Naruto: In Konoha Village, I awakened Wood Release at the start.

On the streets of Konoha.

Naruto was hugging the wall, inching forward step by step.

He pulled down his goggles, covering half of his face.

In the past, whenever he went out...

He was met with nothing but rotten vegetable leaves, stones, and vicious curses.

But today's situation is eerily quiet.

I passed by a dumpling shop on the street corner.

The proprietress was standing at the shop entrance, holding a box of freshly cooked tricolor meatballs.

Naruto subconsciously swallowed and instinctively shrank his neck to hide.

He thought the woman was going to chase him away with a broom again.

"Naruto..."

The proprietress's voice trembled, and her eyes were red like a rabbit's.

She quickly walked down the steps and shoved the box of dumplings into Naruto's arms.

"It was Auntie who was blind before."

"Auntie isn't human, don't blame her!"

After saying this...

The proprietress covered her face, turned around, and ran back into the shop.

Naruto stood there dumbfounded, holding the box of dumplings.

My mind was buzzing; I couldn't process anything at all.

Followed by.

The uncle selling vegetables next to us also came over.

The middle-aged man vigorously wiped his hands on his greasy apron.

He picked out two of the reddest tomatoes from the stall and handed them to Naruto.

"Child, take this and eat."

"We, the common people, will always remember the kindness of the four generations of officials."

The uncle's eyes were glistening with tears.

He even reached out and touched Naruto's messy golden hair.

Naruto stared blankly at the tomato and dumplings in his hand.

He was completely dumbfounded.

The villagers who usually called him "the fox demon" all looked at him differently today.

I feel deeply guilty.

There is reverence and gratitude.

of course.

Some people stood at a distance, watching coldly.

Those were several elderly people.

Their thinking is stubborn, and they won't change their minds anytime soon.

But they all kept their mouths shut, not daring to utter a single dirty word.

The Fifth Hokage's announcement was posted in the central square, written clearly in black and white.

Anyone who dares to mention the words "fox demon" again will be severely punished!

Who would dare to provoke this new Hokage?

"Uncle."

"I...I didn't bring any money."

Naruto muttered something timidly.

The uncle smiled and waved his hand, saying he absolutely refused to accept the money.

Keep going.

Naruto's arms were full of fruit and snacks, and someone even forced a new coat on him.

The sunlight shone on Naruto, casting a long shadow.

The suffocating feeling that had been pressing on my chest miraculously disappeared.

Chiba's calm face appeared in his mind.

Brother Chiba really didn't lie to him.

He is not a monster at all.

He is the son of a hero who protects the village!

Naruto took a big bite of the tomato.

The sweet and sour juice burst in his mouth.

But his tears fell in a steady stream onto the back of his hand.

At the same time.

In front of the memorial stone on the back mountain of Konoha.

The place was already packed with people.

There were commoners dressed in coarse linen clothes, and ninjas from various tribes wearing green vests.

Bunches of pure white chrysanthemums piled up in front of the stone tablet, forming a small mountain.

"Lord White Fang!"

"We wronged you, we were all beasts!"

"If it weren't for your desperate rearguard action back then, our entire squad would have perished in the Land of Wind!"

An old ninja who had lost his right arm knelt in the mud, weeping bitterly.

He pounded the ground with his remaining left hand, blood seeping from his knuckles.

"That scoundrel Danzo!"

"He deserved to die; he should go to the deepest levels of hell!"

The surrounding crowd wiped away tears and bowed their heads in silent tribute to the hero.

On a large tree not far away.

Kakashi crouched on a tree branch, silently watching all of this.

His fingers gripped the bark so tightly that his nails were almost torn off.

It's been more than ten years.

The filth that had been weighing on the Hatake clan was finally washed away completely.

The Fifth Hokage cleared his father's name with just a single announcement.

Those who once criticized their father are now repenting before his tombstone.

"Father."

"You can finally rest in peace."

Kakashi tilted his head back.

He felt something shatter inside his chest, followed by a surge of new power.

This force is called loyalty.

Just a word from Lord Chiba

He, Kakashi Hatake, would not hesitate to be shattered to pieces!

Sudden.

The tree branch next to them shook violently.

A man wearing a green bodysuit and sporting a watermelon-shaped haircut rushed up.

"Kakashi!"

"I knew you'd be hiding here!"

Matt Kai gave a thumbs up.

He flashed a set of gleaming white teeth, almost dazzling in the sunlight.

"The tears of youth need not be hidden; let them flow!"

Kakashi's noodles suddenly twitched.

The originally sorrowful and solemn atmosphere was instantly and completely destroyed by this guy.

"Kai".

"I am on a surveillance mission in the shadows."

Kakashi, sounding helpless, pointed to the fox mask on his face.

Kai, however, patted his chest nonchalantly, his eyes burning with fierce fire.

"Kakashi."

"As your lifelong rival, I've just made a decision!"

"I also want to apply to join the Dark Side, so we can burn with youth together in the darkness!"

Three black lines instantly appeared on Kakashi's forehead.

Dark area?

With Kai's eye-catching green outfit and that raspy voice, it was quite striking.

To assassinate the enemy?

Before you even get behind the enemy, you'll probably be mistaken for a psychopath and killed on the spot.

"The dark side is not suitable for you."

"The Fifth Generation Lord has given the order."

"Your task is to train the village's lower-ranking ninja in taijutsu."

Kakashi sighed and refused outright.

Upon hearing that it was the Fifth Boss's order, Kai immediately stood up straight.

"yes!"

"I will definitely pass on the flame of youth perfectly to the next generation of Konoha!"

……

On the edge of Konoha Village.

Inside a dilapidated wooden house.

The air was filled with a strong herbal scent.

"Cough cough cough..."

The old woman, lying on the wooden bed, began to cough violently.

"Old woman, just bear with it a little longer."

The white-haired old man was rummaging through drawers and cabinets in the house, sweating profusely with anxiety.

Their only son died on the battlefield of the Third Shinobi World War.

The meager compensation money issued by the village was further reduced by layers of higher-ups, leaving very little.

These few years.

The couple depended on each other for survival, and their lives were more bitter than bitter herbs.

Just as the old man put on his tattered clothes, preparing to shamelessly go to his neighbors' houses to borrow money.

"Knock knock knock".

A series of regular knocks came from outside the door.

The old man opened the drafty wooden door.

Two masked ANBU ninjas were standing outside the door.

"Sir...sir."

"We haven't done anything wrong."

The old man was so frightened that his legs trembled and he kept backing away.

One of the secret agents stepped forward and pulled a thick brown paper envelope from his pocket.

He held the envelope in both hands and handed it to the old man with utmost respect.

"Grandpa, don't be afraid."

"By order of the Fifth Hokage."

"We will reimburse you for your son's full compensation for his service in World War III."

"At the same time, it also includes interest compensation over the years."

The old man was completely stunned.

He trembled as he reached out his withered, bony hands and accepted the heavy envelope.

Trembling, I tore open the seal and looked inside.

It was filled to the brim with large denomination banknotes!

This money is enough for the elderly couple to eat meat every day and live out the rest of their lives in peace.

The old man's legs buckled, and he knelt directly on the dusty floor.

"Lord Hokage..."

"The Fifth Hokage!"

The old man wept uncontrollably.

He pressed the envelope tightly to his chest and kowtowed three times in the direction of the Hokage Building.

The old woman on the bed also heard the noise and struggled to get up.

The old man wiped away his tears, got up, and rushed to the bedside.

"Old woman."

"We're saved!"

"I'll go buy you the best medicine right away. Our son's blood wasn't shed in vain!"

"..."

The two secret agents exchanged a glance.

They didn't make a sound to disturb them, and silently turned and disappeared into the darkness.

Such scenes are constantly playing out in every corner of Konoha's civilian district.

Chiba used a large amount of real money to completely win over the hearts of the common people at the bottom of society.

just now.

If anyone dares to say a bad word about Chiba.

He would definitely be beaten to death with a carrying pole by the angry villagers.

This is not only because of his godlike martial prowess.

More importantly, it was because he instilled genuine hope in this decaying village.