"Have you heard? Wufang City was massacred by demons! Rumor has it that only the daimyo and his retainers survived under the protection of Sarutobi Asuma."
"I heard that too. The Third Hokage himself led a team to provide support, but by the time they arrived, it was already too late."
"Almost all of the daimyo's senior officials were either killed or gravely injured. I have no idea what this means for Konoha!"
"Don't worry. We have the Third, Fourth, and Fifth Hokages—there's no way Konoha will fall. No other village in the ninja world has three 'Kages'!"
As Sarutobi Hiruzen and his team returned to Konoha, news of the Wufang City massacre spread rapidly. It was impossible to keep such a massive event hidden, and the entire village became restless, fearful that demons might attack Konoha next. The rumors quickly reached the ears of those who paid attention to such matters, and soon, word of the tragedy spread beyond the Land of Fire.
The Hokage Meeting
Inside the Hokage Building's conference room, nearly all of Konoha's high-ranking officials were present, struggling with a critical issue—where the daimyo would relocate next.
"Fifth Hokage, the daimyo's intentions are clear. He does not wish to return to Wufang City. He wants to relocate the capital and establish a new one elsewhere."
"He has lingering fears about Wufang City."
"For this reason, the daimyo requests the village's support in re-establishing order."
Asuma stood up and spoke loudly. Seated beside him, the daimyo wore his finest robes, holding a ceremonial war fan in his hands. Though he remained silent, his mere presence carried weight. Before the meeting, the daimyo had privately spoken with Asuma, entrusting him to speak on his behalf.
"You want to select a new capital?"
"As for its location, His Excellency the Daimyo may decide. Konoha will not interfere in the matter of choosing the new capital's site."
"But regarding support—since Konoha is part of the Land of Fire, we will, of course, lend our strength in the face of such devastation."
"I will dispatch our infrastructure teams to assist in the reconstruction. Rest assured, we will do our part."
Namikaze Minato had already formulated his response before the meeting and addressed the daimyo directly, bypassing Asuma. Though this seemed like a routine internal meeting, in reality, it was a political battle—one where Konoha held absolute advantage.
The daimyo's decision to use Asuma as a spokesperson was not entirely pure in intent, and Minato saw through it immediately. Instead of playing along, he chose to communicate directly with the daimyo, stripping Asuma of his leverage.
"However…"
"Your Excellency the Daimyo, I trust you understand Konoha's current situation. Years of continuous warfare have placed an enormous strain on the village."
"Recently, due to budget constraints, we were even forced to reduce the number of active-duty troops."
"Sending our infrastructure corps to assist in rebuilding your nation will require a significant amount of funding."
Minato glanced at Asuma before continuing, this time addressing the daimyo in a deliberate, measured tone.
The moment funding was mentioned, everyone in the room understood where this was going. Nara Shikaku, who had appeared somewhat disinterested, immediately perked up, sitting up straight.
"Funding, you say…"
Minato had thrown the financial burden squarely onto the daimyo's lap. The daimyo had no way to restrict Konoha on this matter.
With the population of Wufang City wiped out, and the daimyo's mansion destroyed by the shockwave from Raiden's sky-shattering attack, the economic balance had shifted. Even though the daimyo's men had managed to retrieve some financial assets, the cost of relocating and rebuilding a capital would be astronomical.
Cutting Konoha's funding was already out of the question—let alone demanding more from them.
As expected, upon hearing Minato's words, the daimyo's advisors fell silent. Even the daimyo himself repeatedly opened and closed his war fan, betraying his unease.
By principle, Ninja Villages and their nations were meant to be equals—villages provided security, while nations provided economic backing. However, with Wufang City destroyed, the Land of Fire's power balance had been irreversibly shaken. Under the looming threat of powerful enemies, strengthening Konoha was no longer optional—it was necessary.
"In times of peace, daimyo families could control Ninja Villages through economic constraints. Even prolonged wars between nations helped keep their power in check."
"But this is no longer a normal war between countries."
"Now, Konoha's enemy is not another Ninja Village, but demons. And unlike human foes, these creatures are far harder to deal with."
After a long pause, the daimyo finally spoke. He snapped his war fan shut, gently placing it on the table.
"In terms of funding, the Fire Nation Congress will fully support you."
"But I have only one request—eliminate every last demon in the Land of Fire."
"This is our commission to Konoha."
"I hope, Hokage, that you take this matter seriously."
The daimyo had personally witnessed the terror of these creatures. He knew their numbers were few, but their threat was far greater than any national war.
With this settled, both parties began discussing logistical details—financial aid structures, support mechanisms, and the terms of Konoha's assistance.
A Different Path: The Future of Namikaze Yoriichi
While a meeting that could shape Konoha's future was taking place in the Hokage Building, Uzumaki Raiden was at home, taking care of the children.
"Yoriichi, the concept of 'seals' is simply a way to guide chakra, making it easier for the user to control it."
"But before learning hand seals, you must first learn how to sense chakra and attempt to manipulate it."
"The seal for condensing chakra is 'Rat.' Try to feel it first."
In the courtyard beside the waterfall outside Konoha Village, Uzumaki Raiden was teaching Yoriichi how to condense chakra. Now four years old, Yoriichi was ready to begin using chakra. Naturally, the responsibility of teaching him fell to Uncle Uzumaki Raiden.
After all, both Kushina and Minato were extremely busy—one serving as the vice president of the hospital and the other as the Hokage leading the village. Compared to them, Uzumaki Raiden, the principal of the ninja academy, had the most free time.
After all, ninja schools in the world of Naruto were not as structured as in later generations, and the principal wasn't required to attend reports or seminars daily.
Uzumaki Raiden's role as principal was largely symbolic.
"Uncle, I can feel chakra, but how do I mobilize it?"
In the middle of the yard, Namikaze Yoriichi stood with his hands forming the "Rat" seal, eyes closed as he tried to sense the chakra. Not far from him, Uzumaki Raiden leaned against a cherry tree, watching Yoriichi practice. However, after a long time, Yoriichi could barely sense the presence of chakra, but mobilizing it remained impossible.
"Mobilizing and condensing are entirely different. At your age, simply being able to sense chakra and condense it proficiently is enough."
"As for mobilization, that only becomes necessary when performing jutsu. The main function of the 'Rat' seal is to gather chakra, while the twelve basic hand seals each have their own unique ways of guiding and circulating it."
"When different seals are combined, they create new chakra pathways, forming the foundation of ninjutsu."
Using Kagura's Eyes, Uzumaki Raiden sensed the strength of Yoriichi's chakra condensation, nodded slightly, and smiled. Being able to perceive and condense chakra in such a short time was an exceptional talent! With such potential, Raiden hoped Yoriichi would remain grounded and progress steadily.
Mastering ninjutsu too early wasn't always a good thing. Even Uzumaki Raiden himself had only formally learned ninjutsu after becoming the Third Hokage's student. Before that, he focused solely on practicing seals and studying sealing techniques.
"Yoriichi, you must first master the twelve basic hand seals and learn to skillfully guide chakra through them. Once you've done that, I will teach you more advanced techniques."
"Watch carefully. Aside from the 'Rat' seal, these are the other eleven."
Seeing that Yoriichi could already sense chakra, Raiden decided to move on, demonstrating the other seals while explaining their purpose. In a way, the hand seals in Naruto's world were similar to modern Chinese pinyin, while ninjutsu itself resembled characters. The combination of different hand seals created unique techniques, forming the essence of jutsu.
Initially, Raiden's teaching progressed smoothly. After all, Yoriichi had grasped the essence of the "Rat" seal within minutes and successfully condensed chakra. Raiden subconsciously believed his nephew had a natural talent for ninjutsu.
But what followed took Uzumaki Raiden by surprise.
While Yoriichi had mastered the "Rat" seal effortlessly, learning the other eleven seals proved to be a massive struggle. He spent the entire morning practicing yet failed to grasp a single additional seal.
At first, Raiden assumed the boy simply wasn't trying hard enough, but after some stern reprimands, he realized Yoriichi had been taking his studies very seriously. In fact, he picked up the hand movements with remarkable speed, his seals nearly identical to Raiden's. Yet, he was completely unable to follow the seals' guidance to mobilize chakra.
In other words, Namikaze Yoriichi had incredibly poor chakra control!
Refusing to believe it, Raiden personally guided the chakra in Yoriichi's body, hoping he could develop a sense of control. But when Yoriichi practiced on his own, he still failed.
There was a real possibility that Namikaze Yoriichi might never be able to use ninjutsu!
"Uncle, do I not have the potential to become a ninja?"
After struggling all morning with no progress, Yoriichi couldn't help but doubt himself. Since coming into this world, he had witnessed the incredible power of ninjutsu and yearned to wield such abilities himself.
Now, given the chance to learn, he couldn't even master the basics. This realization was a heavy blow to his confidence.
Seeing the disappointment on Yoriichi's small face, Uzumaki Raiden fell silent. From his perspective, Namikaze Yoriichi truly wasn't suited to be a ninja. Even if he somehow managed to fumble his way through mastering hand seals, performing high-level jutsu would be an unrealistic dream.
Yet, Raiden couldn't bring himself to crush the child's hopes. After a long pause, he squatted down, placed his hands on Yoriichi's shoulders, and smiled.
"Yoriichi, this only means you lack talent for ninjutsu—it doesn't mean you can't become a ninja."
"Even without ninjutsu, you can still be an exceptional ninja."
"You've already learned to condense chakra and master the 'Rat' seal. That proves you have potential. You simply need the right training to develop your unique talents."
"Your path will be different from most ninjas."
"In fact, you may become stronger than all of them."
Raiden's words were firm, and his emotions were sincere. Encouraged, Yoriichi nodded resolutely and turned back to continue practicing his seals. But just as he positioned his hands, Raiden gently patted his shoulder, stopping him.
"Practicing seals right now would be inefficient. Yoriichi, let's focus on taijutsu instead!"
"I will train you personally. Come with me to the dojo."
Without further explanation, Uzumaki Raiden left the courtyard and headed toward the dojo. Yoriichi hesitated for a brief moment before quickly following his uncle.
As the sun set, golden light reflected off the rippling surface of the lake.
On the forest path, Namikaze Minato and Uzumaki Kushina walked hand in hand with little Naruto after finishing work. It was Friday, and every week at this time, the family would visit Uzumaki Raiden's house for dinner. Bonds needed time and effort to be maintained.
"Mom, I won first place in the school combat tournament again today! Even Iruka-sensei praised me!" Naruto boasted excitedly, clutching Kushina's hand.
"Hehe, I think my taijutsu is pretty good already! Can you teach me some powerful ninjutsu now?"
"This time, I almost lost to Sasuke! If I don't improve, he'll catch up!"
Naruto tugged at Kushina's hand, pleading.
"Alright, alright. When I have time, I'll teach you some stronger ninjutsu. But you have to keep working hard—don't lose to that brat Sasuke!" Kushina said, ruffling his hair.
"Naruto, you can't neglect taijutsu. It's the foundation of being a ninja. A strong foundation is key," Minato reminded him, cautious that Naruto might overly focus on ninjutsu.
While they chatted, they arrived at Uzumaki Raiden's house. Kushina, instead of knocking, simply pushed the door open.
"Raiden! Yoriichi! We're here!" she called out. But after a long pause, no one responded.
"Did they go out?" Kushina wondered, scratching her head.
Minato, however, narrowed his eyes slightly and smiled. "Let's check the dojo."
Under his lead, the family headed toward the dojo. As they neared, they heard the crisp sound of wooden swords clashing, followed by rapid footsteps echoing in the training hall.
"Is a ninja sparring with Raiden?" Minato listened closely, analyzing the rhythm of the strikes. Curious, he pushed open the dojo doors.
Inside, Namikaze Yoriichi, clad in a loose training uniform, gripped a wooden sword nearly as tall as himself, engaging in a match against Uzumaki Raiden.
Yoriichi's stance was steady, his movements fluid—his attacks and footwork flowing like water. Despite never having wielded a sword before, his technique was remarkably refined. If Minato hadn't recognized his own son, he would have mistaken him for a trained warrior.
"Da da!!"
Completely absorbed in the fight, Yoriichi was unaware of their arrival. Though his young body lacked strength and speed, and he was still unfamiliar with the sword, he relished every moment of the battle.
He savored the thrill of attacking without restraint.
(End of Chapter)