Naruto: Starting as the Third Hokage with Tears in His Eyes

Outside in the corridor, a ninja carrying tea passed by. Hearing the earth-shattering commotion inside, his hand trembled, and the tea spilled all over the floor.

"hiss--"

He glanced in horror at the tightly closed door, then at his colleagues around him who were also shrinking back in fear. They all quickened their pace and fled this place of trouble.

"Lord Deer Antlers... you're unusually irritable today."

"Yeah, it seems like he's personally instructing Shikaku in physical training...tsk tsk, he's really strict."

"As expected of the Acting Hokage, he's so strict with his only successor. The future of the Nara clan is secure!"

Sunlight streamed through the window, illuminating the Hokage Rock in the distance and making the statues of the four Hokage shine brightly, creating a scene of tranquility and peace.

……

Evening, on a bench in the central park of Konoha Village.

Nara Shikaku lay sprawled on the bench, looking utterly hopeless, with a thick cushion under his bottom and two lines of tears streaming down his face.

"That's too much...that's just too much..."

He weakly recounted, "Just because I stepped with my left foot first, can you believe it? Just because of that! My unreasonable father whipped me dozens of times with his treasured tactical baton!"

Beside him, Yamanaka Inoichi was suppressing a laugh as he carefully unscrewed a bottle of ointment, and a cool scent instantly filled the air.

"Alright, alright, stop complaining."

Hai patted him on the shoulder, and Lu Jiuteng almost jumped up from the bench, yelling, "Ouch!"

"Don't touch it! It hurts!"

"Hahaha!"

Choza Akimichi sat on the stone bench opposite him, holding a large bag of freshly baked potato chips in his arms, laughing so hard he almost fell over. "Shikaku, this is really... hahaha... historic! This is the first time I've ever heard of someone getting beaten up for stepping with their left foot first."

"You're still laughing!"

Shikaku turned around indignantly, "Choza, aren't we best friends anymore? Share some of your potato chips with me, I need to replenish my energy!"

"Give it to me."

Dingza chuckled, grabbed a handful of potato chips, and carefully fed them to Shikaku. "But speaking of which, Uncle Shikaku is usually so lazy, why is he so angry today? Did you do something else?"

"I'm innocent!"

Shikaku crunched on potato chips, mumbling, "I suspect I'm just a punching bag. My dad must have been bullied by the Hokage again, and he had nowhere to vent his anger, so he just happened to pick on me, the unlucky guy!"

While applying the medicine to him with a cotton swab, Haiyi nodded in agreement: "Yes, logically speaking, the probability is as high as ninety percent."

"Uncle Deer Antlers is stuck with a mess in the village, and with nowhere to vent his anger, he can only take it out on your little stall. This is called... well, the law of anger spreading downwards."

"What kind of ridiculous law is this!"

Shikaku winced in pain, "Ouch! Inoichi, be gentle! You're trying to murder your friend!"

"Shut up! Moving it again will reopen the wound!"

Haiyi gave him a light pat on the buttocks, and Shikaku let out another scream.

Watching his two best friends playfully bickering, Ding Zuo popped a potato chip into his mouth and said with a simple smile, "But it's fine like this."

"What's so good about it!"

Lu Jiu and Hai Yi refuted in unison.

"hey-hey--"

Ding pointed to the peaceful village in the distance under the setting sun, "Look at the scenery, look at the scenery~"

His words silenced both of them.

Lu Jiu lay on the bench, watching the afterglow of the setting sun bathe the entire village, gilding every building with a warm golden hue.

Haiyi's movements when applying the medicine became much gentler.

Yes, even though my butt hurts, and even though my dad is very unreasonable.

But to be able to watch this beautiful sunset with my best friend in a peaceful village...

very nice.

"Ouch...it hurts! You bastard, Haiyi! You promised to be gentle!"

"You're the one who moved around recklessly!"

"Chu! Quick! Give me another slice of barbecue flavor!"

Under the setting sun, the Pig-Deer-Butterfly duo continued their noisy yet heartwarming daily routine.