'Whether that theory is true or not, I have to stay cautious… If it turns out to be real, wouldn't that mean Danzo already holds a second trump card strong enough to reverse the situation?'
Naruto, who was quietly nestled in Danzo Shimura's arms pretending to be sleepy—occasionally yawning and rubbing his eyes—used this perfect visual blind spot to snuggle in deeper while secretly observing and memorizing the route leading to Root's main base.
At the same time, he mentally calculated the worst-case scenario that could arise from this historical divergence. 'Since history has clearly deviated so much already, it's not impossible for that old geezer Danzo to have already obtained that disgusting, life-saving forbidden technique…'
'If that right arm he always hides under his cloak has already undergone Orochimaru's modifications and received cells from Hashirama Senju,* then the difficulty of this operation just shot up several levels… No, better late than never. I need to confirm this with Grandpa Hiruzen and Uncle Fugaku immediately.'
Naruto, who had always believed in the principle of being prepared, didn't hesitate when a sense of unease and bad premonition crept into his heart. Despite already having used up most of the Shadow Clones he'd reserved for messaging, he decisively dispelled one clone currently training at Training Ground Three. At the same time, he transferred his memories and concerns in full to the clones stationed at the Hokage's office for communication with the Third Hokage.
"Grandpa Hiruzen, do you know where Uncle Fugaku is right now?"
The moment the clone received the original's memories, it effectively inherited all of Naruto's thoughts. As its closed eyes opened, the words burst out of its throat, turning to the Third Hokage, who had been anxiously pacing while waiting for news.
"Oh! Finally, some news—wait, Fugaku?"
The Third Hokage, who had been focusing entirely on the clone, realized immediately from its sustained presence and the message about to be delivered that Naruto was at least still alive. His furrowed brows relaxed slightly in relief. Just as he was about to ask questions, the clone's sudden words left him momentarily stunned.
"Fugaku? Right now… Hmm… Oh, right, he should be working in the Police force."
While answering instinctively, the Third Hokage's eyes wandered across Naruto's face. Though still young, it bore a maturity far beyond his years.
The confident smile usually present between his brows was gone, replaced by visible tension and concern. He asked softly, "What's wrong, Naruto? Is something serious going on?"
"Please send someone to call Uncle Fugaku right away. I have a very important theory I need to confirm with him immediately."
The urgency in Naruto's voice left no room for ceremony. He gazed hawk-like through the Hokage Office's floor-to-ceiling windows, toward the location of his true body, clenching his fists and speaking through gritted teeth.
"I need to know—right now—how many members of the Uchiha Clan who died in the wars over these past years had already awakened the Three-Tomoe Sharingan. And whether their bodies… ever came into contact with Danzo or Root."
"Three-Tomoe Sharingan? I… never really paid attention to whether Danzo had anything to do with that…"
"Go. Bring Uchiha Fugaku to my office at once."
With a wave of his hand, the Third Hokage signaled the nearby Anbu in hiding to deliver the message. Confused, he continued, "But what brought this up all of a sudden? Did something happen, Naruto?"
'Damn, I was careless… I really hope I'm just overthinking this. Otherwise, there's a fatal flaw in this entire operation—one we never even considered…'
Naruto's commitment to full preparation, even at the cost of seeming excessive, was the key reason he'd managed to keep his cover intact for the past three years.
Now that the Third Hokage had acted as requested, Naruto tried to steady his breathing, placing a hand over his pounding chest. After a short pause, he looked up to meet the Hokage's concerned gaze and said firmly:
"I suspect Danzo may have already stolen the power of the Uchiha Clan's Sharingan… especially one extremely rare and costly forbidden technique that requires the combined power of the Senju and Uchiha clans."
(T/N: Maybe he is talking about embedding so many eyes, that's why the senju is needed, but Izanagi can be used just by having the sharingan.)
"A forbidden technique that needs both Senju and Uchiha powers…"
Even with the Third Hokage's deep understanding of Sharingan secrets—thanks to the long conflict between the Senju and Uchiha clans—Naruto's words made him realize just how serious the situation might be. His eyes widened in disbelief, and his voice rose two octaves.
"You're talking about… it couldn't be…!"
The Third Hokage's reaction startled Naruto. For a moment, he was surprised that the Hokage seemed so well-informed about the secrets of the Sharingan. But then he remembered who he was and understood—this world wasn't something that could be neatly measured by canon plotlines. It was full of unknown dangers—and far more thrilling and perilous than he imagined.
"Yes, you're right, Grandpa Hiruzen. I'm talking about that ultimate illusion… the one that can rewrite any injury the caster receives, reversing life and death itself: Izanagi."
Now that the Third Hokage was already aware, Naruto spoke plainly. If someone questioned later how he knew about such top-secret information, he'd simply blame it on his parents, insisting they left him intelligence before their deaths. And if someone didn't buy that?
Well, they were welcome to go confront Minato Namikaze and Kushina Uzumaki directly~
'...Okay, maybe it's a little unfair to toss this onto Mom and Dad's shoulders for no reason…'
'But to be fair, I've already dumped so many black pots on them over the years… What's one more, right? Probably… hopefully…'