Although he didn’t really take in her comments about him, when she spoke of Kakashi, Naruto nodded proudly. “That’s right. Master Kakashi might look all spaced out, but he’s seriously super amazing!”
Chihare stared hard at Naruto. What I’m trying to say is that you’re more amazing. This man only ever thinks of other people.
“Before the Sixth Hokage came into power, chakra was for a long time used as nothing more than a tool of war. In that era, protecting the country was prioritized above all else. But it’s different now. We scientists are able to devote ourselves to the research we want to do. The results of our work are measured against a standard for purposes other than war and evaluated properly. That is because you and your comrades created a peaceful society. Many scientists are grateful to you.”
“Yeah?” Naruto awkwardly scratched at his face. “I feel like there aren’t too many people who’ve thought that much about it though.”
“At the very least, I’m grateful,” she told him. “That’s why I’m disillusioned by coming here today.”
“Hm?” Naruto stopped moving.
“Is this the Hokage you wanted to be?” Chihare looked around the cluttered mess of his office in frustration. “Working nonstop day in and day out, and what is it you even do? Glued to your desk, checking papers, stamping them with your seal. Aren’t you the hero of the Great War? Do you really enjoy doing this boring work?”
“Huh? Of course I do.”
“Right, of course you—what?” So casually rebuffed, it took her a moment to hear what he said.
Naruto neatly pulled a tea caddy out from a haphazard-looking piles of papers and took a document out of it. “Here. Take a look at this. It’s an order for headbands. For the kids who’re graduating from the academy this year. I was super happy when I first put on my headband. So I get all excited just looking at this paper.”
Chihare looked back and forth between the order form flapping in Naruto’s hand and his happy face. “I think that this work doesn’t need to be done by you in particular.”
“I want to do it,” he said simply and tucked the paper away before shifting his gaze to the photos of the successive Hokages hanging on the wall. “After Old Lady Tsunade became Hokage, her first job was to treat shinobi injured in battle. When Master Kakashi became Hokage, his was to hold the ceremony commemorating the anniversary of those who died in the Great Ninja War. With the Fourth … I dunno what his first job was, but with the era being what it was, I’m pretty sure he had plenty of unpleasant work.”
The Namikaze Minato in the photo was looking straight ahead with a cool expression on his face, brimming with strength of will. But his eyes looked strangely gentle, like sunlight filtered through the leaves of a tree.
“And the first thing I did when I became Hokage was give a business license to a traditional sweet shop in the old city. Makes you laugh, right? That’s peace.” Naruto chuckled and flashed a toothy smile at her. “Makes me happy that this is the kind of village we are now. Sometimes, I think I’m not cut out for desk work … But if my work can be food for the next generation like Boruto and Himawari, then I’m all in. As long as I can keep protecting this village, I don’t care what form that protection takes. Some people call me a hero, but there’s nothing better than no war at all.”
A first-rate smile, brimming with strength of will. This smile had no doubt moved the hearts of many people. There was an endless power in his grin. It made you feel like wherever he was going, you wanted to go with him.
Maybe my understanding was mistaken, Chihare thought. Maybe the reason he was chosen to be Hokage wasn’t because he’s strong.
“You.” She slowly looked at Naruto. “Why did you want to be Hokage?”
“I wanted people to accept me.”
The answer was immediate. And unexpected.
He wanted people to accept him?
“That’s not an answer,” she said. “The way you are, people would still gather around you, even if you hadn’t become Hokage.”
“Huh? That’s totally not true.” Naruto blinked rapidly. Her words completely perplexed him. “You said that before, right? That stuff about me growing up loved … But actually, when I was a kid, I was always alone. Shikamaru, Kiba, and them were there when I was at the academy, but when I went home, there was no one. And just walking around the village, I’d get people tsking at me. Or a grown-up’d suddenly kick me. Anyway, people totally hated me.”
“Liar,” she said immediately.
“It’s true,” he said and opened a drawer. “I don’t know if that’s why, but either way, I wanted someone to accept me. That was what first got me wanting to be Hokage.”
He pulled a brand-new headband out of the drawer and tossed it to Chihare, smiling proudly. “Take a look at that. The new headbands for academy graduates! The maker brought me a sample. They made some improvements to the material. They’re lighter and tougher than last year’s. So bright and shiny, huh?”
“Yes.” Chihare traced the mark of Konoha engraved into the headband. The pattern of a swirling whirlpool was the symbol of this village. “You really do like people, hm?”
Naruto thrust his chest out. “Yup!”
“Nothing today either. No change at all! Believe it!” Naruto leaped down from the shelves, took off the goggles, and rubbed his temples. He’d mostly gotten used to using the Byakugan, but when he got carried away and used it for hours on end, his eyes grew exhausted, and it became hard to focus on anything.
They made no progress again that day. He didn’t know how many tens of thousands of petri dishes he’d checked since he started working with Chihare, but they just couldn’t seem to get any positive results.