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

Chapter 75: A Sunny Future Belonging to Kakashi Hatake

The night is already deep.

The candlelight in the Hatake family's house was still burning, its warm light shining through the paper sliding door and illuminating the maple tree in the courtyard that was beginning to turn yellow.

A few maple leaves twirled and gently fell onto the wooden floor of the porch.

Sakumo Hatake sat at a low table, and spread out before him was not a classified mission scroll, but a crop planting plan covered with various strange symbols and lines—"A Preliminary Plan for Winter Crop Rotation and Soil Improvement at the Konoha Ecological Farm."

This was the planting plan for the next quarter of the Constant Temperature Barrier Farm that he and Nara Deer Antlers had spent several nights working on.

He was extremely focused, his brows furrowing and relaxing at times, his pen constantly revising and annotating the drawings.

Since taking over the farm, these moments of reflection have become a part of his life.

"Well……"

A slight noise interrupted his thoughts.

Shuo Mao looked up and saw that the sliding door had been quietly pulled open a crack, and a fluffy, silvery-white little head was peeking in through the crack.

It's Kakashi.

The little guy was wearing a blue pajama set, and his mask had been removed, revealing a delicate little face that looked almost exactly like his father's.

Seeing that his father had discovered him, he wasn't afraid at all. Instead, he grinned, revealing a mouthful of baby teeth.

"Father."

Kakashi called out in a childish voice, slammed the paper door shut, and ran in quickly.

"Why aren't you asleep yet?"

Shuo Mao put down his pen and asked in a gentle tone.

"Father, look! What a big tomato!"

Kakashi proudly held up the large, red tomato to Sakumo, his face beaming with pride. "The Hokage gave it to me! He said it's a tomato from his farm, grown by my father!"

This tomato is one of the first crops successfully grown at the Constant Temperature Barrier Farm.

Thanks to ample sunlight, suitable temperature, and the secret nutrient solution made by the Nara family, they grow exceptionally well, with a sandy and sweet texture, and will surely become the most coveted food for children in the future.

Looking at his son's smug little face, Shuo Mao's expression softened unconsciously.

He reached out, took the heavy tomato, placed it aside, and then casually pulled his son into his arms.

"Yes, Father saw it. Does Kakashi like to eat it?"

"like!"

Kakashi nodded emphatically, nuzzling his head against his father's chest. Then, he curiously approached the table, looking at the intricate drawing. "Father, what are you drawing? Is it a treasure map?"

"It's not a treasure map."

Shuo Mao was amused by his son's innocent question. He pointed to a section of the map with his finger and explained in the simplest terms, "Look, here, we're planting tomatoes. After the tomatoes are harvested, the soil will have less nutrients, so we'll need to plant some beans here. The roots of the beans will make the soil stronger, so next year we can grow more and bigger tomatoes."

"Wow……"

Kakashi nodded, seemingly understanding, his big eyes filled with curiosity.

He looked at his father's focused profile in the candlelight.

My father's hair was silver-white, just like mine.

My father's hands are large, with many thick calluses. When I touch them on my face, they feel a little rough, but very warm.

While other children were listening to heroic tales and admiring ninjas who could unleash powerful ninjutsu.

Kakashi Hatake's childhood idol was his father, who could make the land grow an endless supply of food, make the piglets in the sty grow fat and strong, and even conjure up delicious vegetables in winter.

He felt that his father was the most powerful person in the world.

A father is omnipotent!

This is far more powerful than those ninjas who only know how to fight and kill.

"My father is amazing."

Kakashi exclaimed sincerely, nuzzling his head against his father's chest with adoration.

Hearing his son's praise, Shuo Mao felt a warm current well up in his heart.

He gently stroked his son's soft silver hair, his eyes softening.

This feeling of being needed by family and admired by my son is perhaps what we call the warmth of family.

In the quiet room, only the flickering light and the steady breathing of the father and son could be heard.

Kakashi looked at his father's focused profile under the lamplight, at those hands that once held a knife but now held a pen, and at his small head, which seemed to be thinking about something very important.

After a long while, he suddenly spoke in an unusually serious tone: "Father."

"Um?"

"I don't want to be a ninja who only knows how to fight anymore."

Shuo Mao was taken aback upon hearing this, and the hand that was stroking his son's hair stopped in mid-air.

He looked down in surprise at the little one in his arms.

Kakashi was also looking up, and the usual innocence and liveliness had faded from his dark, clear eyes.

It was a seriousness beyond its years.

"I want to learn farming from my father."

Kakashi said, word by word, "I want everyone in the village to be able to eat delicious meals and vegetables grown by my father every day, just like I do."

"I want to... protect everyone's smiles."

The last sentence, spoken softly, resonated deeply in Sakumo Hatake's mind.

I was young and impetuous once, and I was stubborn about the passing of my parents and my understanding of my mission.

They thought that protecting the village meant using their swords to kill all enemies that threatened it.

Until I met the Hokage, the CD player, besides illuminating the darkness, lit up my path forward.

But now, looking at his son in his arms, whose eyes were full of sincerity and longing, Sakumo suddenly understood.

My own son will never have such a complicated understanding in the future.

Because he has now found his own way of the ninja.

True protection is not just about killing.

It is also creation.

It also makes the land fertile, the granaries full, and allows every child to discuss what they want to eat tomorrow without worry under the warm sunshine.

All that I did, without my knowledge, had planted such a beautiful seed in my son's young heart.

A tremendous sense of satisfaction and relief instantly filled his chest.

Shuo Mao felt his eyes getting hot.

He lowered his head and gently pressed his forehead against his son's smooth forehead.

"it is good."

Shuo Mao's voice was slightly choked with emotion, "Your father will teach you."

"yeah!"

Kakashi cheered happily and wrapped his little arms tightly around his father's neck.

"but……"

Sakumo gently stroked Kakashi's soft silver hair, a smile of immense satisfaction spreading across his face. "Even farming requires powerful protection. Otherwise, the crops we painstakingly grow will be stolen by bad guys."

"Just like the security guards in our village. Only when we are strong enough can we protect our fields from being destroyed by bad people. Only then can everyone eat their fill in peace."

He looked at Kakashi, his expression turning serious.

"So, Kakashi, before you learn how to plant your first seed, you must first learn how to protect our home. When you grow up, you must also learn strong ninjutsu and become a powerful ninja who can protect the farm and the village."

"Then use your power to protect everything you want to protect. Can you do it?"

Kakashi nodded, seemingly understanding but not quite.

He didn't quite understand the deeper meaning in his father's words, but he understood the last sentence.

Only by becoming stronger can we protect.

"Um!"

Kakashi nodded vigorously, straightened his small chest, and answered loudly in the most energetic voice he had ever used, "Father! I definitely will!"

"Okay, then it's a deal."

"good!"

Looking into his son's eyes, which were burning with fire, Shuo Mao smiled with immense satisfaction.

That energetic look was full of boundless hope for the future.

He seemed to see a brand new future.

A future belonging to Kakashi Hatake, filled with sunshine and the fragrance of rice, no longer bound by the heavy shackles of missions and comrades.

That is the future that belongs to Kakashi Hatake.

The road was slowly unfolding before Sakumo.

A brand new seed, the "Will of Fire" of the Hatake family.

At this moment, it takes root and sprouts.

And he, Hatake Sakumo, will dedicate his life to protecting him, helping him grow into a towering tree that can shelter Konoha from the wind and rain.

"Kakashi, your father is waiting for that day."

The flickering candlelight cast long, long shadows on the father and son.

A promise about protection was quietly made.