Naruto: The Nine-Tails' Legacy Chapter 31: Hatake Kakashi

As always, sunlight spilled across the streets of Konoha.

A brand-new day had begun.

"Lord Hokage."

At this mont, a young man wearing a Leaf forehead protector and bearing a noticeable scar across his face nervously knocked on the Hokage Office door.

The mont he pushed it open and saw the familiar Hokage hat, he quickly bowed respectfully.

"Chūnin Iruka reporting as ordered."

"Oh, Iruka. You're early."

Hiruzen Sarutobi looked up from the stack of docunts on his desk and greeted him warmly.

"Wait a mont while I finish sothing."

The Third Hokage calmly reviewed several reports before placing them aside.

Only then did he look back toward the tense and stiff-looking Iruka.

Taking out his smoking pipe, Hiruzen leisurely took a puff.

"Relax. I just wanted to ask about your current situation."

"How has life been lately as an instructor at the Ninja Academy?"

"Y-Yes…"

Iruka instinctively answered in the tone of an official report, but under Hiruzen's gentle gaze, he gradually relaxed and revealed a sowhat embarrassed smile.

"It's actually been pretty good. I discovered I quite enjoy being a teacher."

"There are plenty of mischievous kids at the Academy, but most of them have been taught properly by their families. They're still very serious during class."

"Well, the war only ended not too long ago."

Hiruzen exhaled smoke and sighed.

"Many villagers still carry the scars of war in their hearts."

"That's precisely why children need to study together at the Academy."

"Otherwise, the atmosphere of violence and killing left behind by war might take an entire generation to disappear."

"Only when children spend enough ti together can they preserve their innocence a little longer."

"I've also received quite a few reports praising your teaching abilities."

Hiruzen lifted several reports from the desk while smiling cheerfully.

"T-That's too much praise…"

Iruka's face reddened slightly.

"Um… may I ask why Lord Hokage summoned today?"

"Oh dear, look at rambling again."

Hiruzen chuckled and shook his head.

"The reason I called you here today… is because I want to talk about Naruto Uzumaki."

"…Naruto?"

Iruka lowered his eyes imdiately.

Naturally, he understood exactly what that na represented.

"Iruka."

"Your parents were heroes of Konoha."

"They were shinobi who sacrificed themselves protecting the village during the Nine-Tails Disaster."

Hiruzen stood up and walked over, gently patting Iruka's shoulder.

"And you've managed to move forward from that tragedy."

"So I want to ask you…"

"How do you currently view Naruto?"

"How do I… view him?"

Iruka closed his eyes, his expression complicated.

"Lord Hokage… honestly speaking, I still hate the Nine-Tails."

"But I also know Naruto himself isn't the Nine-Tails."

"Still…"

"At least for now… I can't quite look at him the sa way I look at ordinary children."

"That's how most of the village sees him as well."

Hiruzen calmly continued from where Iruka stopped.

"He's always alone in the village."

"He has no elders to rely on."

"He's just a child forced to grow up all by himself."

"And despite all that…"

"He's never complained to anyone."

"He's a strong child."

Hearing those words, Iruka imdiately thought of himself.

His expression visibly softened.

After all, he too had lost his parents during the Nine-Tails attack.

Back then, despite his naturally introverted personality, he had always forced himself to appear cheerful on the surface.

But only he himself understood how terrifying loneliness truly was.

More than overcoming his shyness—

What he feared most was being rejected and isolated by others.

If not for Hiruzen's support during those years…

If not for the warmth and care he received from the village after losing his parents…

Could he really have grown into the person he was today?

Could he have beco a teacher at the Ninja Academy, guiding others?

Watching Iruka's expression, Hiruzen seed to see straight through his thoughts.

The old Hokage smiled faintly as he returned to his seat.

"Here's the thing."

"I want Naruto Uzumaki to enter the Ninja Academy this year."

"This year?"

Iruka froze.

"If I'm calculating correctly… he's only five years old, isn't he?"

"Doesn't the Academy only allow students to begin learning ninjutsu at age seven?"

"Introducing children to ninja arts too early isn't exactly…"

"He'll turn six later this year."

Hiruzen smiled gently.

"And if you're worried, you can personally interact with Naruto first."

"I believe he truly needs to study at the Academy."

"But…"

"I'm worried he may still end up isolated by the other children."

"So I'd like to ask you to take special care of him."

"…Understood."

Iruka remained silent for a mont before finally nodding.

At Hiruzen's signal, he respectfully took his leave.

Though doubts still lingered in his heart, he had no intention of digging deeper.

He wasn't particularly strong, but he certainly wasn't stupid.

The fact that the Third Hokage had personally summoned him ant this matter was important.

Still, he intended to et Naruto himself before forming any conclusions.

And honestly…

Hiruzen specifically dispatching Anbu to summon him had kept him awake all night worrying over what kind of serious matter it might be.

Yet in the end…

It was simply about Naruto attending school?

"How was it?"

Once Iruka left the office, Hiruzen softly asked the empty air behind him.

"He spent most of the conversation wondering why you were telling him these things."

A lazy-sounding voice drifted in from outside the office window.

"But after hearing about Naruto, his attention completely shifted toward thinking about the boy."

"He didn't even notice my arrival."

"As a shinobi, that's rather careless."

"Hahaha."

"But Iruka is an excellent Academy teacher."

"You haven't seen how skilled he is with children yet, Kakashi."

"You can't judge him through your own standards."

Hiruzen laughed heartily before speaking toward the white-haired man leaning lazily by the window.

"Co. Let's take a walk."

Kakashi Hatake adjusted the forehead protector covering his Sharingan before instantly appearing beside Hiruzen with a Body Flicker Technique.

Soon, the Third Hokage and Kakashi walked together through the busy streets of Konoha.

Yet despite the crowded surroundings, barely anyone's gaze lingered on them.

It was almost as if the villagers couldn't see them at all.

"So?"

Hiruzen casually chatted while smoking his pipe.

"Have you adjusted to normal missions since leaving the Anbu?"

"…It's fine."

Kakashi's reply sounded lifeless and sluggish.

For the forr Anbu captain, returning to ordinary jōnin life had not been an easy adjustnt.

"I read your mission reports."

"Why do you keep refusing the subordinates assigned to you?"

"I'm more used to operating alone."

"Genin…"

"No… I'm still not at the point where I can properly lead others."

Kakashi seed to realize sothing and let out a faint bitter smile.

"Lord Hokage…"

"It sounds like you're about to hand sothing troubleso."

"How could that be?"

Hiruzen chuckled before raising his smoking pipe and pointing toward a nearby apartnt building.

"We're here."

"That's where Naruto lives."

Read 50 chapters ahead on P@treon -> [email protected]/AiraTales7 (replace @ with a)