Naruto: With Favorabiltity System

Chapter 229: Naruto and Sasuke, Haneda and Kakashi

Haneda and Kakashi were walking Naruto home.

On the way, Kakashi casually asked,

"I heard you brought quite a few kids back to the village? Two from Kirigakure, one from Iwagakure, one from Kusagakure…"

Kakashi counted on his fingers, squinting as he smiled.

"With Yamato, that makes five in total. Your house must be lively. Are you trying to be the head of an orphanage?"

Naruto's mouth dropped open in shock. "Five? Haneda-uncle, you've already adopted five kids?!"

"They were all picked up along the way," Haneda replied, lowering his head slightly. "Once the village stabilizes, I'll send them to the ninja academy."

Haneda turned to Naruto and asked,

"Do you want to become a ninja, little Naruto?"

"Nope," Naruto replied, shaking his head without hesitation.

"Your father was an outstanding ninja, Naruto," Kakashi said, trying to persuade him.

"If he doesn't want to, then let him be," Haneda interjected with a smile. "You wouldn't want to send a child to the battlefield, would you?"

Before long, the three of them arrived at Haneda's home.

Haneda knocked on the door, and to his surprise, it wasn't Shiro or the others who answered.

Instead, it was a young boy wearing a black high-collar shirt and white shorts.

The boy looked familiar, resembling Fugaku and Mikoto by six or seven parts.

The boy was about to greet him with "Haneda-uncle," but the moment he saw Naruto holding Haneda's hand, he froze.

The two boys locked eyes, an unspoken connection forming between them.

"What are you looking at? Is no one outside?" Fugaku's voice came from inside the house as he walked toward the door.

When he saw Haneda, a warm smile spread across his face.

"That's your Uncle Haneda. When you were little, he used to carry you in his arms."

"Oh, oh, hello, Uncle Haneda," Sasuke said, snapping out of his daze and quickly greeting him.

Naruto, however, seemed intimidated by Fugaku's stern demeanor and tried to hide behind Haneda and Kakashi. But when his eyes met Sasuke's, his fear vanished.

Summoning his courage, Naruto imitated Haneda and extended his hand:

"Hi, I'm Naruto Uzumaki, and I'm gonna be the Hokage one day!"

"Sasuke Uchiha," Sasuke replied coolly, giving a simple introduction.

He glanced at Naruto's hand, which was stained with paint and a bit dirty. However, seeing Naruto's eager expression, Sasuke maintained his aloof demeanor, turned his head slightly, and shook Naruto's hand.

After the handshake, Sasuke reminded him,

"Next time, remember to wash your hands. I'm a bit of a clean freak."

"Oh, got it." Naruto scratched his head sheepishly, letting Sasuke lead him into the house.

Haneda watched Naruto and Sasuke with a smile before turning to Kakashi. He reached out as if to hold Kakashi's hand, only for Kakashi to swat it away.

"What are you doing? We're adults now. This isn't like when we were kids."

Kakashi shot Haneda a look of exasperation.

"Men remain boys at heart. Are you saying our bond is weaker than two kids who just met?" Haneda retorted.

"Fine, just this once."

Kakashi extended his hand, mimicking Sasuke's gesture of pulling Naruto along, and led Haneda into the living room.

Perhaps because the three adults were now gathered in the living room, Sasuke led Naruto upstairs to play with Shiro and Kimimaro.

Compared to the dull world of adults, Kimimaro and Deidara seemed much cooler and more fun.

In the Living Room

After the kids left, Haneda and Kakashi grew serious and began discussing important matters.

"Haneda, based on what you told Naruto, are you planning to run for Hokage?" Kakashi asked curiously.

The idea of Haneda running for Hokage surprised him.

He still remembered Haneda as a kid, telling Obito he'd rather die than become Hokage.

Who would have thought Haneda would now be pursuing Obito's dream?

"That's right. The Third Hokage is old and increasingly incompetent. Do you remember what I said before I left?"

"The time has come to fulfill that promise."

As Haneda spoke, he extended his fist.

"I'll need your help with the Hokage campaign. You're a big name in Konoha now."

Looking at Haneda's fist, Kakashi felt a wave of nostalgia. He bumped his fist against Haneda's and agreed:

"I'll do everything I can to support you."

"Over the next few days, I'll talk to people. My father's old comrades have been hoping for your return. I'll also convince my subordinates from the Iwagakure battlefield to back you."

Fugaku chuckled, "So, when do we call for the Jonin council meeting, Haneda?"

"I can request one as the Uchiha clan leader, and Kakashi can pressure the Third Hokage with his authority as the battlefield commander."

Haneda thought for a moment and said,

"This afternoon, I'll visit the Hyuga compound to discuss cooperation with Hiashi."

"Let's schedule the Jonin council meeting for tomorrow morning. If we can win over the Hyuga clan, the Third Hokage will have no choice but to step down gracefully."

"The Hyuga clan?" Fugaku looked at Haneda with some confusion.

The Hyuga were the second-most powerful clan in Konoha. Rivalry between the Sharingan and the Byakugan had always persisted.

The Third Hokage and Konoha's leadership often used the Hyuga clan to balance the Uchiha's influence, so relations between the two clans weren't particularly good.

"Didn't Hiashi recently kill some of the Cloud ninja at the Hyuga compound?" Haneda asked.

"With the Fourth Raikage's temper, he'll definitely stir up trouble over this."

"And the Third Hokage, who always prioritizes stability and appeasement, might sacrifice the Hyuga clan to please the Cloud Village and beg for peace."

Fugaku and Kakashi laughed at Haneda's sharp and humorous jab.

Kakashi added,

"The Hokage has indeed been too lenient in foreign affairs."

"For instance, Iwagakure should have surrendered after this war, but the Hokage agreed to their terms of truce instead. Most of the ninja under my command were furious about his decision."

Haneda took a sip of water to moisten his throat.

"After three years of fighting, people's emotions have reached a boiling point."

"The Third Hokage hasn't been on the battlefield, so he doesn't understand the situation there."

"Let's hold the Jonin council meeting tomorrow morning. Kakashi, can you rally the Jonin who might support us? I'll go talk to the Hyuga clan leader."

Fugaku asked, "What about me, Haneda?"

Haneda looked at Fugaku, thought carefully, and instructed,

"Keep an eye on Shisui. Get him to resign from his position in the ANBU."

"If he refuses, tell him plainly: he must choose between the Uchiha clan and the Third Hokage."

"And if he hesitates, tell him that once I'm Hokage, I'll restore him to his ANBU position."

"Also, monitor anyone who tries to contact Shisui within the Uchiha compound."

After giving his instructions, Haneda got up and headed for the door.

He wanted to visit the Hyuga clan early to prevent Hizashi from taking his own life, which would ruin his bargaining chip.

Seeing this, Kakashi asked,

"Don't you want to spend more time with Naruto, Haneda?"

Hearing Naruto's name, Haneda smiled mysteriously and replied with a question:

"When you were a kid playing with me, did you ever hope Sakumo-uncle would come looking for you?"

Kakashi blushed slightly and muttered,

"Fine. Right now, he should focus on making new friends."

"Exactly. That's what Kushina wanted for him as well."