Chapter 130: Naruto's new life, the beginning of a beautiful life!
The clamor of the Hokage inauguration ceremony would eventually fade, but its aftermath was just beginning to sweep through every corner of Konoha. At the Uchiha Clan Territory, in the newly constructed Hokage residence, this place had now become Konoha's new center of power.
Naruto woke up on a ridiculously soft, large bed. Sunlight streamed through the exquisite wooden lattice window, falling warmly upon him. He stared blankly at the intricate and elegant wooden patterns on the ceiling, feeling somewhat dazed for a moment. Is this… my home? Naruto sat up, looked at the smooth silk pajamas he was wearing, and then at the bedroom, which was larger than his entire previous apartment. It was clean, tidy, and carried a faint scent of incense. There was no smell of mold, no expired milk, and no empty refrigerator. Everything felt like an unreal dream.
"Young Master Naruto, are you awake?" A gentle female voice came from outside the door; it was the Uchiha maid assigned to look after him. Naruto uncomfortably responded, "Mm…"
"Breakfast is ready; Akira is waiting for you." Akira… Teacher! Naruto jolted, instantly wide awake, and fumbled to put on his clothes. It was a brand-new black and orange outfit, its quality many times better than his old, worn-out tracksuit, and it even had a small Uchiha fan emblem on the back. Naruto pushed open the door and, led respectfully by the maid, walked through the long corridor to the dining room.
Uchiha Akira was already seated at the head of the table. He was wearing simple black casual clothes and quietly drinking tea, as if he had been waiting for a while. The table was laden with a lavish breakfast, unlike anything Naruto had ever seen. Golden-brown grilled saury, steaming miso soup, glistening rice, as well as thick omelets, pickles, and fruit filled the table. Naruto's stomach uncooperatively rumbled. He scratched his head, a little embarrassed.
"Teacher… Good morning." Uchiha Akira put down his teacup and looked up at him. "Sit." His voice was flat, yet carried an undeniable authority. Naruto obediently sat down opposite Uchiha Akira.
"Eat." Uchiha Akira was concise.
"Yes!" Naruto picked up his chopsticks, took a piece of the thick omelet, and carefully put it into his mouth. It was sweet, soft, and rich with the aroma of egg. Delicious… Tears, without warning, began to fall. Naruto didn't want to cry; crying in front of his teacher was too embarrassing. But he couldn't control himself.
Naruto remembered those years when he rummaged through trash cans just to find an unrotten piece of bread. He remembered the nights of diarrhea from drinking expired milk. He remembered countless days of hunger, sustained only by drinking tap water. Naruto cried and wolfed down the rice into his mouth.
Uchiha Akira quietly watched him, not speaking, not urging him on. It wasn't until Naruto finished all the breakfast in front of him and let out a big burp that he looked up, somewhat ashamed.
"Teacher… I… I'm finished."
"Mm," Uchiha Akira nodded. "Remember this feeling."
Naruto paused. "What feeling?"
"The feeling of being full." Uchiha Akira's gaze was profound. "This is everything you, as the son of a hero, are inherently entitled to. It is also the most basic treatment you receive as my disciple. From today onwards, what you must do is constantly grow stronger. So strong that… no one will ever dare to make you go hungry again."
Naruto nodded, half-understanding, but an unprecedented light ignited in his azure eyes. "Yes! Teacher! I will never disappoint you!"
After breakfast, Naruto put on his backpack, ready to go to the Ninja School. This was his first time walking alone on the streets of Konoha since becoming the Hokage's disciple. He felt a little uneasy. In the past, this path was filled with hostility for him. However, the moment he stepped out of the Uchiha Clan Territory gate and onto the street, the whole world changed.
An old woman selling vegetables, upon seeing Naruto's figure, was so startled that the radish in her hand fell to the ground. She didn't curse as usual; instead, she hurriedly picked up the radish and bowed deeply to Naruto. "Na… Lord Naruto… Good morning!"
Naruto froze. Before he could react, a middle-aged man selling bento boxes nearby also trembled and edged closer. "I… I'm sorry!" The man fell to his knees with a thud, his forehead hitting the ground heavily. "Lord Naruto! Before… before, I was blind! I… I was an idiot! Please… please forgive me!"
Immediately after, came the second, the third… On both sides of the street, those villagers who had once shown him disgust, fear, or indifference, now all lowered their proud heads. Apologies rose and fell. Naruto stood in the center of the crowd, somewhat at a loss. For the first time, he realized that the path from home to school could be walked so… smoothly. No need to dodge thrown stones, and no need to pay attention to curses from behind. The sunlight fell on Naruto, warmer than ever before. Naruto clenched his fists, and his steps became firm. He walked through the crowd, heading towards the Ninja School.
The moment Naruto pushed open the classroom door, the once noisy classroom instantly fell silent. Everyone's gaze was focused on him, showing awe, fear, curiosity, and jealousy. Inuzuka Kiba instinctively wanted to whistle and make a few mocking remarks, but the words caught in his throat, and he swallowed them back. Akamaru, next to him, whimpered and buried his head in his master's arms, trembling.
Uchiha Sasuke, sitting by the window, looked coldly at Naruto. That dead last… Yesterday, Sasuke was also in the plaza and heard Uchiha Akira's declaration. That man who, by himself, overturned the entire Uchiha clan, and then overturned all of Konoha. Now he was the Hokage. And Naruto, that dead last, had become Uchiha Akira's disciple. He, himself, had been directly rejected by Uchiha Akira. Sasuke's fist quietly clenched under the table. Why?
Naruto ignored everyone's gazes and walked straight to his seat. Just as he passed by a background character classmate, that classmate instinctively stuck out his foot, intending to trip Naruto. This was a game they often played in the past. However, his foot hadn't even fully extended yet.
"Whoosh!"
A black shadow appeared in the classroom like a ghost. It was an Anbu wearing a fox mask. A cold killing intent emanated from him. With 1 hand, the Anbu lifted the student who had stuck out his foot, like he was lifting a small chicken. A cold kunai was pressed against that student's throat.
"Do you want to die?" The Anbu's voice was devoid of emotion. The temperature of the entire classroom seemed to drop by several degrees. All the children were scared pale. The student suspended in mid-air even wet his pants directly from fear.
"St… Stop!" Iruka rushed in, seeing this scene, and was greatly alarmed. "This is a school! No use of force here!"
The Anbu turned his head, and the crimson Sharingan beneath his mask coldly glanced at Iruka. "The Fifth Hokage has given an order. Those who insult the Hokage's disciple shall be killed." The Anbu looked at the student who had already fainted from fear, snorted coldly, and released his hand.
"Thud." The student fell to the ground like a pile of mud. "This is the first, and last, warning." The Anbu's figure transformed into a black shadow and vanished. In the classroom, there was a profound silence. The teacher had said that power was meant to establish order. Now, Naruto somewhat understood.
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