Capítulo 34: Chapter 34: The Cunning Bargain
Chapter 34: The Cunning Bargain
Hiruzen Sarutobi sat at his desk, the familiar scent of smoke lingering in the air. The ANBU had just finished their report, detailing the success of spreading propaganda to paint Naruto in a more neutral or positive light.
"The civilians are starting to shift their views," one of the ANBU reported. "However, we still haven't found the culprits behind the leak of the S-Class secret about the Nine-Tails' sealing."
Hiruzen frowned deeply, his fingers tapping the desk. "Keep an eye on this situation. Do some course corrections if necessary. We must ensure Naruto's protection. If the civilians know, then so do the spies. And if they know, then the other four nations already have this information."
The ANBU nodded before disappearing into the shadows, leaving the old Hokage alone with his thoughts.
_"Danzo,"_ Hiruzen muttered to himself. _"I am sure you're behind this. But why would you spread something so sensitive? You're losing your edge, old friend."_
He sighed. _"If I were 15 years younger, I'd have rooted out his influence and destroyed his connections. But now..."_ His hand tightened into a fist. _"Now I don't have full control over the shinobi or the strength to launch such an assault."_
His musings were interrupted by the setting sun, signaling the end of another long day in the Hokage's office. Tired, he made his way home, greeted by the familiar warmth of Biwako's presence.
"Did Naruto leave after dinner?" Hiruzen asked, the concern in his voice clear.
Biwako shook her head. "No, he never came. When I went to ask him, he said he was doing a survival exercise and wouldn't eat anything cooked."
This piqued Hiruzen's curiosity, and he headed straight for Naruto's room, knocking softly before entering. Naruto was sitting cross-legged on his bed, staring out the window. Without looking at Hiruzen, he asked, "Who are my parents?"
Hiruzen froze, his heart skipping a beat. "Naruto, it's not the right time for—"
"No," Naruto interrupted firmly, turning to face him. "Tell me now."
Hiruzen hesitated, searching for the right words. "It's dangerous for you to know... I can't tell you."
Naruto's eyes narrowed. "Fine. Then at least tell me about my mother. And... teach me a jutsu."
Hiruzen sighed, realizing there was no way out of this. After a long pause, he gave in. "Your mother was Kushina Uzumaki. She was a fierce kunoichi, very beautiful, and she loved you dearly." His voice softened as he recalled the fiery redhead. "She came to Konoha after the fall of Uzushio and was determined to become Hokage."
In Naruto's mindscape, Kushina snorted. _"This old man and his 'Will of Fire' talk."_
Naruto mentally grinned. _"Shh, Mom. Let me enjoy this scene. I want to see how hard he tries to preach the 'Will of Fire' this time."_
As Hiruzen went on, he told a few stories about Kushina that had Naruto laughing and Kushina blushing hard, covering her face in embarrassment in the mindscape. Kurama, meanwhile, was rolling on the floor laughing at her misery.
_"Did he have to bring up the incident where I challenged Minato to a duel and ended up tripping over my own chains?"_ Kushina groaned.
_"Absolutely. It's priceless,"_ Kurama chuckled.
Back in the real world, Naruto wiped away a few tears from laughing too hard, then grew serious again. "Can I have a picture of her?"
"I'll arrange it," Hiruzen said gently.
Naruto nodded before suddenly perking up. "Okay, now that we've talked about that... how about teaching me a jutsu?"
Hiruzen smiled. "Of course. What would you like to learn?"
Naruto didn't hesitate. "Impure World Reincarnation."
The silence in the room was deafening.
Hiruzen's pipe nearly fell from his mouth as he processed Naruto's request. "The... the Impure World Reincarnation? Naruto, where did you hear about that?"
"From your library," Naruto replied with a straight face. "You've got Tobirama Senju's journal just sitting there."
Hiruzen blinked, thoroughly stunned. "Absolutely not!" he exclaimed. "That technique is far too dangerous—"
"Okay, fine then," Naruto interrupted with a sly smile, leaning back against his pillows. "How about you teach me the Multi-Shadow Clone Jutsu instead?"
Hiruzen narrowed his eyes, slowly catching on. This cheeky brat had asked for something outrageous first, fully expecting to be refused, just so he could follow up with his real request. The old man couldn't help but feel a sense of amusement. _As seamless as I was at that age. A worthy successor indeed..._
He chuckled, shaking his head. "You're quite the negotiator, Naruto. Very well. The Multi-Shadow Clone Jutsu it is."
Inwardly, Naruto fist-pumped. _"Got him!"_ he thought, but outwardly, he tried to maintain a more innocent look.
Hiruzen demonstrated the hand seals, and Naruto, with his remarkable talent (and some help from Kushina's knowledge), mastered it on his first try. He created four clones effortlessly.
"Impressive," Hiruzen said, genuinely dumbfounded by how easily Naruto picked up the technique. But what the Hokage didn't know was that Naruto had been secretly practicing the jutsu for months, waiting for the right moment to reveal it.
"Now then," Hiruzen said, standing up, "let's go get some ramen."
---
Later, Naruto sat at Ichiraku Ramen with Hiruzen, devouring his seventh bowl of ramen. Teuchi and Ayame laughed at Naruto's antics as he referred to Teuchi as the "Sage of Noodles."
"Sage of Noodles, huh?" Teuchi laughed heartily. "I like the sound of that!"
The atmosphere was light, and for the first time in a while, Naruto felt a sense of normalcy. After a while, he bid everyone goodnight and headed back to his room, where he quickly fell into a deep sleep.
Inside his mindscape, Kushina's voice echoed softly. "You did great today, sochi."
Kurama, ever the trickster, materialized with a fake Academy Award and handed it to Naruto. "And the award for Best Actor goes to... Naruto Uzumaki!"
Naruto chuckled as he accepted the "award." "Thank you, thank you. I couldn't have done it without my incredible co-stars, Kurama and Mom."
Kurama grinned. "Don't let it go to your head, kid."
Naruto yawned, his eyelids growing heavy. "I'm so tired. I'm going to sleep."
As he drifted off, the voices of his mother and Kurama grew faint, their laughter echoing softly in his dreams.
Status de energia semanal
-- Ranking de
Poder 
-- Pedra de
Poder