"Naruto!!! What are you doing here?! I thought you guys had already gone home! Come on, let's go, let's go!!"
Hearing Hirofumi Ito's words, Minato Namikaze managed to calm himself down, though his eyes still burned with a cold, murderous intent.
"I got it… Let's go."
Minato cast a frigid glance at the civilians around them. At this moment, he was utterly disillusioned with these people!
What a joke…
The ones he'd protected with his life were repaying his son like this!!!
Is this how the Third Hokage "takes care" of my son?!
Heh…
Some "care" that is!
Walking down the street with Hirofumi, Minato had no interest in observing the changes in the Hidden Leaf Village anymore.
"Hirofumi… Sorry, I couldn't hold it in for a moment there."
"I get it. As a father, it's hard to stomach something like this. If it was my son going through this, I'd make sure the Hidden Leaf didn't have a single soul left standing!"
Minato's expression grew complicated. Maybe he'd been a decent Hokage, but he sure as hell wasn't a good father or husband.
He'd already given his life for the Hidden Leaf once. Now that he had a second chance, why couldn't he live a little more selfishly?!
The Fourth Hokage?!
The Fourth Hokage is dead!!!
The person alive now was just Minato Namikaze!
As the two walked down the street, a shout suddenly came from behind.
"Hirofumi! Naruto!!!"
Hirofumi and Minato turned around curiously, only to see Iruka-sensei approaching them.
"You two haven't gone home yet?!"
"Iruka-sensei!"
"Iruka… sensei…"
Iruka gave "Naruto" a puzzled look, sensing something off about him today.
"Hey, Naruto! What's up with you? You seem kinda weird today."
"It's… nothing…"
Iruka didn't press further, scratching his head with a hearty laugh.
"Hahaha… Well, good thing I ran into you two! I was just about to grab a bowl of ramen. Come on, let's eat together—my treat~~"
Without waiting for a response, Iruka grabbed Hirofumi and Minato and dragged them toward Ichiraku Ramen.
Teuchi, the owner, spotted the trio.
"Oh! It's Iruka, little Hirofumi, and little Naruto! What'll you have?!"
"Three bowls of tonkotsu ramen!"
"Coming right up!!!"
Hirofumi was no stranger to Ichiraku Ramen. After all, this little ramen shop was practically a legendary spot in the Naruto world, woven into the entire storyline.
He'd eaten here plenty of times before, and Ichiraku's ramen was genuinely top-notch—especially in a world like this, where good food was hard to come by.
Before long, three steaming bowls of ramen were set in front of them…
"Let's dig in!!!" Iruka exclaimed, picking up his chopsticks and glancing at "Naruto" and Hirofumi sitting on either side of him.
"You two, eat up! Finish early and get some rest. You've got class tomorrow, and graduation from the Ninja Academy is getting closer. No slacking off now!
Especially you, Naruto!!! You're the least focused in class, and I'm honestly a bit worried about whether you'll pass the exam!
Anyway… keep at it! Didn't you say your dream is to become Hokage?! If you can't even become a Genin, forget about ever being Hokage!"
Iruka couldn't shake the feeling that "Naruto" was acting really strange today, unusually down, so he added a few extra words of encouragement.
Iruka's words eased Minato's heart just a little.
At least his son had some good friends in the village and a decent teacher!
"Thank you… Iruka… sensei!"
"Hahaha! Naruto, what's with you today?! Since when are you so polite with me?! Normally, you'd be shouting about how you're definitely gonna be Hokage!"
Minato felt a sharp pang in his chest. Hokage, huh?! Why did that word feel so bitterly ironic now?
Maybe Hirofumi was right. Maybe the Hidden Leaf really did need to change…
Picking up his chopsticks, Minato took a bite of the ramen. The familiar taste sent him into a daze.
Back in the day, he and his wife used to come here all the time. He'd come with his teammates too. Later, as a Jonin sensei, he'd often bring his students here.
But as a father, he'd never once shared a meal with his son…
Uchiha… Obito!!!
The real culprit who destroyed my family!!!
Hiruzen Sarutobi!!!
That sanctimonious hypocrite!!!
…
This meal felt incredibly strange to Iruka. Something was seriously off with "Naruto" today—his change was just too drastic!
"Hirofumi, what's going on with Naruto?! Did something happen to you guys just now?!"
Iruka leaned over and quietly asked Hirofumi, who was sitting next to him.
"It's nothing, Iruka-sensei. Naruto's just feeling a bit down, that's all. You know how the villagers treat him…"
Iruka sighed deeply, understanding immediately.
"Ugh… I get it…"
After they finished eating, Iruka planned to head off, but after a moment's thought, he ruffled "Naruto's" hair.
"Naruto! This isn't the Naruto I know! In my eyes, you're always that bright, cheerful, upbeat kid!
Didn't you say your dream is to become Hokage and earn everyone's respect?!
I'll be watching you… so keep it up!!!"
"Uh… I got it, Iruka-sensei!"
After a bit more chatter, Iruka left. Hirofumi and Minato also stepped out of Ichiraku Ramen.
Inside the summoning space, everyone watched the scene with complicated expressions.
Since Hirofumi had been nearby the whole time, those in the summoning space had seen everything clearly as Minato, disguised as Naruto, went through it all…