In Konoha, they wiped out the Sarutobi clan at the start.

Chapter 27 Reunion with Naruto

"Your words of comfort are really not pleasant to hear at all." Kakashi rolled his eyes. "Now that you've learned it, let's go down the mountain. If you don't understand something later, just come and ask me. This awful weather, if we stay any longer, we'll be dried out by the sun."

"Perfect timing, it's not lunchtime yet. Let's go have lunch together as a way of thanking you, senior. What would you like to eat, senior? How about Ichiraku Ramen?" Chiya said.

"Didn't you already decide for me?" Kakashi said weakly.

Perhaps it was because Chiya frequented the Uchiha clan and, like him, had a close Uchiha friend.

He didn't have much of a dislike for Qianye.

I just felt that he was a somewhat cunning junior.

Soon, the two arrived at Ichiraku Ramen.

Here, they encountered an unexpected person: Naruto Uzumaki.

"Chiya-nii-san." A year has passed since last winter, and Naruto was especially excited to see Chiya again.

Perhaps even Chiyo himself didn't know that he had simply invited Naruto to eat ramen twice, both times while intercepting Hinata, and that was enough to make Naruto feel the warmth of family.

She replaced Iruka and became the first person to enter his heart.

"Oh, it's you. You're still so short after a year. Have you been eating instant noodles all the time and not eating proper meals?" Qianye stepped forward and gently stroked Naruto's yellow spiky hair as if petting a dog.

When Kakashi saw his teacher's orphan, his expression changed abruptly, and his face behind the mask looked extremely unnatural.

"Hehe." Naruto chuckled, thoroughly enjoying his time with Chiya.

Then, with an admiring tone, he excitedly said:

"That Chiya-nii-san... I've already heard about it. Chiya-nii-san, you graduated from the Ninja Academy less than a year ago and you've already been promoted to Jonin. I want to become an excellent ninja like Chiya-nii-san and then become Hokage."

"I see. Well then, good luck. If it were you, I believe you could definitely do it." Qianye replied casually and sat down. "Boss, three bowls of tonkotsu ramen, please. As for the side dishes, just add whatever you like. It's on me today."

"Okay, Chiya-kun." Ichiraku replied happily and began preparing the ramen.

When Naruto heard Chiya's encouraging words, he was stunned for a moment. Unconsciously, Chiya gained another label in Naruto's mind, becoming the first person to acknowledge him.

Kakashi observed Naruto's changing expression but remained silent throughout.

After lunch, Naruto quickly finished eating and left early because he needed to return to school.

Kakashi finally spoke, hesitatingly asking, "Qianye, are you very familiar with that brat?"

Chiya pretended to be taken aback for a moment before replying, "We're not exactly close. Including today, we've only met three times in total. I've only treated him to ramen a few times because he looked so lonely."

"I see," Kakashi replied, then continued, "Then you should know his identity, right? If I remember correctly, your parents died in the Nine-Tails' attack. Can you tell me why you don't hate that brat?"

"Why hate him? Kurama is Kurama, Naruto is Naruto. This little guy was just a newborn baby back then. What could he possibly do?"

Qianye first asked a question in return, and then began to make veiled accusations.

"I don't know which damned person spread the rumor that Naruto is the Nine-Tails, causing a perfectly good child, who was already an orphan, to have his childhood filled with the hatred and hostility of the villagers."

"He was drinking expired milk, eating instant noodles, and when he wanted to buy something, no one was willing to sell it to him. He was constantly hungry."

"It's a miracle that I've survived this long."

At this point, he added, "If I find out who it is, I will report it to the Hokage immediately."

"Rumors and gossip?" Kakashi thought of his father, the White Fang of Konoha, whose death was caused by rumors and gossip. Then he thought of Naruto's current situation and felt a pang of self-reproach.

Although the Third Hokage had ordered that no one should approach the Jinchuriki, he, as a disciple of Naruto's father Minato Namikaze, had never shown any care for his teacher's orphan all these years.

What have I been doing all these years?

As evening approached, the sun began to set.

The sunset in the west, set against the backdrop of Konoha's various buildings, created a uniquely beautiful and bustling scene.

At this moment, on the rooftop of the Hokage Building.

Hiruzen Sarutobi had his hands behind his back, and behind him was Kakashi Hatake, who had changed into ANBU ninja attire and was kneeling on one knee.

"How was it, Kakashi? What's your impression of Chiya?" Hiruzen Sarutobi asked, his back to Kakashi Hatake, his eyes narrowed.

He certainly wouldn't be so kind as to specifically ask Kakashi to teach Chiya ninjutsu.

More than anything, it was a test of Qianye's abilities.

Although Kurenai Yuhi had reported "everything" about Chiya to him, he trusted Kurenai Yuhi completely.

Ultimately, Kurenai Yuhi and Chiya are master and disciple.

Given his own experience and Orochimaru's example, it's understandable that Kurenai Yuhi might conceal some insignificant details from him, the Hokage.

These details often reveal a person's true character.

This is also why he assigned Kakashi to probe before sending Chiya to infiltrate the Uchiha clan.

Kakashi lowered his head and thought for a moment before speaking his thoughts respectfully: "Excluding bloodline limits, there is no doubt that he is a genius no less than Uchiha Itachi. He learned the B-rank Earth Release ninjutsu Earth Flow Wall and the A-rank ninjutsu Chidori in less than half an hour."

"As a person, he is not a villain; on the contrary, he has a strong sense of justice and is able to view issues rationally."

"Perhaps because he was also an orphan, he had compassion for the weak."

"I see." Hiruzen Sarutobi breathed a sigh of relief. Overall, Kakashi's assessment was not too different from the information he had.

However, being able to view the issue rationally is a bit tricky.

What he needed was a pawn who blindly worshipped him, to infiltrate the Uchiha clan.

There's no need for a Fujiwara Chiya with independent thinking abilities. If things aren't handled properly, Chiya might actually do something against the Hokage's will for that little girl from the Uchiha clan, just as Danzo said.

This is something Hiruzen Sarutobi would not want to see.

"Looks like I'll have to use my words to guide him a bit more; that kid's Will of Fire isn't pure enough," Hiruzen Sarutobi thought to himself.

"Hokage-sama." Just as Hiruzen Sarutobi was thinking about how to instill the 'Will of Fire' into Chiya, Kakashi's voice interrupted his thoughts.

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(End of this chapter)