Starting with Naruto, I'll become stronger through my own efforts.

Xia Zuo didn't take long to find two ANBU ninjas on duty on a utility pole and the roof of the neighboring residential building.

After repeatedly confirming that there was no third member of the secret service, he went to the blind spot of the two secret service members and climbed up to the roof from the exterior wall of the residential building.

Hanging on the exterior wall near the roof, Xia Zuo carefully sensed something, then suddenly pushed open the small window on the wall and climbed into the top-floor room.

As soon as he entered the small, messy room, the blond boy, who was sitting in a daze, saw Xia Zuo.

It wasn't that Xia Zuo's skills were bad, nor that the boy was particularly strong.

Instead, the room was just a single room, with only a bed and a low table, no cabinets, and nothing to cover it.

This was because the boy was destitute, and also because the secret service, for the sake of convenient surveillance, did not allow any furniture in the room that could obstruct the view.

Xia Zuo seized the opportunity perfectly, entering the room when the two ANBU ninjas were simultaneously relaxed.

Before the boy could react, Xia Zuo moved like a ghost, casting illusions at the window he had entered through and the window opposite.

Under the influence of illusion, ninjas looking in through the window will see the scene they have already accepted.

Then he suddenly appeared on the ceiling, and with a light tap, activated a rather complex sealing spell, blocking the spying function of the [Telescope Technique].

Although lunch break was a rare opportunity for the Third Hokage to catch up on sleep, Xia Zuo had to be wary of the possibility that he might sneak a peek.

Finally, he appeared in front of the boy, reached behind the boy's ears with both hands, and gently pulled them back, as if tearing something off.

The boy's eyes, which had been dazed and confused, suddenly changed, transforming from cloudy and bewildered to clear and bright.

His expression also changed from blank to lively.

When the blond boy saw Xia Zuo, tears welled up in his eyes, but he smiled bravely and said, "Brother Xia Zuo, you've brought me delicious food again."

Xia Zuo hesitated for a few moments before softly saying, "Thank you for your hard work, Naruto."

The boy's strength shattered instantly, and he transformed into a golden shadow, rushing into Xia Zuo's arms.

Naruto Uzumaki cried, but he didn't cry out loud.

The clever boy knew that Xia Zuo had cast illusions on the doors and windows, creating illusions but not illusions of sound. If the crying alerted the secret agents monitoring outside, they would discover the anomaly.

Xia Zuo didn't comfort Naruto; he knew the boy was strong enough.

Ever since this kid resolutely started learning the "Mind-Body Split Technique," Xia Zuo knew that Naruto Uzumaki's strength was unmatched.

Naruto cried because he had been wearing the "mask" for too long and was starting to lose control of himself.

After all, he is only 7 years old.

Naruto quickly stopped crying and picked up a towel hanging on the wall to wipe his face clean.

Then, with a bright smile, he asked, "Brother Xia Zuo, what delicious food did you bring me today?"

"(⊙o⊙) Wow, fried chicken, grilled meat, grilled fish, and braised beef, this is amazing!"

"(*￣︿￣) Oh—there are noodles again."

"╰(*°▽°*)╯Wow, rice ball! Cake!"

"O(≧口≦)O Ahhhhh, ice cream! Hooray!"

Before he could finish speaking, Naruto plunged into the pile of food and began to eat heartily.

Looking at the blond boy who was eating and drinking mindlessly and whose eating manners were as unsightly as his gluttony, Xia Zuo's pity died, and the veins on his forehead bulged.

The frustration of failure and the deliberate antics in front of others made Xia Zuo's temper flare up.

He couldn't help but yell, "Naruto! Can't you be a little more civilized?"

Naruto Uzumaki muttered as he chewed on the chicken leg in his mouth, "Like Izumi-neechan, so quiet?"

"Brother Xia Zuo, I'm a boy, a boy!"

"You said boys should be poised and genuine!"

Xia Zuo weakly retorted, "Being unpretentious and being rude are two different things."

Naruto's eyes darted around as he argued, "But Brother Xia Zuo, if I suddenly become polite, the Hokage will definitely suspect me."

Xia Zuo was even angrier: "Bullshit! I've already blocked the [Clairvoyance Technique]. Hiruzen Sarutobi can't spy on you now. If you're polite, he won't even know."

Naruto Uzumaki devoured half a chicken in one gulp and continued to argue, "Hey, you have to pay attention to the smallest details in normal times so you won't give yourself away at crucial moments."

"This is something you taught me, Brother Xia Zuo!"

Xia Zuo finally couldn't hold back any longer and flicked his forehead: "You've mastered the art of splitting your mind and body, and your usual pretense has long been handed over to the 'mask' you've cultivated. I think you're just deliberately acting cute in front of me!"

Naruto covered the large bump on his forehead and chuckled sheepishly, "Hehehe, I knew I'd been found out."

Suddenly he froze, pointing at Xia Zuo with the half-eaten roast chicken in his hand: "Σ(っ°Д°;)っ Ah!"

"Ahhhhh!"

"Brother Xia Zuo, how did you grow so tall?"

Naruto Uzumaki had just noticed that Xia Zuo was much taller than when they met last week, and he was surprised to see the food he was chewing in his mouth.

Disgusted, Xia Zuo flicked him on the forehead again, finally stopping the kid from causing trouble.

Naruto Uzumaki was the first plot thread that Xia Zuo grasped, and the other thread was Izumi Uchiha, his childhood friend.

But Uchiha Izumi was truly an accident. Before awakening her Sharingan, Izumi didn't have a surname at all, so who would have known that she was Uchiha Izumi?

Even Aunt Miko didn't know that she actually had Uchiha blood.

Anyway, Uncle Heishiro definitely doesn't have one, because he came from the border region near the Land of Whirlpools and moved to Konoha with the Senju clan.

Even if he has bloodlines, Uncle Heishiro can only have the blood of the Senju or Uzumaki clans.

Xia Zuo clearly taught Izumi Ninjutsu as a way of repaying the kindness of his two elders.

As a result, the Sharingan of the girl next door, Izumi, suddenly became a huge problem after she woke up.

After Xia Zuo became stronger on his own a few days ago and stopped worrying about how to save Uchiha Izumi, she went from being a big problem to a powerful thread in Xia Zuo's hands.

But in terms of importance and potential, Naruto Uzumaki is definitely more valuable.

Xia Zuo once believed that Naruto Uzumaki was a taboo in Konoha, a terrifying trap that should not be approached. Anyone who approached him would be warned by the Anbu or even secretly persecuted by Root.

However, Xia Zuo's curiosity was too great, so he secretly conducted an on-site observation and was surprised to find that the surveillance by the Anbu ninjas was not as sinister as the legends suggested.

The Third Hokage was a very busy man. He had so many genin promotions to chunin to approve and so many C-rank missions to review. He didn't have time to visit Naruto every day.

Therefore, only the Anbu ninjas were able to monitor and protect Naruto Uzumaki.

For reasons of secrecy, the Third Hokage did not reveal Naruto's identity to the Anbu ninja, resulting in the surveillance and protection mission being classified as Rank D.

Even freshmen at the Ninja Academy wouldn't take a D-rank mission seriously, so why would a Jonin-level Anbu ninja take it seriously?

Even if they are conscientious and responsible, can they maintain a serious and dedicated attitude while carrying out D-level missions year after year?

Everyone makes mistakes.