Hiruzen Sarutobi was overthinking it; Hattori didn't have any ill intentions toward Naruto. Even if he did, they would only be good-natured.
After all, Naruto was the destiny child of this world. Battling above his level and winning allies through his words were second nature to him. In the future, he would even save the ninja world and become a great hero.
For someone like that, whether you became their friend or foe, the chances of "meeting your end" were incredibly high.
So, Hattori thought it was better to keep his distance respectfully. If he ever interacted with Naruto, he'd keep it casual, much like the owner of the Ichiraku Ramen shop.
Hattori had already planned it out. If Naruto came to his place to shop, he'd give him a 50% discount on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, buy-one-get-one on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, and free items on weekends! If money could solve it, then it wasn't a problem.
Now came the real question: what kind of business could be both profitable and allow him to make connections with Naruto? Creating reincarnation puppets was out of the question. Naruto's finances wouldn't allow for it before he became Hokage, and even afterward, it might be out of his budget.
Naruto could afford ramen, but the profit margin on that was too low for Hattori to care.
After thinking it over, Hattori decided on another business besides reincarnation puppets—sealing scrolls!
With his [Seal Mastery] skill, creating sealing scrolls was as easy as using toilet paper.
Sealing scrolls, as a form of spatial tool, naturally fetched a high price.
Even the most basic ninja tool sealing scroll could cost nearly ten thousand ryo, with high-grade ones reaching hundreds of thousands or even millions.
Most importantly, these scrolls were paper-based and could easily be destroyed in battle, meaning customers would need replacements.
In short, sealing scrolls were both spatial gear and consumables, making them highly marketable in the ninja village.
"Decision made! Besides a puppet shop, I'll also open a sealing scroll shop—puppets for the rich and sealing scrolls for the ninja village. It's settled!"
With his decision made, Hattori began strolling toward South Street to map out his territory.
To his surprise, he hadn't gotten far when he ran into some familiar faces.
"Hey, Uncle Shikaku! Uncle Inoichi! Long time no see!"
"Uh…Hattori?"
Nara Shikaku and Yamanaka Inoichi, who were organizing teams to clear the debris, were stunned at the sight of a beaming Hattori.
"Hattori? What are you doing here?"
"Heh, I defected from the Sand Village and came to join you guys in the Leaf!"
"→_→"
At this, both Nara Shikaku and Yamanaka Inoichi looked at him with a "do you think we're idiots?" expression.
Just then, a voice from the side spoke up.
"This guy's loaded; he already owns half of South Street in the Leaf."
With that, a white-haired Kakashi appeared, holding a skewer of dango, and glanced at Hattori with his dead-fish eye.
"Didn't think I'd see you here, you cheeky brat!"
"You're the last person qualified to say that!"
Hattori retorted without hesitation, then smiled at the dumbfounded Nara Shikaku and Yamanaka Inoichi.
"Just as Kakashi said, I bought half of South Street for 1.5 billion ryo from the Hokage, with a 60-year lease. We're neighbors now, so take care of me!"
"Uh…"
Nara Shikaku and Yamanaka Inoichi were left speechless by Hattori's wealth.
Kakashi, however, was more concerned with something else. Frowning, he asked, "What's with '50-50 chance'?"
"It's literal," Hattori shrugged. "You're the 'Copy Ninja,' right? With that power, you can go toe-to-toe with anyone, but you don't always win, so it's a '50-50 chance,' Hatake 50-50!"
"Don't give me strange nicknames!"
"Sure thing, Hatake 50-50. Anything else you want to add, Hatake 50-50?"
"…"
Kakashi, at a loss for words, gave Hattori another dead-fish eye glare and turned to leave.
After he was gone, Hattori grinned at Nara Shikaku and Yamanaka Inoichi again.
"Heh heh, if I'm not mistaken, both of your children were born recently, right? How's my fortune-telling?"
"…"
Both men fell silent again.
When Minato, the Fourth Hokage, had died, they were already haunted by the vision they'd seen in Hattori's mind. Especially Inoichi, who now felt uneasy every time he saw Orochimaru.
Hattori guessed what they were thinking and reassured them with a smile.
"Don't worry so much. Destiny isn't set in stone. As long as you make the right choices, your life will shine!"
He then turned and strolled off, hands clasped behind his back, toward South Street.
Watching him go, Nara Shikaku finally spoke to Yamanaka Inoichi.
"I don't know if his presence here is good or bad, but we should be cautious and keep our kids away from him."
"Yes, I agree," Inoichi nodded solemnly.
"For children, someone who can see through others' future like Hattori is too dangerous."
They exchanged glances, each seeing helplessness and resignation in the other.
Unbeknownst to them, a figure with an Uchiha fan emblem on his back quickly left after overhearing their conversation.
Konoha Police Force Headquarters
After listening to his subordinate's report, Fugaku Uchiha put down his documents, a glint of surprise flashing in his sharp eyes.
"Seeing through others' future? Even we with Sharingan wouldn't make such a claim. Did Inoichi really say that?"
"Yes, Captain!" the reporting team member confirmed with a nod.
"Not only that, but when Hattori left the Hokage's office, Danzo also questioned him about fate."
"And what did he say?"
"He told Danzo he'd become Hokage… and that he'd die by using the Reverse Four Symbols Seal… to seal a bridge. Pfft…"
The subordinate couldn't hold back a laugh, and Fugaku, too, chuckled.
"Bold enough to say that to Danzo—Hattori truly lives up to the name of the 'Flame Salamander.' Find a time to invite him to the Uchiha Clan. I want to meet him!"