Naruto: In the name of time, shock the ninja world!.

 "Haru, your performance earlier was incredible. You really left everyone speechless."

Sarutobi Hiruzen was practically bouncing with excitement, words flying out of his mouth like a machine gun.

"You might not have noticed, but their expressions were priceless!"

Danzo, his closest companion, looked visibly embarrassed. He grabbed Hiruzen's arm and pulled him aside to whisper.

"Could you calm down a bit? It wasn't even your moment."

Of course, his words had no effect. Hiruzen kept going, clearly unable to contain himself.

Sensing things getting out of hand, Hoshikawa Haru quickly jumped in to change the topic.

"Brother Hiruzen, how about I treat everyone to a meal?"

Hiruzen paused, stunned for a moment, before slapping his palm against his other hand with sudden realization.

"Yes! Why didn't I think of that? We should celebrate!"

Danzo couldn't resist the opportunity to poke fun.

"Not surprised. Your brain takes a while to catch up."

Hiruzen rolled his eyes but ignored the jab. With the same energy as before, he declared:

"Alright! I'm treating everyone today. Let's celebrate my junior brother. Let's go!"

Hoshikawa Haru didn't want to interrupt his enthusiasm, so he let himself be dragged along.

The rest of the group exchanged amused glances and followed behind with a resigned shrug.

They arrived at a lively barbecue joint and found a big table for the seven of them.

Uchiha Kagami leaned over to Danzo and whispered nervously:

"Maybe we should keep the order small… I'm kind of worried about Hiruzen."

But Hiruzen had sharp ears.

"Kagami, don't worry about it! I've got this under control."

Danzo smirked and chimed in with his usual dry wit:

"Don't worry, I did the math. Perfectly balanced… more or less."

Kagami didn't feel reassured, but with Hiruzen so confident, he decided not to argue.

Still, his eyes flicked to the menu nervously, scanning the prices.

Once the orders were placed, Danzo leaned back with a satisfied nod.

Thirty minutes later, the table was stacked high with sizzling plates of grilled meat.

Even without knowing exact prices, Haru could tell that meat like this didn't come cheap.

One glance, and it was clear: Hiruzen was probably going to be washing dishes after this meal.

"Danzo… exactly how much did you order?" Utatane Koharu asked cautiously.

Danzo gave a wicked little grin and nodded toward the stunned Hiruzen, who looked like he'd been turned to stone.

"Not that much. Just everything Hiruzen's been saving for the last month."

A heavy silence fell. The others looked at Hiruzen with shared pity.

"Hiruzen, I'll help you cover some of the cost," said the kind-hearted Uchiha Kagami, unable to watch him suffer.

Danzo didn't stop him—he knew Hiruzen's pride wouldn't allow it.

Sure enough, Hiruzen stood up suddenly, a fire lit behind his eyes.

"No way, Kagami. I said I'd pay, and I meant it! It's nothing!"

He tried to look relaxed, as though this was all part of the plan, then marched off to pay the bill.

Mitokado Homura shook his head.

"You guys are something else."

Danzo chuckled. His meaning was clear without needing to say more.

As they watched the group laugh and joke, Haru couldn't help but reflect deeply.

Had he fallen behind the times? Or were things just… different now?

While he was lost in thought, Hiruzen returned. He wore a calm smile—but Haru noticed the faint pain in his eyes.

Still, with their host back, everyone dug in. Since Haru was the youngest, the others let him eat first.

By the end, Haru felt like he'd eaten enough for two lifetimes.

"Wow… that was amazing. Thanks for the meal, Hiruzen."

Danzo added jokingly:

"Yeah, thanks for the treat."

Hiruzen just glared at him in response.

Even if he didn't say it out loud, Haru could tell Hiruzen had realized what happened.

But before anyone could say more, a familiar voice called from outside.

"Haru! So this is where you ran off to."

Everyone stood up instinctively.

"Teacher!" Haru greeted.

"Good evening, Lord Hokage," the others said respectfully.

Hashirama Senju walked in, saw the empty plates on the table, and burst into hearty laughter.

"What's this? Did you all skip meals for days?"

The teasing made the group blush and avert their eyes.

Trying to shift the mood, Haru quickly asked:

"Teacher, did the meeting end?"

"Yes, everything's wrapped up. Now it's just a matter of putting things into action. That'll take a few more days."

Reactions varied among the group.

Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu didn't think much of it—being from civilian families, political arrangements had little bearing on them.

Uchiha Kagami, though a clansman, lacked the usual pride and tension seen among his kin. He smiled, clearly relieved.

The Hokage's words meant the Uchiha Clan was on board.

Kagami had recently heard unsettling comments from radicals in his clan, and he'd been worried. But this? This eased his mind.

Hiruzen and Danzo mirrored Kagami's reaction—serious, thoughtful, and hopeful.

Haru silently watched, noting how different these men seemed from what he remembered about their futures.

It was clear they genuinely cared about the village, especially in these early days.

Tobirama's influence was visible. Loyalty to Konoha was already outweighing blind allegiance to clan.

Hashirama took it all in, visibly pleased.

This was what he'd dreamed of when founding Konoha: a village where children could grow without war.

This was just the beginning, but it was the right first step.

"Oh, right—Haru."

Hashirama turned to him with a smile that made Haru uneasy.

"It's been three months now. You're officially a genin."

"But after thinking it over, I believe you should attend the Konoha Academy."

"It's better to grow up among kids your own age rather than always sticking around us adults."

The words hit Haru like a thunderclap.

He stood frozen, eyes blank, trying to process.

"W-Wait, what? No way!" he protested.

But Hashirama didn't budge.

He had been meaning to say this for a while, but his duties had kept him busy.

"It's decided. You'll enroll tomorrow. Everything's already arranged."

Once Hashirama made up his mind, there was no changing it.

Haru slumped, sighing dramatically.

"Ugh… School's going to be torture…"

"Come on, Haru," Hiruzen said with a chuckle.

"The academy's not that bad. We all went there."

"Yeah, it's actually fun. You'll learn a lot too," Kagami added, trying to lift his spirits.

Despite their encouragement, Haru could only groan in defeat.