"Huh? Why do you sound so lifeless? I'm talking to you, Naruto! Are you even listening to me? That's the Fourth Hokage's disciple we're talking about! Which means I might become the Fourth Hokage's grand-disciple! My dad is definitely going to be proud of me!"
Naruto's obviously uninterested, half-hearted response made Sasuke mistakenly think he didn't even know—let alone care—about the legendary achievements of his father, Minato Namikaze. Fired up in full fanboy mode, Sasuke began waving his hands around excitedly, ready to explain everything in detail to Naruto.
'Grand-disciple? Proud? Are you serious…? First off, your dad and my dad were equals. And technically, since I took the Pervy Sage as my teacher, that makes me my dad's peer—same generation of disciples. Back when I was teaching you, you were basically Kakashi's peer, brat… And now you're all giddy over becoming a grand-disciple? Isn't that like willingly dropping yourself two generations beneath me? If Uncle Fugaku finds out, proud isn't the word—he'd probably get so mad he'd smack you out of frustration.'
Naruto silently grumbled in his heart as he looked at the bright-eyed little Uchiha in front of him. After a moment's pause, he forced himself to perk up, adjusting his facial muscles until he looked somewhat excited—like he was just a bit slow to react.
"Uh… hahaha, well when you put it that way, that really is something worth celebrating, Sasuke!"
"Hehe, of course it is!" Seeing Naruto finally realize how amazing the Fourth Hokage was, Sasuke's little face beamed with even more pride. He gave up his long-winded explanation and put his hands on his hips smugly. "Told you! The Fourth Hokage is so awesome, there's no way you wouldn't be jealous that I get to be his grand-disciple~!"
Still caught in his fanboying daze, Sasuke had clearly forgotten that he was only getting the chance to learn Chidori because Naruto had asked Kakashi on his behalf.
Knowing about the existence of Raikiri—something most people had never even heard of—and being acknowledged by the Fourth Hokage's personal disciple… such abnormal behavior, if heard by someone like Itachi, would immediately raise doubts about Naruto's seemingly ordinary orphan identity.
'Heads up, Naruto. He's coming.'
"But don't get too excited just yet, Sasuke. I never said we're going right now." Naruto smiled helplessly at the sight of Sasuke's eager face. He was just about to suggest speaking with the Third Hokage about letting Sasuke meet Kakashi early when he was suddenly interrupted by Kurama's internal warning. He changed course mid-sentence.
"Huh? Why not? Why not?!" Sasuke mistook Naruto's sudden refusal as him backing out. His excitement immediately deflated like a punctured balloon. He pouted, tugging at Naruto's sleeve and pleaded in a soft voice, "But you promised, Naruto! You can't go back on your word… Please take me! Pretty please? You're the best, Naruto~"
"Okay okay okay—stop!" Naruto was helpless against Sasuke's begging. He quickly cut him off before he gave in and nodded. After a pause, he shook his head and said seriously, "Sasuke, you know how higher-level jutsu have stricter requirements on the user, right?"
"Um… yeah? But what does that have to do with me not being able to see Kakashi-sensei now?"
"It has everything to do with it!" Naruto said while subtly shifting his position, causing Sasuke to unconsciously turn with him—thus turning their backs to the person approaching. This was to prevent the figure from recognizing Sasuke's face.
"Chidori is classified as an A-rank jutsu. To learn it, your body needs to be able to withstand the stress it puts on you. Not only does it grant you an extremely sharp piercing force when used, but it also stimulates your cells with lightning chakra to increase your speed and amplify your attacks. In other words, your body needs to be tough enough to handle the toll, and you also need keen eyes and fast reflexes to match the speed during activation!"
Of course, Naruto intentionally left out two things…
Although Chidori did require strong physical conditioning, Sasuke had already met that standard through consistent taijutsu training. Even accounting for his age, Naruto estimated Sasuke could probably handle using Chidori once a day.
As for reflexes…
Even a young Kakashi had mastered Chidori with just a single Sharingan. As the young heir of the Uchiha Clan, once Sasuke awakened his Sharingan, he wouldn't have to worry about reaction time at all.
"Huh? Is… is that so…?" Naruto's confident tone left Sasuke wide-eyed and confused. But since he had always trusted Naruto when it came to training, he believed most of it without questioning. After frowning in thought, he asked urgently, "Then what should I do, Naruto? When can I start learning Chidori?"
"Hmm… from what I can see, you're not far off. As long as you meet the physical training goals I've set for you these next few days, you should be ready to start." Naruto watched as Sasuke finally relaxed, quietly noting how easy it was to trick kids—though the guilt still lingered in his chest. He reached out and flicked Sasuke's nose with a smile.
"Oh right, one more thing… I'll be away for a bit. I've got something important to take care of. But Itachi-san is home on leave, so for now, you'll train with your brother, okay?"
"Huh? You're leaving? That thing… is it really important?"
For the first time, Sasuke didn't look happy about being told to train with his big brother. A sudden, inexplicable fear welled up in his chest, and his small hand clutched tighter at Naruto's sleeve.
"Can't… can't you not go?"
"Yeah… you could say that. It's really important to me. I have to go."
Seeing Sasuke looking so worried, even though he didn't know the truth, only made Naruto more determined. He forced his smile to stay and reached out to gently ruffle Sasuke's hair.
"Don't worry. It won't be dangerous… Once I'm done, I'll be back to train with you."
"…Fine. But you better come back soon!"
Sasuke knew Naruto wouldn't change his mind once he was set on something. He reluctantly let go of his sleeve, turned his head away, and mumbled under his breath, "D-Don't get the wrong idea! I… I don't want you back because I'll miss you or anything. I just… I just wanna become the Fourth Hokage's grand-disciple sooner!"
"…Yeah, I got it."
Naruto smiled warmly, seeing right through the little guy's tsundere act. He took a deep breath, calming the unease growing in his own heart, and reached out his pinky.
"I promise… I'll come back."
"Hey, Naruto… you really think that was okay to say?"
Kurama let out a low snort from where he lay lazily inside the seal. "That Uchiha brat isn't stupid. Even if he's young… acting this out of character, he'll guess something's dangerous about what you're about to do. This isn't like you."
'You can't hide fire with paper forever, Kurama… Rather than lying and letting him carry the weight alone later, it's better to give him at least a little heads-up. That way, no one can twist the truth and use him in the future.'
Naruto let his smile fade as he cracked his neck and stretched his limbs. 'Besides… it's a lesson paid in blood. Someone already died to teach it. And I wasn't really lying either. We will come back alive, right?'
"Hmph. You're the one who came up with this crazy plan, kid. What now? You chickening out at the last second?"
Kurama scoffed at Naruto's uncertainty, but at the same time, his chakra quietly flowed through Naruto's body, absorbing the negativity building in his heart.
'You know what kind of person I am, Kurama… I'm about to face Danzo Shimura head-on for the first time—an old snake who devours people and spits out their bones. And worse, this whole operation is way beyond what I can control or predict. Of course I'm scared.'
Naruto could feel Kurama's tsundere concern clearly through their bond. His gaze softened as he placed a hand over the seal on his stomach.
'But with you here… I feel a lot better. Thanks, Kurama.'
"Tch. Don't get full of yourself! I just don't want to die alongside a dumb brat like you for no reason!"
Even though Naruto wasn't physically in the seal space and couldn't see him, Kurama still turned his head awkwardly, then muttered like it was nothing:
"Oi, kid… focus up. That guy's less than a hundred meters from you now."
"Yeah… I'm ready, Kurama."
Kurama's gruff encouragement was like a shot of adrenaline, clearing the last shadows of fear from Naruto's heart. He pulled himself together, let his expression return to that of an innocent child, and followed Kurama's signal to spot the approaching old man in the crowd.
His lips curled up slightly as he whispered with calm determination:
"Whether it was orchestrating my parents' deaths, altering my identity, or sowing chaos in the village for his own gain… It's time to end this old bastard's ambitions—and settle the blood debts he's racked up all these years."
"Bring it on, Danzo Shimura. I'll bet my life today… and show you just how serious I am."