Hiruzen's burden

"Well Naruto why did you decide to dine and ditch earlier?" I asked Naruto impassively while we walk side by side as Asuma decided to just follow behind us like a body guard.

We are eating ice scream stick that Asuma bought for us. I picked the famous dual stick ice scream stick instantly once I saw it, that was kind of an icon on the anime so I picked that one so we decided to just share and divided the ice scream.

Naruto flinched when I ask him about the incident earlier. "…I kind of got kicked out of the orphanage…" He whispered in a lowly voice.

"What did you say?" I thought I was hearing it incorrectly as I ask Naruto again.

"I said I got kicked out of the orphanage, ya know!" Naruto said out loud in frustration while looking away and ashamed.

I was a little bit shock when I heard him, I turned my head to look questioningly at Asuma behind us who was creasing his brows and looking quite pissed himself. I decided to question him and his father later on.

"Ehh? How old even are you Naruto?" Although I know his age, I just need to say something to keep the conversation going.

"I'm five. How about you?" He seemed to be quite glad that I didn't tease or bully him about him being kicked out of his home.

"Tsk! You're one year older than me, not fair." I keep decided to just keep the childlike attitude and treat him like any other children, I'm sure the kid needed one right now.

"Hahaha! Then you have to call me your elder!" Naruto cheered up as he pointed his ice scream at me while demanding haughtily.

"I don't want to!" I bit a huge chunk of his Ice cream and run away from him.

"Ahh! My ice cream!" Naruto chased after me as we played a game of tag not minding the grudgeful and hateful glances of the people towards Naruto.

****

"Horaa! You two are covered in sweat, we still have to go to the Hokage, Tenshin." Asuna called out to us after Naruto and I did a few minutes of game of tag, I was almost out of breath as we both lay beneath a tree's shade.

'What a freaking energy monster! I can't believe he beat me in stamina.' I breathed heavily while looking at Naruto's smiling face beside me. I feel glad that I get to at least lighten the burden this little child is feeling right now.

"That's right Naruto!" I sat right up as I face Naruto who was still lying in the grass. "Come with me, I'll introduce you to Jiji!"

"Hokage? Jiji?" Naruto also sat up in a hurry seemingly surprise when he heard me. "I was about to head to Jiji earlier as well – wait, how come you're also calling him Jiji?"

"Ahh, well… Just because?" I shrugged my shoulders at Naruto and couldn't come up with any excuses so I just grabbed him by the hand and run towards Asuma waiting for us. "Forget about that, let's go then."

As Asuma tiredly grabbed us on each hand we walked out of the park and started walking towards the Hokage tower. But right before we left the park, I caught a glimpse of a dark-blue-bowl-cut-haired little girl hiding by a tree in the distance with her teary white eyes of the Hyuuga looking straight at us.

'Oi! Hinata don't go looking like that!' I decided to ignore the little Hinata at the moment as we are already behind our agreement time with the Hokage.

'I promise I'll bring Naruto here once again and find you, so you two can play! So stop with that pitiful look, please!'

****

"Jiji! Look I made a friend!" When we entered the Hokage's office, Naruto was the first to run towards the Hokage and started telling his story.

I was still quite guilty about Hinata so I was acting a bit tame at the moment as I felt my energy sapped when I remember the sorry look of the little Hyuga.

"Naruto-chan?" The third Hokage was quite surprised when he saw the little blondie entering his office followed by me and Asuma.

"Ohh! Naruto and I became friends on our way here." I said in a proud voice towards Hiruzen as I raised my palm at Naruto who it energetically with his own.

"I see. Then I'm glad you two have became friends." Hiruzen laughed in a grandfatherly way while looking at us.

"But we have a problem Jiji. Naruto said he got kicked out of the orphanage, what should we do?" I innocently said the important news like it was a minor thing.

Naruto scratched his head while looking ashamed and embarrassed. Hiruzen's eyes widened by what he heard and questioned Asuma with his eyes. Asuma nodded seriously with a bit of anger in his eyes.

"Hmm, that's a problem. We'll see what we can do about that later. I'll make sure to scold those people so that you can return back." I could not help but feel disbelief at the Hokage wanting to return Naruto at the Orphanage who chased him out.

"Ehh? But they just, kicked him out there like they don't want him! Why should he stay there Jiji?" I acted quite frustrated – in fact I was really frustrated at the moment but used my age to act unreasonable for now.

"Let's talk about this in another time, okay?" The Hokage looked at me helplessly but his eyes were showing a deep regret.

"But Hokage-sama ---" Even Asuma got frustrated as he raised his voice at the Hokage.

"Enough!" Everyone in the room flinched in surprise as the pressure behind the Hokage's voice demanded silence.

For a few seconds the room temperature seemed to had lower significantly. "Don't worry Tenshin! I'll make them all accept me back. After all I'm gonna be Hokage someday, believe it!" Only when Naruto spoke suddenly while making a huge smile did I seemed to wake up.

I looked at the little Naruto's unfailing confidence as he tried to cheer us up, telling us not to mind him. But the Hokage's face behind Naruto instead grew a few more years older as his face was painted with guilt briefly but hid it when he saw me looking at him.

"Hahaha. That's right, Naruto. You have to grow strong quickly so that you can get me out of the paperworks sooner." Hiruzen hid his true feelings behind his laughter as he ruffled Naruto's hair who was happily smiling about being praised by the Hokage.

Looking at Hiruzen's forced acting, I could now see the sacrifice he was making by having Naruto suffer this injustice as he carried the burden of the matter. 'You might be protecting the child Hiruzen, but this shouldn't be the only way.'

I helplessly disagreed with Hiruzen on my mind as I regained my usual careless expression and laughed with them as well. "Ha! Hokage? You first have to be stronger than me before you become one!"

"Ohh! We don't even know that you're stronger than me, ya know?" Naruto crossed his arms as he taunted me while raising his eyebrows.

"Want to make a bet, you chibi!?" I crossed my arms as well while I challenge him looking quite confident.