She had imagined it would work right away...
Well, no!
Why would Naruto agree to obey her?
They had no special relationship...
Even if she had given him a gift...
Sako quickly thought it over and realized she had no solid argument.
Well... maybe one.
"If you come with me to watch the Chunin Exams next week in our village... then I'll agree to be your friend."
Upon hearing that, Naruto's goofy expression instantly lit up.
His sparkling blue eyes wide, he nodded eagerly: "Alright!"
"It's settled then..."
Sako thought this guy clearly didn't have any friends.
It made sense—she had never seen him hanging out with other kids his age in the park.
She quickly explained the details of the exam to him:
The first round was written.
The second, a fight.
The spectators (the two of them) would go to the Konoha Arena for the third round.
In truth, Sako had ulterior motives.
Her brother would be taking part in the exam.
Seeing her brother shine on the field would be amazing.
"Hey, wanna play with us?"
A lazy voice called out behind them.
Sako turned around, her satisfied expression instantly turning cold (though Naruto saw it more as tsundere behavior).
Sako: "I refuse."
Naruto: "..."
"Uh..."
The boy with spiky pineapple-like hair scratched his head, looking puzzled.
Next to him, a chubby boy was munching on snacks, looking just as silly as Naruto (in Sako's opinion).
A proud Uchiha would never play with just anyone.
"Hmph."
Sako tucked the book under her arm, stuffed her hands in her pockets, and walked off, leaving behind a proud figure.
"Those Uchiha are all beautiful, but they've got a nasty temper..."
The spiky-haired boy sighed, then turned his attention to Naruto.
"What about you? You're not like him, right? …By the way, is that a boy or a girl?"
He quickly dropped the question and introduced himself:
"I'm Nara Shikamaru. That's Akimichi Chōji. And you, blondie?"
"I'm Uzumaki Naruto, nice to meet you, Shikamaru, Chōji. Hehe..."
Naruto gave his usual goofy smile, looking rather clueless.
Chōji: "Crunch crunch... Want some chips?"
The wheels of fate kept turning.
Naruto felt like he had just met more future teammates.
After Sako, Tenten, Hinata, and Neji, now he knew Shikamaru and Chōji.
Among the 12 legendary ninjas, he only had to meet Sakura, Ino, Lee, Shino, and Kiba.
"Shikamaru, he looks dumb," Chōji commented casually.
"It's fine, no problem," Shikamaru replied with a forgiving smile.
"Akamaru~, let's go~!"
"Woof~!"
At that moment, a boy with a dog on his head and small visible fangs ran past the park on all fours.
"Another idiot," Chōji said, unimpressed by Kiba Inuzuka.
---
Naruto played with Shikamaru and the others until dusk.
They played hide-and-seek, swung on swings, climbed trees... as if making up for a lost childhood.
"Bye."
"I'm going home."
As the sun set, the parents came to pick up their children.
"Isn't that...?"
Nara Shikaku looked at Naruto, surprised.
The other parents exchanged similar glances.
Uzumaki Naruto, the Fourth Hokage's son, had made friends with their children?
They'd have to ask them about it in detail.
Once everyone was gone, Naruto remained alone in the park, his shadow stretching out under the orange light.
"Heh..."
Kurama yawned.
"No parents, so what? There are tons of orphans in the orphanage."
Just as he was about to encourage Naruto to stay strong, Kurama suddenly realized something.
And burst out laughing.
"Hah... I'm the one who killed his parents! ME!"
Kurama had just discovered a new dark joke.
Of course, that masked Uchiha was also to blame.
Unable to comfort Naruto anymore, Kurama laid his head on his paws and closed his eyes.
In this world, many things were nothing more than jokes... dark jokes.
But the old Sage of Six Paths had ultimately failed, because the chain of hatred could not be broken so easily.
And so, the ninja world became what it is today.
"..."
Naruto's goofy expression quickly softened, shifting from blankness to a smile.
"I made so many new friends today, it's really great."
"One meeting doesn't make you friends—not even casual ones..." grumbled Kurama.
"No~, Kurama, you don't get it~. It's pure childhood friendship. It's a good start... More and more people are recognizing me. One day, everyone will accept me, and I'll become a hero of Konoha... and the Seventh Hokage~."
Naruto laughed aloud.
"Why the Seventh?"
Kurama didn't understand.
Why not the Sixth?
But as the kid said, more and more people were "recognizing" (being fooled by) his lies.
That wasn't a good thing.
Kurama knew it.
Because, if you scratched the surface, Uzumaki Naruto was actually a manipulator.
If that guy ever became a hero of Konoha—or even Hokage—who knew what the village would look like afterward?
"Well, whatever... If humanity collapses, it collapses..."
Kurama decided to let go, do nothing, and just be an amused spectator.
To respect the fate of others, of nations, and even the ninja world itself.