Chapter 37: The Beginning of the Shopping
Stepping forward with the dignity brought by leadership, Fugaku respectfully bowed his head.
"I have heard your request, Hokage-sama. I have come to escort you personally."
Then, gesturing to his wife Mikoto beside him, he added,
"With your permission, my wife Mikoto will also accompany us on this walk."
Mikoto bowed respectfully, greeting the elderly leader.
"Hokage-sama."
Smiling with the warmth of the old days, Hiruzen stroked his white beard.
"It has been a long time, Mikoto. It is no problem; in fact, it is much better that you accompany us."
As soon as the Hokage finished his words, he gave a slight wave of his hand. At that moment, the ANBU guards hidden within the shadows instantly and silently fell into formation behind Hiruzen. Eyes sparkling, Naruto watched this sudden appearance with awe. Adopting a serious demeanor, Hiruzen began issuing his orders.
"Bear, Puma. The two of you will accompany me, but walk behind me without drawing attention. Let us not create unnecessary unrest within the borders of the Uchiha clan."
After a brief silence, he turned to the remaining squad and continued in a resolute tone.
"The rest of you... If those three fossils waiting in the back attempt to come all this way and cause a scene at the clan borders, remove them from here immediately before the Uchiha ninjas have a chance to intervene."
Then, he shifted his gaze to the Raccoon-masked ANBU, one of the experienced surviving soldiers from Sakumo's Wolf Squad.
"Raccoon. If that stubborn, one-eyed friend of mine pushes the boundaries too far and tries to involve ROOT, stop them at all costs. But do not kill them. Just... beat them to the brink of death."
Raccoon was exceedingly pleased to hear this order. He balled his right hand into a fist and slammed it hard into his left palm. The sharp cracking sound of his knuckles shattered the silence.
CRACK! CRACK!
"Finally! Understood, Hokage-sama. I will absolutely not let them pass this point."
Standing right next to Raccoon, the Sparrow-masked female ANBU chuckled softly behind her mask.
"I hope they put up a little resistance."
The moment Hiruzen waved his hand again, the ANBU scattered into the surroundings with the speed of a shadow, just as they had arrived. While Naruto watched everything unfold in sheer admiration, Fugaku, Akira, and Mikoto could not hide their astonishment at such a harsh order being given against Danzo, and by the Hokage himself no less. Hiruzen, however, acting as if nothing had happened, turned to Fugaku along with the two ANBU behind him.
"Alright, Fugaku. Let's go."
Then he turned and smiled at Naruto, who was looking at everything happening beside him with amazed and equally admiring eyes.
"Go on, Naruto, go and do your shopping with your Aunt Mikoto. Puma will go with you as well. Fugaku and I will escort you right from behind."
After nodding excitedly at this news, Naruto looked at Mikoto with curious eyes. Giving him a warm smile, Mikoto tilted her head to the side.
As the group stepped into the clan compound under the piercing glares of the three elderly advisors left outside the gates, Altay took a deep breath within the mental seal space, spreading his arms wide and stretching. He had finally taken revenge for the disgusting treatment Naruto had been subjected to on the streets this morning. He no longer needed to interfere with the boy.
"Yes! I feel a bit more relaxed now!"
Then, turning his head curiously, he looked at Kurama, who had literally collapsed into the massage chair in the corner. The poor giant fox had been drained to a pulp from reading Uzumaki history. He was lounging on the chair, muttering to himself.
"Bring me manga... manga... just manga..."
Knowing the torture of studying all too well, upon seeing the fox in this state, Altay completely shelved the idea of mentioning heavy science subjects like mathematics, chemistry, physics, and biology to him. Minato and Kushina would have to handle those parts. For the legendary Nine-Tailed Demon Fox could barely handle even this much of a burden; after merely two hours of reading, he had practically turned into a decrepit old man.
"Hey... Are you alright?"
Kurama only let out a heavy sigh and rubbed his throbbing head with his giant paw.
"Good thing I'm not human... and good thing I'm not a human in that bizarre world of yours... I understand perfectly well now why you all hate studying..."
Altay chuckled sheepishly and scratched the back of his neck.
"Hahaha... Alright, you're right. Just focus on history for now. Minato and Kushina will handle the sealing subjects and the other matters anyway. It's enough even if you only explain a portion of the history. The most important thing is that you try to get closer to Naruto and become his friend."
Kurama glared at Altay with resentful and exhausted eyes.
"If that's the case, why don't you do it?"
Altay shrugged nonchalantly.
"I don't have the time. I've already lost enough time today sorting out Naruto's affairs. I need to get back to my own training."
While Kurama grumbled, unsatisfied with this answer, Altay turned and stepped toward his library, which contained dozens of scrolls related to chakra theories. He cast a troubled glance at the massive shelves overflowing with books and rolled-up writings.
"I have all these books, I've stored the knowledge of the world, yet I still haven't learned how to use this damn chakra properly..."
As Altay pulled out yet another scroll with a growing headache, in the outside world, Naruto was walking right beside Mikoto in the Uchiha compound, looking left and right with great curiosity. Mikoto, on the other hand, was experiencing great astonishment inwardly. Why had the Hokage suddenly brought Naruto here? Moreover, why had he allowed her to personally escort him? Weren't those stubborn advisors left outside definitely going to make an issue out of this situation? However, thanks to this permission granted directly by the Hokage himself right now, she suppressed all these political questions gnawing at her mind and, pasting a sincere smile on her face, bent down to Naruto's level.
"What do you want to buy, Naruto?"
Naruto was startled for a moment by this sincere question. Throughout his life, no one had ever approached him with such warmth and affection, aside from the Third Hokage, Uncle Teuchi at Ichiraku Ramen, and his daughter Ayame. Not knowing how to answer or how to act in that moment, he did the only logical thing that came to mind.
'Big brother! What should I buy?'
In the sealed space within his inner world, Altay, having fixed his eyes on the scroll in his hand, answered without even lifting his head.
"Tell her that you have absolutely nothing to eat at home except frozen ramen. You need to buy not just food, but cleaning supplies as well."
Right then, another important detail came to his mind, and he added.
"Also, tell her that you want to buy some new clothes to wear, but leave that part entirely up to her. Mikoto knows well what you should get for your age. If necessary, I will intervene from here and tell you what to buy and what not to buy."
Then, adding a tender tone to his voice, he smiled.
"Besides the basic necessities, buy whatever else you're craving, but don't overdo it with the junk food. You're in your growing years; it's bad for your health."
Listening to all this carefully, Naruto was just about to do exactly as Altay said when a very important thing that worried him came to his mind.
'Big brother... that's all well and good, but will the money I have on me be enough for all that?'
Altay chuckled at the boy's innocent worry.
"Don't fret about that part at all, kid. The Hokage is right behind us. Either Fugaku on behalf of his clan or the Hokage directly out of his own pocket will back you up. Not a single ryo might even come out of your pocket."
Before finishing his words, he gave a cunning reminder.
"By the way, weren't you supposed to be looking for your mother's friend? Pay attention to your surroundings and those beside you as you walk~"
Naruto's eyes widened like saucers, and he grabbed his head.
'Ah! That's right, I completely forgot! Okay, I will definitely find that person too! Dattebayo!'
Eavesdropping on this dialogue in the seal room, Kurama grunted unhappily as he adjusted the giant ice pack on his head. That intense mental exhaustion brought on by studying history was still lingering over him.
"Why are you playing such a convoluted game with the boy, Altay? Just tell him directly. The person he's looking for is Mikoto, and she's walking right next to him at this very moment."
Altay chuckled.
"If he can't figure it out by the end of our tour, I'll tell him anyway. But I want him to notice and understand this for himself. This is excellent social training for him to learn how people look at him and how to distinguish genuine affection from the fake."
Kurama rolled his giant eyes.
"The boy is only three years old, Altay! Yet you are pushing him too hard by expecting a level of perception far beyond his years."
Altay simply shrugged with complete ease.
"This world is not one of the normal worlds you saw in my mind, Kurama. Remember that during the Warring States period, children Naruto's age were handed weapons and already sent onto the battlefields. Moreover, there are plenty of children in this world who are forced to mature at a very early age. Besides, I am explaining everything to Naruto in the simplest and most understandable way, so he isn't struggling much mentally."
Then, taking a deep breath, his voice turned serious.
"Furthermore, the earlier we teach him to mature and to read this world, the better it will be for him. I don't fully know yet how much my presence in this world will alter the timeline or what it might trigger. Do not forget the butterfly effect, Kurama. Perhaps, solely because of my interventions here, Zetsu or the Akatsuki might make their move much earlier than we expect. We must be prepared."
As Kurama silently sighed, inwardly accepting the validity of this logical explanation; in the outside world, Naruto softened his gaze and turned to Mikoto.
"Big sister Mikoto... There is absolutely nothing but frozen ramen in my house. I was going to buy ingredients to cook with... And also items for cleaning... Ah! And some new clothes too!"
Mikoto was inwardly saddened both by the fact that such a tiny child had nothing but ramen in his home, and by this cruel embargo imposed on him by the village merchants. But at the same time, surprised by what she heard, she asked.
"You're going to cook? Do you know how to cook at such a young age?"
Blushing slightly, Naruto scratched his head.
"No, sister, I don't know how to yet... But I'll learn somehow in order to live. After all, I can't survive by eating nothing but ramen my whole life..."
Mikoto felt a deep ache for this little boy trying to hold onto life all by himself. In truth, she was his godmother; Kushina had entrusted him to her, placing infinite trust in her regarding this matter. However, due to the tension and distrust between the Uchiha clan and the village administration, Mikoto's hands had always remained tied. But now, in a completely unexpected turn, the Hokage had personally granted her this permission, perhaps if only for this one time. With determination filling her heart, she swore to make today as beautiful and unforgettable as possible for Naruto. She had even begun to formulate a plan in her mind: she would ask for special permission from the Hokage at least once a month, and while Naruto wasn't home, she would send over fresh ingredients and cooked meals. But for now, she just needed to focus on this moment, on Naruto's beautiful day. Mikoto looked at him with her warmest, most motherly smile.
"Alright then! Don't worry at all, Naruto, I will help you with the shopping."
Naruto was taken aback by this unconditional and warm affection, something he was feeling for the first time in his life. In the depths of his heart, a vast and indescribable warmth spread, unlike anything he had ever felt before. Overcome by that intensity of emotion, a sentence accidentally slipped from his mouth.
"Sister... Are you a beautiful angel?"
Mikoto chuckled and laughed at this unexpected, sweet compliment.
"Hahaha... Who knows, maybe I am. Do you think I'm beautiful?"
Blushing, Naruto nodded. He was embarrassed, but because he was experiencing a moment of not being ostracized and actually receiving love for the first time in his life, he was also feeling an indescribable happiness...