The Third Hokage smiled and replied:
"Ebisu, don't be so tense. The children have their own way of resolving things."
Still unwilling to let it go, Ebisu continued:
"But, Third Hokage, if this keeps up, it's going to ruin the rules."
The Third Hokage gently patted Ebisu on the shoulder and said earnestly:
"Rules are rigid, but people are adaptable. Letting them learn through a bit of friction isn't necessarily a bad thing."
Ebisu-sensei opened his mouth as if he wanted to say more, but ultimately swallowed his words back down, only looking at Naruto and the others with deep worry.
Meanwhile, Naruto stood right where he was, a faint smile on his face, thinking to himself:
*Hmph, little brat, how could I possibly waste time playing house with you?*
With that, Naruto pointed a small finger toward the window behind Konohamaru and shouted at the top of his lungs:
"Look! A flying ninja!"
Ebisu-sensei hurriedly turned his head and asked:
"Where? Where?"
In the next instant, Naruto dropped a smoke bomb and vanished from the scene.
As for Konohamaru, nobody knew where he had run off to. Complete silence surrounded them, broken only by the sound of a gentle breeze blowing past.
Realizing he had been tricked, Ebisu-sensei turned back to look at the Third Hokage and said awkwardly:
"Third Hokage, that Naruto is just too mischievous."
Then Ebisu-sensei gave an awkward chuckle to cover up his embarrassment.
The Third Hokage calmly replied:
"Ebisu, it's fine. Only now you need to hurry up and find Konohamaru!"
The Third Hokage's gaze was gentle yet firm.
With a puzzled look on his face, Ebisu-sensei thought:
*Isn't Young Master Konohamaru right here?*
Ebisu-sensei instantly whipped his head around, only to discover that both Naruto and Young Master Konohamaru had vanished without a trace.
Frowning in disbelief, Ebisu-sensei quickly swept his gaze across the surroundings.
But the very next second, Ebisu-sensei realized the gravity of the situation as he confirmed that Young Master Konohamaru, who had been right in front of him just a moment ago, was indeed gone.
"This... Young Master Konohamaru..."
Panicked and furious, beads of sweat broke out on Ebisu-sensei's forehead.
Ebisu-sensei spun around in circles, completely at a loss.
"Where on earth did he run off to? If anything happens to Young Master Konohamaru, how am I going to answer to the Third Hokage?!"
Muttering to himself, Ebisu-sensei quickened his pace and expanded his search radius.
The surrounding air was eerily quiet, save for the sound of Ebisu-sensei's slightly frantic footsteps echoing through the air.
Ebisu-sensei called out in a panic:
"Where did Young Master Konohamaru go? Where did Young Master Konohamaru go?"
His voice reverberated through the empty space, but met with no reply.
Ebisu-sensei's expression grew increasingly anxious, his eyes filled with worry and panic.
"What am I supposed to do now? If I can't find them, I'm finished!"
Muttering to himself, Ebisu-sensei sped up his pace and began darting back and forth across the entire building to search.
The wind blew through the window and tugged at Ebisu-sensei's clothes, yet it failed to blow away the anxiety weighing on his heart.
*This kid is really good at hiding!*
Sighing helplessly, Ebisu-sensei resumed his thorough search of the room.
"Young Master Konohamaru, stop hiding and come on out!"
Shouting as he went, Ebisu-sensei meticulously checked every single corner of the room.
Noticing Ebisu-sensei jumping at shadows, the Third Hokage wore a look of utter disgust and said:
"So annoying! Why don't you go outside and look instead of searching around this tiny room? They left this room ages ago."
A hint of annoyance laced the Third Hokage's tone as his brow furrowed slightly.
Startled by the reprimand, Ebisu-sensei snapped back to reality and immediately responded in a flurry of panic:
"Yes, yes, yes, Third Hokage! I'll go right outside and search!"
His voice trembled slightly as beads of sweat rolled down his cheeks.
With that, Ebisu-sensei hurriedly spun around and bolted out like a gust of wind, running about aimlessly like a headless fly while endlessly chanting:
"Young Master Konohamaru, Naruto, where on earth are you?!"
His eyes filled with anxiety and tension, Ebisu-sensei peered down every single hallway with hope, only to return empty-handed every time.
Watching Ebisu-sensei's hurried departure, the Third Hokage shook his head helplessly and muttered to himself:
"None of these people ever give me any peace of mind."
Out on the street, Konohamaru stuck close behind Naruto—taking one step when Naruto took one, two steps when Naruto took two—clinging to him like a complete tail.
Annoyed, Naruto turned his head and barked:
"Would you stop following me already?"
Grinning, Konohamaru replied:
"No way, I'm sticking right with you."
Naruto picked up his pace, trying to shake Konohamaru off, but the kid clung to him like sticky rice candy and refused to be shaken.
"Ugh, you are so annoying!"
Naruto's face twisted with frustration.
Unfazed, Konohamaru continued to tail him closely, yapping away:
"I want to duel you! I'm going to beat you!"
Utterly exasperated, Naruto finally turned around to demand what Konohamaru was after.
"Hey, kid, what on earth do you want by following me around like this?"
Naruto frowned, his face etched with impatience.
Konohamaru lifted his chin and declared with absolute determination:
"I want you to teach me Ninjutsu! I want to become as strong as you!"
Naruto's eyes widened as if he had just heard the most ridiculous joke in the world.
"You? In your dreams!"
Konohamaru clenched his small fists and said:
"Hmph, don't underestimate me! I'll work hard!"
With a confident and proud expression, Konohamaru added:
"You're the only one who dares to treat me like this. I feel like you actually see me as a friend, so I wouldn't mind being your underling."
Konohamaru puffed out his tiny chest, his eyes shining with anticipation.
Hearing this, Naruto froze for a second before curling his lip and saying:
"Who wants you as an underling? Don't flatter yourself."
Undeterred, Konohamaru stepped right up to Naruto and said:
"Stop putting on an act, I know you're actually thrilled inside. I'm sticking with you from now on, so don't even think about shaking me off."
With that, Konohamaru made a face at Naruto.
Sighing in resignation, Naruto said:
"I really don't know what to do with you."
Even so, Naruto still didn't agree to the request, instead saying:
"No need, absolutely not. You can be your grand young master, and I'll be my Genin ninja."
Naruto turned his head away, a stubborn look stamped across his face.