Chapter Two: The Commission

“Huh? So what exactly do you mean by a reasonable price?” Naruto asked eagerly.

After a brief pause, Yu Higashino looked Naruto up and down. “One thousand ryo. Per day.”

A ninja’s lowest D-rank mission pays at least five thousand ryo, so charging a thousand a day didn’t seem unreasonable to him.

But that sum was astronomical for Naruto, who couldn’t even afford a bowl of ramen. Upon hearing it, he deflated like a wilted eggplant. Yet soon, he lifted his head and asked tentatively, “Big brother, I only have a hundred ryo. I was saving it for ramen, but I’ll give it all to you—can you play with me for an hour?”

Yu Higashino hesitated for a moment. He didn’t really have anything pressing to do, and those eyes—hiding timidity deep inside—lingered in his mind. He also thought perhaps he might gain a new skill. Finally, he nodded.

“All right.”

“Great!” Naruto hurriedly fished out his frog-shaped wallet, pulling out every coin with the nervous urgency of someone who feared Yu would change his mind.

Only after Yu accepted the money did Naruto breathe a sigh of relief. Then, as if suddenly remembering something important, he exclaimed, “Oh right! Big brother, my name is Naruto Uzumaki. One day I’m going to become Hokage, so you have to remember me, okay?”

“Why do you want to become Hokage?” Yu didn’t introduce himself, only asked in return.

“Because… because if I become Hokage, everyone will acknowledge me…” Something seemed to cross Naruto’s mind, and a shadow of sadness flickered over his face.

“That’s not the only way, is it?”

“Huh?”

“Look, right now you’re paying me to play with you, so you’re my employer. Even if I don’t want to, I have to acknowledge you. So…”

“So what?”

“So you don’t have to be Hokage. As long as you have money, you can win everyone’s acknowledgement too.” Yu’s tone grew mischievous, wondering if he could lead Naruto astray.

“Or if you’re strong enough, people will acknowledge you. Isn’t the reason the Hokage is Hokage because he’s the strongest?”

Naruto’s young mind struggled to process this logic.

After a long while, Naruto looked up and met Yu’s eyes. “Big brother, I don’t really understand all that… and, well, I still want to become Hokage to earn everyone’s acknowledgment.”

“All right.” Yu reached out and ruffled Naruto’s hair.

Yu actually liked Naruto. Sometimes he could be a little dense, but perhaps that’s what made him precious—people need a little foolishness to shine. Wasn’t that why he’d once chased after the Hokage story himself?

“So just forget what I said earlier.”

His previous comments were nothing more than a bout of mischief; he didn’t really want Naruto to change.

“Yu Higashino. That’s my name.”

“Huh? Oh! Then I’ll call you Brother Yu from now on.”

“Okay. Let’s go. Time’s short, only an hour.”

“Ah! I almost forgot! Let’s hurry!” Naruto exclaimed, all wide-eyed and excitable—a true child.

And so, the two of them, one big and one small, stepped out the door together.

Not long after, Yu realized he had underestimated Naruto’s impact. He’d thought the anime exaggerated things—surely there weren’t people gossiping behind Naruto’s back every time he walked down the street.

But reality proved otherwise. Not only did people gossip about Naruto, but Yu himself became a target just by walking with him.

“Isn’t that the boy from the Higashino family? Why is he with the demon fox?”

“I heard his parents died because of the demon fox, and now he’s…”

“Maybe the demon fox bewitched him!”

The whispers weren’t quiet. Both Yu and Naruto heard every word.

“What is it?” Yu noticed Naruto was looking at him.

“It’s nothing.” Naruto’s voice was barely audible and trembled slightly. He was afraid.

He’d known for a long time that everyone disliked him, and he should have grown used to it by now. But for some reason, right now, the fear was fresh and sharp. All he wanted was to get away.

“Brother Yu, let’s go somewhere else.”

“Sure. You’re the employer; you decide.” Yu replied calmly.

“I know a good place. Let’s go there.” As Naruto spoke, his pace quickened.

“Hey, Naruto!” Yu called after him.

Naruto slowed, pausing in place before turning around, forcing a smile onto his face. “What is it, Brother Yu?”

“Nothing. I just wanted to tell you—as a proper odd-jobs shop owner, since I’ve taken your money, I’ll make sure to see your request through.”

Naruto stared for a moment, but his tense posture relaxed considerably.

“Come on then, lead the way.”

“Okay!” With renewed energy, Naruto turned back and strode on.

Not far ahead, Naruto wiped his face—maybe sweat, or maybe something else. Yu watched from behind, thoughtful. After a moment, he caught up, his steps leisurely but brisk, closing the distance until he walked right beside Naruto.

The further they went, the fewer people they passed, and the more remote the area became. Yet the surroundings grew more beautiful: the forest swept away the city’s noise, and the breeze brought a hush of tranquility.

“Brother Yu, do you dislike me?” Naruto asked after a long silence.

“No,” Yu replied, his voice as calm and cool as ever.

“Oh.” Naruto glanced at him. “I come here by myself a lot. Look, there’s a swing over there!”

A swing hung from a tree, creaking gently in the wind.

But there were other sounds as well.

“…Neji’s cousin… she must have a bad personality too, coming from a noble clan…”

The voices were indistinct, but it sounded like a group of boys bullying a little girl.

“Brother Yu, something’s happening over there. Let’s go check it out!” Naruto declared, already dashing ahead. Yu couldn’t help but smile at his enthusiasm. If they were talking about Neji’s cousin, then that must be Hinata.

So… a classic damsel-in-distress scenario?

Yu followed, though not too quickly at first.

Laughter echoed through the woods, along with Naruto’s proclamation that he would become Hokage. Yu could almost predict exactly what would happen next, so he picked up his pace.

Within the trees, Hinata Hyuga had fallen to the ground, looking up at Naruto. Naruto himself was surrounded by three boys, being mocked, but his gaze remained unwavering.

“A brat like you could never become Hokage!”

One boy sneered, and, seeing Naruto’s defiant stare, grew inexplicably angry. He raised his fist to punch Naruto in the face.

By the time Naruto realized what was happening, the fist was already right before him. He could do nothing but instinctively squeeze his eyes shut.