Let's look at another side of the story. While Naruto's main body was being led by Danzo Shimura toward the Root base, Uchiha Fugaku, who had received a summons from the Third Hokage, had just rushed over to the Hokage's Office, dusty from the road.
Because of his bond with Minato Namikaze, Uchiha Fugaku had chosen to place his trust in Naruto—the son of his late friend—and try to advise and guide him.
Add to that the Third Hokage's timely visit to apologize personally, and the multiple sincere private meetings they'd had since, Fugaku had gradually come to accept the truth: that the Uchiha Clan's worsening treatment in recent years had been orchestrated from the shadows by Danzo.
With the hatred and resentment redirected toward the true culprit, the rift between the Uchiha Clan and the village had finally begun to mend.
Moreover, the Third Hokage had recently confided in Fugaku that Danzo would soon be brought to justice. So, when the Hokage summoned him now, Fugaku didn't hesitate and came immediately.
"Huff… huff… Lord Third Hokage, you called me so urgently—what's going on…?" Arriving at the tightly shut door of the Hokage's Office, Fugaku pushed it open without pausing to catch his breath.
His eyes instinctively scanned the room as he spoke. But the moment he caught sight—out of the corner of his eye—of a familiar, smiling little boy—no, several identical little boys—he froze.
Then, in utter disbelief, he blurted, "Na… Naruto?! Why are you here?! Don't tell me… You… Lord Third Hokage, what is the meaning of this? Naruto is just a child—he doesn't know anything! Why would you let him get involved in something this messy?!"
Fugaku's sudden and emotional outburst, ignoring rank and decorum, only confirmed for the Third Hokage how much he valued Naruto. Yet it also made him feel even more wronged—like an old man unfairly scolded.
The truth was, Naruto had personally exposed Danzo's lies and insisted on becoming bait at a critical point—one the Third Hokage couldn't easily refute.
And once the operation began, Naruto veered off-script, choosing to follow Danzo alone into Root's base. From start to finish, it had all been Naruto's decision.
While the Hokage had indeed been informed, Naruto's unexpected changes in plan meant that only Naruto himself knew what he truly intended. The kid was full of surprises—so much so that the Hokage had privately concluded that Naruto might just be the most unpredictable ninja in Hidden Leaf Village history… no, perhaps in the entire history of the village!
How could the Third Hokage want Naruto involved in this? If he could put personal emotion before duty, he'd rather cradle this fragile little treasure in the palm of his hand and protect him from the world, to make up for the three years of love the village had failed to give him. How could he ever bear to put him in danger?
But Naruto wasn't the kind of child to be coddled. Again and again, he made bold decisions, caring little for his own safety. This made the Hokage both proud and frustrated.
Proud—because Naruto's selfless courage was exactly like his heroic parents, who gave everything for the village. With proper guidance, Naruto could become a great successor to the Hokage title.
Frustrated—because Naruto's maturity was heartbreaking. His ability to think for himself in critical moments was valuable, yes, but it also meant he intentionally kept his true thoughts secret from even his allies—to fool the enemy, he'd fool his own. So by the time the Hokage learned the truth, it was already too late to stop him.
So when Fugaku lashed out in panic, the Hokage couldn't help but feel like a tired old man mumbling to himself: 'I'm not angry... just sad.'
"Calm down, Fugaku. Please, don't get agitated…" The Third Hokage glanced at the boy beside him, who, upon noticing the gaze, stuck out his tongue and made a playful face.
The Hokage's mouth twitched involuntarily. Bowing his head to hide his expression beneath the wide brim of the Hokage hat, he spoke calmly, "To be precise, I wasn't the one who summoned you today—it was our little strategist here… Naruto. Weren't you always curious who the real mastermind behind this operation was—the one who planned everything from the shadows, besides the Jōnin Commander Nara Shikaku?"
"…That may be so, but, Lord Hokage… 'little' strategist?" Fugaku misinterpreted the Hokage's embarrassed silence and averted gaze as anger over his own earlier rudeness.
As he spoke in a softer tone, he noticed the Hokage's choice of words, and how his glances repeatedly landed on Naruto.
A wild thought occurred to him—a nearly absurd one. His eyes widened as he locked onto Naruto again. "Lord Hokage… you can't possibly mean… this entire plan was orchestrated by Naruto?!"
Fugaku's wide-eyed disbelief eased some of the Hokage's emotional burden. He nodded slightly, using the motion to hide a twitch of his shoulders from holding back laughter.
Looking at the Hokage's silent confirmation and the innocent blink of Naruto's big eyes, Fugaku suddenly felt… lost, like a man swept up by the wind.
As head of a clan and a veteran of many battles, Fugaku considered himself unshakable. Joy or tragedy—he thought himself immune.
Yet recently, he'd wept from the joy of learning Naruto, his friend's orphaned son, was still alive. And now, thanks to that same boy's outrageous actions, he'd once again cried out in shock. Fugaku could feel cracks forming in the worldview he once thought solid.
"I'm sorry, Uncle Fugaku, for dragging you out here despite how busy you must be…" Naruto finally broke the awkward silence. "But this matter is too important. I have to verify something immediately."
He looked straight at Fugaku, voice steady and deliberate. "Uncle Fugaku, I need to know—among the Uchiha clan members who died in the last war and during the Nine-Tails'* rampage, how many had already awakened the three-tomoe Sharingan? And… did Danzo Shimura ever come into direct or indirect contact with their corpses?"
"The ones with three-tomoe Sharingan? Hmm… maybe a dozen or so." Caught off-guard by Naruto's serious tone—so reminiscent of Minato—Fugaku answered automatically. "As for whether Danzo had access to their bodies… I'm not sure. But if you really want to find out, you can ask the caretakers who manage the Uchiha Clan's graveyard. Those who awakened the three-tomoe Sharingan were elite—whether alive or dead, all contact with outsiders was meticulously recorded. If Danzo touched any of them, it'll be in those records."
Naruto had hoped for clearer proof about whether Danzo could use Izanagi, but he understood. After all, Danzo had always portrayed himself as a rigid, unpleasant, but selfless elder. As one of the top advisors in Hidden Leaf's leadership, he could easily justify retrieving Uchiha bodies by claiming it was to help recover their remains. Who would question Root, the shadowy elite force that claimed to support the village in secret?
"I see… So Uncle Fugaku, if we sent someone to check right now, how long would it take to get a definite answer?"
"Round-trip? Maybe an hour. Add in time to search the records… probably half a day." Sensing something strange, Fugaku asked, "Why do you want to know this now? Did something happen, Naruto?"
"…Yeah. Something did happen. And it's not a small thing." Since only Naruto, the Third Hokage, and Fugaku were present—and all nearby Anbu were trusted by the Hokage—Naruto explained his suspicion: that Danzo might have the ability to use Izanagi, the forbidden illusion technique.
"What?! Izanagi? That's one of the most dangerous forbidden jutsu in the Uchiha Clan, sealed away because of its extreme cost…" Fugaku was surprised Naruto even knew such a thing, but more importantly, if it was true, then verifying whether Danzo had defiled Uchiha corpses to steal their eyes became urgent.
"No wonder you were in such a rush to see me. Alright—I'll go back immediately and—"
Poof!
Before Fugaku could finish, a cloud of white smoke exploded at Naruto's feet. When it cleared—Naruto was gone.
"A Shadow Clone?!" Fugaku realized with a start. "So all those Narutos earlier… this kid—when did he even learn that?!"
His shock was giving way to numbness.
"Too late now. Let's set that matter aside for a moment… I just received intel from the main body."
As that Naruto vanished, another—sitting cross-legged with eyes shut in meditation—suddenly opened them. He stood up and turned to the two people nearby.
"I've got one good news and one bad. Which do you want first?"
"Good news and bad?" The words too late made the Third Hokage instantly alert again. If Naruto had canceled a clone mid-conversation, the information must be critical. "Tell me the good news first," he said without hesitation.
"The good news is… I found the Root base. And—believe it or not—it's very close to us."
"…Close to us?!" The Hokage was stunned. The Hokage's Office was surrounded by buildings that underwent constant inspections. If Root's base was nearby, it should've been discovered long ago!
"Where exactly is it? And what's the bad news?" the Hokage demanded.
Naruto's clone's face grew strange. He clutched his chest, breath ragged. Then, after a pause, he pointed downward and gasped:
"It's… right… beneath…"
He didn't finish.
In that instant, every Naruto clone in the office—even the one in Training Ground Three—vanished in a puff of smoke!
When Shadow Clones disappear all at once, it means only one of two things:
Either the user is forcibly ending the clones to regain chakra and be ready for battle…
Or…
The main body has suffered a devastating injury—or is on the verge of a mental breakdown—and no longer has the strength to maintain them.