Aaron put on a solemn expression and declared, "Obviously, I moved him with the power of love."
"The power of… love?" Kurenai repeated, blinking. It sounded profound but also suspiciously vague.
"Exactly," Aaron continued with a straight face. "Love is the strongest force in the world. Once Kakashi understood that his strength was bound to grow."
He kept improvising like a late-night motivational speaker.
"The power of love is that strong?" Might Guy's eyes ignited. "I can feel my youth burning even brighter!"
If this were an episode of Naruto, flames would already be roaring around him in dramatic slow motion.
Asuma narrowed his eyes. "I feel like you're messing with us… but I can't prove it."
"Messing with you?" Aaron looked scandalized. "If it wasn't love, how could a completely average chūnin like me help Kakashi?"
"…When you put it that way, I guess that makes sense," Asuma muttered, half-convinced.
Watching the future mentors of Konoha's next generation spiral into their own overthinking, Aaron smiled to himself.
No wonder so many story protagonists loved playing the fool while secretly holding all the cards. It was oddly satisfying.
Especially when you were teasing people who would one day teach the village's brightest young shinobi.
When the shop owner brought out his extra-sweet dango, Aaron focused on eating. He left the others to debate the metaphysics of "love-based power-ups."
Before leaving, he turned to Guy.
"If Kakashi comes to you again for taijutsu advice, have him train that technique with you, the one I showed him. Tell him I said so."
Before Guy could ask any follow-up questions, Aaron paid for a few standard boxes of dango and left.
He genuinely liked Guy. Someone born without much talent for ninjutsu or genjutsu who refused to wallow in self-pity and instead pushed himself through sheer grit until he could stand among legends, that kind of determination deserved respect.
Years down the line, Guy would kick his way into history by opening the Eight Gates against Madara Uchiha.
And the most remarkable part? When he chose to open the Eighth Gate, he didn't know salvation was coming. He wasn't counting on a miracle from Naruto. He acted knowing full well it might cost him his life.
That kind of resolve wasn't something you faked.
Carrying the dango, Aaron made his way to the Konoha Orphanage.
Inside, Nonō Yakushi was telling a story to a circle of children. When she spotted him, she stood with a warm smile.
"Your big brother Aaron is here. Aren't you going to welcome him?"
The kids immediately swarmed him.
"Big brother, what did you bring this time?" one of the older children asked, eyes shining.
Aaron glanced at the bag, then quickly hid it behind his back. "Bring something? I don't remember bringing anything."
"Liar! It was in your hand, you just hid it!" the children shouted.
"Well, you caught me," he sighed dramatically, revealing the bag.
"It's dango from Watanabe's shop. No fighting, there's enough for everyone."
After handing them out, he slipped out of the circle and walked over to Nonō and a silver-haired boy with round glasses.
He gently ruffled the boy's hair.
"What's wrong, Kabuto? Don't like dango?"
The boy wriggled free from his grip. "They're too sweet, Aaron-nii."
"Last time was a mix-up. That was my extra-syrup order. These are normal."
Kabuto hesitated, eyes flickering toward the treats.
Aaron sighed theatrically. "Too slow. They're all gone."
A flicker of disappointment crossed Kabuto's face, though he tried to play it cool. "It's just dango. Not that great anyway. You'll get cavities."
"Oh? Is that so?" Aaron grinned and produced a skewer from seemingly nowhere. "I saved one just for you. But if you don't like them, I suppose I'll have to eat it myself…"
He raised it toward his mouth.
Kabuto froze, clearly wanting to protest but too proud to back down.
Why did childhood have to be this cruel?
Nonō shot Aaron a playful glare. "Don't tease him."
Chuckling, he handed the skewer over and gave Kabuto's hair another affectionate tousle for good measure.
In the future, this mild-mannered child would grow into one of the most dangerous masterminds of his era. But right now, he was just a six-year-old trying to protect his pride over a piece of candy.
Messing up his hair now? That was a rare opportunity.
When he'd had his fun, Aaron turned to Nonō.
"How have things been? The war's finally winding down."
He hadn't spent his quiet training years doing nothing. The orphanage was part of his long-term thinking.
Kabuto was a once-in-a-generation talent medical ninjutsu, research, analysis. Letting him fall into the hands of Danzo Shimura or Orochimaru in the future was not an option.
Right now, Kabuto had only recently been taken in by Nonō. Under her guidance, he'd already begun showing an aptitude for medical techniques.
Nonō brushed a strand of blonde hair behind her ear and sat beside him.
"We're doing fine. As long as I can see the children smiling every day, that's enough for me."
Aaron looked around the room.
The orphanage was small and worn. The classroom doubled as a dining hall. The long wooden tables were handmade rough, uneven, built by Nonō and the children themselves.
Sleeping quarters were cramped. Several kids shared each room.
Officially, Nonō was just a low-ranking kunoichi. She couldn't take on high-paying missions, especially while caring for the children. They scraped by on limited support.
He tapped his fingers against the table.
"Why don't we register this place as Konoha's official orphanage?" he suggested. "That should qualify you for village funding. It would improve conditions for the kids."
Nonō looked surprised. "Is that possible?"
"It should be," Aaron said calmly. "And it should have been done a long time ago. Leave it to me."
In the past, he wouldn't have spoken so confidently.
But now?
His closest ally was the Hokage himself.
This wasn't asking for favoritism or bending rules. It was simply formalizing something the village should already be supporting.
And if it also happened to reflect well on Minato's leadership?
All the better.
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