Naruto: Spring’s Eyes - Volume 1 Chapter 4 New Friend

“As you both already know your children are now eligble to train the arts of the shinobi, how about…”,

Before Fuguko could finish his sentence, Izumi suddenly interrupted him, “Brother I know where you are going with this but they are still only children how about we wait for at least a year more for them to enjoy their childhood”.

Fuguko’e eyes turn cold as he said coldly, “Childhood? There’s no such thing as childhood in a shinobi’s life. In times of war such as now where the Second Shinobi World War had just ended, we should get hold of this chance and start training your sons for them to have a higher survivality the moment they panticipate in the wars that will come im the future!”.

Izumi countered back with his own, “Then what? Make them exprerience what we have when we were young, where our elders are the one that controlled our fate,” He took a deep breath and continued, “I know that you are angered by the deaths of our clansmen and when back then when you wanted Fugaku, your own son to enjoy his own childhood like the rest of Konoha’s children but was powerless to do so because of the elder’s decision to train and hone his skills to inherit your position one day but we do too, we also feel the same way as you”.

Fuguko became quite at that statement, he look at Hiroshi, his brother in all but blood, wanting to hear his own opinion.

Hiroshi wanted to agree with Fuguko, However he too felt that what Izumi have just told them are more beneficial for his son, he too didn’t want to see his son killing at such an early age.

So he told Fuguko what’s on his mind.

Fuguko was furious that even Hiroshi didn’t supported his ideas.

“Fools!”, Fuguko slammed the table in anger, as he stood up and walked out of the room.

They didn’t stop Fuguko as they knew that he needed sometime for himself alone.

Hiroshi sighed and said to Izumi, “Fuguko is just worried for the younger generation, don’t mind him”, he smiled and said with a smirk, “Besides remember when we were younger? He was the one that stood up for us when we were suffering from the hellish training remember? Maybe he is just tired from the work as the leader of the clan”.

Izumi smiled and agreed.

…

(One Year Later)

In the forest of the village of Konoha, a young child could be seen lying on top of a tree.

*Rustle *Rustle

When the seemingly sleeping young child heard the rustling of bushes near him, he turns his head toward the source of the noise.

He saw a blond-haired kid the same age as he is, emerging from the bushes.

The blond haired kid, sensing a gaze, looked up and made eye-contact with Haru.

It only lasted for a while, as Haru came down of the tree and approached the kid, “Hello! What’s your name?”

“Minato Namikaze”, Replied the child with the name of Minato Namikaze.

“What about yours?”

“Haru Uchiha”, Haru smiled and introduced himself, he then stretched his hand.

Looking at Haru’s hand, Minato first began to hesitate but eventually shook it as they said in unison, “Nice to meet you/Nice to meet’cha”.

Glancing at the wooden rod that Minato is carrying, he asked curiously, “What’s that?”

“A fishing rod”, Minato replied.

“What is that for?”

“For catching fishes”

Hearing ‘fishes’ Haru’s eyes lit up as he said in excitement, “You catch fishes with that?”

“Yes”, Minato replies with a smile.

Haru began to think of something but he hesitated, however he eventually said it, “Can I join you fishing?”

“Of course!”, Minato said.

Haru was happy to hear that, so do Minato.

“There’s a small river nearby, lets catch some there”, Minato suggested.

Haru, not knowing anything at all agreed, he nodded and began to walk together with Minato excitedly.

“Where do you live Haru-kun?”, Minato asked while they’re walking.

“Oh! I’m a Uchiha so I live at the Uchiha compound”, Haru replied.

“Uchiha? I think I have heard of that before, but I dont remember when”, Minato began to think deeply as, he walked absent-mindedly.

Knowing that this is his time to boast to his new friend, he proudly said, “Of course you would hear about my clan, as it is one of the founding clans of the village! And it is also one of the strongest shinobi clans in the village”

Hearing what Haru said, Minato was amazed. As a child and like every child in the village of konoha, he too dreamed of becoming a shinobi.

“Wow! That’s amazing Haru-kun”, Minato exclaimed.

“How about you Minato-kun? where do you live?”

“Well I’m an orphan so I live in the orphanage”, Minato replied.

“The orphanage? Why do you live there?”, Haru was curious so he asked.

Minato replied with a hint of sadness in his tone, “Well the Third Hokage said that my parents loved me and have to go to a far away place to protect me and the village”, He halted then continued, “That is also the reason why I wanted to be a shinobi to know where they are and will find them if I will be”.

Looking at Minato’s sad face, Haru don’t know why but it hurts him to see that kind of face his friend Minato currently is having, so he said, “I know you could do it! And I will help you all the way Minato-kun”.

“Thank you Haru-kun”, Minato said with a bright smile.

They chatted as they walked.

For the rest of the day Haru and Minato began to talk about each other a bit more, and the more they talked, the more they know each other.