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

Chapter 119 The Will of Fire of the Junior

A rare sunny autumn day.

Sakumo Hatake, the former White Fang of Konoha, now a super farm owner, took a half-day off.

He changed out of his work clothes and put on a casual kimono, carrying a carefully wrapped bamboo basket in his hand.

The bamboo basket contained not some expensive gift, but the largest and reddest tomatoes personally selected from the farm, along with a few cucumbers so green they seemed to drip with juice.

Beside him was a tiny figure with the same silver hair, wearing a small black mask.

Kakashi Hatake.

The little one was also dressed up carefully by his mother today, wearing a brand new blue kimono and wooden clogs that made a clattering sound as he walked.

"Father, where are we going?"

Kakashi tilted his head back, his big, dark eyes filled with curiosity.

"Let's go visit the Hokage."

This was the first time that Sakumo had visited the leader he admired so much, as a friend rather than a subordinate.

It would be a lie to say I wasn't nervous.

The Hokage's house is located in a quiet residential area of ​​the village; it is a very ordinary Japanese garden.

It was similar in layout to his house, not as luxurious as he had imagined.

When Sakumo brought Kakashi to stand in front of the door, Kakashi's small body was noticeably stiff, and he even breathed softly.

"Don't be nervous, Kakashi."

Sakumo noticed his son's nervousness, so he squatted down, gently stroked his son's soft silver hair, and said softly, "The Hokage is a very kind uncle."

Kakashi nodded, seemingly understanding but not quite.

Shuo Mao straightened his clothes and stepped forward to gently knock on the door.

The door opened quickly.

The one who opened the door was none other than Hiruzen Sarutobi.

He was dressed casually today, with a gentle smile on his face, looking like an ordinary uncle next door, without any of the majesty of a Hokage.

"You've arrived? Sakumo, please come in."

"Lord Hokage, I apologize for disturbing you."

Shuo Mao bowed respectfully and handed over the bamboo basket in his hand.

"Hey you, you came all this way, but what did you bring?"

Hiruzen accepted it with a smile, though his expression showed he was very happy.

Just then, a small, dark head peeked out from behind Hiruzen.

"Kakashi!"

As soon as Sarutobi Asuma saw Kakashi, he shouted excitedly and rushed out like a cannonball, grabbing Kakashi's hand.

"You're finally here! Come on! I'll take you to see the bird's nest in our tree! There are four baby birds inside!"

Asuma, being an easygoing person, didn't care at all about Kakashi's slightly reserved demeanor and pulled him into the courtyard.

Kakashi was caught off guard by this sudden enthusiasm and almost dropped the book he was holding.

Sakumo gave him an encouraging look.

"Go, play with Asuma."

Kakashi nodded and let Asuma pull him into the yard.

Hiruzen Sarutobi and Sakumo Hatake exchanged a smile, walked side by side to the corridor, and knelt down on either side of the low table.

Biwako served hot tea and some delicate snacks, exchanged a few pleasantries, and then left.

The two men sat on the veranda, drinking tea and chatting.

Their gazes were fixed on the two small figures in the courtyard.

Asuma's personality is like a little sun, lively and active, never stopping for a moment.

He pulled Kakashi along, pointing to the bird's nest in the tree and telling him how the mother bird fed her chicks; then he ran to the pond and showed off the koi he was raising.

Kakashi, on the other hand, appeared much more reserved and calm.

Most of the time, he just quietly followed behind Asma, listening to him chatter on and on.

"Your son is just like you."

Looking at the two children with completely different personalities in the yard, Hiruzen Sarutobi smiled and said to Sakumo, "They are both equally calm."

"You flatter me."

When his son was mentioned, Sakumo's usually expressionless face softened with the tenderness of a father. "This child... has been a bit too quiet lately, unlike Asuma who is so lively."

"Haha, boys have different personalities. It's better if they're quiet, less trouble."

Hiruzen Sarutobi laughed, "I envy you. Asuma, that kid, is as energetic as a monkey all day long, always jumping around. He broke the flowerpots at home the other day."

"I heard from Asuma that Kakashi wants to... learn farming from you?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi's tone carried a hint of curiosity and teasing.

Upon hearing this, Shuo Mao's face showed a rare hint of embarrassment.

He told Hiruzen Sarutobi everything that Kakashi had said that night.

"...He said he wanted to protect everyone's smiles."

After listening, Hiruzen Sarutobi remained silent for a long time.

Then he stood up, walked over to Sakumo, and patted him hard on the shoulder.

"Shuomao".

Hiruzen Sarutobi's voice was filled with satisfaction.

"You not only brought a bountiful harvest to the village."

"Furthermore, it has planted a seed in the hearts of the next generation of Konoha that is more precious than any ninjutsu, a seed called protection."

"By the way, speaking of parenting, I do have a wise saying that I can share with you."

Hiruzen Sarutobi suddenly smiled mysteriously.

"Oh?"

"A good beating can solve most problems when dealing with disobedient children."

Hiruzen had a knowing look on his face. "If one meal isn't enough, then two."

Shuo Mao: "..."

In the yard, the friendship between the two little ones is also growing rapidly.

"Kakashi, look, this is a windmill my father made for me! Isn't it amazing!"

Asuma held up the crudely made wooden windmill and showed it off in front of Kakashi.

"Awesome! Oh, right... I'll show you something..."

As Kakashi watched the windmill spinning, he pulled something out of his ninja tool pouch.

It was a thick illustrated book filled with pictures of various plants and animals.

"Illustrated Guide to Common Plants and Animals at Konoha Ecological Farm (First Edition)" - Edited by: Sakumo Hatake and Nara Shikanobu.

"Look, this is a Leaf Pig."

Kakashi turned to one of the pages, pointed to the lifelike drawing of a big, fat pig, and introduced it earnestly in a little adult-like 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 a lot.

"And this is the Naruto No. 1 rice variety. It needs plenty of sunlight and water to grow..."

"This is..."

The two little ones, one sharing toys made by their father, and the other sharing knowledge compiled by their father.

Despite their vastly different personalities, their eyes were filled with admiration for their father.

Hiruzen Sarutobi and Sakumo Hatake exchanged a smile as they watched this scene.