails Rebellion, so Naruto has always been targeted."

"As for his identity as the Yondaime's son, outsiders must not know it, because the son of a Hokage who is also a Jinchūriki can easily become a target."

"But over the years, I have frequently visited him to make up for the shortcomings."

The Third Hokage spoke in a somber tone.

Kakashi couldn't help but feel guilty upon learning about his challenges: "I'm very sorry, Hokage-sama. I didn't understand the complexities, and I came here to question you."

Sandaime waved his hands, pretending to understand, "Since Naruto is your teacher's son, I understand that you care about him."

"Well, Naruto had a really tough life in the past. Now, it's unclear why Uchiha is close to Naruto. You can take care of Naruto for a long time in the future."

"Except when Naruto is in school, you should follow him to prevent Uchiha Natsuki from plotting anything. With you watching, I feel at ease."

Kakashi was overjoyed. After hearing what Natsuki said, he felt uneasy. Now, he could take care of Naruto nearby, ensuring that Naruto would not be bullied in the future.

"Then, Third Hokage, am I secretly protecting him?"

Sandai thought for a moment, "You can find an opportunity to get in touch with him, and it's best to become Naruto's teacher."

"Thank you, Hokage-sama." Kakashi appreciated the Third Hokage for taking care of him and arranging such a responsibility.

"Go down."

After Kakashi went down, the third Hokage sighed, resorting to assigning Kakashi to keep an eye on Naruto.

Given the way Uchiha approached Naruto, if they didn't send someone to watch, Naruto might indeed be at risk of abduction.

Kakashi was a persistent supporter of the Hokage, possessing strong abilities and an appropriate status, making him the best candidate.