Konoha, Year 53 - Autumn
Old Man Hokage told me I'm starting at the Academy tomorrow. He said there are lots and lots of kids there, and I can make real friends. I'm really looking forward to it.
Grandpa was right. I did make a friend at the Academy. A lot of the kids don't like me or want to play with me, but she doesn't mind. Her name is Hinata Hyuga. She's really cute and nice. I'm glad I listened to him.
I'm so happy I made a friend. This was a really good day.
Grandpa came to see me again today. I'm happy.
Konoha, Year 54 - October 10th
Old Man Hokage hasn't come to see me in a week. Did I do something wrong? Is it because I was bad?
Today's my birthday. Grandpa even got me a big cake! It was the first time I ever had cake. I only ever heard other kids talk about it. It was really sweet! But I couldn't eat something that good all at once. I wanted to save it and eat it slow.
The cake went bad. He told me cake doesn't last long. He said you need a fridge to keep it longer, but I don't have money for one. Too bad. But Old Man Hokage said he'd bring me cake next year, too. I'm really looking forward to it.
Konoha, Year 55 - Summer
Old Man Hokage...
---
The diary was filled with simple entries about daily life. Some were just a sentence, others a single thought. At first glance, it seemed like meaningless rambling, recording the simple joys and sorrows of a young child.
Old Man Hokage was mentioned the most. His name appeared constantly, filling nearly two-thirds of the pages. More than half the entries mentioned listening to Old Man Hokage, a third mentioned missing him. Reading the diary, it painted a picture of a lonely child starved for affection, latching onto the one person who showed him kindness.
If you only looked at the diary.
Third Hokage nodded, satisfied, and gently closed the notebook. He tiptoed over and slid it back into the drawer where Naruto kept it. Gazing at the sleeping boy, his eyes held a look of... 'affection'.
Then, *Whoosh*, he was gone with the Body Flicker Technique.
He left Naruto sleeping soundly, a thin line of drool escaping the corner of his mouth, lost in dreams.
Quiet settled over the small apartment.
Moments later, Hokage reappeared, checked on the still-slumbering Naruto, nodded again in satisfaction, then vanished once more.
But the instant Hokage vanished from the hut for the second time, Naruto's eyes snapped open. He sat up, his gaze fixed on the spot where the Hokage had been only moments before.
ANBU surveillance, the Crystal Ball Jutsu, even Third Hokage's own stealthy visits... Third Hokage was never outside Naruto's awareness. As a child who had grown up under constant watch, Naruto had developed uncanny counter-surveillance instincts.
Between sensing malicious intent and detecting chakra signatures, no one could approach him undetected.
No one.
Every move the Third Hokage made was under Naruto's observation.
His range and methods of detection surpassed even the famed Byakugan of the Hyuga main house.
He glanced at the drawer where the diary sat, a smirk twisting his lips, a smile full of mockery and contempt.
'Who even writes a diary these days?'
He'd known all along that the Third Hokage would come.
He'd predicted it.
He'd prepared ten different versions of the same drivel.
So that the Third Hokage would find them at different times, in different places.
He'd written the diary contents on purpose, too.
So deliberately forced, so over-the-top, he almost wrote 'I love Old Man Hokage the most!' on his forehead.
If any other Konoha ninja had written such a thing, Third Hokage would have been instantly suspicious and likely believing them to be either honey pot or a spy. But this was Naruto. The sheer obviousness of it made Third Hokage believe it was genuine.
He was only eight, after all. An orphan, shunned by the village-why wouldn't he cling to the one person who showed him any kindness?
'Naruto is just a child,' Third Hokage likely thought. 'What harm could an eight-year-old possibly intend?'
Just... the complete destruction of Konoha.
Third Hokage thought he saw the surface, Naruto controlled the depths.
'Was it right, scheming so elaborately against an old man? Was it fun?'
The answer: 'of course it was.'
'You started this game,' Naruto thought grimly. 'If you want to play, then let's play it out.'
'How very interesting.'
Meanwhile, everything Third Hokage did was observed by the presence sealed within Naruto-the Fourth Hokage. And Minato's aura shifted once more.
---
"N-Naruto-kun... thank you for walking me home every day," Hinata Hyuga murmured, her voice barely louder than a whisper. She fidgeted with the hem of her clothes in front of the Hyuga compound gate, her face flushed.
At the Academy, Naruto kept to himself. He attended classes, was never late, never left early-his only deviation being walking Hinata home. He maintained almost no presence otherwise.
The instructors, adopting a 'less trouble is better' approach when it came to Naruto, tended to overlook him. Naruto, for his part, never caused trouble or sought attention, acting like a quiet, unobtrusive child.
Eventually, the other students grew accustomed to this quiet Naruto. His knack for avoiding trouble while clearly being unafraid of it also discouraged potential bullies. Mostly, though, it was his eyes.
They were... unsettling. Even the Academy teachers found his gaze hard to meet. A subtle pressure they believed to be leakage from the Nine-Tails' chakra, seemed to emanate from him, quelling any thoughts of confrontation.
Soon, even mentioning 'Naruto Uzumaki' felt uncomfortable, something others avoided instinctively. As a result, Naruto's presence in class became as low-key as Shino Aburame's.
"I like spending time with Hinata," Naruto said with a gentle smile, reaching out to softly pat Hinata's head. His eyes seemed warm. "Is that okay?"
Hinata felt her heart leap, and his words echoed in her mind: 'I like spending time with Hinata.' She completely missed his question.
'N-Naruto-kun... likes spending time with me...'
Hinata's face bloomed crimson, heat rising from her skin like steam.
"Naruto-kun, I-I-I-"
Just as Hinata finally worked up the courage to say something to Naruto, a cold voice cut her off.
"Hinata-sama, what are you doing lingering at the gate?"
It was a boy with the same pale eyes as Hinata, his features sharp beneath long, dark hair. His gaze held a faint mockery as he looked at her.
"It's time to come inside. The Clan Head-sama was asking for you."
"Neji-nii-san," Hinata said, suddenly deflating like a punctured balloon.
Naruto turned to leave, but the boy stopped him.
"Wait."
Naruto turned back to face the long-haired Hyuga.
"I've heard of you," Neji stated coolly. "Naruto Uzumaki."
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