9- Stop ignoring me...

Konoha...

The park beside the Ninja Academy was bustling with activity as kids enjoyed their playtime. Among them were Kirito and Naruto, along with their friends Ino, Shikamaru, and Choji. They were having a tough time deciding what game to play.

"Let's play house," Ino suggested after some thought.

"Are you guys sure you don't want me to teach you the transformation jutsu?" Kirito asked, surprised by their lack of interest compared to earlier.

"Yes, I didn't understand anything about the transformation jutsu, so I asked my dad. He said it will be easier to learn when I am at the right age. So I'll enjoy my life until then and learn my clan's jutsus," Choji replied, munching on some snacks.

"He's right. I somewhat understand the process, but I can't use the jutsu yet. Trying so hard is tiring, so I'll also enjoy myself until I'm old enough," Shikamaru added lazily.

"I guess I'll do the same. Besides, we can learn it when we join the academy, so there's no point in rushing it," Naruto chimed in. He didn't like working hard at his age; after all, he was just a kid.

"If you put it that way, I won't force you, but know that it's your loss," Kirito sighed.

"All right, let's play tag then. You're it!" Naruto said, playfully hitting Kirito, and the three boys began running around.

"Hey, that's not fair!" Kirito protested, caught off guard by their sudden decision.

"Stop ignoring me!" Ino couldn't take it anymore and shouted loudly, feeling left out as the others began playing without including her. At first, she thought they would ask her to join, but they simply started playing among themselves. Kirito, who was standing beside her, was affected by her shout.

"Can you not shout, please?" Kirito said, covering his ears.

"But you're not listening to me," Ino said innocently, noticing Kirito's pitiful reaction.

Hokage office...

While Kirito was playing with his brother and friends in the park, the five most authoritative figures in the village were engaged in a serious discussion at the Hokage office.

"You can't be serious, Saito. He's just a 3-year-old boy. We can't let him join the academy at such a young age. If he was a year or two older, then maybe," Koharu said, looking at Saito with a serious tone as she sipped her green tea.

"Cut that act, Koharu. I know what you're implying and planning to do, but I won't let you guys decide this time. I've already made up my mind," Saito said angrily, gazing at everyone in the room.

"If anyone should have him, it's not you, Saito, but me and my Root," Danzo said, expressing his desire to have at least one of the two brothers. He had a vested interest in training them for the village.

"Don't overestimate yourself, Danzo, and think I won't take action against you," Saito retorted angrily, noticing Danzo's intent to claim one of the brothers even before he could teach them.

"I'm not overestimating myself at all, Saito. Don't forget that I have the responsibility to protect the village from the shadows. So there's nothing wrong in requesting to have one of the twins," Danzo stated with seriousness. He believed he could train one of the brothers to become a powerful asset for the village.

"No way am I letting you do that," Saito said, his killing intent almost surfacing to suppress Danzo.

"That's enough, Danzo. I've told you before, and I'll tell you again. I won't give you either of those two boys. I promised Kushina that I would ensure they have a normal life," Hiruzen, the Third Hokage, intervened in the conversation.

"You can't be serious, Hiruzen," Danzo couldn't believe what his friend was telling him. He continued, noting Hiruzen's serious expression, "Hahahahaha… You of all people, Hiruzen. How can you say that you'll make sure they have a safe life? Aren't you the one who spread the rumors about the fox, making their lives hell? I'm telling you, give them to me while you still can."

"That's enough out of you, Danzo. I feel guilty for what I've done with the twins, and I regret it now. Although Kushina told me that Minato believed the villagers would hold the twins as heroes, I ended up disclosing the matter, not knowing it would turn out this bad," Hiruzen said with a sad sigh.

"Stop playing the fool, Hiruzen," Danzo cut in.

"I don't need to explain it to you. When I saw the villagers reacting negatively, I did my best to stop the rumors," Hiruzen said, sighing sadly. "But now I won't let them suffer anymore. Also, Saito, I understand your intentions, but I can't let him join the academy. I want him to pass at the same age as other kids in his generation."

"No, I won't accept it. I think he deserves better, and I won't let someone so talented decay like this. He deserves to start learning now and shine brightly," Saito said with a complicated tone.

"I can understand what you mean. I also want a talented boy like him to shine the brightest in the world. Okay, how about this: you will personally teach him outside the academy, and I will promote him based on his abilities.

That means he will need to join ANBU if he's capable before the age of 7, and I'll also assign him to different missions. When he's 7, he'll join the academy with his brother and continue his studies while being sent on missions from time to time.

Additionally, when his generation takes the Chunin exams, I'll evaluate his rank based on his performance," Hiruzen proposed after thinking for a moment.

"Okay, I can accept that for now," Saito said, looking at the others in the room with a cold expression. "Don't think of doing anything funny with the twins, or you know I'm not a nice person to make an enemy of.

Also, Danzo, I'm especially warning you: when Minato and Kushina died in the Nine Tails attack, I wasn't in the village. But if I were here, the result wouldn't have been the same. So if you think of hurting the twins, know this—I will destroy your Root and give you a punishment worse than even hell," and with that, he vanished from the spot.

"You saw how impudent he got," Danzo muttered, looking at where Saito stood, the room returning to normal temperature.

"We can't do anything about him, even if we want to. After all, he was chosen for the Third Hokage seat before me, but he declined, stating he didn't like politics, yet he stayed to protect the village at the First Hokage's request," Hiruzen said, knowing full well how fearsome Saito could be.

"Even if he's nicknamed the Death God, he shouldn't think so highly of himself," Koharu said, her tone irritated.

"You don't understand anything about him, do you?" Hiruzen sighed, growing older by the day.

Back to the playground/park...

Evening had set in, and the parents of the kids came to take them home.

"See you again tomorrow, Kirito," Ino said with a smile, waving her hand.

"Take care on your way," Kirito replied with a smile.

"Don't worry, I will," Ino replied, grabbing her dad's hand. "Let's go, Dad."

Ino started walking with her dad, and Inoichi asked, "You know who that kid is, right?"

"Yes, but he's very nice to me," Ino said with a smile, remembering how Kirito treated her with respect, unlike other boys.

A few meters away, Shikamaru had just joined his dad, Shikaku Nara. He asked, "Dad, why does everyone say bad things about them?"

"It's not important what they say about the two brothers; it's what you think about them. So, what do you think?" Shikaku asked, his tone wise as he looked at his son seriously.

"

I think Naruto is good and fun, while his brother Kirito is much smarter than me. I like hanging around with them. There's also a feeling I get from Kirito that he's different," Shikamaru replied after pondering for a moment.

"I see. Good for you, then. Enjoy your life while you can," Shikaku said as they began to walk away.

Back to the twins...

"What are you sad about, brother?" Kirito asked, noticing Naruto's thoughtful expression as he gazed at the kids leaving the park with their parents.

"It's nothing," Naruto replied with a sigh, not wanting to burden his brother with thoughts about their parents. He then asked, "So, where are we going next?"

"Did you forget already? Gramps promised to take us to the ramen shop from here," Kirito reminded him with a grin.

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