"Grandpa Hokage, how did you know Sasuke invited me?"
The question caught the Third Hokage off guard. However, Naruto didn't dwell on it. Instead, he enthusiastically recounted everything he'd seen and heard inside the Uchiha clan—leaving out only the genjutsu attack.
After listening, the Third Hokage stroked his beard thoughtfully. What he heard from Naruto was a very different Uchiha clan from the one in his mind.
To Naruto, the Uchiha were no different from other villagers—cold expressions, distant attitudes, nothing more.
After pondering for a moment, the Third Hokage asked,
"Then why did you go to Sasuke's house instead of Shikamaru's or Chōji's?"
Naruto answered without hesitation,
"They didn't invite me. If they had, I wouldn't have refused. Sasuke invited me, so I went."
"I see…"
The Third Hokage fell silent for a moment, then said,
"However, if Sasuke invites you again in the future, it's better that you refuse. It wouldn't be good to keep bothering their family."
"No," Naruto replied seriously. "Sasuke's mom said I'm welcome anytime."
The Third Hokage's face darkened. His tone left no room for argument.
"From now on, you are not allowed to enter the Uchiha district. They want to use the power of the fox inside you. Their invitation was not sincere."
Naruto's eyes widened.
"Use the demon fox's power? Aren't they companions of the village?"
Then, as if remembering something important, Naruto's expression grew serious.
"Grandpa Hokage… why is there a demon fox inside me? And… who are my parents?"
The Third Hokage looked at him steadily.
"Why are you suddenly asking this?"
Naruto raised his head, his voice firm.
"Because I want to know who I am. Sasuke's parents must have known my parents—that's why they were so kind to me."
"But they wouldn't tell me. After thinking about it, only you can answer this, Grandpa Hokage."
Hearing this, the Third Hokage finally relaxed slightly—Naruto's identity hadn't been exposed.
Then his expression turned cold.
"What's the point of telling you? Your parents are dead. Knowing the truth won't bring them back, and it won't benefit you in any way right now."
Naruto watched as the Third Hokage turned to leave. He lowered his head and said quietly,
"Then when will I be allowed to know the truth? I can't live in lies forever."
The Third Hokage had already stepped outside. His voice drifted back from afar:
"When you become a ninja and can stand on your own. For now, focus on making friends and growing stronger at school."
After the Third Hokage left, the gloom on Naruto's face vanished instantly, replaced by a faint smile.
Being able to send the old man away with such an ugly expression meant he'd passed this test.
At least now, the Third Hokage wouldn't suspect him.
In their eyes, he was still just a poor kid kept in the dark—clueless and harmless.
Meanwhile, Naka Shrine was holding a gathering.
The Uchiha clan—famously "loving"—always enjoyed holding meetings. All Sharingan-awakened clansmen would gather here to vent frustrations and complain about Konoha's higher-ups.
Of course, officially speaking, such gatherings didn't exist.
The things the Uchiha said were far too dangerous. If leaked, they could easily be twisted and used against them.
But today's gathering wasn't the usual monthly meeting.
It was an emergency meeting, triggered by the ANBU activity earlier that afternoon—specifically to discuss how to deal with the village's leadership.
As clan head, Fugaku stood before the stone tablet, his expression grim as he announced the meeting's start.
A radical Uchiha immediately jumped to his feet, shouting excitedly,
"What happened today was clearly a provocation from the higher-ups! They deliberately sent the Jinchūriki into our territory to gather intelligence and deal with us!"
As soon as he finished, another Uchiha stood up.
"I can confirm this. The Jinchūriki has a restriction placed on him that reflects genjutsu. Yūtai is still unconscious because of the backlash!"
"And the moment the Jinchūriki entered our district, the Hokage appeared outside. If that's not a trap, then what is?"
"…!"
Listening to the heated accusations, Shisui and Itachi grew increasingly uncomfortable.
They knew the truth—this wasn't a trap at all. It was just two kids becoming friends. Yet it had been twisted into a calculated conspiracy against the clan.
The clan's resentment toward the higher-ups had made everyone overly sensitive.
Shisui leaned closer to Itachi and whispered,
"Itachi… I remember that Fugaku knows this was a misunderstanding. Why didn't he explain it? Why let the misunderstanding deepen?"
Itachi didn't answer. His eyes remained fixed on Fugaku.
Seeing his expression, Shisui paused, then sighed softly.
"Actually, I don't fully blame the clan head. Hokage-sama was just as sensitive—he almost thought the clan was about to unleash the Nine-Tails."
"In the end, both sides don't trust each other. That's the real problem."
"As long as we continue acting as a bridge between the village and the clan, sooner or later, both sides will drop their prejudice."
Itachi still said nothing.
Seeing this, Shisui could only sigh helplessly.
After the Uchiha finished venting their frustrations, the meeting gradually came to an end. Opposing the higher-ups was more of a slogan than a real plan.
After all, everyone still had to wake up early tomorrow to work in the Security Force.
When the gathering ended, Fugaku glanced toward Shisui and Itachi in the corner, then summoned a few trusted confidants into the inner chamber of the shrine.
Truly important decisions only required a few people.
Shisui and Itachi noticed but didn't follow. Instead, they left Naka Shrine together and walked until they reached a secluded cliff.
This area wasn't protected by any barrier—they could speak freely.
Listening to the wind rustling through the trees, Itachi finally spoke.
"Father hasn't given up on the coup."
"He's secretly stockpiling explosive tags… and today he even used the Jinchūriki to stir up resentment."
"This time, they're definitely discussing the coup behind closed doors. Why can't they understand the village?"
Shisui placed a hand on Itachi's shoulder and said gently,
"If Fugaku truly intends to launch a coup, I'll stop it before it happens."
Itachi looked at him in surprise.
"How?"
Shisui pointed to his own eyes.
"With these."
"As long as I can change Fugaku's thinking and make him abandon the idea of rebellion, peace will return to both the village and the clan."
He hesitated for a moment, then added softly,
"But he is your father… I don't want to use this power unless it's absolutely necessary."
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