Naruto: Starting as the Third Hokage with Tears in His Eyes

Chapter 394 The Stall Owner's Helplessness

Jiraiya's loud voice was particularly clear in the bustling food street. He waved enthusiastically and led the three children toward a brightly lit stall not far away.

Before they even got close, shouts of surprise and cheers came from the goldfish scooping stall.

"Kakashi! Go for it! You're almost there!"

"Asuma! Over here! Over here! This big one!"

The stall was surrounded by layers of people. Jiraiya, taking advantage of his height, easily saw the scene inside and was stunned.

In the center of the stall, two small figures were kneeling by the pool, each occupying one side, engaged in a fierce duel that could be described as a "war".

The child on the left with silver-white hair, wearing a black mask that only reveals half of his face, is Kakashi, the son of Hatake Sakumo.

The paper net in his hand moved extremely smoothly on the water's surface, without the slightest unnecessary swaying.

The movements were filled with a certain indescribable rhythm. Each time the net was cast, the fish's swimming trajectory was accurately predicted. Then, the net was cut into the water at the smallest angle, and the fish was lifted steadily with a skillful touch and placed into the small bowl next to it.

There were already several lively goldfish in the bowl.

Opposite him, the black-haired child was the youngest son of the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Asuma.

Asuma's style is completely different from Kakashi's.

He practically lay sprawled on the edge of the pool, his face filled with focus and an indomitable spirit.

His movements were expansive and powerful, each one creating a splash that drew gasps from those around him.

Although the paper net tore several times due to excessive force, he seemed unconcerned. After replacing it with a new net, he immediately threw himself into the battle with even greater ferocity.

The number of goldfish in his bowl was not much less than Kakashi's.

The two little ones were unwilling to give in to each other, their eyes clashing fiercely in the air, and the surrounding air seemed to become tense because of their invisible competition.

The stall owner was a young man who looked to be in his twenties. He wore a Konoha headband on his forehead, and below the headband on his face was the Nara clan's signature expression, a mixture of helplessness and exhaustion.

troublesome.

He watched as the number of goldfish in his pond dwindled at a visible rate, and felt his heart bleed.

These two little devils.

One is the son of Lord White Fang, and the other is the son of Lord Hokage.

I should have known better than to take the easy way out and set up my stall in such an obvious place today.

"Kakashi!"

Asma gritted his teeth and shouted his opponent's name. He spotted the largest golden koi and plunged his paper net into the water, attempting to catch it with a swift encirclement.

"You're too hasty, Asuma!"

Kakashi's voice was unusually calm, unlike a child's. "Your entry angle exceeded thirty degrees. The impact of the water flow will instantly reduce the structural toughness of the paper net by seventy percent. Moreover, you didn't calculate the fish's explosive speed; it will break through your paper net in a fraction of a second."

As soon as he finished speaking, with a soft "plop," Asuma's paper net tore open, and the golden koi fish triumphantly flicked its tail, splashing water all over his face.

The surrounding crowd let out a sigh of regret and a good-natured laugh.

Asuma wiped the water from his face, glaring angrily at Kakashi: "Damn it!"

Kakashi ignored him and instead focused his attention back on the pool.

His gaze swept across the pool and quickly locked onto a small red fish that looked the thinnest and swam the slowest.

He adjusted his breathing, flicked his wrist, and the paper net, like a fallen leaf on the water's surface, silently slid into the water, gently and tenderly cutting off the small fish's escape route, before slowly rising to the surface.

The entire process was fluid and graceful, full of the beauty of precise calculation.

Another goldfish entered the tent.

"You bastard!"

Asma was so angry at this intellectual crushing that he almost jumped up. He angrily took another new paper net from the stall owner.

"Um... you two,"

The young man from the Nara family finally couldn't hold back any longer and spoke up, his expression almost tearful, "How about we call it a day? You've almost caught all the fish in my pond..."

"No! I haven't won yet!"

"The game cannot end until the outcome is decided."

Kakashi succinctly stated his position.

The young man from the Nara clan clutched his forehead in despair.

Jiraiya watched this scene with great interest, then couldn't help but burst into laughter: "Hahaha, interesting! A little more wine would be perfect!"

Yahiko, Konan, and Nagato behind him were also drawn to this unusual match.

"They're really good... I fall so easily."

"Um,"

Konan nodded; she admired Kakashi's quiet and focused demeanor even more.

Just as the battle was intensifying and the Nara stall owners were preparing to pack up and run away, two tall figures pushed through the crowd and walked in.

"Asuma?"

A gentle yet authoritative voice rang out.

Asuma froze, slowly turning around to see his father, Hiruzen Sarutobi, standing behind him with a helpless smile on his face.

On the other side, Sakumo Hatake also walked behind Kakashi. He didn't say anything, but just quietly looked at the full of spoils in his son's bowl.

Kakashi put down the paper net, stood up, and respectfully called out.

"Oh, Tosang."

"Oh, Toh~san."

Asma saw the reinforcements arrive and immediately jumped up from the ground. "We're having a goldfish catching contest!"

On the other side, Hatake Sakumo looked at his son, then at the nearly empty pool next to him and the stall owner who looked like he was about to cry, and sighed softly.

He took out his wallet from his pocket and handed the young man from Nara a large denomination banknote.

"I'm sorry to have troubled you."

The young man from Nara looked at the bill—enough to buy the entire stall—and was immediately moved to tears, waving his hands repeatedly, "No, no, no, Lord Sakumo, how can this be…"

"Take it."

Shuo Mao's tone was calm, but carried an undeniable seriousness.

Having resolved the "compensation" issue, Sakumo looked at his son: "We're home, Kakashi. Your mother made your favorite grilled fish."

Kakashi nodded without saying a word, but a barely perceptible hint of joy flashed in his eyes, which were visible outside his mask.

Hiruzen Sarutobi also took Asuma's hand: "Alright, let's go, I'll take you to eat something else delicious."

"But I haven't won yet..."

Asma was still muttering to himself.

"I'll win it back next time," Hiruzen Sarutobi replied with a smile.

A childish war was thus quelled.

Jiraiya watched them skillfully handle their own children, a look of envy on his face.

Nagato's gaze remained fixed on Hiruzen Sarutobi's retreating figure.

The Third Hokage, who was as powerful as a god on the battlefield, was now just an ordinary father who would worry about his son and gently take him out to eat.

This stark contrast makes the image of the Hokage in Nagato's heart more three-dimensional and warmer.

Just then, a melodious and lingering bell rang throughout the entire Hidden Leaf Village.

The once bustling expo site miraculously fell silent the moment the bell rang.

Everyone seemed to be frozen in place, stopping what they were doing and looking up at the dark night sky to the east of the village.

Jiraiya's expression also became expectant, and he smiled mysteriously at the three children beside him.

"The main event is about to begin."