"Listen here, Honorable Grandson," Ebisu lectured, his voice sharp with indignation. "You are the grandson of the great Lord Third, a position of immense honor! You must not associate with riffraff like that..."
He was so caught up in his tirade, a futile attempt to salvage his own bruised ego, that he remained completely oblivious to two critical facts: the complex, thoughtful expression on the Third Hokage's face behind him, and the fact that Konohamaru himself had already slipped out of the room.
...
Meanwhile, the Hokage's summons had served as a useful reminder for Naruto. The official team assignments were only a few days away.
He sat on the edge of a high rooftop, overlooking the bustling village below. He produced a small flask from the folds of his yukata, uncapped it, and took a thoughtful sip.
A single sip was all it took. He capped it again, a grimace twisting his lips.
"Really... you call this stuff sake?"
Having grown accustomed to the potent, fiery rum of the high seas, this bland, watery drink was a profound disappointment. With a look of mild disgust, he set aside the flask he had swiped from the Hokage's desk.
But after a moment's thought, he shrugged and tucked it away again. Waste not, want not, he reasoned. It's better than nothing.
He adjusted the sunglasses he'd snatched from Ebisu, pushing them down his nose slightly. His gaze drifted down to a small figure below, who was darting frantically behind lampposts and street signs, clearly trying—and failing—to be stealthy.
"Hey, kid," Naruto called out, his voice casual. "Lost something?"
Hearing the familiar voice, Konohamaru's first instinct was to dive for cover behind a nearby post. But before he could even turn, Naruto was standing directly in front of him, having appeared without a sound.
"Your name is... Mokumaru, right?" Naruto asked, bending down to bring his face level with the startled boy's. "You've been following me for a while now, haven't you?"
"It's Ko-no-ha-maru!" Konohamaru yelped, leaping back as if shocked. He threw his hands up in a clumsy defensive cross-block. "Who... who's following you! The great Konohamaru was just taking a walk!"
"Oh, is that so?" Naruto straightened up with a lazy smile. "Too bad. I was thinking I might help you out if you asked nicely. Well, see ya."
With a dismissive wave, he turned to leave.
"Wait!"
Konohamaru scrambled to block his path, his small arms spread wide. He took a deep breath, his face a mixture of determination and embarrassment.
"...I can be your underling!" he suddenly shouted. Before Naruto could respond, he rushed on, "In exchange, you have to teach me how to get stronger!"
Naruto simply crossed his arms. "Nope. Not interested," he said, waving a hand dismissively. "I'm just a Genin, you know. If you want to get stronger, don't you already have a teacher?"
Though his words were discouraging, a flicker of reminiscent gaze shone in Naruto's eyes. This kid... He was looking at a perfect reflection of himself all those years ago, standing before Captain Roger and his crew, filled with the same desperate fire. For a brief, surreal moment, the image of Konohamaru merged with the ghost of his younger self.
"Hmph! Don't underestimate me!" Konohamaru shot back, completely undeterred. "I saw it! That glasses-teacher couldn't even lay a finger on you! You could have beaten him easily if you wanted to!" He planted a hand on his hip and pointed accusingly at Naruto, his voice ringing with conviction.
Hearing this, Naruto's smile deepened.
"I want to become Hokage!" Konohamaru declared, his voice rising with passion. "So that everyone will finally acknowledge me, the great Konohamaru!" He then straightened his posture, his expression turning deadly serious. "So please, let me, Konohamaru Sarutobi, become your disciple!"
With that, he bowed deeply, a perfect, formal gesture from a boy who looked more like a little adult than a child. He didn't seem to care that the person he was asking was, by all appearances, just another kid who had barely graduated.
"Even though I'm just a Genin?" Naruto asked, his tone softening slightly.
Sensing the shift, Konohamaru immediately looked up, his face bright with hope. "That doesn't matter!"
"And what if... I'm the 'demon fox' that everyone talks about?"
As he spoke, Naruto crouched down again, his eyes locking onto Konohamaru's. The playful air around him vanished, replaced by an oppressive silence.
For a split second, the world seemed to tilt. Konohamaru wasn't looking at a boy anymore; he was facing a predator. An immense, invisible pressure slammed into him, stealing the air from his lungs and making his limbs feel like lead. He felt as if he were being stared down by a beast born from a thousand battles, and he found it difficult to even form a complete thought.
But he held his ground. He gritted his teeth and forced himself to meet that gaze, staring into blue eyes that were as deep and dangerous as a stormy sea. The crushing weight assaulted his nerves, making every second feel like an eternity.
Then, just as suddenly as it had appeared, the suffocating atmosphere lifted.
"Hahahaha, not bad, kid!" Naruto laughed, a deep, booming sound that shattered the tension. "Your name's Konohamaru, right?" He reached out and clapped the boy firmly on the shoulder.
"Y-yes! That's right, Boss! My name is Konohamaru!" The change in Naruto's tone was all the confirmation he needed, and an ecstatic grin spread across his face.
"Then you'd better be prepared," Naruto said, turning to walk. "Getting strong isn't as simple as you think."
Konohamaru practically bounced with excitement, running circles around him. "Boss! Where are we going? Are we starting ninjutsu training right now?"
Naruto glanced back at him with a disdainful laugh. "With a scrawny bean sprout body like yours? Not a chance." He held up a single finger. "Konohamaru, do you know the first lesson to getting stronger?"
Naruto had slipped into the role of "teacher" effortlessly, and Konohamaru, completely captivated, shook his head with wide, curious eyes.
"First, you have to eat your fill!" Naruto declared. "Only when you're full can you build a strong body. Look at these pathetic muscles of yours—"
As he spoke, he pulled up the sleeve of his loose yukata, revealing a forearm corded with dense, knotted muscle honed by years of impossible fights. He clenched his hand into a fist.
CRACK!
A sharp, explosive sound echoed from his palm, as if the air itself were being crushed.
"WHOA!!"
Nothing was more persuasive than a demonstration like that. Konohamaru stared with pure adoration, his entire concept of "strength" unknowingly shifting in a very specific, very physical direction. The two walked off, one chattering excitedly while the other listened with a patient smirk.
After a while, Konohamaru scratched his head, looking around with uncertainty. "Uh, Boss? This doesn't look like the way to any restaurants."
Naruto just nodded, turning to give him a big grin. "I know. Just follow me."
"OH!!" Konohamaru followed without question, his mind buzzing.
A surprise return in a few days, maybe, Naruto thought with a smirk. Besides, the portions in this village are pathetic. A man's got to hunt for a real meal.
[Chapter Complete]
***
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