When Uzumaki Naruto stepped out of the Hokage Tower, the sun was already high in the sky—it was nearly noon.
After confirming that Naruto still had not grasped even the basics of the Shadow Clone Jutsu after two full months, the Sarutobi Hiruzen finally felt at ease. He even took the opportunity to carefully inspect the Five Elements Seal on Naruto's body once more.
After repeatedly praising Naruto's "diligence" and "eagerness to learn," Hiruzen personally escorted him all the way to the front entrance.
"Naruto," Kurama scoffed once they had walked a fair distance away,
"when that old man was praising you just now, his expression was exactly the same as when he tricked those fools from the Senju Clan into becoming experimental subjects."
"He's truly impressive," Kurama continued.
"Even while clearly wary of you, he still manages to act as though he's overflowing with warmth and concern."
Naruto hummed softly.
"That's perfectly normal," he replied.
"He is the Hokage, after all."
"As a ruler, he understands something very well—if you want long-lasting loyalty, it's better to be loved than feared."
The streets grew increasingly crowded. After weaving through a few alleys, Naruto arrived at a quiet stone pavilion.
He sat down on one of the benches and began pondering two matters.
First—
for reasons unknown, the Third Hokage had apparently decided to stop assigning Gekkō Hayate to tail him. Naruto was certain he was no longer being followed.
Second—
he was mentally reviewing everything he knew of the original timeline, searching for a way to obtain Uchiha Shisui's body—or at least some personal remains—before it disappeared completely.
Truth be told, Shisui himself was deeply flawed.
Just a few words from the Third Hokage had been enough to convince him to surrender the secret of Kotoamatsukami, the most terrifying mind-control genjutsu in existence.
Any ruler would fear such a power.
Who could guarantee it wouldn't one day be used to manipulate Konoha's highest authorities?
And yet Shisui—an Uchiha who had awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan—possessed the heart of a saint.
That made him far more dangerous.
Worse still, he genuinely believed in the Will of Fire that Hiruzen endlessly preached.
Looks like I'll need to scout the Naka River in advance, Naruto thought.
Otherwise…
"Naruto," a voice echoed from within the seal.
"Are you still thinking about the Sharingan?"
It was Namikaze Minato.
"Oh?" Naruto narrowed his eyes slightly as he shifted his consciousness inward.
"What makes you say that, Father?"
Minato's expression was grave.
"I can tell. And after spending so much time with you, I've realized something—most of the questions you ask are never random. They're always purposeful."
Naruto did not deny it.
"Father," he asked instead,
"I showed you Uchiha Itachi's memories before. Based on that… what do you think will happen to the Uchiha clan?"
Minato froze.
Previously, Naruto had shared fragments of Itachi's memories with him. From those, Minato had learned that tension between the village and the Uchiha was steadily escalating.
But Naruto's tone now—
It sounded as though the Uchiha were heading toward an inevitable, tragic end.
"Father," Naruto continued calmly,
"Konoha was founded by the Senju and the Uchiha."
"You already know how the Senju disappeared."
"Now…"
"…it's the Uchiha's turn."
"Naruto," Minato said slowly,
"did you discover something?"
"There's nothing to 'discover,'" Naruto replied flatly.
"Just think logically."
"Starting with Tobirama Senju, the village exploited the Uchiha's craving for recognition and power, pushing them into the most hated position in Konoha—the Konoha Police Force."
"That ensured the villagers would resent them."
"Cunning," Naruto said quietly.
"But extremely effective."
"And don't forget—when the Nine-Tails rampaged years ago, countless people witnessed it being controlled by a Sharingan."
"That suspicion never faded."
"In response, the village leadership forced the Uchiha to relocate to the outskirts, far from the center of power."
"The resentment only deepened."
Naruto looked directly at Minato.
"You were Hokage once."
"With tensions escalating like this… what do you think happens next?"
Minato's eyes widened.
"Don't tell me…"
"…the Uchiha clan is going to—"
"Ugh—why is this cursed brat here again?!"
"Last night's chaos must've had something to do with him."
"Filthy monster—he brings nothing but disaster!"
A group of villagers entered the pavilion area, their voices loud and venomous the moment they spotted Naruto.
Minato's sentence was cut short.
"Sigh… Naruto," Minato said quietly,
"let's just go home."
Naruto stood up slowly.
"Why sigh, Father?" he asked calmly.
"When people praise me, I don't believe it. When they curse me, I listen."
"And to be fair," he added,
"they're not wrong. I was involved in what happened last night."
Naruto swept his gaze across the crowd.
The pavilion fell silent instantly.
Only then did he step forward and leave.
Just beyond the gathering, a young girl suddenly noticed him.
Her pale eyes lit up with curiosity.
Tilting her head, she asked the adult beside her,
"Who's that boy?"
The adult stiffened.
"Lady Hinata Hyuga, please don't get involved with him."
"Why not?"
The man didn't answer.
Instead, he glanced solemnly toward the Hokage Monument in the distance.
"It's time for your training," he said quietly.
"Let's go."
That night, Naruto—cloaked in black—stood beside the Naka River.
Before leaving home, he had noticed the Third Hokage, along with several others, secretly heading toward a barrier-protected office building.
Using a Shadow Clone as a decoy, Naruto slipped away to make preparations here.
Seven waterfalls dotted this stretch of river.
He had no choice but to place Flying Thunder God markers beneath the rocks of each one.
He couldn't approach Shisui directly.
This was the only viable option.
Troublesome—but necessary.
"Naruto," Minato asked tensely,
"why are you placing markers inside Uchiha territory?"
Earlier, Naruto had marked locations inside the Hokage Tower.
Now here as well.
It felt… ominous.
"Father," Naruto replied evenly,
"if you had to jump off a cliff to end your life…"
"…which one of these would you choose?"
Minato nearly choked.
"What?! Are you saying someone's going to commit suicide here?!"
"So you're placing these seals to save them?!"
Naruto glanced at him flatly.
"Father," he said dryly,
"could you stop being humorous at a time like this?"
"Uh…"
Minato fell silent.
"Then why place so many Flying Thunder God markers?" he asked at last.
Standing at the cliff's edge, Naruto surveyed the markers one final time. His gaze fixed on one particular waterfall.
"To retrieve a corpse," he answered calmly.
"What?!" Minato's tone turned grave instantly.
"Whose body? Why do you even need a corpse?!"
"You'll know soon enough," Naruto replied.
"This is the Naka River… the Uchiha's land," Minato said slowly.
"Don't tell me it's going to be—"
"I can't answer that, Father," Naruto interrupted.
"Even if you knew, it wouldn't change anything."
Naruto lifted his head.
The night sky was filled with countless stars.
The world was eerily silent.
Yet unseen gears had already begun to turn—
—and fate was already in motion.
(End of Chapter)
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