Adressing A Plot Hole. P.1

Yes, there's so many contrived situations and this is one of them, time to solve it quickly.

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The Hokage's office felt quieter than usual, the soft rustling of papers the only sound accompanying the weight of Naruto's sighs. He sat slumped in his chair, eyes staring blankly at the endless pile of documents that seemed to multiply each day. His mind, however, was elsewhere, still lingering on Boruto's heated words from earlier. The boy's frustration was becoming harder to ignore, and Naruto couldn't shake the growing sense of guilt that weighed heavily on him. Himawari's birthday… I can't miss it this time.

Before he could dwell too long on the thought, the door creaked open, breaking the silence. Naruto blinked, snapping back to reality as a figure stepped into the room. Dressed in his usual black pants and sweater, the upper half of his face concealed by his iconic mask, Arsene entered with his characteristic intensity.

"Hello, Sir!" Arsene greeted, standing rigid and offering a sharp salute. His voice, though formal, carried a certain edge—calculated, maybe even slightly mocking.

Naruto, shaking off his lingering thoughts, raised his head and sighed lightly. "Yes, hello, Arsene. You don't have to do this every time," he replied, a small smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. Arsene's formality was almost amusing, especially given the boy's usual aloofness. Why does he always act like this with me? Naruto wondered.

Despite being assigned a temporary supervisor—Anko, who had taken on the role with some reluctance—Arsene had insisted on reporting directly to Naruto whenever possible. His reasoning was always the same: respect for the Hokage. But Naruto had his suspicions. There was more to it than that.

"I have to show you my greatest respect, Sir," Arsene responded, his tone as crisp as ever. And I might kill myself if I have to talk to that blob again. The latter thought, of course, remained unsaid, though it crossed Arsene's mind with a mix of annoyance and dread. Anko, in her current state, was far from the sharp, formidable kunoichi she had once been, and Arsene found her... grating, to put it mildly.

Naruto raised an eyebrow, sensing a faint trace of malice in Arsene's words. It wasn't directed at him, though. It was subtle, but Naruto could feel that the resentment stemmed from the arrangement itself. Makes sense, Naruto thought, Arsene's a genius, but without a proper Jonin teacher... He frowned slightly, thinking of Anko. She was competent, of course, but not in her fittest state—especially not for someone with Arsene's abilities.

Naruto leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms. "Well, considering the situation, I assume you'll do your best in the Chunin Exams," he said with a smile. The Chunin Exams were always a special event for Naruto—one of his fondest memories. He had passed on his first try, though it had been a chaotic and life-changing experience. Boruto's going to be in them too... he thought briefly, though the smile on his face faltered just slightly.

"I'll make sure to annihilate the competition, sir!" Arsene replied, his eyes glinting with a rare flicker of excitement behind the mask. The feeling was unfamiliar, like a spark of joy buried beneath his usual cold exterior. Is this… happiness? Arsene wondered, feeling a surge of adrenaline. He didn't often allow himself to experience emotions so openly, but the thought of testing himself against others in the Chunin Exams brought an undeniable thrill. It wasn't about proving himself to anyone—he didn't care for recognition—but the challenge, the fight… that was something he could relish.

Naruto waved him away, the momentary joy he'd felt at reminiscing about the exams now fading, replaced by his ever-present sense of duty. His gaze drifted back to the paperwork, the heavy burden of leadership weighing down on him once again. So much to do… always so much to do.

Arsene reached the door, his hand on the handle, but paused before stepping out. He wasn't one to care about other people's emotions—his own feelings were difficult enough to handle—but even he could sense the melancholy hanging around the Hokage. It wasn't his style to offer advice, but… he owed Naruto everything. The Hokage had taken him in, given him a place in the village when no one else would.

"Sir," Arsene said, his voice cutting through the silence. Naruto looked up, surprised by the interruption. "I'd suggest going to your daughter's party. It's not like anyone will blame you for it."

The words hung in the air for a moment. Arsene wasn't one for sentiment, but there was a cold truth to what he said. Family… it was something Naruto had always cherished, but lately, his responsibilities as Hokage seemed to eclipse everything else. His heart ached at the thought of disappointing Himawari again.

Arsene lingered for a brief second longer before stepping through the door, his presence quickly fading into the hallway. As he walked, a sense of grim humor settled over him. He hadn't even wanted the invitation to Himawari's birthday—he was hardly the type for social events. And yet, there it was, a pastel-colored envelope tucked away in his belongings, signed with a flourish by none other than Sumire.

Sumire… The thought of her made his blood boil. She had somehow secured blackmail against him, a fact that gnawed at his pride. Arsene still hadn't managed to track down what she had on him, but the worst part was that she'd sent him the invitation. Of all people, her… he thought with irritation. He had barely spoken to anyone in Boruto's class, except for the occasional insults and dismissals—"Leave me alone," "Screw off," or "Go die,"—but somehow, Sumire had managed to draw him into this.

Back in the Office – Naruto's Struggle

Naruto sat in the quiet of his office, Arsene's words echoing in his mind. My daughter's party… It was such a simple thing, but in the world Naruto now lived in, even the simplest moments felt out of reach.

He glanced at the picture of his family on his desk—Himawari's smiling face beaming back at him. The weight of his responsibilities pressed down harder. Konoha wasn't just a village anymore; it was the largest hub on the entire ninja continent. The paperwork alone was endless. Running the village felt more like running an entire government, and Naruto had taken on that burden, willingly, for the sake of peace.

But it was starting to cost him. He had already felt the strain with Boruto. His son's angry words still stung, but they weren't entirely wrong. My family... or my dream. It was a choice he never thought he'd have to make, but now it felt like he was losing both.

With a heavy sigh, Naruto leaned back in his chair, staring at the ceiling. I can't be everywhere... I can't be everything. And yet, as Hokage, he was expected to be exactly that—strong, present, and always prepared to protect Konoha.

His thoughts drifted back to Arsene, the strange, detached boy who had walked into his office moments ago. Annihilate the competition... Naruto couldn't help but chuckle at Arsene's confidence, though he knew the boy meant it. Arsene had been through a lot, yet he never showed it—not like Boruto, who wore his emotions on his sleeve. Arsene, in contrast, was a mystery—always calculating, always distant.

I should take his advice. Naruto's gaze shifted to the clock. Himawari's birthday was coming soon, and he couldn't afford to miss it again. Maybe… maybe this time I can make it.

...

The Hokage's office felt quieter than usual, the soft rustling of papers the only sound accompanying the weight of Naruto's sighs. He sat slumped in his chair, eyes staring blankly at the endless pile of documents that seemed to multiply each day. His mind, however, was elsewhere, still lingering on Boruto's heated words from earlier. The boy's frustration was becoming harder to ignore, and Naruto couldn't shake the growing sense of guilt that weighed heavily on him. Himawari's birthday… I can't miss it this time.

Before he could dwell too long on the thought, the door creaked open, breaking the silence. Naruto blinked, snapping back to reality as a figure stepped into the room. Dressed in his usual black pants and sweater, the upper half of his face concealed by his iconic mask, Arsene entered with his characteristic intensity.

"Hello, Sir!" Arsene greeted, standing rigid and offering a sharp salute. His voice, though formal, carried a certain edge—calculated, maybe even slightly mocking.

Naruto, shaking off his lingering thoughts, raised his head and sighed lightly. "Yes, hello, Arsene. You don't have to do this every time," he replied, a small smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. Arsene's formality was almost amusing, especially given the boy's usual aloofness. Why does he always act like this with me? Naruto wondered.

Despite being assigned a temporary supervisor—Anko, who had taken on the role with some reluctance—Arsene had insisted on reporting directly to Naruto whenever possible. His reasoning was always the same: respect for the Hokage. But Naruto had his suspicions. There was more to it than that.

"I have to show you my greatest respect, Sir," Arsene responded, his tone as crisp as ever. And I might kill myself if I have to talk to that blob again. The latter thought, of course, remained unsaid, though it crossed Arsene's mind with a mix of annoyance and dread. Anko, in her current state, was far from the sharp, formidable kunoichi she had once been, and Arsene found her... grating, to put it mildly.¹

Naruto raised an eyebrow, sensing a faint trace of malice in Arsene's words. It wasn't directed at him, though. It was subtle, but Naruto could feel that the resentment stemmed from the arrangement itself.

Makes sense, Naruto thought, Arsene's a genius, but without a proper Jonin teacher... He frowned slightly, thinking of Anko. She was competent, of course, but not in her fittest state—especially not for someone with Arsene's abilities.

Naruto leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms. "Well, considering the situation, I assume you'll do your best in the Chunin Exams," he said with a smile. The Chunin Exams were always a special event for Naruto—one of his fondest memories. He had passed on his first try, though it had been a chaotic and life-changing experience. Boruto's going to be in them too... he thought briefly, though the smile on his face faltered just slightly.

"I'll make sure to annihilate the competition, sir!" Arsene replied, his eyes glinting with a rare flicker of excitement behind the mask. The feeling was unfamiliar, like a spark of joy buried beneath his usual cold exterior.

Is this… happiness? Arsene wondered, feeling a surge of adrenaline. He didn't often allow himself to experience emotions so openly, but the thought of testing himself against others in the Chunin Exams brought an undeniable thrill. It wasn't about proving himself to anyone—he didn't care for recognition—but the challenge, the fight… that was something he could relish.

Naruto waved him away, the momentary joy he'd felt at reminiscing about the exams now fading, replaced by his ever-present sense of duty. His gaze drifted back to the paperwork, the heavy burden of leadership weighing down on him once again. So much to do… always so much to do.

Arsene reached the door, his hand on the handle, but paused before stepping out. He wasn't one to care about other people's emotions—his own feelings were difficult enough to handle—but even he could sense the melancholy hanging around the Hokage. It wasn't his style to offer advice, but… he owed Naruto everything. The man had taken him in, given him a place in the village when no one else would.

"Sir," Arsene said, his voice cutting through the silence. Naruto looked up, surprised by the interruption. "I'd suggest going to your daughter's party. It's not like anyone will blame you for it."

The words hung in the air for a moment. Arsene wasn't one for sentiment, but there was a cold truth to what he said. Family… was something Naruto had always cherished, but lately, his responsibilities as Hokage seemed to eclipse everything else. His heart ached at the thought of disappointing Himawari again.

Arsene lingered for a brief second longer before stepping through the door, his presence quickly fading into the hallway. As he walked, a sense of grim humor settled over him.

He hadn't even wanted the invitation to Himawari's birthday—he was hardly the type for social events. And yet, there it was, a pastel-colored envelope tucked away in his belongings, signed with a flourish by none other than Sumire.

Sumire… The thought of her made his blood boil. She had blackmail against him, a fact that gnawed at his pride. Arsene still hadn't managed to track down what she had on him, but the worst part was that she'd sent him the invitation.

Of all people, her… he thought with irritation. He had barely spoken to anyone in Boruto's class, except for the occasional insults and dismissals—"Leave me alone," "Screw off," or "Go die,"—but somehow, Sumire had managed to draw him into this.

Naruto sat in the quiet of his office, Arsene's words echoing in his mind. My daughter's party… It was such a simple thing, but in the world Naruto now lived in, even the simplest moments felt out of reach.

He glanced at the picture of his family on his desk—Himawari's smiling face beaming back at him. The weight of his responsibilities pressed down harder. Konoha wasn't just a village anymore; it was the largest hub on the entire ninja continent. The paperwork alone was endless. Running the village felt more like running an entire government, and Naruto had taken on that burden, willingly, for the sake of peace.

But it was starting to cost him. He had already felt the strain with Boruto. His son's angry words still stung, but they weren't entirely wrong. My family... or my dream. It was a choice he never thought he'd have to make, but now it felt like he was losing both.

With a heavy sigh, Naruto leaned back in his chair, staring at the ceiling. I can't be everywhere... I can't be everything. And yet, as Hokage, he was expected to be exactly that—strong, present, and always prepared to protect Konoha.

His thoughts drifted back to Arsene, the strange, detached boy who had walked into his office moments ago. Annihilate the competition... Naruto couldn't help but chuckle at Arsene's confidence, though he knew the boy meant it. Arsene had been through a lot, yet he never showed it—not like Boruto, who wore his emotions on his sleeve. Arsene, in contrast, was a mystery—always calculating, always distant.

I should take his advice. Naruto's gaze shifted to the clock. Himawari's birthday was coming soon, and he couldn't afford to miss it again. Maybe… maybe this time I can make it.

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[Auther: I'm BOLDED NOW! The power...it's not much but it does focus your attention here right?]

Bab 12: Adressing A Plot Hole. P.1

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Bab 12: Adressing A Plot Hole. P.1

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