When Shanks walked into the small compound he'd called home for the last six years, the first thing he expected was food. His nanny knew his routine by heart — three plates at least, sometimes four if training had gone well.
But the smell of cooking was missing. Instead, he found someone sitting cross-legged at the table, pipe in hand, wrapped in a familiar white robe trimmed with red.
"Yo, unc. Wussup?" Shanks said casually, closing the door behind him.
Hiruzen Sarutobi didn't even flinch at the greeting. He was long past being surprised by his nephew's tone. After six years of this boy's carefree attitude, nothing could faze him anymore.
"Little Shanks," the Hokage said, voice calm. "I heard you used your kekkei genkai at the academy today. And this isn't the first time — a month ago, you used it briefly on another student."
Shanks scratched the back of his head, half-grinning. "It was nothing. Just a small fight between kids."
Hiruzen nodded slowly. He'd known Shanks long enough to understand that the boy didn't seek trouble. Even as a child, when other clan brats mocked him for his red hair or tried to pick fights, Shanks had always laughed it off. Once, Hiruzen had asked him why.
"They're not worth it," Shanks had said then, with that same easy smile.
But what concerned the Hokage now was that Shanks' kekkei genkai — the strange, invisible force he called Conqueror's Haki — wasn't something minor. It was powerful enough to knock out half the village if unleashed fully. He'd seen it himself once, when the boy was still a baby.
Shanks' grin faded. His voice turned steady, cold even. "Unc, they can spill drinks on me, even spit on me. I'll just laugh about it. But if they dare to hurt my friends… I won't forgive them."
For a long moment, Hiruzen said nothing. This was the first time he'd ever seen that kind of fire in his nephew's eyes — not rage, but conviction. Then, slowly, the Hokage smiled.
"…It seems you truly understand the Will of Fire," Hiruzen said softly.
Shanks tilted his head. "Will of what now?"
"Never mind," Hiruzen said, hiding a small chuckle. "This friend of yours — what's his name?"
"Oh, you mean Minato? What about him?"
"Wait—Minato Namikaze? The same boy you used your kekkei genkai against? If he is your friend why use that power on him?" Hiruzen asked, curious.
"Because he's worthy," Shanks answered simply.
"Worthy?" Hiruzen frowned slightly.
Shanks sighed, then leaned back in his chair. "When I look at Minato, even though he's as young as me, I get the same feeling I get when I look at you. Who knows… he might be the Hokage after you."
Hiruzen's brows rose. That was high praise — and not something Shanks said lightly. He made a mental note to keep an eye on the Namikaze boy.
Then he paused. "Wait a minute. You said after me. What about you? Don't you want to inherit my position?"
Shanks waved the idea off instantly. "Nah, too troublesome. My dream's to get strong enough to travel — see what this world has to offer. I heard one of your students wants to do the same, right? Maybe he'll tag along."
Hiruzen didn't know whether to laugh or sigh. "Leaving the village to wander… you know that's not something a shinobi is supposed to do."
Shanks shrugged. "Then I'll just have to become strong enough that nobody can stop me."
The Hokage exhaled, both exasperated and amused. There was no controlling this boy.
As he stood to leave, he added casually, "By the way, a new transfer student will be joining your class tomorrow. Can you take care of her for me?"
Shanks nodded. "Sure. As long as she's not another stuck-up clan kid."
Hiruzen smiled faintly under his breath as he walked toward the door. "You'll see soon enough."
When the Hokage was gone, Shanks dropped onto the couch, finally relaxing. The house was quiet again.
'A transfer student, huh? Great,' he thought with a yawn. 'Hopefully she's not another pain in the ass.'
Then, as his stomach growled, he looked toward the empty kitchen and muttered, 'Still no food though… that's a real problem.'