The two arrived at a vast expanse of grassland, where the view was open and the air was fresh, as if it were a beautiful scroll painting of nature.
Under the clear blue sky, white clouds floated gently, complementing the lush green grass, and the colorful wildflowers dotted the landscape, making this lawn like a 5A-rated scenic spot in Konoha Village.
Chizhao looked at the beautiful scenery in front of her, her eyes sparkling with joy: "It's so beautiful!"
She spread her arms and ran happily towards the lawn. Seeing this, Naruto imitated her posture and ran after her cheerfully, feeling the breeze caressing his body.
The two ran happily on the lawn, their laughter echoing all around, the sound of the wind sweeping past their ears, bringing refreshing coolness, and free birds soaring overhead.
When they got tired of playing, they lay down on the lawn, gazing up at the clear blue sky and white clouds.
Naruto looked at the outline of Chizhao's profile and couldn't help but smile:
"Hey~ Thank you, Chizhao..."
"Hm?" Chizhao turned her head, looking at Naruto with confusion.
"Thank you for being willing to be my friend."
Chizhao met Naruto's sapphire-like pupils, which were clear and bright. Looking at his smile, something inside her also softened.
Naruto gazed at the white clouds in the sky, the breeze ruffling his short hair, and a hint of melancholy covered his eyes:
"Actually... I've always been alone. No one cared about me, no one wanted to play with me, and everyone in the Village hated me. I don't understand why I don't have parents, and I don't know what I did wrong. Seeing other children being cared for by their mom and dad still makes me very sad..."
Chizhao, who was originally indifferent to parents, felt a pang of sadness after hearing these words, recalling the blurry image of her mother entrusting her to someone else at the end.
"So I want to become Hokage, become strong enough for everyone to notice me, and I also want to protect the Village, becoming the strongest person!"
Chizhao looked at the small Naruto, raising his fist to the sky and declaring his grand ambitions, which filled her with admiration.
"I believe in you! You can definitely do it!"
"Eh? Really?"
Naruto sat up in surprise, looking at Chizhao who was lying on the ground.
"Really." Chizhao smiled and nodded.
Naruto laughed happily, a blush appearing on his face. He then turned his head curiously and asked:
"Oh, right, Chizhao, what's your dream?"
After speaking, Naruto lay back down, obediently waiting for Chizhao's answer.
Chizhao was a little bewildered by the question. In the time she had been in this world, she had never really thought about a dream. The only thing she could do now was to ensure that Jiraiya wouldn't disappear because of her.
Moreover, she knew the ultimate direction of this world, and as an NPC like her, she could only try her best to avoid becoming cannon fodder.
A dragonfly hovered above them. Chizhao extended her finger, and the dragonfly landed steadily on it.
Her emerald green eyes were gentle yet firm.
"As for a dream... to protect the people around me, and then world peace."
Naruto watched the dragonfly on Chizhao's finger flap its wings and fly into the blue sky, carried by the wind, and couldn't help but exclaim:
"As expected of Chizhao, even her dream is amazing!"
"Hahaha, are you the leader of the Compliment Group?"
"What's... the Compliment Group... leader?" Naruto's small head was filled with great confusion.
"I won't tell you." Chizhao mischievously turned her head away and closed her eyes.
"Tell me!" Naruto poked Chizhao's arm, pleading.
"I won't!"
"How can you be like that?" Naruto pouted, looking displeased.
An eagle circled above the two, its sharp eyes seemingly able to see through everything, and the scene reflected in its eyes also appeared on the crystal ball in the Hokage's office in the distance.
Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi sat in his seat, his gaze deep as he watched the scene in the crystal ball.
He took his pipe out of his mouth, slowly stood up, and walked to the window with his hands behind his back, the scenery outside intertwining with his thoughts.
The swirling smoke made his expression somewhat blurred.
Suddenly, an Anbu Ninja appeared instantly in the center of the empty office. He respectfully knelt on one knee, his tone calm.
"Hokage-sama, you called for me."
Hiruzen turned around, his expression softening, and took the pipe from his mouth.
"Shisui, you've returned at a good time. I hear your missions have all been outstanding."
Shisui bowed his head slightly, humbly replying, "Thanks to my fellow Anbu comrades, I wouldn't have been able to return unscathed without them."
Hiruzen nodded in approval.
He walked back to his chair and sat down, taking out a photograph and pushing it towards Shisui:
"Look at this child."
Shisui stood up, took the photograph, looked at the closed-eyed Hiruzen, then at the photograph in his hand, and asked in confusion:
"Is this for... assassination?..."
The photograph showed an ordinary child. What could have happened to warrant an assassination?
Hiruzen shook his head: "Not assassination, but surveillance."
Shisui immediately breathed a sigh of relief, but still asked what was on his mind.
"Is there anything special about this child?"
Hiruzen looked at Shisui, his eyes revealing a deeper meaning: "That might be something you'll have to tell me, Shisui. I trust your judgment."
Shisui understood, put the photograph into his combat uniform, and prepared to leave to carry out the mission.
"Wait!"
Hiruzen seemed to remember something and spoke slowly.
"This mission is not high-level, there's no priority. It's not too late for you to complete your own matters first."
"Understood, Hokage-sama."
With that, Uchiha Shisui vanished from sight.
The next second, the office door was knocked. Hiruzen put away the crystal ball and looked towards the door.
"Come in."
The doorknob turned, and a woman with her hair in a bun entered. She slowly walked forward, looking steadily at Hiruzen Sarutobi, her tone calm.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Hokage-sama. My name is Aihara Keiko." Keiko respectfully bowed to Hiruzen.
Hiruzen smiled in response: "Oh, hello. How are you? Are you accustomed to living in Konoha Village?"
Keiko nodded, her voice filled with gratitude: "Thanks to Hokage-sama's care, Chizhao and I are living very comfortably here."
Hiruzen put his pipe aside, becoming slightly more serious:
"So, Keiko, do you have something important to discuss with me today?"
"Hokage-sama must already know that I am no longer a person of Hidden Sand Village, and I have now retired, with no intention of participating in disputes between nations..."
Keiko paused, took out a mysterious object wrapped in white cloth from under her robe, and respectfully presented it with both hands.
"To show my sincerity, I would like to entrust this to Hokage-sama and ask you to pass it on to someone."
Hiruzen could feel the powerful Chakra emanating from the object in front of him, and his eyes narrowed, asking warily, "What is this?"
"It is 'sōran'."
sōran?!
Hiruzen's eyes instantly sharpened. He repeated the name, an indescribable shock surging within him.
He looked at the woman in front of him with a hint of disbelief, stood up, his expression much more serious than before.
"Your identity... who exactly are you...?"