The Gaze of the Third Generation

Hokage Building, Hokage's Office.

It was dusk outside the window, and the office was filled with smoke.

A large number of files are piled up on the table, waiting to be processed.

The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, put down his pipe, closed his eyes, and rubbed his throbbing temples.

"Getting old..."

He uttered a brief sigh, then skillfully took out the crystal ball and used the telescope technique.

A blurry, bespectacled, blond figure appeared in the crystal ball.

For a moment, the Third Generation even mistook the figure for the wrong person.

Only after staring wide-eyed for a moment could the Third Hokage confirm that the boy before him was indeed Naruto.

The third generation almost dropped the expensive crystal because his hand trembled.

What happened? How could Naruto have changed so much in just a few days?

Naruto inside the crystal didn't shout or yell as usual.

Instead, he was dressed in a blue outfit, wearing glasses, and flipping through a book.

The setting sun shone on his golden hair, making the third generation feel a little dazed.

"call……"

The Third Hokage exhaled a smoke ring.

"They look so alike."

It hadn't been apparent before.

But the current Naruto, whether it's his face or his calm demeanor, is too similar to Minato Namikaze.

"Is this the power of bloodline?"

The third generation murmured to themselves, a feeling of indescribable guilt welling up in their hearts.

All along, due to the political maneuvering within the village, this was also to prevent the human spirit from being exploited by specific forces.

He could only adopt a laissez-faire attitude towards Naruto.

Even during Naruto's childhood, no one should be allowed to get too close to him.

He had thought Naruto would only ever be a prankster.

After graduation, you will gain a bond with the village from your companions, and then gradually grow into an excellent ninja through missions.

But now, inside the crystal ball is a boy who is more self-disciplined and more outstanding than his peers.

Instead, it made the third generation feel like a complete failure.

"Perhaps I should have paid more attention to him earlier, so he could have become an excellent ninja sooner..."

But then, a doubt arose in the third generation.

"But... this drastic change in temperament could not have happened naturally. Was it influenced by others, or... the Nine-Tails?"

The Third Hokage took a deep drag on his pipe, his eyes becoming profound.

Meanwhile, the root base.

Danzo Shimura sat in the shadows, holding a newly delivered intelligence report in his hand.

The contents are about a series of major changes that have recently occurred to Naruto.

"snort."

Danzo snorted coldly, casually destroying the scroll, his single eye flashing with a cold light.

In the eyes of the Third Hokage, the change in Naruto might be that he suddenly "became sensible".

But in Danzo's eyes, Naruto had only learned to pretend.

A nine-tailed fox that shouts and yells is a piece of trash that can be manipulated at will.

But if this monster learns to disguise himself, to be patient, and to silently grow stronger, then he will become a sharp weapon.

This weapon has the potential to destroy the enemy, but it can also harm the user.

"Have you learned to hide your true feelings...?"

Danzo tapped the armrest of the chair lightly with his fingers.

"This calm demeanor is a natural fit for Gen."

"Hiruzen is too weak. The Nine-Tails' unstable power must be in the hands of someone who truly knows how to use it."

"Weapons don't need to learn to think; they should be instilled with the right will from the very beginning!"

……

Naruto walked to the intersection on his way home from school, looking around with some surprise.

That strange feeling came back again.

Although he couldn't see it, he could feel that there seemed to be an invisible gaze watching him from time to time.

Since practicing the breathing technique, as my body's potential has been stimulated, the feeling of being spied on seems to have become more and more obvious.

"Could it be surveillance?"

Naruto felt a tightness in his chest.

In the past, he might have panicked or even cursed at the air.

But now he's learned to be smart.

When I got home, I drew the curtains.

Naruto quickly opened the light screen and sent a private message in the forum.

"Aizen-sensei, I feel like someone is watching me. What should I do?"

Since taking Aizen's advice, Naruto has gotten into the habit of asking Aizen when in doubt.

In his eyes, Aizen was a mentor who, though harsh in his speech, was full of wisdom.

He didn't care about Naruto's identity at all, nor did he ask for anything in return; he simply guided him to become stronger.

This caused Naruto, who lacked love since childhood, to develop a dependence on his father and brothers.

Gradually, even the way they were addressed changed.

Naruto began to call him "teacher," and Aizen did not refuse.

The reply came quickly, with the same composure as always.

Panic is a sign of weakness.

"Since you're determined to make a change, it's inevitable that you'll attract attention."

"Remember, they can only see what you want them to see."

"Don't stop pretending; instead, make your performance even more perfect, without any revelation or flaws."

"When they test you, give them a reasonable excuse, but let them fill in the blanks themselves."

People are always more willing to believe the answers they imagine.

Naruto seemed to be deep in thought.

"A plausible excuse I came up with myself..."

dong dong dong.

Suddenly there was a knock on the door.

"Naruto, are you home?"

An old and kind voice sounded from outside the door.

Naruto's pupils contracted slightly.

The surveillance had barely ended when the Third Hokage appeared, indicating that it was the Third Hokage who had been monitoring him all along.

Although he didn't know why he was spying on him.

But Naruto adjusted his expression and opened the door with his usual smile.

"Grandpa, what brings you here?"

The third generation walked into the house with a smile and looked around.

A tidy desk, a clean floor, and a cup of hot milk on the desk.

"Nothing much, just came to see you. I heard you've been doing really well at school lately, even Iruka has been praising you a lot."

The third generation sat down and asked casually.

"Naruto, Grandpa is curious, what made you suddenly want to change? You used to hate studying the most."

Naruto lowered his head, his fingers rubbing the hem of his clothes, looking somewhat embarrassed.

After a moment, he raised his head and said seriously:

"Because... I don't want to be a clown that everyone laughs at anymore."

"Huh?" The Third Hokage was taken aback. "The Joker?"

Naruto pointed to his new clothes.

"I used to think that as long as I kept playing pranks and making a lot of noise, people would pay attention to me."

"But then I realized that everyone was just watching a monkey in a circus."

"So, I suddenly wondered, if I could become as good as the Hokage, would everyone like me?"

At this point, Naruto scratched his head shyly.

"Besides, I think this outfit looks cooler, hehe."

This statement is partly true and partly false.

He concealed the most crucial secret: intelligence about the system and the forum.

This was something Aizen had instructed him to do: never let anyone know about the forum's existence, and always have a trump card up your sleeve.

So Naruto followed suit and even kept the system a secret from Aizen.

As Aizen-sensei once said, you can't trust anyone.

Therefore, I cannot tell Aizen-sensei about the system.

This is Naruto's own little trick.

Looking into the boy's deep blue eyes, the last trace of doubt in the third generation vanished.

What an innocent child, already knowing about effort and shame.

There's even a touch of teenage vanity, which is normal for growing up.

The Third Hokage patted Naruto's head with satisfaction, even the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes smoothing out.

"Good child, as long as you are willing to work hard, everyone will see your brilliance. If you need anything, just tell your great-grandfather."

"I want to learn some ninjutsu; what Iruka-sensei teaches is too simple."

Naruto's eyes lit up, and he immediately seized the opportunity to climb up the pole.

The three generations laughed heartily:

"Okay, Grandpa will test your attributes tomorrow, and then I'll teach you ninjutsu."

After seeing off the deeply moved Third Hokage, Naruto closed the door, leaned against it, and let out a long sigh of relief.

"Successfully...you fooled them?"

Naruto clutched his chest, feeling as if his heart was about to jump out of his chest.

There was not only fear, but also an unprecedented sense of excitement.

"Given reasonable inducement, even the Hokage would believe the truth I've fabricated..."