Naruto didn't understand what that scary man meant by "a seedling with potential," he only knew he wasn't going to die.
While he was relieved, it didn't make him happy.
When he realized that there really was a Nine-Tailed Fox inside him, and that this fox had caused immense destruction to the Leaf the year he was born, Naruto unconsciously grew a little afraid.
He didn't know if he was afraid the demon fox inside him would hurt him, or if that monster would hurt the village.
Naruto also roughly understood what a "container" meant.
In other words...
His existence was just a bottle; someone had sealed the Nine-Tailed Fox inside him, and so he became what the scary man called a "Nine-Tails Jinchuriki."
Even when Teuchi placed a steaming bowl of ramen in front of Naruto, Naruto barely showed any interest.
His mind was filled with all sorts of thoughts.
Naruto didn't know why, but he suddenly found courage, swallowed hard, and asked that scary man, "Why was that monster sealed inside me?"
"I..."
He hung his small head, looking incredibly confused, bit his lower lip, and continued, "All these years, everyone in the village has disliked me because of the monster inside me, haven't they?"
"If it weren't for that monster, I could be just like the other students at the Ninja Academy, right? I could go to school normally, come home normally..."
As he spoke, Naruto couldn't help but vigorously sniffle his uncontrollable runny nose.
"I could have lived a normal life just like everyone else in the village, without being disliked by so many people. If that were the case, I wouldn't have pulled pranks, trying to get everyone's attention..."
Uchiha Akainu watched Naruto, who was silently weeping with his head down.
He spoke, "The Fourth Hokage's original intention was likely to prevent the Nine-Tails' power from falling into the hands of other villages, especially into the hands of the masked man, Obito Uchiha, who caused the Nine-Tails attack. And you, Naruto Uzumaki, possess the Uzumaki clan's bloodline, making you the most suitable tailed beast Jinchuriki, the Nine-Tails' container, among everyone present at the time."
Naruto was stunned.
The word "Fourth Hokage," which sounded somewhat unfamiliar, made him think of the Fourth Hokage of the Leaf.
Naruto's knowledge of the Fourth Hokage was limited to only knowing he was a Hokage who died young.
Even the Third Hokage-jiji had said the Fourth Hokage was the youngest Hokage in the Leaf's history.
Aside from that.
Naruto had no other impressions of the Fourth Hokage.
Oh, right!
He had also seen the Fourth Hokage's face on the Hokage Rock; after all, such a massive Hokage Rock was carved into the mountain behind the village, it'd be hard not to see it.
"Logically speaking, only a select few in the Leaf knew about the Nine-Tails being sealed inside you at the time. But later, rumors began to spread within the village that you were the incarnation of the demon fox. The rumors grew more and more intense, and everyone believed you was the 'demon fox.'"
Uchiha Akainu said indifferently, "Ultimately... the Third Hokage issued an order that no one in the Leaf was allowed to openly discuss you as the demon fox's incarnation, nor were they allowed to mention the Nine-Tails attack in your presence."
He didn't deliberately blacken anyone's name, nor did he intentionally provoke Naruto's trauma or hatred. He simply straightforwardly told the seven-year-old Naruto what had happened years ago.
At that time, Uchiha Akainu himself was only eleven years old.
Naruto froze. "Hokage-jiji..."
Just as Naruto was feeling a bit touched, Jirou Tachibana suddenly interjected, "Kid, don't get sentimental so fast, meow."
Jirou Tachibana, with one nimble cat paw, picked up a piece of fish cake from the ramen.
He put the fish cake into his mouth, chewing, and said, "Don't you want to know who spread the rumors about you being the 'demon fox's incarnation' in the village? Don't you want to know if the Third Hokage knew about it?"
Jirou Tachibana continued, "It was Danzo's old dog of a subordinate who spread the rumors about your 'demon fox's incarnation' back then. As for his specific motive... who knows, meow?"
"Perhaps he disliked the Fourth Hokage; perhaps he wanted to provoke you with negative public opinion from the village, making you lose control and rampage. That way, perhaps it would repeat the scenario of a Leaf Hokage sacrificing themselves to seal the Nine-Tails. Then Danzo could naturally rise to power."
Jirou Tachibana swallowed the fish cake, licked his paw, and squinted his cat eyes contentedly. "Anyway, the Third Hokage knew about it, but all he did was tell the villagers not to discuss you too excessively, that's all, meow."
"As for the instigator, Danzo Shimura, the Third Hokage didn't do anything to him. When Lord Akainu tried to kill Danzo Shimura twice, the Third Hokage appeared both times to protect Danzo to the death."
"Kid..."
"You actually think the Third Hokage, who covered for the mastermind, is a 'Hokage-jiji' worth being touched by. That's a bit naive, isn't it? What the Third Hokage did has nothing to do with justice!"
The string of words from Jirou Tachibana, the ninja cat, caused a huge psychological impact on the young Naruto.
He opened his mouth, wanting to defend Hokage-jiji.
Because in his impression...
Hokage-jiji had always been kind to him.
When he was at his most helpless, Hokage-jiji was always the first to appear and comfort him, and would even treat him to a piping hot bowl of ramen at Ichiraku Ramen.
When he was a bit short on cash, it was also Hokage-jiji who gave him ample living expenses; it was just that he lived a bit sloppily and didn't really know how to spend money.
But...
If Hokage-jiji really knew who the mastermind was who deliberately spread the "demon fox incarnation" rumors, causing him to be disliked by everyone in the village, why didn't Hokage-jiji punish them?
And also, why did that person named "Danzo Shimura" harbor so much malice towards him?
Disliking the Fourth Hokage, or becoming the Leaf's Hokage...
Did these two goals have anything to do with him, Naruto Uzumaki?
Naruto's small face was bewildered.
The adult world felt so complicated.
He simply couldn't understand it.
"Naruto Uzumaki, when endless malice, blatant ostracism, and whispered curses behind your back... all fall upon you, can you feel that despair and helplessness?"
Uchiha Akainu's faint voice reached Naruto's ears.
Naruto almost instinctively nodded.
Uchiha Akainu asked, "Do you think what they did was right?"
Naruto bit his lip. "No, it wasn't right..."
How could bullying and ostracizing a child like that possibly be right?!
Naruto knew his own feelings all too well.
"You think they were wrong, which means your sense of right and wrong hasn't been corrupted by this rotten ninja world," Uchiha Akainu said. "Because everything you've endured is the evil of the ninja world. Villains, to achieve their own objectives, will inflict their greatest malice upon an innocent child."
Naruto felt so wronged.
He didn't even know those people. A few years ago, he was just an infant who could barely speak.
Why were they targeting him like this?
Was it just because of this "evil" that this scary man spoke of?
"The evil of the ninja world breeds endless suffering, trapping countless innocent people within it, unable to struggle free. You are just one of them," Uchiha Akainu said. "And the suffering you've endured is commonplace among the many victims of 'evil,' not a particularly special case."
Naruto froze.
"If you truly want to witness the evil of the ninja world, after you finish this bowl of ramen, you can follow me around the Leaf. If your luck is bad, you'll see it with your own eyes."
Naruto stared blankly at Uchiha Akainu's profile. He always felt that this terrifying person seemed to have seen all sorts of "evil."
That cold tone, that expressionless face, seemed to indicate he was completely numb to "evil."
But he also felt that amidst the numbness, there was a glimmer of hope.
That hope was somewhat like his own, Naruto Uzumaki's, yearning for the village's recognition. Of course, Naruto didn't think this terrifying man needed everyone's recognition; he just simply felt that the other person must have a sliver of expectation for the ninja world.
Perhaps it was precisely this kind of expectation that drove this terrifying person to constantly "meddle" in the village's affairs.
Logically speaking.
Naruto felt he should stay away from this terrifying man. Hokage-jiji had also warned him not to approach him willingly.
But...
Staring at the faint steam rising from the ramen, Naruto didn't know why, but a strange surge of emotion suddenly ran through him.
He unexpectedly nodded, as if by some unknown impulse.
And then began to ravenously devour his ramen.
Just then, another person walked into Ichiraku Ramen.
Izumi's peripheral vision caught sight of an ordinary-looking face. But the young girl keenly noticed that a mask was hanging from the person's waist—it was an Anbu ninja's mask!
The Anbu ninja who walked in sat down in a corner of the ramen shop, as if he were just a regular customer, acting casually.
But Izumi noticed that he seemed to glance at Naruto Uzumaki.
Perhaps realizing that Naruto Uzumaki was fine.
Izumi felt as if this Anbu ninja subtly let out half a sigh of relief.
Izumi instantly understood.
This was an Anbu ninja assigned by Hokage-sama to monitor the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki!
She had guessed correctly.
The reason the Anbu ninja appeared at Ichiraku Ramen was purely because when Naruto Uzumaki disappeared from his sight and was with Uchiha Akainu, an alarm blared in his heart.
—What if Uchiha Akainu, with his Mangekyo Sharingan, wanted to control the Nine-Tails with his Sharingan's power?
—What if Uchiha Akainu thought Naruto Uzumaki, as the "demon fox," was a menace and simply killed him?
—What if Uchiha Akainu instilled ideas into the Jinchuriki that were bad for Hokage-sama and the Leaf?
After weighing the risks, the Anbu ninja had no choice but to take the plunge.
He directly removed his mask and burst into Ichiraku Ramen.
As he casually sat down, only he knew that his back was soaked with cold sweat. Only he knew the immense pressure he was currently under.
Especially when Uchiha Akainu's gaze flickered towards him, the Anbu ninja almost instinctively drew the ninja blade from his waist.
Fortunately...
Uchiha Akainu made no other moves. Perhaps it was because, in his eyes, he had no "evil," neither in the past nor in the future?!
Or perhaps it was because he was from the Yamanaka clan, and the Yamanaka clan head and Uchiha Akainu seemingly had a good relationship.
So, was he benefiting from his ninja clan's reputation?
Moreover, the Jinchuriki was still alive and seemed to have a good appetite.
Nothing strange must have happened, right?
Just then.
The Anbu ninja noticed a black ninja cat crawling in. He saw the black ninja cat jump onto the table and "meow" loudly at a fat, orange ninja cat.
He heard the orange cat suddenly speak in human language: "Lord Akainu, new cases have been discovered in the village!"
The Anbu ninja immediately let out the other half of his breath.
This way, this Uchiha plague god would have something to keep him busy, and he could stay away from the Jinchuriki, right?
But what he didn't expect was...
Uchiha Akainu, putting down his chopsticks, wiping his mouth, and slowly standing up, calmly said to the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki beside him, "If you want to see it, you can follow me now."
Anbu Ninja: "???"
Wait a minute...
See what?!
Then, he saw Naruto Uzumaki frantically shove the last few mouthfuls of ramen into his mouth, quickly stand up, and with puffed cheeks, say, "Coming!"
Anbu Ninja: "???"
Hold on, hold on!
What's going on?!
Did he miss something before he entered Ichiraku Ramen?!
As he watched Naruto Uzumaki follow Uchiha Akainu out of Ichiraku Ramen, the Anbu ninja realized something was seriously wrong and that he had made a grave mistake in his duty.
Damn it!
He had to inform Hokage-sama now!
"Customer, what kind of ramen would you like?" Teuchi's question was completely ignored by the Anbu ninja.
He bit his thumb.
And slammed it on the ground.
"Ninja Art..."
"Summoning Justu!!!"
A ninja pigeon, slightly larger than a normal pigeon, was summoned by the Anbu ninja. He told the pigeon, "Go quickly and inform Hokage-sama that Naruto Uzumaki has been taken by Uchiha Akainu, and the situation is extremely urgent!"
The ninja pigeon nodded.
And immediately flew off.
The Anbu ninja gritted his teeth and quickly followed Uchiha Akainu, but he dared not get too close, only tailing them from a safe distance.
"If he tries to do anything to the Jinchuriki, I'll have to risk my life to bring the Jinchuriki back..."
But the question was, would risking his life truly be enough?
The Anbu ninja wasn't quite confident.
Not long after.
At the Hokage Office.
Hiruzen Sarutobi was discussing with Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado how to fix the huge mess Uchiha Akainu had caused.
Just then, a ninja pigeon flew in through the window, catching the attention of all three.
"This is..."
Hiruzen Sarutobi frowned. He recognized it as Anbu ninja "Yamanaka Ryoshin's" pigeon. But shouldn't Ryoshin be monitoring Naruto right now?
Hiruzen Sarutobi suddenly felt that this scene was somewhat familiar.
Until the ninja pigeon spoke.
"Hokage-sama, Naruto Uzumaki has been taken by Uchiha Akainu! The situation is extremely urgent!—Ryoshin told me to say that."
Hiruzen Sarutobi: "..."
Before Hiruzen Sarutobi could even react, Koharu Utatane suddenly stood up, her aged face deeply furrowed and looking extremely grim.
She immediately declared, "Hiruzen! See?! This is Uchiha Akainu's ambition! His 'Absolute Justice' is just a grand excuse for his ambition!"
"As a member of the Uchiha clan, as a ninja with the Mangekyo Sharingan, doesn't he understand what it means for him to contact the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki? And he even took the Jinchuriki away!"
Koharu Utatane took a deep breath, and her suddenly surging blood pressure dropped slightly.
She continued, "Even if, for argument's sake, he truly is doing this for 'Absolute Justice,' then we should be even more vigilant about his actions. Because his justice is too extreme!"
"He dared to kill the Daimyo's son. Are you sure he won't try to use the Nine-Tails' power to purge the Leaf? For someone like him, even if everyone in the Leaf died, it would be an act of justice, wouldn't it?"
"Hiruzen! The Nine-Tails attack from seven years ago is about to be re-enacted!"
Homura Mitokado couldn't sit still either. Standing up, he said, "Hiruzen, we must retrieve the Jinchuriki. Regardless of whether Uchiha Akainu has such intentions, we cannot allow him to have excessive contact with Naruto Uzumaki."
"After all, even if he doesn't have such intentions, other Uchiha might. If that happens, the Nine-Tails attack truly might happen again."
"The last Nine-Tails attack caused immense losses to the Leaf; we cannot afford a second one."
Every word from Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado.
Made Hiruzen Sarutobi realize that he truly couldn't delay. He immediately said, "Kakashi!"
Kakashi, who had been standing outside the Hokage's office door, pushed it open and entered.
"Inform all Anbu members to assemble immediately!" Hiruzen Sarutobi said sternly. "Come with me to bring Naruto back!"
Koharu Utatane interjected, "I'm coming too, old man."
She explained, "Hiruzen, if you go alone, you'll definitely continue to indulge Uchiha Akainu. Uchiha Akainu is indeed a powerful force that can make outside powers wary, but you also need to consider the damage he brings to the Leaf's interests."
Hiruzen Sarutobi frowned slightly.
But he did not stop Koharu Utatane.
"Meow, Lord Akainu, when the village ninja were clearing the rubble near the Yamanaka clan compound, they discovered that a family of four civilians had been crushed to death by their collapsed house. It was originally going to be closed as an 'accidental death,' but after the Police Force took over, they found something wasn't right."
A black cat led the way, while Jirou Tachibana perched on Izumi's shoulder, speaking, "Although the victims' skin was bruised and even mangled from being crushed by the debris, it was subtly noticed that a very strange mark remained on the neck of one of the bodies."
"The preliminary judgment is that it was a mark from being struck, but the mark was very inconspicuous. If that Police Force member hadn't activated his Sharingan to observe, it truly might not have been discovered."
"Logically speaking, that area couldn't have been hit by a heavy object. The only possibility is that they were attacked before death."
Naruto, following behind, was stunned when he heard this.
A family of four...
All dead?!
Naruto never actively paid attention to such violent incidents, and in his impression, while many people in the Leaf Village disliked and ostracized him, it was at least a relatively peaceful and tranquil place.
But who would have thought that shortly after leaving Ichiraku Ramen with this terrifying man, he would learn that an entire family of four had been wiped out in the village!
This, this, this...
Was this still the Leaf Village he knew?
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