Time keeps flowing like water, sweeping past every soul, carrying away all the glory and years.
Over time, the whole Shinobi World eased into peace.
Kirigakure and Konoha formally ended their war. Iwagakure and Kumogakure, after those intense initial battles, also reached peace.
In recent years, under Minato Namikaze's leadership, Konoha has become increasingly prosperous.
Minato applied his personal philosophy toward life to governing the village, thus earning even more love and respect from both ninja and civilians.
Without the Nine-Tails' attack, many of Konoha's key forces remained intact.
Moreover, because Minato Namikaze governed the village with a soft touch internally while maintaining a strong stance externally, many events that would have unfolded in the original narrative never happened.
Today was the quarterly market day in Konoha Village, when merchants from all over the Land of Fire—and even other countries—gathered here.
This event had been specially established by Minato Namikaze to help Konoha rebuild its local economy after the war, offering certain conveniences for merchants coming to the village. Naturally, they flocked in droves.
The activity would last half a month, boosting the village's economic activity and introducing rare goods from distant lands to villagers who seldom left home.
"Father! Look!"
A rather childish voice rang out as a boy around five or six years old tugged at the tall figure next to him.
Clearly, this was a father and son.
They both wore simple robes of the same style, appearing almost ceremonial.
However, the tall man wore a Konoha ninja forehead protector covering his forehead completely.
The boy also used a wide piece of cloth to cover his forehead, seemingly hiding something beneath it.
"If you like it, Neji, we can buy one to take home."
Hayato gently patted Neji's head, his face filled with affection, eyes narrowing happily.
"Mm!" Neji nodded firmly, tightly holding the mask he already held in his hand, clearly loving it.
Hayato paid, then continued holding Neji's hand as they strolled around. He rarely had time alone with Neji, so he was determined to cherish the moment and fulfill every reasonable wish.
Nearby, at a dumpling shop, many figures gathered around, though one red-cloaked figure stood out especially.
She held onto a small child about half a meter tall with one hand and carried a bucket of food with the other.
"Naruto, help Mom carry these things!"
Kushina blushed slightly, squatting halfway down as she showed the food to Naruto.
"Oh! Before we left, Dad warned us not to snack too much!"
Nowadays, Naruto lived in a happy family with both parents present, enjoying a carefree and comfortable life.
Having such powerful and capable parents meant others no longer looked at him coldly or ignored him—he had now become a beloved child adored by many.
After all, his father was the Hokage, and his mother was both a Jonin and a formidable Jinchuriki; even the dimmest folks made an effort to win Naruto's favor.
"Tch! So what, are you gonna try one or not?" Kushina let go of Naruto's hand and tapped his forehead playfully with her now-free hand, pushing him back a step with the poke.
"Hmm..." Naruto frowned, his face showing clear displeasure as he covered his forehead with both hands.
"Hurry up and take some for Mommy! I'll give you however much you carry!"
Kushina was at a loss for words. She knew her son well—when he refused her using a seemingly noble justification, it meant she hadn't offered enough incentive.
"Great!" A smile spread across Naruto's rosy cheeks, the serious look he had earlier when mentioning Minato completely gone.
With his parents looking after him, Naruto no longer had to live off instant ramen and old milk. You could easily tell how healthy he was by his flushed cheeks.
Grabbing half the dumplings from Kushina's container, Naruto's eyes narrowed into crescent shapes. With his golden short hair, he looked just like a walking cartoon.
"We'll eat everything before going back, don't tell your dad, understand?"
Watching Naruto happily holding onto the dumpling sticks, Kushina stood up and reminded him again.
"Okay, okay!" Naruto replied absentmindedly while focusing on eating.
"You little troublemaker!" Kushina patted Naruto's head affectionately, a warm smile blooming on her face.
Naruto's birth had given her a sense of belonging she'd never felt since the destruction of the Uzumaki Clan.
These past few years, she'd done nothing but be a full-time mom, staying by Naruto's side as he grew.
Walking with his short legs, Naruto ate while moving forward.
Kushina watched his small back disappearing into the distance and followed closely behind.
"Naruto, wait for Mommy!"
"Hurry up! Dad gets off work at noon! If he finds out I'm not home again, he'll scold you for sure!"
"Oh right! Then let's walk faster!"
"Hey, wait for me! Don't walk so fast!" Naruto's voice rang out last, clearly responding to Kushina, who sped up after hearing his words.
...
Uchiha clan compound
Ka Uchiha already had white hair, yet her body seemed rejuvenated day by day. Her face glowed with a rosy hue, appearing very healthy.
"Obā-san, there's a village fair today, would you like to go have a look?"
Shisui Uchiha and Itachi Uchiha stood side by side, with Shisui speaking.
"Eh, no need. I've gotten too lazy to move around much these days! You two go enjoy yourselves!"
Reclining in her rocking chair, Ka Uchiha gazed at the now adult Shisui and the prematurely aged-looking Itachi.
"In that case, Obā-san, this is the fish I bought, may I put it in the kitchen?"
Shisui nodded, lifting his leg to walk toward the kitchen.
"Alright, alright! Thank you so much, Shisui!" Ka didn't stand up—she'd long gotten used to all of Shisui's attentions.
Ever since returning from the battlefield several years ago, Shisui had consistently shown great care toward Ka Uchiha, frequently dropping by to ask about her wellbeing.
"If there's nothing else, we'll be leaving first, Obā-san!"
"Goodbye, Obā-san!" Following behind Shisui, Itachi cast one last glance at the elderly woman peacefully sunbathing in the courtyard before offering a faint smile.
"Yes, yes! Goodbye!"
Office of the Konoha Military Police Force.
Fugaku appeared rather busy. A few years prior, during an opportunity, he'd engaged in a heartfelt negotiation with Minato Namikaze and earned Minato's recognition.
So during the following period, Minato offered Fugaku a vacancy in one of the Anbu units, allowing him to insert Uchiha ninja into its ranks.
Fugaku, in turn, arranged clan members who expressed interest and possessed sufficient talent and skill into those positions.
After receiving positive feedback, Minato continued offering several more squad spots for Fugaku to assign as he wished.
Yesterday, Minato once again incorporated a full Uchiha ninja squad into Anbu.
That's why Fugaku was still pondering these matters right now.
Creak!
The office door swung open and a round-faced, mischievous-looking child barged in.
Fugaku looked puzzled and lifted his head, ready to scold the intruder.
"Father!" Sasuke crept quietly toward Fugaku's desk, lifting his face up high. His clear, bright eyes looked straight up at Fugaku.
"Oh, it's Sasuke!" Fugaku took off his golden-rimmed glasses and showed a slight smile.
"What's up?" He placed his hands on his lap and gestured for Sasuke to come closer.
"Nothing much. Mom just asked if you want to come home for lunch today."
Sasuke seemed a bit shy but happily ran to Fugaku's side, snuggling into the familiar embrace.
"Ah, Dad is really busy today, so I won't be coming home for lunch."
Fugaku glanced at the pile of paperwork on his desk and thought for a second.
"Huh? You're not coming home again?"
"Why? Dad really is busy today, Sasuke."
Fugaku lifted Sasuke onto his lap and gently tapped his nose.
"Big brother isn't coming back for lunch either, and now you're not either—only me and Mom will be there!"
A frown appeared on Sasuke's face, making his large eyes look even cuter.
"Dad will come home for dinner tonight. Now go back and tell Mom that Dad needs to work!"
Fugaku pinched Sasuke's cheeks gently, then placed him on the floor.
"Okay…" Sasuke came quickly and left just as fast.
"Hmph!" Fugaku rubbed his temples, put his glasses back on, and resumed working.
In recent years, under Minato Namikaze's leadership as Hokage, acting as a bridge between the Uchiha clan and the village, relations had improved significantly.
Positive changes had occurred on both sides, and Fugaku no longer harbored the deep resentment he once did in the past. He had become more approachable and human.
Therefore, he didn't pressure Sasuke much and always remained a warm, loving father.
Itachi and Shisui were also no longer torn between their loyalty to the village and their clan.
Minato Namikaze's leadership had done wonders in balancing all that.
...
Root's secret base.
Danzo's expression was as gloomy as ever, as if permanently burdened by grievances.
His health condition had slowly improved over time.
"Lord Danzo, this month, Root ninjas dispatched outside the village have again suffered unknown attacks. Three teams have lost contact."
A masked ninja knelt half-bowed before Danzo, showing deep respect.
"Still no clue who's behind it?"
Danzo's expression remained unchanged. In recent years, such situations had become routine.
Every time Root shinobi left the village on missions, they faced unknown attacks. At best, they returned having failed their mission. At worst, they never returned at all.
"There isn't!" The ninja hesitated briefly before nodding.
"Useless!" Danzo spat bitterly, though he knew the enemy was no ordinary opponent.
The fact that someone had discovered Root ninja leaving the village alone proved they were no minor threat.
At first, when these incidents occurred repeatedly, Danzo had suspected Minato Namikaze was deliberately obstructing him.
After all, they held completely different political ideology. Since Minato's rise to power, Danzo hadn't attended high-level meetings for quite some time.
However, as attacks on Root continued to increase, Danzo realized it wasn't Minato targeting him.
Although Minato certainly had the capability, he wouldn't stoop to such pettiness.
"Dismissed! We will still minimize leaving the village recently! Wait for the right moment!"
Root ninja weren't the kind of people who could be easily pushed around, especially in this peaceful era where skilled manpower was growing scarcer by the day.
Even someone as cold-blooded as Danzo felt a pang over Root's losses.
"Yes!" With a sharp "swish," the figure vanished, leaving Danzo alone.
"Just who is it that keeps opposing me from the shadows?!"
Danger flickered in Danzo's single eye, glowing faintly green like chakra light in the dim surroundings.
He had already ruled out both Minato Namikaze and Hiruzen Sarutobi. Among influential enemies, none possessed the specific capability to strike against Root, which only deepened the mystery.
Though he gnashed his teeth in rage—so hard he broke a few—Danzo still hadn't laid eyes on his enemy. That's what infuriated him most.
His physical condition had improved significantly over the past two years thanks to someone's medical breakthroughs, so he hadn't left the village for quite some time either.
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