LRAB Chapter 468 Accident
Chapter 468 Accident
Chapter 468 Accident
Naruto's house has a pretty good layout.
Entering from the foyer, on the left is an open-plan kitchenette with a dining table next to it. In the middle is a separate toilet and bathroom. On the far right is a bedroom with a window and a small terrace where you can get some sun.
The location is also excellent, situated in the central area of Konoha Village, just a ten-minute walk from the Ninja Academy.
Although it's on the top floor, the building isn't very tall, so the lighting is good.
Judging from the perspective of a single person living alone, even in a few years or even ten years, this is still an excellent one-bedroom apartment.
There used to be a problem with the area being deserted, but that problem hasn't existed since the end of last year. When bored, one can pass the time by either going to the western suburbs for a walk or practicing meditation.
But now, this perfect home for one has one more person.
Naruto sat cross-legged on the edge of the bed, staring at the bedding spread out on the floor next to him.
"This bed is perfectly fine for two people, Dad." He looked at Minato with a puzzled expression. "Didn't we sleep together yesterday?"
Minato fluffed up the pillow: "Nine years old is old enough to sleep by yourself, Naruto."
"Yesterday was a special case. In two years you'll be a fully-fledged ninja, so you can't keep clinging to your father."
The fox-faced boy counted on his fingers, speaking in a serious tone: "Dad doesn't need to eat or go to the toilet. Although we live together, it doesn't seem to be any different from before."
"But... this... this reincarnated body, does it mean it doesn't need to take a bath at all?"
"Is Dad planning to wear his ninja uniform forever?"
Naruto loves taking baths. Even though his room is often a mess, the bathtub is a place he uses diligently every day.
Shuimen stopped tidying up the bedding.
"Well—"
The Fourth Hokage sat down on the edge of the bed.
The impure body truly does not need sleep. So-called rest is merely to prevent the mind from being constantly tense; simply closing one's eyes to rest is sufficient, without being bound by making a bed to sleep.
Maintaining a normal daily routine, lying down and getting up on time, deliberately creating a rhythm of daily life.
It was actually just for Naruto.
Even his appearance at the ninja academy was just to allow him to be seen as a child with a father again in front of his classmates.
Since you've decided to do it, you should do it properly.
"Buying new clothes takes time too."
Naruto asked, "What kind of clothes does Dad want to buy? The same as mine? Or like Shuji's?"
"Let's see how it goes tomorrow."
The conversation continued naturally. Naruto talked about today's training session, about Gaara and Fu, and about Ino and Sakura.
As he talked, when he mentioned Sasuke, he also brought up how that arrogant guy had taken several punches from Karin when he first enrolled.
"My mom used to be like that too," Minato said. "As soon as she entered the class, she set her sights on becoming Hokage."
They continued talking like this.
Naruto's voice gradually faded, his eyelids began to droop, and the blanket grew heavier and heavier, finally overwhelming his will to stay awake.
Minato sat on the edge of the bed, looking at his son's sleeping profile.
He didn't know how long he could stay with Naruto like this. Optimistically, it might be more than a year. But ultimately, it wasn't up to him to decide.
The next moment, he disappeared from the room and appeared in front of the Hokage Building.
When the water gate appeared in front of the building's main entrance, the secret agents who were waiting in the shadows did not show up to stop it.
They knew how many Hokage were in the village, and they also knew that although the Fourth Hokage was disguised as Minato Uzumaki, he actually possessed the highest level of access privileges.
The Fourth Hokage stopped in front of the closed Hokage office door and gently knocked.
"Please come in."
When I pushed the door open, Hiruzen Sarutobi was sitting behind his desk.
"Minato, what's the matter so late?"
Minato asked, "Third Hokage, so it was you here. Are Lady Tsunade and Shuji not here?"
"They're working with the Second Hokage on tactical system reforms in the western suburbs." Hiruzen Sarutobi's face showed a hint of helplessness. "I can only reluctantly agree to do it."
Minato just smiled when he heard this. He had seen through Shuji's purpose long ago, but in the end, Shuji seemed to have succeeded, albeit in a different way.
The third generation clearly understood that smile as well.
"That's a relatively important thing at this stage."
"Over the past few years, although they have always made excuses, those two have still been doing their jobs properly."
"I was also able to take good care of my grandson for two years and focus on his education."
The old man's tone was tinged with satisfaction before he asked, "So, what brings you here?"
"I'd like to apply for a two-bedroom apartment," Minato said directly. "Although I can't be sure how long I'll be staying, at least during this time—"
"No problem." The Third Hokage readily agreed. "I'll go check tomorrow to see if there are any vacant houses."
"Thank you very much, Third Generation."
After thanking him, Minato's gaze swept across the desk.
Even a cursory glance reveals that the amount of accumulated documents far exceeds his memory.
In just nine years, the number of matters requiring the Hokage's personal review and handling seems to have expanded considerably.
"The workload seems to have increased significantly compared to before," he commented.
"I'm really finding it harder to handle these things in this new era," Hiruzen Sarutobi sighed. "It's not just me; my two old buddies, Koharu and En, are also finding it increasingly difficult to keep up lately."
Minato sat down in the chair opposite him.
"In the past, most of the affairs within the Land of Fire were handled by the Daimyo's government and its subordinate bureaucratic system. We only needed to intervene when it involved security or major conflicts."
The Third Hokage slowly said, "But since last year, the situation has changed. More and more local nobles have begun to frequently express their desire to visit the village and strengthen communication."
Minato's expression turned serious: "Are their targets the village's ninjas?"
Although the Fourth Hokage said he didn't want to interfere in the affairs of the living, he still learned everything he needed to know.
Moreover, last year's incident, though seemingly simple, was actually a serious problem.
He naturally paid close attention to it.
The ninjas are interfering in more and more things, and the nobles will not give up easily after one defeat.
Hiruzen Sarutobi affirmed, "If it's just a routine task, most of the negotiations can be completed in the newly built venue area. There's no reason why we absolutely have to go to the village."
"Do you want to make a pact with ninjas through private contact?" Minato understood.
"If it's just about getting people into the village, that's easy to handle." The Third Hokage pulled a few documents from the pile and pushed them in front of Minato. "The number of requests that need to be screened is also increasing."
Shuimen took the document and quickly scanned it.
The commissions all seemed normal: escorting caravans, guarding mansions, transporting valuables — but the names and frequency of the commissioners hinted at something unusual.
When commissions from the same clan appear one after another, the designated ninjas are often members from small or medium-sized ninja clans who do not hold a core position within the village.
"They're trying to establish long-term connections." The Fourth Hokage put down the documents. "Through repeated commissions, they're creating connections between specific ninjas and specific clans. Over time, a bond will naturally develop."
"What's even more troublesome is this." Hiruzen Sarutobi handed over another report. "Some nobles have started using commissions as an opportunity to bypass the village's surveillance and try to communicate privately with ninjas who are out on the move."
Minato's brow furrowed slightly.
The report recorded several incidents: nobles invited ninjas to private banquets after missions, presented them with valuable gifts, and even proposed marriage.
"Those who ask the village for money are relatively easy to deal with," the Third Hokage continued. "What's truly worrying are those who have started making long-term, clandestine requests to outsiders."
"For example, nobles involved in foreign trade now have more channels to interact with other small ninja villages or independent ninja clans."
"Shuji's idea is that at this stage, the Joint Affairs Bureau and even the five great ninja villages should not allow ninjas to become too deeply involved in the specific administrative management and judicial decisions of ordinary people's society too quickly."
He believes that participating in infrastructure construction, medical assistance, and disaster relief is one thing, but directly handling civil disputes, making judicial decisions, and managing local administration is a completely different matter.
"The latter will bring about a lot of trivial but sharp frictions of interest."
"Xiaochun, Yan, and I all agree with this assessment." The Third Hokage rubbed his temples. "We already have enough troubles to deal with right now, and it's really not wise to actively get involved in more complicated matters."
As he spoke, he took a thick stack of documents from the table and pushed them in front of the water gate.
Minato looked at the documents, then at the pen he had somehow found himself holding, and finally raised his head.
"Sandaime?"
He was so focused on guarding against Shuji that he failed to guard against the old Hokage.
Hiruzen Sarutobi coughed and looked away. "I'm sixty-five, Minato."
"I simply don't have the energy to deal with so many thoughts."
"Besides, now that you're back, you should think more about Naruto's future, right? That kid will graduate from the Ninja Academy in three years, and in a few more years, he'll be settling down and starting a family in no time."
"The stipend for the Hokage position has increased significantly compared to before, so that two-bedroom apartment is no longer included in the regular housing subsidy. It can be converted into cash for you."
"Also, you and Kushina left some things with me, which I originally planned to give to Naruto when he came of age—now that you're back, I'll have them delivered to your new residence."
When Naruto woke up in the morning, the bedding on the floor had already been neatly made.
He yawned as he walked out of the bedroom and saw Shuimen standing in the kitchen. An apron was tied around his waist, and the sizzling sound of eggs frying came from the pan. The indicator light on the bread machine was shining with a warm yellow light.
"dad?"
Good morning, Naruto.
Naruto rubbed his eyes and went into the bathroom. After washing up, he sat back down at the dining table.
"I heard that Ino's father is much better now." Minato took off his apron and sat down opposite her. "Let's go visit him together after school today."
Naruto suddenly became much more alert.
"Really?"
"Of course." Minato placed the bento box in front of Naruto. "Tell Yamanaka-kun in advance."
The blond boy instinctively felt this was an opportunity. He quickly finished his breakfast, grabbed his lunchbox, and ran to the door.
"I'm going out!"
When Naruto arrived at the school, there weren't many people in the classroom yet.
He put down his schoolbag and searched the classroom with his eyes. Ino's seat was still empty, as was Sakura's.
Time passed slowly, and the students arrived one after another. When Shikamaru and Choji appeared, Ino followed.
Naruto immediately stood up.
He stepped out of his seat, took two steps toward Ino, and then stopped.
Sakura hasn't arrived yet.
If I tell her now, she won't know.
So they went back.
Turning around, I was met with a face that had no expression.
There are three people in the class whose faces never show much expression.
One is Gaara, one is Sasuke, and the other one's name is... what was it again? He was wearing sunglasses, I think...
Sasuke was one of the more expressive ones among the three. For example, at this moment, his brows were slightly furrowed, and his black eyes were looking at Naruto, but there was no warmth in them.
His gaze seemed to fall into the distance as well, and when Naruto turned his head to look, he found that it was in Ino's direction.
Sasuke took a few steps closer, and the two stood shoulder to shoulder in the narrow aisle between the tables and chairs.
The second young master of the Uchiha clan spoke in a very low voice, so low that only the two of them could hear him.
"Stop making things worse, you idiot."
"This situation only became like this because of your interference; I will handle it."
"If the rumor about your father coming back is true, then focus on that."
Naruto looked into Sasuke's eyes and returned the same earnestness: "If things have gotten worse because of me, then I'm even less likely to ignore it."
Just then, out of the corner of his eye, Naruto caught a glimpse of pink hair drifting down the corridor outside the window.
Sakura is coming.
He turned around, ready to take another step.
"You don't understand at all, Naruto." Sasuke placed his hand on Naruto's shoulder. "You've been involved in this far too much as an unnecessary factor."
Naruto grinned and said, "All I have to do is complete the task my father gave me, Sasuke."
"Don't you understand?" Sasuke frowned even more. He turned Naruto around so the two were standing face to face.
The aisle was completely blocked by them. Voices from other students came from behind, saying things like "Make way" and "I can't get through." Someone tried to squeeze past, but their shoulder accidentally bumped into Naruto's back.
Just like that.
A slight push came, and Naruto leaned forward.
Their faces collided squarely.
The classroom fell silent.
All sound ceased, all movement stopped. Dozens of gazes turned and froze on the two boys who had collided in the middle of the corridor.
Ino stood beside her seat, the textbook she had just taken out of her hand fell to the ground.
Sakura, who had just entered the classroom, froze at the doorway.
After a brief silence—
"Naruto! What have you done?!"
"Let go of Sasuke-kun!"
Screams and curses rang out simultaneously. Ino was the first to rush forward, followed closely by Sakura, and then most of the girls in the class, who all pounced on Naruto.
"Wait, no—I just—"
'
"This was unexpected! This was truly unexpected!!"
"Don't pull my hair—!"