Naruto! You naturally evil Uzumaki brat!
I will personally...
Amidst Nine-Tailed's furious roar, Naruto directly exited the Sealed Space, opening his eyes to see the ceiling of Konoha Hospital.
He looked at the sky outside again; it was bright and sunny. Although he had fought Nine-Tailed in the Sealed Space, the flow of time between them was different. He had only been unconscious for an hour or two.
Perhaps because of his increased strength, he felt a surge of exhilaration and wasn't ashamed of his retreat during the battle.
It was a joke; Nine-Tailed was about to release its third Tailed Beast Ball. That guy was treating a ultimate move like a normal attack, but Uzumaki Naruto couldn't do that. Even if Bishamonten could absorb Chakra, it still consumed ocular power. That one Tailed Beast Ball was probably equivalent to hundreds of Kakashi's.
However, what Naruto didn't expect was that his Mangekyo Sharingan's ocular power could also recover. Was it due to the special physique of the Vortex Clan, or the influence of Nine-Tailed Beast Chakra?
Although he didn't know the reason, not having to worry about going blind was already very good.
He also wondered if absorbing Sharingan could increase his ocular power, and if absorbing a Mangekyo Sharingan would directly transform it into an Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan.
Naruto suddenly wanted to find an Uchiha with an activated Sharingan to test it, but he quickly reined in his thoughts.
He was almost six years old, just in time to enroll in the Ninja Academy. It seemed the Uchiha clan massacre was also approaching, and he could get a piece of the pie then.
He wondered if he could find an opportunity to absorb a pair of Mangekyo Sharingan. If it truly could become an Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan, then he could use ocular Ninjutsu freely without worrying about consuming ocular power.
But in the current situation, he first needed to find someone to test the effect of his ocular Ninjutsu on.
'Who should I find first?'
Naruto stared at the ceiling, lost in thought. After all, there were too many people who had annoyed him over the years. He needed to think before Hiruzen Sarutobi arrived.
As soon as he came out of the Sealed Space, he sensed through Nine-Tailed's malice two malicious presences suddenly disappear. Presumably, one went to inform Hiruzen Sarutobi, and the other to inform Danzo Shimura.
However, he no longer needed to curry favor with Hiruzen Sarutobi and those old geezers like before. Previously, it was because he was too weak, so he had to endure. Now that he already had a Mangekyo Sharingan, he possessed a certain ability to overturn the table. If he still acted like before, wouldn't his Mangekyo Sharingan have been opened for nothing?
Naruto was still thinking, like a college student contemplating what to eat for lunch. If he chose one, he would regret not being able to eat the other. If he chose the other, he would feel the first one was better, full of indecision.
"Knock knock knock!"
At this moment, a knock on the door suddenly sounded. Before Naruto could respond, the door was directly opened, and then Hiruzen Sarutobi, wearing a Hokage hat, walked directly in, still with a benevolent smile on his face.
'You didn't need to knock on that door.' Uzumaki Naruto couldn't help but inwardly complain.
"Little Naruto, how is your body recovering?"
Naruto smiled and said, "Much better, Third Hokage."
"!"
Naruto's sudden change in address made Hiruzen Sarutobi's heart skip a beat. Although his expression remained benevolent, Naruto could already feel the sudden increase in malice from him.
"Little Naruto, why aren't you calling me Grandpa Third anymore? Are you still feeling upset?"
'You old geezer, I'm giving you face by calling you Third Hokage now. If I didn't give you face, I'd tell you to go straight to your grave.'
Naruto wanted to say that, but he didn't. He was still planning to extract a few more eyeballs in Konoha. However, it seemed the Sarutobi Clan members were quite strong, and their physical energy seemed abundant. Absorbing them should greatly improve his physical constitution as well.
Hiruzen Sarutobi couldn't read minds and didn't have Nine-Tailed's malice perception, so he looked at Naruto's blank expression and thought he had suffered a great blow.
"Little Naruto, this matter is not your fault. Many people in the Village misunderstand you."
"Third Hokage, I really am the demon fox, aren't I?" Naruto lowered his head, trying to feign a lost expression.
Why did acting suddenly feel so much harder?
Hiruzen Sarutobi's gaze slightly narrowed, and he said in a deep voice, "Naruto, this is not your fault."
"But I really did turn into the demon fox just now."
Hiruzen Sarutobi fell silent. After a brief thought, he let out a long sigh and said in a slightly hoarse voice, "Naruto, Grandpa will tell you a story."
"A story?" Naruto curiously raised his head, thinking what method this old geezer would use to manipulate him now.
Hiruzen Sarutobi's face suddenly showed an expression of reminiscing about the past, a mixture of sorrow and lament.
"This goes back to the Fourth Hokage. The Fourth Hokage was a very sunny, gentle child. Although he was shy, he also had a serious and cautious side when dealing with enemies. Even when he was in the Ninja Academy, I had a very high opinion of him..."
"..."
"Finally, during the Nine-Tailed Beast incident five years ago, the Fourth Hokage sacrificed his life to seal Nine-Tailed and save the Village, earning him the title of the hero who protected Konoha."
Hiruzen Sarutobi rattled on and on, spending the entire time talking about what an excellent Ninja Minato Namikaze was, what a great Hokage he was, and what a hero who protected the entire Village he was.
Naruto couldn't help but ponder all the hardships he had faced over the years. Minato Namikaze, what exactly did you protect?
His wife died, he died, his son became a pariah, and all his inheritance was confiscated. He left nothing behind.
The villagers of Konoha never bullied Naruto because they believed he was the demon fox; they never truly believed Naruto was the demon fox. They simply needed an outlet for their emotions. After the Nine-Tailed Beast incident, the damage to Konoha was immeasurable, and someone had to be held responsible. But the Fourth Hokage was dead, and the Konoha higher-ups cared about their own reputations, so Naruto naturally became the target of the Village's hatred.
When they saw that Naruto truly was the demon fox, apart from fear, there was nothing else in their hearts.
"Naruto."
Hiruzen Sarutobi suddenly called out Naruto's name, bringing the still-thinking Naruto back to reality. He looked at the suddenly serious Hiruzen Sarutobi with a puzzled expression.
"Although it was the Fourth Hokage who sealed Nine-Tailed, you also carry the hope of the entire Village. If you hadn't become the vessel for Nine-Tailed's seal, Konoha would not have the peace it enjoys today."
"Naruto, although I am the Third Hokage now, you are the true hero."
"?"
When I type this question mark, it's not that I have a problem, but that I think you have a problem.
Hiruzen Sarutobi's manipulation skills were indeed not simple; he almost made him feel a surge of passion. He truly lived up to his reputation as the Ninjutsu Doctor who invented the strongest genjutsu—the fire will.
Naruto immediately teared up and shouted, "Third Hokage, I am Konoha's hero! I will definitely make everyone 'recognize' me!"
"I will make everyone in the Village become the motivation for me to grow stronger!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded with satisfaction. Although Naruto still hadn't reverted to his previous address, at least this fire will had not diminished; it was still fervent.
"Since you want to gain everyone's recognition, then first you need to become a Ninja. Once you graduate from the Ninja Academy, you can become a true Ninja."
"I will work hard, Third Hokage."
Naruto stared intently at Hiruzen Sarutobi, his eyes filled with longing.