Naruto:Senju With Nano Machine.

The game of tag carried on, the children's laughter filling the park like a melody. Hitoshi darted around the playground with surprising agility, his enhanced reflexes making him difficult to catch. Despite his advantage, he held back just enough to keep things fair. Naruto, Sakura, and Ino chased after him, their energy boundless.

"Got you!" Naruto shouted triumphantly as he tapped Hitoshi's shoulder.

"Alright, alright," Hitoshi laughed, holding up his hands in surrender. "You got me."

Before they could restart the game, Sakura's sharp eyes caught sight of two figures lounging under the shade of a nearby tree. She pointed toward them. "Look! It's Shikamaru and Chōji!"

Ino's face lit up, her usual confidence returning. "They're my friends from the Nara and Akimichi clans. Let's go say hi!"

The group made their way over to the boys. One of them, a chubby child with a bag of potato chips in hand, was munching contentedly, his cheeks puffing with each bite. Beside him sat a boy with spiky hair, leaning against the tree trunk with his eyes half-closed. He let out a loud yawn, as if even the act of sitting was too much effort.

"Hey, Shikamaru! Chōji!" Ino called out as they approached.

Chōji paused mid-bite, his wide eyes focusing on the group. "Hi, Ino," he said, his voice soft but friendly.

Shikamaru opened one eye lazily, giving the smallest wave. "Hey."

Ino put her hands on her hips. "This is Hitoshi. He's new in town. And that's... Naruto," she added, her tone turning slightly disinterested.

"Hi," Hitoshi said politely, offering a small wave.

Chōji hesitated for a moment, glancing at his bag of chips. With a reluctant sigh, he extended the bag toward Hitoshi. "You want one?"

Hitoshi smiled warmly, recognizing the small gesture for what it was. "Thanks, Chōji." He took a single chip, careful not to take advantage of the offer.

Shikamaru, meanwhile, yawned again before nodding in Hitoshi's direction. "Nice to meet you, Hitoshi. I'm Shikamaru." His tone was casual, almost bored, but there was a sharpness in his eyes that Hitoshi didn't miss.

Naruto, however, shifted awkwardly beside him. For all his loud energy during the game, he suddenly seemed shy in the presence of these new faces. Scratching the back of his head, he offered a hesitant smile.

"H-Hey," he stammered. "I'm Uzumaki Naruto! The strongest ninja in the future!" He grinned brightly, puffing out his chest in an attempt to project confidence.

Chōji blinked, his expression curious but kind. "Oh. Hi, Naruto."

Shikamaru glanced at Naruto, then back at Hitoshi. "Huh. Strongest ninja, huh?" he muttered, though there was no malice in his tone.

Ino sighed dramatically. "Don't mind him. He's always saying weird stuff like that."

Naruto flushed, his bravado faltering slightly. "It's not weird! I'm gonna be Hokage someday! Just you wait!"

Hitoshi chuckled, placing a reassuring hand on Naruto's shoulder. "I believe you, Naruto. Every great ninja starts somewhere, right?"

Naruto's eyes lit up at the words, his grin widening. "Yeah! Exactly!"

Shikamaru raised an eyebrow at Hitoshi, clearly curious about the boy who seemed so at ease with Naruto's loud personality. "Well, you're more patient than most people, Hitoshi," he said, leaning back against the tree. "I guess this might not be so troublesome after all."

"Troublesome?" Ino huffed, crossing her arms. "You're always saying that!"

"Because it always is," Shikamaru replied with another yawn.

Chōji chuckled softly, shaking his head at his friend's usual attitude. "It's nice to meet you, Hitoshi. You should come play with us sometime."

"I'd like that," Hitoshi said, his smile genuine.

End of the Chapter.

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