Traveling through Naruto with Heroes of Might and Magic

Chapter 134 Naruto and Kakashi

Qingwu always felt that the gloom in Kakashi's heart might be slightly illuminated by the light of that three-year-old child.

I wasn't going to preach any grand principles; I just wanted Kakashi to see that even with all the loss and regret in the world, there is still vibrant warmth.

Kakashi watched Qingwu's resolute back, remained silent for a moment, and finally lifted his foot and gently followed.

Seeing this, Tianzang quickly followed, but he was still full of doubts, wondering what kind of person Qingwu was going to take them to see.

The three figures gradually turned into the alleys of Konoha.

The autumn sunlight filtered through the leaves of the trees along the alley, casting dappled shadows on the stone pavement, intertwined and entwined, much like the unbreakable bond between them.

"This is it." Qingwu stopped and pointed to a small courtyard not far away.

This place is hard to find. He tried to find Naruto based on the scenes in the original work, but couldn't. Later, after observing and inquiring from various sources, he finally met the young Naruto once.

Kakashi looked in the direction he was pointing, his eyes filled with even more confusion: "Where is this...?"

"Take off your mask, don't scare people." Qingwu smiled as she put away her mask.

Scary? Kakashi and Tenzo exchanged a glance, even more curious about who they were about to meet.

However, she still listened to Qingwu and took off her mask along with him.

Just then, the courtyard gate creaked open, and a small figure stumbled out.

It was a child with dazzling golden hair, the soft strands of which were slightly lifted by the wind.

Kakashi looked over and noticed a familiar outline in the child's features.

The child was wearing a slightly oversized beige jacket with the sleeves rolled up to his forearms.

Clutching a nearly melted lollipop in her hand, with sweet candy stains still on the corners of her mouth, and a bright, unreserved smile on her face.

It's Naruto!

A maternal smile appeared in Qingwu's eyes.

After Naruto ran out, he didn't notice the three people not far away. He was only focused on chasing a butterfly that flew by. His small footsteps made a soft "tap-tap" sound on the stone pavement.

She was babbling to herself, "Butterfly, wait for me..."

Kakashi abruptly stopped, his pupils contracted slightly, and his aura instantly darkened.

He stared intently at the small figure, the wisps of hair on his forehead swaying slightly.

A complex and difficult-to-discern emotion surged in her veiled eyes—surprise, bewilderment, and a touch of unspeakable bitterness that had been unexpectedly stirred up.

"Did you recognize him? Captain?" Qingwu said softly.

I recognized him...

This child... is the teacher's child.

Kakashi never expected that the person Qingwu brought him to see was actually the orphan of his teacher, Minato Namikaze.

Back then, his teacher and his wife Kushina sacrificed themselves, and he knew that he was leaving behind a child, but at that time he himself was trapped in a cold and lonely dead end.

I never imagined that the teacher's child would grow up to be so big, so thin, and so... lonely!

Tenzo didn't recognize Naruto; he just looked curiously at the captain's extreme reaction.

Qingwu didn't speak either, quietly watching the scene before him, then his gaze fell on Kakashi, observing the captain's expression.

He didn't expect to be able to resolve Kakashi's inner conflict immediately.

I just wanted the captain to see this child, who was wronged by fate but still lived a vibrant life, to see the purest light in the world, untouched by gloom.

Naruto chased the butterfly for a few steps before finally noticing the three people not far away.

She stopped walking, tilted her little head, blinked her clear blue eyes, and curiously looked at them.

He didn't seem shy at all; instead, he grinned, revealing two tiny baby teeth, and waved his little hands at us, "Big brothers, who are you?"

Kakashi didn't respond, remaining frozen in place, his fingertips slightly curled, the bitterness in his heart growing stronger.

He looked into Naruto's clear, innocent eyes, eyes that were exactly like his teacher Minato Namikaze's, and images from back then flashed through his mind...

...The teacher smiled and patted his shoulder, teaching him ninjutsu;

...His teacher's wife, Kushina, gently handed him some snacks;

...And Obito and Rin, the way they laughed and joked together on the training field.

Those long-forgotten, untouchable memories were gently torn open by the smile of this three-year-old child.

Kakashi suddenly remembered that his teacher had once touched his head and told him to protect Konoha and the people around him.

But what about him? Not only did he fail to protect Obito and Rin long ago, but he also failed to protect the only bloodline his teacher left behind after his passing.

Even he himself was trapped in the shadows of the past, and had even contemplated suicide more than once. Just living a decent life was extremely difficult for him...

"Big brother?"

Seeing that they didn't speak, Naruto ran a few more steps forward and stood in front of Kakashi with his small body.

She tilted her head back, handed over the lollipop in her hand, and smiled with her eyes crinkling, "Are you unhappy? Eat a lollipop, it's sweet, and you won't be sad anymore."

This child seems to be particularly sensitive to people's emotions. He didn't talk to Qingwu and Tianzang; his target was very clear—Kakashi!

Kakashi instinctively reached out and grasped Naruto's small hand.

The small hands, warm with a child's touch, offered a lollipop with a faint milky aroma, pure and without a trace of impurity.

Kakashi lowered his eyes, looking at the bewildered child in front of him. Seeing the unreserved kindness in the child's eyes, the hardened defenses in his heart suddenly softened.

He opened his mouth, but no sound came out.

His Adam's apple bobbed slightly, and the melancholy in his eyes was gradually replaced by a trace of bewilderment. He hadn't felt such pure warmth in a long time.

Qingwu stood to the side and spoke softly, her tone gentle: "Naruto, this is Kakashi-nii, he's a very powerful ninja."

"You know my name?" Naruto was overjoyed, but the camera quickly returned to Kakashi. "Kakashi-nii-san?"

Naruto immediately shouted, without pulling his little hand away from Kakashi's grasp, "Awesome brother, have a lollipop."

Kakashi didn't take the lollipop, but his voice carried a gentleness he himself didn't realize: "No need, Naruto, you eat it yourself."

This was the first time he had called the child by name to his face.

Memories of the past flooded back...

...In the kitchen, Kushina, the teacher's wife, gently stroked her belly. "If it's a boy, we'll name him Naruto. It's the name of the main character in Jiraiya's book."

Naruto blinked without forcing it, popped the lollipop into his mouth, and mumbled:

"Okay then~ Kakashi-nii, do you guys want to play with me? I'm so bored by myself."

As he spoke, he reached out to pull on Kakashi's clothes, his small hand tightly gripping his sleeve, not with much force, but with a strange sense of dependence.

Kakashi's body stiffened slightly, but he didn't break free. He just looked down at the small hand clutching the hem of his clothes.

Looking at the pure smile on the child's face.

The desolate wasteland in my heart, silent for so many years, seemed to be illuminated by this small ray of light.

A sliver of warmth quietly shone in...