"Naruto," Sarutobi Hiruzen asked with a kind smile, "how was your first day at the academy?"
"Amazing!" Uzumaki Naruto exclaimed joyfully. "Especially Teacher Kitazawa—he's super, super great!"
With that, he proudly waved the snack bag in his hand.
"Did you buy those snacks yourself?" Sarutobi Hiruzen asked, smiling at Naruto's enthusiasm.
"Teacher Kitazawa gave them to me as a reward!" Naruto opened the snack bag and gasped in amazement.
The variety of treats inside exceeded his wildest dreams: lollipops, chocolates, sandwich cookies, potato chips, and more.
Sarutobi Hiruzen glanced at the contents and nodded approvingly.
Kitazawa... this teacher is good. He's someone you can trust.
Sarutobi Hiruzen recalled how Kitazawa had repeatedly come to Naruto's rescue throughout the day.
He secretly resolved to award Kitazawa the title of "Teacher of the Year" despite the potential accusations of favoritism.
As the Hokage, no one would dare question his decision.
"Here, Grandpa Hokage," Naruto offered a lollipop.
"I'm too old for sweets," Sarutobi Hiruzen said, patting Naruto's head. "You enjoy it."
Uzumaki Naruto hesitated, then reluctantly withdrew the lollipop.
"Besides your teacher, how are your classmates? Have you made any friends?" Sarutobi Hiruzen opened the door and led Naruto into the living room.
"I think Chōji, Shikamaru, Kiba, and Ino are all pretty nice to me," Naruto said, scratching his head.
"But I don't know if we're really friends yet."
"Not yet, but they will be," Sarutobi Hiruzen replied, unsurprised.
The classmates Naruto mentioned all came from ninja clans, and they were well aware of the rumors about him being a "monster."
Moreover, their fathers had either fought alongside Namikaze Minato or received his help in the past.
"Great!" Naruto exclaimed, his eyes sparkling with excitement.
"I, Uzumaki Naruto, am finally going to have friends!"
Sarutobi Hiruzen suddenly felt a pang of guilt.
The treatment Naruto had endured was far too cruel for a child. But... it was a necessary sacrifice.
The Nine-Tailed Jinchūriki was Konoha's most crucial trump card, and he had to be handled with utmost caution.
"Grandpa Hokage."
After settling onto the sofa, Uzumaki Naruto took a bite of a sandwich cookie and asked, "Do you know much about the Fourth Hokage?"
"Why are you suddenly asking about the Fourth Hokage?" Sarutobi Hiruzen asked, his gaze sharpening.
"Well," Naruto explained, "Teacher Kitazawa said that to gain everyone's approval, I need to learn from the Hokage."
"Then why didn't you ask me?" Sarutobi Hiruzen chuckled.
"Many people consider me the strongest Hokage of all time."
"I plan to study all four Hokage," Naruto grinned.
"That way, I'll definitely surpass all previous Hokage! What do you think, Grandpa Hokage? Am I being clever?"
Sarutobi Hiruzen paused, then burst into laughter.
"What's so funny?" Naruto asked, confused. "Is there something wrong with my idea?"
"Not at all," Sarutobi Hiruzen replied, stroking his white beard.
"If you can truly combine the strengths of all four Hokage, you might indeed surpass all previous Hokage."
"Great!" Naruto declared, his spirit soaring.
Sarutobi Hiruzen smiled silently, choosing not to dampen Naruto's enthusiasm.
Combine the strengths of all four Hokage? Even he couldn't achieve such a feat, let alone Uzumaki Naruto.
To be precise, no ninja like that could ever exist in the entire Ninja World.