People filed into the conference room one after another—leaders responsible for every major branch of the Red Sun Society.
Yagura. Ringo Yuri. Yakushi Kabuto. Yakushi Nono. Mizuno Yukihiro. Uchiha Fugaku.
Everyone took their seats and waited for Naruto to speak.
"You all know what just happened," Naruto began calmly. "The Sand and Cloud forces that invaded Konoha were intercepted by the Red Sun Society. The internal chaos inside the village was resolved by Konoha itself."
"But here's the problem," he continued bluntly. "We mobilized nearly all our forces, invested enormous effort, and pulled off a massive operation—yet the entire ninja world believes Konoha handled everything alone. Our contribution has been completely erased."
"You're dissatisfied. Unhappy. Frustrated. I know some of you are holding resentment."
He didn't dodge the issue at all.
A few people shifted in their seats. No one spoke—but he was right.
The whole ninja world was praising Uzumaki Naruto.
Praising Konoha's terrifying strength.
Praising how Konoha swallowed two great ninja villages in one move.
And the Red Sun Society?
As if it never existed.
"Today, I'm going to explain why."
Naruto's voice steadied.
"The ultimate goal of the Red Sun Society is to unify the ninja world. To do that, we need a real foundation—a massive logistics base, territory, population, industry, and an endless supply of trained personnel."
"Red Sun Town alone isn't enough. Even with the Qinghai sub-base, it's still far from sufficient. You've all felt it—the invisible restraints limiting our growth."
Everyone nodded unconsciously.
At their current strength, the Red Sun Society could clash head-on with any one of the Five Great Villages—and even win.
But expansion beyond that?
Impossible.
They lacked legitimacy. Territory. Recognition.
The ninja world knew Konoha. Cloud. Stone. Mist. Sand.
No one knew the Red Sun Society.
No matter how strong they were, they were still an underground organization.
"You can't rule the world from the shadows forever," Naruto said flatly.
"So we need a village. A force that can stand openly in the sunlight."
"I chose Konoha."
"The strongest of the Five Great Villages."
"Control Konoha—and you control the Land of Fire. Control the Land of Fire—and the Red Sun Society gains the foundation needed to sweep the entire ninja world."
"This is our first and most critical step."
The room stirred.
Occupying Konoha.
That was an achievement worthy of legends.
Several people's eyes burned with excitement. Karin's were practically glowing—her earlier suspicions now fully confirmed.
Naruto paused.
"Before we go any further, there's something else."
"As president, I've been selfish. Reckless. I dragged all of you into an impossible dream—and you followed anyway."
"For years, you tolerated my secrecy. You sacrificed. You believed."
Naruto stood up.
And bowed.
"Thank you."
The room froze.
No one had expected this.
"As your leader, I've hidden behind a mask for far too long. I had my reasons—but it's still wrong."
"If we're going to keep moving forward together, there shouldn't be lies between us."
He placed both hands on the table.
"I'm done hiding."
Every single person leaned forward.
Even Shisui and Itachi—normally unshakable—held their breath.
Was he really about to reveal himself?
Who was the president of the Red Sun Society?
Only Karin wore a smug little smile.
"Wait," Shisui blurted out. "Karin—you know who he is?"
She lifted her chin proudly. "Pretty much."
Shisui nearly choked. "I've been guessing for years!"
Yakushi Nono couldn't take it anymore. "Then say it already—who is he?"
Kabuto, Itachi, Fugaku—everyone was watching.
Naruto sighed lightly. "Enough suspense."
With a thought, the pitch-black armor rippled like water and began to dissolve.
Orange pants appeared.
Red-trimmed robes.
A smooth chin.
And then—
His face.
For a heartbeat, the room was silent.
Then—
"…Uzumaki Naruto?"
The Fifth Hokage-to-be.
The monster genius of Konoha.
The armor fully collapsed into a wrist guard.
Naruto stood there openly, smiling.
"This can't be real!"
Shisui was the first to shout. "President—how could you be Uzumaki Naruto?!"
He looked genuinely shaken.
Back then, the man who recruited him had carried the calm authority of an adult.
But at that time—
Naruto had been five years old.
Itachi's expression cracked as well.
If he'd known the truth back then, he never would've believed it. Never would've followed.
This was absurd.
Naruto laughed. "Nothing's impossible. I hid my identity because I was too young. It's hard to convince grown adults to follow a child."
"But now, there's no need anymore."
Uchiha Fugaku suddenly slammed his palm against his thigh.
"So that's it!"
He burst into laughter.
"The president of the Red Sun Society… and the Fifth Hokage… are the same person!"
For the Uchiha clan, this was everything.
Their return. Their restoration. Their future.
With Naruto as Hokage, one word was enough to bring the Uchiha back into Konoha openly and permanently.
In an instant, years of anxiety vanished.
And the others finally understood.
The Red Sun Society didn't need to seize Konoha.
It had already merged with it.
With Uzumaki Naruto standing at the center, their cause had just leapt forward by decades.
The room buzzed with awe.
Unbelievable.
Terrifying.
And absolutely exhilarating.
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