A rare sunny autumn day.
Hatake Sakumo, the former White Fang of Konoha and today's super farm manager, gave himself half a day off.
He took off his work clothes and put on a home kimono. In his hand, he carried a carefully wrapped bamboo basket.
Inside the basket were not expensive gifts, but the largest and reddest tomatoes personally selected from the farm, and a few cucumbers so green they looked like they could drip water.
Beside him was a little one with the same silver hair, wearing a small black mask.
Hatake Kakashi.
The little guy had also been carefully dressed up by his mother today, wearing a brand-new small blue kimono and a pair of wooden clogs on his feet, clattering as he walked.
"Father, where are we going?"
Kakashi looked up, his big dark eyes full of curiosity.
"To visit Lord Hokage's home."
This was the first time Sakumo was visiting the leader he admired so much as a friend, not a subordinate.
To say he wasn't nervous would be a lie.
Lord Hokage's home was located in a quiet residential area of the village. It was a very ordinary Japanese-style courtyard.
It was similar in layout to his own home, not as luxurious as he had imagined.
When Sakumo stood at the door with Kakashi, Kakashi's small body was obviously tense, and even his breathing was lighter.
"Don't be nervous, Kakashi."
Sakumo saw his son's restraint. He crouched down, ruffled his son's soft silver hair, and said gently, "Lord Hokage is a very kind uncle."
Kakashi nodded, seemingly understanding but not quite.
Sakumo adjusted his clothes, stepped forward, and knocked gently on the door.
The door opened quickly.
It was Sarutobi Hiruzen who opened the door.
He was also wearing casual clothes today, with a gentle smile on his face, looking like an ordinary uncle next door, without any of the Hokage's majesty.
"You're here? Sakumo, please come in."
"Lord Hokage, sorry for the intrusion."
Sakumo bowed respectfully and handed over the bamboo basket in his hand.
"You guy, you came, why bring anything?"
Hiruzen smiled and took it. Although he said so, the expression on his face was very happy.
Just then, a fuzzy little black head peeked out from behind Hiruzen.
"Kakashi!"
As soon as Sarutobi Asuma saw Kakashi, he shouted excitedly, rushed out like a small cannonball, and grabbed Kakashi's hand.
"You're finally here! Quick! I'll take you to see the bird's nest in our tree! There are four little birds inside!"
Asuma was a natural social butterfly. He didn't care about Kakashi's slightly reserved appearance at all, dragging him towards the yard.
Kakashi was a little overwhelmed by this sudden enthusiasm, and the book in his arms almost fell.
Sakumo cast an encouraging look.
"Go, play with Asuma."
Only then did Kakashi nod, letting Asuma drag him into the yard.
Sarutobi Hiruzen and Hatake Sakumo smiled at each other, walked side by side to the veranda, and sat kneeling on both sides of the low table.
Biwako brought hot tea and some exquisite tea snacks, exchanged a few pleasantries, and then left.
The two men sat on the veranda, drinking tea and chatting.
Their gazes fell on the two small figures in the yard.
Asuma's personality was like a little sun, lively and active, never stopping for a moment.
Dragging Kakashi, he pointed to the bird's nest in the tree one moment, telling him how the mother bird fed the little birds; the next moment he ran to the pond, showing off the few koi fish he raised.
Kakashi, on the other hand, seemed much more introverted and quiet.
Most of the time, he just quietly followed Asuma, listening to him chatter non-stop.
"Your son is really like you."
Sarutobi Hiruzen looked at the two children with completely different personalities in the yard and said to Sakumo with a smile, "Both are equally steady."
"You flatter me."
At the mention of his son, Sakumo's usually expressionless face softened with fatherly affection. "This child... has been a little too quiet recently, not as lively as Asuma."
"Haha, boys have different personalities. Being quiet is good, less worry."
Sarutobi Hiruzen laughed. "I envy you. That kid Asuma has the energy of a monkey all day long, jumping up and down. He broke a flower pot at home two days ago."
"I heard from Asuma that Kakashi wants to... learn farming from you?"
Sarutobi Hiruzen's tone carried a bit of curiosity and teasing.
Hearing this, a rare look of embarrassment appeared on Sakumo's face.
He told Sarutobi Hiruzen everything Kakashi had said to him that night.
"...He said he wants to protect everyone's smiles."
Sarutobi Hiruzen listened and fell silent for a long time.
Then he stood up, walked to Sakumo, and patted his shoulder heavily.
"Sakumo."
Sarutobi Hiruzen's voice was filled with gratification.
"You have not only grown a bountiful harvest for the village."
"But you have also planted a seed named protection, more precious than any ninjutsu, in the hearts of our Konoha's next generation."
"By the way, speaking of parenting, I have a famous saying I can pass on to you."
Sarutobi Hiruzen suddenly smiled mysteriously.
"Oh?"
"For disobedient children, a beating can solve most problems."
Hiruzen had the expression of someone who had been there. "If one beating doesn't work, then two."
Sakumo: "..."
In the yard, the friendship between the two little guys was also heating up rapidly.
"Kakashi, look, this is the windmill my father made for me! Amazing, right!"
Asuma held up the roughly made wooden windmill, showing it off in front of Kakashi.
"Amazing! By the way... let me show you something..."
While looking at the whirring windmill, Kakashi took something out of his ninja pouch.
It was a thick illustrated book filled with drawings of various plants and animals.
"Illustrated Handbook of Common Flora and Fauna in Konoha Ecological Farm (First Edition)" — Editors: Hatake Sakumo, Nara Shikaku.
"Look, this is a Konoha Pork."
Kakashi opened a page, pointed to the vividly drawn big fat pig, and introduced it seriously in a little adult tone, "It eats several meals a day, likes to roll in the mud, and when it's in a good mood, its tail wags to the left."
"Wow..."
Asuma listened in a daze, feeling that Kakashi knew so much.
"And this is Hokage No. 1 Rice. It needs plenty of sunlight and water to grow..."
"This is..."
Two little guys, one sharing a toy made by his father, the other sharing knowledge compiled by his father.
Although their personalities were different, their eyes were filled with admiration for their fathers.
Sarutobi Hiruzen and Hatake Sakumo watched this scene and smiled at each other.
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