Jun Inogami was a spy planted in Konoha by the Hidden Stone. For years, he had quietly passed whatever scraps of information he could gather back to his village. Most of the time, they were trivial things troop movements, mission details, the occasional classified scroll but today he stumbled upon a revelation so earth-shattering that it nearly froze his blood.
The Fourth Hokage, long thought dead and without heir, had left behind a son.
And not just any child. The so-called "demon fox" that the villagers of Konoha had despised for years… was in truth the son of Minato Namikaze, the very man who had once brought Iwagakure to its knees.
For a moment, Jun found it absurd, even laughable. But the news came directly from the Hokage's office, echoed by whispers spreading like wildfire throughout the village. There was no reason to doubt it.
"Has Hiruzen lost his mind? Or has he finally grown senile?" Jun muttered under his breath, eyes narrowing with glee. "Whatever the case, this is the opportunity I've been waiting for."
His father had died at the Fourth Hokage's hands during the Third Great Ninja War. That wound had never healed. For years, he dreamed of revenge, and now fate had presented him with a chance. If he could not kill Minato himself, then he would slaughter his son.
Even if he were exposed, even if he were cut down the moment after, it would not matter. To kill the Fourth Hokage's heir would elevate him to the status of a hero in Iwagakure. His name would be carved into history.
A crooked smile twisted across his face. "A boy who just graduated from the Academy… and I am a seasoned Chūnin. This will be child's play."
Jun launched himself from the shadows, kunai gleaming under the morning sun, aimed directly at Naruto's throat.
But in that heartbeat, his world shattered.
Naruto only tilted his head slightly, reacting slower than the blade could descend. Yet before the kunai touched skin, Jun's chest exploded with pain. His body was sent flying backward, coughing blood midair, as though struck by an invisible hammer.
Standing calmly in front of Naruto was Hinata Hyuga, her pale eyes glowing cold and merciless.
Her hand was still outstretched, the chakra of the Gentle Fist flowing back into her fingertips. That single strike had invaded Jun's body, rupturing his chakra network and crippling him from the inside out.
"You dare… try to harm Naruto…" Hinata whispered, her soft voice carrying a chilling finality. The usual warmth in her tone was gone, replaced with something sharp and protective, like a blade drawn from its sheath.
Naruto glanced at the broken spy, then exhaled softly. So it had begun. The moment his parentage was revealed, predators would inevitably crawl from the dark to test their luck. He finally understood why the Third Hokage had hidden his identity all these years.
If this attack had happened when he was a helpless child, he would have been trapped in fear, forced to hide behind bodyguards, living as nothing more than a caged bird.
Compared to that, the freedom he had enjoyed the ability to train in the open, to run through the streets, to dream without shackles was a gift, even if it came with scornful stares and whispered insults.
He smiled faintly. Let the assassins come. He wasn't the same lonely child anymore.
"Let's go," Naruto said, turning away.
Sasuke and Hinata followed at his side without hesitation. Behind them, ANBU operatives appeared, seizing the crippled spy and dragging him off for interrogation. Spies had their own grim methods of being dealt with.
That very night, another Chūnin attempted to steal the Scroll of Seals. He never made it out of the compound ANBU cut him down before he could even breathe fresh air.
The tension in the village was rising.
The Day of Team Assignments
When Naruto entered the classroom the next morning, the atmosphere felt entirely different.
Dozens of eyes landed on him at once, heavy with confusion, guilt, and even envy. Everyone had heard the news: Naruto Uzumaki was the son of the Fourth Hokage.
His classmates, who once whispered behind his back, now found themselves filled with regret. How could they have spent years mocking the very son of their greatest hero?
Naruto, however, didn't spare them so much as a glance. He strolled forward with his usual easy stride and sat beside Hinata. Sasuke was already leaning against his desk, arms crossed.
At the front, Iruka walked in. His gaze lingered on Naruto for a moment, conflicted.
He remembered the days when he too had looked at the boy with resentment. But over time, he'd come to understand the truth: Naruto was Naruto. The Nine-Tails was something else entirely.
The boy's stubborn determination, his relentless effort to rise above ridicule Iruka had seen it all with his own eyes. Slowly, his heart had changed, and so had Naruto's respect for him. Teacher and student had forged a quiet bond.
Yet never, not even in his wildest thoughts, had Iruka imagined this boy was Minato's son.
"Alright, everyone," Iruka clapped his hands, pulling the class back to order. "Today is the day of team assignments. Once you're placed into your squads, your jōnin instructor will come to pick you up. Until then, stay here and wait patiently."
He began to read the list.
"Team 7: Naruto Uzumaki, Sasuke Uchiha, Hinata Hyuga."
"Team 8: Kiba Inuzuka, Sakura Haruno, Shino Aburame."
"Team 10: Shikamaru Nara, Ino Yamanaka, Choji Akimichi."
The announcements stirred ripples of murmurs. Some students were excited, others disappointed. Girls especially groaned in dismay at not being paired with Sasuke. A pink-haired girl in the second row looked positively stricken, her eyes glued to Sasuke with an intensity that bordered on obsession.
Iruka offered a few final words of encouragement, though it was clear his throat was tight with emotion. Six years he had guided this class. Now they were genin, ready to leave his side. It was harder to let go than he had expected.
As he departed, the room quickly filled with chatter.
"Man, I wonder who our instructor's gonna be," Shikamaru yawned, stretching lazily across his desk.
"I can't believe I'm not with Sasuke!" several girls whispered furiously.
Naruto tilted his head curiously toward Shikamaru, Choji, and Ino. "Wouldn't it make sense if one of your fathers trained you three? You're always called the Ino–Shika–Cho trio, right?"
"Not a chance," Choji muttered between bites of chips. "They're too busy with higher-level missions."
"Figures." Naruto leaned back with a grin. Deep down, he suspected who his own team's jōnin would be. Kakashi had already been a guiding figure in their training since childhood. Who better to continue the role officially?
One by one, other jōnin entered the classroom, collecting their new squads. Each time, they cast subtle glances toward Naruto before departing. The son of the Fourth Hokage was no ordinary genin.
Eventually, nearly all the students were gone. Only Naruto, Sasuke, and Hinata remained.
"Well, that settles it," Naruto said, propping his chin on his hand. "If no one else is coming, then it's gotta be Kakashi-sensei."
Sasuke gave a quiet nod. Hinata agreed softly.
Moments later, the door slid open.
A tall man with silver hair, his face hidden behind a mask, stepped inside. One hand lifted casually in greeting, his visible eye curving in amusement.
"Yo," Kakashi said cheerfully.
The response he received was three sharp cracks, accompanied by puffs of dissipating smoke. Naruto, Sasuke, and Hinata's shadow clones vanished in unison.
Kakashi froze mid-wave, his face stiffening. "…Shadow clones, even here? What troublesome kids."
His hand absently ruffled his own hair as he sighed. "How utterly un-cute."
With a shake of his head, he turned and left the Academy. He already knew exactly where they would be.
The training grounds. Always the training grounds.
Those three children never stopped pushing themselves, their talents matched only by their drive. For the first time in years, Kakashi felt a quiet thrill stir in his chest. Perhaps, just perhaps, these three would one day become the very pillars that upheld Konoha.
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