Chapter no.96 Back to Konoha (Patreon)

[ Name: Naruto Uzumaki ]

[ Level: 53 → 54 ]
[ Souls: 2,129 ]
[ Required Souls: 16,820 → 82,135 ]

[ Attributes ]
[ Vitality: 12 → 30 ]
[ Attunement: 12 ]
[ Endurance: 11 → 40 ]
[ Strength: 30 ]
[ Dexterity: 20 ]
[ Resistance: 12 → 20 ]
[ Intelligence: 20 ]
[ Faith: 25 ]
[ Humanity: 1 ]

[ Stats ]
[ HP: 616 → 1100 ]
[ Stamina: 93 → 160 ]
[ Equip Load: 51.0 → 80.0 ]
[ Poise: 46 ]
[ Bleed Resist: 98 → 160 ]
[ Poison Resist: 79 → 109 ]
[ Curse Resist: 30 → 50 ]
[ Item Discovery: 100 → 158 ]
[ Attunement Slots: 2 ]

[ Defenses ]
[ Physical DEF: 217 → 268 ]
[ VS Strike: 213 → 264 ]
[ VS Slash: 238 → 268 ]
[ VS Thrust: 217 → 268 ]
[ Magic DEF: 165 → 200 ]
[ Flame DEF: 146 → 201 ]
[ Lightning DEF: 139 → 189 ]

Naruto exhaled slowly, the ocean breeze slipping through the tent flaps and fluttering against his bare chest. The low, steady crash of waves just beyond the dunes filled the air like distant breathing. He stared at the glowing stat window hovering in the space before him.

Raising one hand, Naruto gathered chakra and began forming the Rasengan.

It felt heavy.

Far heavier than he remembered.

The chakra spun, but not neatly. It throbbed in his palm, sluggish and overflowing, like a whirlpool inside a balloon too small to hold it. His fingers trembled. He clenched his other hand around it to keep it from unraveling, but even then, he felt the jutsu buck against his grip like a wild animal.

The hum of the sphere pulsed louder, straining the silence.

Naruto's breathing slowed. Sweat beaded at his temple.

His control wasn't enough.

Not anymore.

A small chirp cut through the air like a pin popping a balloon.

Naruto looked up.

Oscar had woken up and was blinking at him sleepily from his bedroll, nestled in a heap of bundled blankets near the corner of the tent. The crystal lizard tilted his head slowly, watching the unstable Rasengan spin with blinking eyes.

Naruto winced and quickly dispelled it. The chakra vanished with a loud snap, leaving the air warm and sharp with residual energy.

"Sorry," he said sheepishly. "Didn't mean to wake you up."

Oscar made a grumpy sound and yawned, curling his tail around himself.

Naruto scratched the back of his neck. "Guess I'm not used to the new chakra load yet."

He glanced back at the glowing stat panel.

...Because apparently, unlocking the Uzumaki clan rune gives you a mountain of stat buffs.

Oscar climbed up and plopped himself against Naruto's stomach, claws clicking lightly on his skin. He looked up at the glowing screen with vague interest.

Naruto pointed. "Look at this. Vitality? Doubled. Endurance and Resistance? Through the roof."

He fake-sobbed dramatically. "So this is what it's like to have a healthy gene pool. No wonder everyone's afraid of us."

Oscar snorted and curled up tighter.

"The Uzumaki were known for having huge chakra reserves and absurd life force," Naruto continued, letting his head fall back. "I guess that translates to stats like Vitality, Endurance, and Resistance. But did it have to make it so that I needed so many souls to level up again?"

Naruto let out fake tears as he wasn't going to level up any time soon.

Oscar didn't reply. He just slowly crawled up Naruto's chest and plopped himself down like a cat, nestling beneath his chin.

Naruto chuckled and scratched under the lizard's jaw. "So hey... why exactly did Granny Mito say you needed warm baths every day?"

Oscar blinked innocently and shrugged with the kind of blank-faced charm only he could pull off.

"Figures." Naruto huffed. "She left a prophecy and a bath schedule."

He let the conversation trail off as the waves outside grew louder for a moment, crashing against the nearby shore. The scent of salt and firewood drifted in through the open flap.

Naruto glanced at his Grass Crest Shield, propped against a crate, and caught sight of his reflection in the polished inner surface.

"I look good in red," he muttered.

Oscar's response was to gently nip at a long lock of it and yank.

"Alright, alright!" Naruto laughed. "Chill, little guy."

He stood slowly, stretching as the stat window faded from view, its light replaced by the gentle orange of firelight filtering from the camp outside.

Oscar climbed back onto his shoulder, tail curling around his neck like a scarf.

Then Oscar glanced back at Naruto's bedroll.

Naruto followed his gaze and froze.

Mushrooms.

Tiny red-capped mushrooms had sprouted all around where he'd slept, forming a perfect ring in the sand just beneath the mat. Faint red spores shimmered in the sunlight, and the air above them seemed thicker, as if heavy with leftover chakra.

Naruto blinked.

"...Did I do that?"

He stepped closer and crouched. The mushrooms didn't seem harmful—just... normal.

Oscar tilted his head.

Naruto didn't touch them. He just stared. His chakra must have leaked out during the night. Maybe the ritual had altered his chakra more than he realized.

[ Item: Unknown Redcap Bloom ]
[ Description: Crimson-capped, ivory-stalked mushroom.

Effect unknown.

Grown due to dense chakra seeping into the ground. Why do mushrooms form? Unknown. Perhaps it is an indication of a symbiotic relationship between Archtrees and Mushrooms. ]

Naruto blinked and sighed.

Of course his system wasn't going to give him a straight answer. But at least he knew the mushrooms were growing because of his chakra. He turned the small crimson cap over in his hand one last time, then tossed it back onto the sand. The mushroom bounced once, landed upright, and sat there innocently like it hadn't just sprouted from the ground moments ago.

"I need to fix my chakra control," he muttered, more to himself than to Oscar. "That Rasengan felt like trying to wrangle a waterfall through a straw. And I don't doubt all my other jutsu are gonna need some serious tuning."

Oscar chirped in agreement and nudged his cheek with his snout.

"Yeah, yeah," Naruto sighed, brushing sand off his legs. "But first... food."

He tugged on his gambeson, strapped his gear in place, and gently tucked Oscar around his shoulders.

They stepped out of the tent.

Behind them, back in the tent, the mushroom twitched. Then... sprouted thin, spindly legs. With a quiet pop, it stood upright and ran skittering off into the dunes.

Neither Naruto nor Oscar noticed.

They were too focused on the campfire ahead.

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Team 7 and Jiraiya were seated in a loose semicircle around the flames, quietly watching him approach. Nobody said anything. But Naruto could feel the thousand questions burning in their eyes.

He sat down cross-legged in the sand like it was nothing.

"Alright," Naruto said plainly. "Let's not beat around the bush. You've all got questions. So let's go through them now because I'm starving."

As if on cue, his stomach growled.

Sakura giggled behind her hand. Sasuke hummed in that vaguely smug, figures kind of way. Kakashi nodded like he was preparing to take mental notes. And Jiraiya... just blinked slowly, clearly not sure where to even begin.

Naruto reached for a skewer of roasted fish and took a huge bite. He didn't bother trying to look mysterious.

Sasuke's eyes lingered on Naruto's red hair, his expression unreadable. "What exactly happened?"

Naruto paused, letting the crackle of the fire fill the silence for a beat.

"You know how the Uchiha clan has that rite of passage?" he said. "The one where you prove yourself by mastering the Fireball Jutsu?"

Sasuke nodded once.

"Well... I did something similar," Naruto said. "The Uzumaki Clan's Rite of Passage."

"What did you do?"

Naruto exhaled slowly, then answered with surprising calm. "I had to seal the special chakra of the Uzumaki Clan into myself. That chakra awakened my personal trait which is like something unique to my lineage and enhanced my body's core stats."

He said it like he was describing lunch.

Jiraiya's jaw visibly dropped.

Team 7?

They just nodded like Naruto casually gaining a legacy power was a Tuesday.

Sakura leaned forward, eyes curious. "How did you even find out about this?"

Naruto rubbed the back of his neck. "Remember that genjutsu graveyard Kakashi-sensei brought us to? Where we saw those names?"

Everyone nodded.

"Well... Gran-Gran-Gran Mito left behind some of her chakra there. A guide. Something to help a young Uzumaki reconnect with their clan's legacy if they ever found it."

He looked down, voice quieter. "I guess she was waiting for me."

There was a soft hush around the fire. The sea whispered beyond the dunes, but nobody spoke.

Finally, Sakura said softly, "Oh..."

You could almost see the understanding click across everyone's face.

Kakashi watched Naruto carefully. "Are you okay?"

Naruto nodded. "Yeah. Mostly. My chakra reserves are bigger now, which means I'm leaking more energy than usual. But nothing a week of Shadow Clone training won't fix."

Kakashi hummed thoughtfully. "If you'd like, I could teach you some advanced chakra control exercises. Help stabilize the overflow."

Naruto gave him a sly grin. "Are those part of the three jutsu you still owe me?"

"No," Kakashi admitted with a sweatdrop.

"Then I would love your help, Sensei."

The rest of Team 7 chuckled. Even Sasuke smirked faintly. Things felt lighter... until Jiraiya leaned forward, tone sharpening.

"Is there any clue, anything at all, about where the Nine-Tails went? That's what we came here for."

The mood tensed immediately.

Naruto's smile faded. He glanced into the fire. "Not really," he said. "I lied about that."

Everyone went quiet.

"But there was some truth," he added quickly. "I did find the Fourth's kunai in Lordran. That part was real. But the rest..."

He trailed off, hesitating, not wanting to mention Kushina.

"I don't know if both of them went to Lordran or if it was just him. I only found the kunai. That's all."

Jiraiya's voice dropped a pitch. "So coming to Uzushiogakure... was a lie?"

Naruto met his gaze without flinching.

"Yes. I used the mission as a cover. I wanted the Uzumaki legacy. And when the chance came to claim it, I took it."

No one spoke.

Jiraiya glanced at Team 7. Expected anger, frustration, and maybe betrayal.

But they didn't care.

Kakashi leaned forward slightly, his voice careful.

"Naruto... why did you lie? You're not the kind of person who hides things for convenience. If you had told us the truth, we would've gone with you. All of us."

Sakura nodded. "Of course we would've."

Sasuke crossed his arms. "You didn't need to lie to us."

Naruto looked around the fire at his teacher, his friends, and his family.

And he sighed.

Naruto wanted to tell them the truth. But some truths... were messy and dangerous.

He didn't want to lose his connection to the Hawk or the red letters.

And if he told the full truth now, they'd start asking how he knew certain things. Things he couldn't explain without unraveling a web he'd only just begun weaving.

He sighed.

"Let's just say... certain circumstances forced me to lie."

A long silence followed.

Sakura furrowed her brows. Sasuke squinted, unreadable. Kakashi just stared with his one visible eye.

Jiraiya's face twisted in visible disappointment. "Naruto..." he said, almost like a warning. But before he could say more—

"Alright," Kakashi interrupted, "let's eat breakfast."

Everyone turned toward him, confused.

"That's it?" Naruto blinked. "You're not gonna ask anything else?"

Kakashi just shrugged. "You're still Naruto. If it becomes a problem, we'll deal with it then. But for now..." He opened a tin of rice balls. "Food."

Naruto stared for a second... and grinned. "Thanks, sensei."

Jiraiya exhaled like a tired old man but said nothing.

Sakura, breaking the tension, scooted over and ran her fingers through Naruto's long red hair. "Your hair really did change..." she said, in awe. "It's beautiful, actually. Crimson like a burning sunset."

"I'm not beautiful," Naruto grumbled, blushing. "I'm rugged."

"Nope. You look like a tomato," Sasuke said flatly from across the fire.

Naruto shot him a glare. "Yours looks like a duck's butt!"

"That's enough," Kakashi chuckled, covering a snort with his hand as the two glared at each other.

Naruto turned to Kakashi. "Sensei, you got any chakra paper? I've been thinking. With all this stuff going on, maybe the Uzumaki legacy awakened something in me."

That caught everyone's attention.

Kakashi pulled out a slip and handed it to him. "You think you unlocked a new chakra nature?"

"I dunno... maybe," Naruto said, scratching his cheek. "I woke up surrounded by mushrooms."

"...What," Sasuke said, flat.

"I'm serious!"

"I believe you," Sakura said hesitantly, "but that doesn't make it less weird."

"Maybe I got a mushroom kekkei genkai," Naruto said proudly.

"That'd definitely be... something I expect from you."

He cast a subtle glance back toward Naruto's tent. No mushrooms.

But before he could dwell on it, Naruto began focusing his chakra into the paper.

Everyone leaned in as the reactions began.

The first part of the paper split cleanly in half.

"Wind," Kakashi said, nodding.

The second piece burst into flame, flickering black with specks of gold.

"Fire," Jiraiya said, eyes narrowing.

Then, the other half reacted at once while one side crumbled into dirt, and the other became damp and soggy.

"Earth and water?" Sakura gasped. "At the same time?"

"Two elements at once is generally a sign of a kekkei genkai," Kakashi muttered.

Naruto cheered, pumping a fist in the air. "Yes! I've got four! Four!"

He pointed triumphantly at Sasuke and Sakura. "I have more chakra natures than you guys!"

"Real mature, Naruto," Sakura said, unimpressed.

"Oh please, you totally teased me when you found out you had two and I had one!"

Sakura crossed her arms, pouting.

Sasuke narrowed his eyes. "What about lightning?"

Everyone turned to the final piece of chakra paper. It remained... blank.

Naruto tilted his head. "Huh. I guess... I didn't get that one."

"So no lightning," Sasuke said, and the way he said it got under Naruto's skin.

Naruto's eye twitched. "Who even needs lightning chakra nature?"

He reached into his pouch and pulled out his worn, sun-shaped talisman. "I've already got my Sun Bro's lightning spear!"

With a burst of energy, a radiant golden lightning spear formed in his hand, crackling with unnatural power.

Sasuke's eyes widened. His Sharingan activated instantly. "That's... not lightning chakra."

Naruto smirked and casually threw the spear into the ocean. It struck the waves with a colossal crack, sending water flying high into the air as sparks danced across the sea's surface.

Everyone stared.

"...When did you learn that?" Sasuke asked, still studying the lingering lightning residue.

"Picked it up recently," Naruto said, showing off the new talisman. "I joined the Warrior of Sunlight covenant with this guy named Solaire. Real nice dude. Bit obsessed with the sun."

"Hn," Sasuke grunted, eyeing the spear. He wondered how Naruto's lightning worked. How was it different from normal lightning chakra? Could he replicate the lightning spear with his own lightning chakra?

Sakura glanced at Sasuke, then leaned in toward Naruto. "I think Sasuke's a little jealous."

"Don't worry, Sasuke. You've got a spot."

Sasuke narrowed his eyes. "What are you talking about?"

"Solaire's my Sun Bro," Naruto said, tapping his chest. "You? You're my Emo Bro."

There was a long pause.

"...I don't want that spot."

Meanwhile, Kakashi walked toward the edge of the camp, where Jiraiya stood.

"Since we aren't going to find anything about the Kyuubi in Uzushiogakure," Kakashi said casually, hands in his pockets, "we should probably head back to Konoha. I'm sure Lord Third has a scroll full of questions for us... and Naruto."

Jiraiya didn't answer right away. He tilted his head, his long white hair shifting in the breeze. "I don't get it."

"Hm?"

"Why aren't you more concerned about this? All of this?" Jiraiya turned to him, voice low but sharp. "Naruto's lying to his team. Lying to his sensei. He's engaging with a summoning realm none of us have even heard of, one tied to Minato of all people. He's moving around with incomplete truths and hidden motives and you act like it's just another D-rank mission."

Kakashi stared at him for a moment, then slowly shrugged. "Well... Naruto doesn't exactly operate like a textbook shinobi. I'm not surprised. Curious, sure. But surprised? No."

"He's treating being a shinobi like a side gig," Jiraiya pressed. "Like it's a hobby."

That got Kakashi's attention. He straightened, not entirely relaxed anymore. "Tell me, Jiraiya-sama... what were you doing when you were his age?"

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"You were spying. Writing questionable novels. Probably sneaking into hot springs," Kakashi said, half-smiling beneath his mask. "You didn't walk a straight path either."

"That's different," Jiraiya replied, his voice firm.

"Is it?" Kakashi tilted his head. "Naruto's first C-rank mission? He disobeyed orders, went rogue, and took down Gato's entire network. Alone. He's been choosing his own road from day one. This isn't new."

"Kakashi," Jiraiya said, his tone sharpening. "What exactly are you implying?"

Kakashi's one visible eye turned serious. "That you don't know him. Not the way you think. You see Minato's legacy. A boy carrying the Will of Fire. But Naruto... he's walking his own path. I've had to learn to guide him without forcing him into a mold. Because if we don't adapt to him, he'll walk away."

Jiraiya frowned. "He can't just quit being a shinobi."

"Why not? He can just leave for Lordran. It's not like anything is stopping him." Kakashi asked. "He never got the truth about his parents. The village treated him like a curse. He owed them nothing. And where were we? Where were you, Jiraiya-sama? Where was I?"

Jiraiya's jaw tightened. "We were doing what we thought was best."

"And he's doing the same."

The silence stretched between them. Finally, Jiraiya let out a heavy breath, his shoulders sagging.

"How did it come to this?"

Kakashi's voice softened. "The day Naruto met someone who saw him as more than a jinchuriki. Someone who gave him respect without conditions. That was Oscar. Now he wears that knight's code like armor. Not the Will of Fire. Not our way. His own."

Jiraiya opened his mouth, then shut it. When he finally spoke, it was quiet. "Did I fail him?"

Kakashi looked up at the stars. "That's not my judgment to make. But Naruto doesn't fit in a single story. He never has. And trying to force him into one... that's how we lose him."

Jiraiya folded his arms, staring into the sand. "Would he even accept me now? After everything?"

"He might," Kakashi said. "But don't go in assuming you know who he is. Because Naruto... he's a man of contradictions. And the only way to meet him halfway is to stop trying to catch up and just walk beside him."

Jiraiya let the silence sit a while longer before giving a small, crooked smile. "You sure you're not the one writing books now?"

Kakashi shrugged. "Only in my spare time."

The two men stood side by side, the wind off the sea ruffling their hair, as the campfire crackled in the distance and the boy they both cared for laughed with the only people who had ever truly seen him.

Suddenly, something shifted. A chill passed through the camp—not of wind, but of presence. Everyone froze.

It wasn't killing intent. It wasn't malice.

It was... foreign. Cold and warm. Gentle and violent. Like being stared at by the ocean and the void at the same time.

Naruto stiffened.

He recognized this. It was the same feeling he had when he first looked upon the New Londo ruins.

Then came the sound like water dripping onto steel, echoing deeper than it should have. A hiss. A low, grinding groan like stone reshaping itself. Everyone's attention snapped to the chakra paper lying near the fire.

It was bleeding black.

Ink-like fluid oozed from its center, forming a dark puddle that rippled outward in silence.

And from the ripple, a tree erupted.

Blackness rolled back like mist retreating from sunlight, revealing the thing as it grew. The camp was silent, frozen, as the tree rose in eerie grace, twisting up toward the sky.

Kakashi's Sharingan snapped open. Sasuke activated his own.

What stood before them was not a normal tree.

Its bark was the color of ash, smooth but etched with sharp, angular lines that resembled weathered stone. The trunk and limbs looked less like something grown and more like mineral rock molded into the shape of a tree. No leaves hung from its branches, only jagged spines of stone jutting out like fossilized thorns. It wasn't alive in the traditional sense. It stood like a monument, still and silent, as if waiting.

Kakashi's voice broke the silence. "Naruto. Congratulations."

"For what?"

"You just awakened a kekkei genkai. Looks like Wood Release... or some kind of stone-mineral variant of it."

Gasps echoed from the camp.

"How... how is that possible?" Jiraiya muttered. "Only the Senju had Wood Release."

"Name one Senju besides Hashirama who actually had it."

Jiraiya opened his mouth. Closed it. There wasn't one.

Sakura slowly sat down, clutching her head. "So… why did Naruto unlock something only the First Hokage ever had?"

Naruto said quietly, "Because Hashirama didn't unlock it alone. He had help, from the Uzumaki Clan's rite of passage."

Everyone stared at him in disbelief.

Naruto turned his gaze back to the tree. His eyes softened.

He felt it down to the marrow of his bones, like gravity had shifted around him.

This wasn't just a tree.

It was calling to him.

The second heart in his chest began to beat in sync with something buried beneath the earth. A slow, echoing rhythm that wasn't made for humans. His breath caught as the connection snapped into place.

A memory carved into stone.

The archtree didn't radiate life. It radiated existence. Stillness. Permanence. The kind of presence that watched civilizations rise and fall without blinking.

And Naruto... didn't just feel it.

He belonged to it.

The dragon found his archtree.

Guess my dragon side gave my wood release a bit of a makeover, Naruto thought, half amused.

Kakashi sighed beside him and pulled out a scroll.

"What's that, sensei?"

"Adding another one of your crazy reveals to the list."

"It's not that bad," Naruto muttered, glancing at the scroll which didn't seem too large.

Kakashi unrolled it and let it hit the sand with a thud and kept going.

"It's not that bad. Right, Oscar?"

The lizard remained silent.

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Hiruzen Sarutobi had endured many winters, but this week felt like it aged him by another decade.

The paperwork had been endless. Not mission reports or budget proposals—those he could endure. No, what had sat before him then were letters. Dozens of them, each written with trembling hands and soaked in ink-drenched repentance. Letters from villagers, once proud to spit at Naruto's feet, now begging not for forgiveness, but for confirmation.

Confirmation of what they already knew.

That the boy they ostracized, mocked, and ignored... was the son of Minato Namikaze and Kushina Uzumaki.

Hiruzen read each one not with anger, but with weariness. He remembered the funeral pyres, the wailing mothers, the broken families. He understood grief, even the kind that twisted into hate. But to ask now for official recognition, as if it would wash their hands clean?

He wanted to be merciful. But he was tired. And tired men make hard decisions.

So he made it.

A public proclamation.

Naruto Uzumaki is the son of the Fourth Hokage and Kushina Uzumaki of the Uzumaki Clan.

He had debated using the boy's full heritage title, invoking the legacy of Uzushio and its fallen seals. But what would it change? It would only feed into the hysteria.

Hiruzen expected anger. Denial. Maybe national uproar.

He did not expect... seppuku.

Not all at once. Just one, at first. A middle-aged merchant who had shouted at Naruto to leave his store two winters ago. He slit his belly open in front of the Hokage Monument.

Then two more. Then five. By the end of the week, twelve civilians—one for each of Naruto's years alive—had committed ritual suicide in public squares, their final words apologizing to the Yondaime.

It was less a wave of repentance and more an act of public exorcism. An attempt to remove the stain they had allowed to fester for over a decade. They bled not just for Naruto, but for themselves. For the illusion that they could still be part of the same noble village the Yellow Flash once died for.

Hiruzen had stood over the first corpse with shaking hands.

He had not condoned the acts. But in his heart, he had understood.

He knew this land. The Feudal Code of Guilt ran deep in the veins of the Fire Nation. Dishonor against a hero was a sin that could only be answered by blood. And no shinobi doctrine, no Kage order, could overwrite that ancient, unspoken law of honor and shame.

Still, it didn't make it right.

It made it tragic.

Now, sitting in his office with a half-burned pipe and red-rimmed eyes, Hiruzen returned to the absurdity of the Wave Mission.

An S-rank impact on a C-rank mission.

"How did it come to this..." he whispered, bracing himself for the second half of the report.

A knock broke his thoughts. His secretary's voice followed.

"Hokage-sama, your twelve o'clock meeting with the Daimyō is ready."

"Ah. Of course."

He stood up and composed himself as the guards wheeled in the Communications Apparatus. A massive metallic construct resembling a polished vault fused with wires and panels. The device had been gifted from the Land of Snow, engineered for long-distance state communications. Though it was a marvel of modern design, Hiruzen had never trusted machines that required no chakra at all.

It was like watching the world slip from his fingers.

The screen hummed, static flickering to life, until the image sharpened—grainy, black and white, but clear enough.

Yoshiyuki Kaneko, Daimyō of the Land of Fire.

He was not a man given to extravagance, but his eyes gleamed with the weight of generations. He was no fool. He didn't need a sword. He had coin, armies, and the weight of the Fire Court behind him.

"Old friend," Kaneko said with a smile that held the weight of politics. "You look like this warless era has not been kind to your nerves."

Hiruzen chuckled politely and gave a slow nod. "The peace may be quiet, my lord, but its silence hides many knives. I hope the season has been kind to your household."

Kaneko inclined his head. "As kind as any can hope, with the rumors flying through my court. I imagine you know the ones I speak of."

"Naruto Uzumaki," Hiruzen replied without hesitation. "The son of the Fourth."

"Confirmed by your own hand, I see. Bold."

Hiruzen said nothing, letting the tension settle.

Kaneko continued. "You must know what this means, Hiruzen. The nobility is already in motion. There are whispers about adoption, sponsorship, even talk of bringing the boy into the Daimyō's court as one of the Twelve Guardian Ninja. Some see a chance to claim legitimacy through his blood."

Hiruzen's fingers curled around the armrest of his chair, his knuckles pale beneath liver-spotted skin. "He is still too young for the world of politics."

Across the screen, the Fire Daimyō gave a genial smile and a dismissive wave of his jeweled hand.

"I see that you wish to protect the boy, old friend, but hiding him from the world does not serve him. Nor the Land of Fire. If he is to carry the legacy of his name, he must be prepared to wield it."

Hiruzen exhaled slowly through his nose. It was not a request. He knew the tone well. Underneath the silken words and cordial smiles was the weight of court expectation, veiled threat, and unspoken demand.

He gave a short nod. "Very well. What was the true purpose of your letter, Lord Kaneko?"

The Fire Daimyō's expression lit with pleasure, as though they were discussing a festival rather than political stratagem.

"The Chūnin Exams."

"Yes?"

"I plan to attend in person."

That alone gave Hiruzen pause. Daimyō rarely involved themselves in shinobi affairs beyond approving military budgets and hosting the occasional diplomatic envoy. But Kaneko was not finished.

"And I will not be coming alone. The Daimyō of Earth, Lightning, Wind, and even Water are sending representatives. Some will come themselves."

"That is unprecedented."

Kaneko's eyes gleamed. "Indeed. It will be a spectacular affair. All five Great Nations represented. And word is, even the smaller hidden villages wish to send participants or observers. The opportunity for treaties, trade agreements, and alliances is too rich to ignore."

"I see," Hiruzen said darkly. "And what prompted this sudden political curiosity in the ninja world?"

The Daimyō only smiled, folding his hands in his lap like a satisfied courtier. "Minato's boy."

There it was.

Hiruzen's lips thinned. He had expected some reaction from the other villages—but not this.

"Everyone wants to see the son of the Yellow Flash. See if he is a shadow... or a star."

Hiruzen stiffened. "This is dangerous. Having this many powers in one place invites catastrophe."

"Or prosperity," Kaneko countered. "Think of what this could mean for Konoha. Contracts, coin, and commerce. We live in a time where influence is a currency. Show them your strength, and you win the game. Decline, and you risk looking weak."

There was the veiled threat again. Not from Kaneko himself, but from the nobles who whispered in his ears, from the courtly parasites who would seize upon any weakness to shift funding, support, or favor to another village.

"You are asking for months of preparation, heightened security, and coordination across nations," Hiruzen said. "If this is to be done, we must push the Exams up. And I will need support."

Kaneko inclined his head graciously. "All yours. But in return, I want a victory. The Hidden Leaf must dominate. I want to toast to our supremacy before the other lords."

"Then we will do what is necessary," Hiruzen said.

He had to bite his tongue to keep from saying more. In truth, he was already plotting. Perhaps send Team 7 out on an extended mission. Hide the boy from the spotlight.

But then Kaneko leaned in with a glint in his eyes.

"And of course, I will be most curious to see Minato's son. I expect him to participate."

Damn it.

Hiruzen bowed his head slightly. "As you wish."

When the call ended and the screen dimmed to black, Hiruzen reached for his pipe with fingers that trembled. The world outside his window spun faster with each passing hour, and try as he might, he could no longer hold it still.

He turned his eyes toward the photo of Minato that sat framed on the wall.

What would you have done, my boy?

No answer came, only the dull ticking of the clock on the wall.

Hiruzen took a long drag from the pipe, exhaling through his nose.

"As a father myself... I think I would want my son to be ready."

A wistful smile tugged at his lips. He had tried to shield Naruto for so long. But the storm was already coming, and perhaps the best he could do now was make sure the boy was ready when it hit.

A knock on the door broke his thoughts.

"Hokage-sama," came a calm voice as an ANBU dropped to one knee, "Team Seven and Jiraiya-sama have returned. They've been spotted at the village gate."

Hiruzen nodded once, the steel returning to his spine. "Bring them to my office. Immediately. No detours. I want no contact with anyone until I've spoken to them myself."

"Yes, sir."

The ANBU vanished in a flicker of chakra.

Hiruzen leaned back in his chair, resting his hand over his heart. It beat a little faster now.

"How would Minato have reacted to all this?" he mused with a dry chuckle.

Probably with that sheepish grin and a trail of broken laws behind him.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

At the village gates, the atmosphere was far less tense.

Izumo and Kotetsu were practically vibrating with excitement as they spotted the tall, flamboyant figure of Jiraiya sauntering in.

"Welcome back, Jiraiya-sama!" Izumo beamed.

"Oh-ho! Some fans of the great Toad Sage, I see," Jiraiya said with a smirk, striking a dramatic pose that made several civilians stop and stare.

"Of course! We've got your entire Icha Icha collection sealed in mint condition," Kotetsu added, pulling out a bright orange book with reverence.

"Autographs?" Izumo asked, eyes twinkling.

"You boys have excellent taste," Jiraiya said, signing their books with a flourish.

Meanwhile, Izumo squinted past the commotion, spotting a strange group a little ways back. "Uh... Kakashi? Who's that redhead with armor? And... where's Naruto?"

Kakashi gave a lazy blink. "That is Naruto."

Izumo stared. Then blinked. Then laughed, thinking it a joke until the realization hit.

"...What the hell happened on that mission?" Kotetsu asked, incredulous. "Wasn't it just a simple C-rank escort?"

Kakashi shrugged.

Kotetsu pulled out a well-worn Bingo Book. "You guys are the talk of the town. He's got an entry now."

Jiraiya snatched the book before Kakashi could react, eyes scanning rapidly. Then, "Son of a—"

He stopped short as the air shimmered and a full squad of ANBU appeared, faces impassive beneath their masks.

"Team Seven. You are to report to the Hokage's office immediately."

Kakashi sighed and nodded, already motioning for his team to fall into formation.

Jiraiya stretched. "Well, I'm off. Got some important... research to catch up on."

"Pervy Sage!" Naruto growled, lifting a hand as if to grab him with telekinesis, but Jiraiya was already bolting away, his laughter echoing down the road.

Naruto groaned, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "When will this old guy learn?"

Then he paused. Something felt... off.

He turned. Villagers were watching him. Not with hatred. Not with suspicion. Just quiet, wide-eyed curiosity. A few even looked... proud?

He blinked, but before the thought could settle, Sasuke's voice cut through the moment.

"Let's go, tomato-head."

Naruto scowled. "Duck-butt."

Oscar let out a sound that might've been a laugh.

And just like that, Team Seven flickered into the heart of a village on the verge of change.

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Team Seven walked in tight formation as they entered the Hokage's office, tension clinging to them like a second skin. The receptionist at the front desk gave Naruto a lingering look, eyes flicking from his long crimson hair to the creature perched atop his head. Her gaze wasn't filled with disdain like he was used to—but something more uncertain. Almost like... awe?

Naruto muttered under his breath, "What's her problem?"

"Probably the fact that you're taller, have glowing red hair, and your eyes look weird," Sasuke replied dryly.

"Pot calling the kettle black."

"And you've got Oscar curled up on your head like some kind of glittering hat," Sakura added with a sigh, trying to keep the mood light.

Naruto reached up to pat Oscar, who gave a happy chirp.

"Oh, come on. I haven't changed that much," Naruto grumbled just as the door creaked open and Hiruzen stood to greet them.

The Third Hokage's eyes softened the moment they landed on Naruto. He removed his hat, setting it on the desk with a heavy hand.

"Naruto... my boy. Is that really you?"

Naruto scratched the back of his head, ignoring the smug looks from Sasuke and Sakura.

"Yeah, it's me, old man. A lot happened on this mission."

Hiruzen chuckled softly, relief washing over his lined features. "That much is obvious." But then his expression turned serious. "Are you alright?"

Naruto met his gaze. "Never been better."

That simple sentence made something loosen in the old man's chest. Naruto wasn't angry at him, at least not visibly. That alone was a gift.

Kakashi stepped forward, placing a tightly rolled mission scroll on the desk. It was thick, absurdly so, and tied with a reinforced clasp.

"You might want to sit down for this," Kakashi said flatly.

Hiruzen gave a wry smile. "I already am."

He undid the clasp, the scroll unrolling across the length of his desk like a snake slithering into place. As his eyes scanned the contents, they began moving faster and faster. His grip tightened with every paragraph, and soon he was yanking the scroll forward aggressively to read the next section.

He looked up, the room suddenly heavy with silence.

Sakura shifted uncomfortably.

Sasuke stood unbothered, hands still in his pockets.

Naruto just waited.

Hiruzen cleared his throat and spoke.

"Sasuke Uchiha. Kakashi has given me a glowing report regarding your actions. You followed orders, cooperated with your team, and even performed Kakashi's own Chidori technique under high-pressure conditions. You are, in every way, operating at chunin level. If things continue like this, you will officially earn that rank soon. Keep up the good work."

"Hn," Sasuke grunted, clearly pleased but too proud to show it more.

"Sakura Haruno," Hiruzen continued, his gaze now gentler. "You led the defense line during a crisis. The shield you maintained protected not just your team but many civilians in the Wave. You remained calm under fire and demonstrated a tactical awareness far beyond what we expect from a genin. Konoha is proud to have you."

Sakura's eyes shimmered. She bowed deeply. "Thank you, Hokage-sama. I just... I just did the best I could."

Then Hiruzen turned to Naruto. The room's air shifted like the moment before a storm.

"Naruto Uzumaki."

The name alone drew stillness.

Hiruzen's voice was measured. "Your report is... extensive. Anxiety-inducing, even. You acted without orders. You killed an entire criminal syndicate overnight. You escalated the situation so severely that Gato was forced to hire elite missing-nin. You disappeared and reappeared from your summoning realm without warning. You allied yourself with a known criminal. You brought your friend—Hinata Hyuga—into a combat zone she was not ready for. And that's only scratching the surface."

Naruto didn't flinch. "It worked out in the end, didn't it?"

Hiruzen leaned forward, eyes piercing. "It did. But what if it didn't? What if Zabuza betrayed you? What if Hinata had died? What if the enemy had overwhelmed you, and there were no second chances?"

Naruto's eyes dropped for a moment. "I had a backup plan," he muttered.

"Do tell," the Hokage asked, genuinely curious now.

"I was going to have my clone use the Homeward Miracle on her," Naruto said, voice flat. "She would've returned to safety. And if I died in the process... well, that's not a big deal."

Hiruzen slammed his hand on the desk. "It is a big deal, Naruto! You can't just throw your life away!"

Naruto didn't respond.

Sakura's breath caught. Sasuke's expression turned unreadable.

The old Hokage's tone softened. "You matter, Naruto. You've done things that none of us expected, but your life isn't something we can afford to gamble with. You're not alone anymore."

Oscar let out a soft chime, the sound surprisingly mournful.

Naruto didn't mention that he was technically immortal now. That if he died, he would just return to life at the bonfire. There was no need to say that, not when he saw the way Hiruzen's eyes darkened at his casual mention of death. The old man wasn't scolding him from duty. He was speaking like a grandfather who had already lost too many people and didn't want to lose another.

Naruto felt it then, how far Lordran had truly changed him. How far from home he had strayed; philosophically, spiritually, everything.

Hiruzen sighed deeply. "You're more stubborn than a mule."

Naruto said nothing.

"Let me tell you a story," the Hokage said, his voice low, almost regretful. "You remember the man who leaked your status as the Kyuubi jinchūriki all those years ago?"

Team Seven straightened, the air around them snapping with attention.

Naruto narrowed his eyes. "Yeah. What about him?"

"His goal," Hiruzen said, "was to bring you under his supervision. He wanted to mold you into a weapon for Konoha. His reasoning? The greater good. To strengthen the village. To make sure the power of the Nine Tails served Konoha, not threatened it."

Naruto's fists clenched at his sides. "Why are you telling me this?"

"Because I see the same line of thinking in you, Naruto," Hiruzen said, not unkindly. "He believed the ends justified the means. That you, a child, were a sacrifice worth making for his vision of peace. And now here you are, my boy. Your intentions were good, your results even better—but your methods?" Hiruzen shook his head. "They forced your friends to survive by growing strong... or dying."

Naruto's shoulders sagged. "I understand."

"There will be a formal review," Hiruzen continued. "Punishment or not, your actions cannot go unexamined. But more importantly—learn from this. Right now, everything worked out. But next time?"

"I know," Naruto said softly, still looking at the floor.

A heavy silence followed.

Then Hiruzen cleared his throat and moved on. "Now, with the bad aside... let's talk about the good."

Naruto looked up, surprised.

"You equipped your team with armor and weapons beyond our standard, giving them a real chance to survive what should've been a fatal encounter. You trained despite losing an arm, mastered one-handed jutsu when others would have given up. You healed your comrades; Kakashi, Hinata, even wounded civilians. Without your intervention, there would've been funerals, not just reports."

Naruto blinked, speechless.

"You protected the clients, even earned their trust to the point they referred to you as a guardian spirit. You became a local legend before the mission even ended. And above all..." Hiruzen looked him in the eye. "You never once ran from responsibility."

A warm flush spread across Naruto's face, his lips twitching into a crooked smile.

"Uzumaki Naruto," the Hokage said with quiet pride, "you've grown into a powerful individual. Not just in strength, but in conviction. And Konoha is proud to have you."

"Thanks, Jiji," Naruto muttered, bowing low. Oscar mimicked him from his perch.

Hiruzen chuckled. "Alright. Team Seven, your mission payment will be processed after verification. Naruto, Kakashi, I'd like you to stay for a moment. Sakura, Sasuke, you're dismissed."

The two bowed.

"We'll be at Ichiraku," Sakura said.

Naruto gave them a thumbs up. "Get me the good pork miso if I'm late."

The door closed behind them.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

Out in the hallway, Sakura and Sasuke made their way toward the exit. They passed more shinobi—Chūnin and Jōnin alike—all of whom gave them lingering looks.

"Okay," Sakura said, frowning. "What is up with everyone? They keep looking at us like we've grown tails or something."

Sasuke didn't even flinch. "Ignore it."

But Sakura couldn't. She glanced over her shoulder once more, catching the eyes of a passing ANBU who quickly looked away. "I'm starting to think something big happened while we were gone."

"It's Naruto," Sasuke said simply. "He did something impossible."

"Again," Sakura sighed, her voice equal parts exasperated and amused.

They flickered away in unison, leaving behind the heavy halls of the Hokage Tower for Ichiraku Ramen.

"What the hell is this?" Sasuke muttered, eyes narrowing.

Ichiraku Ramen, once a quiet little corner of comfort tucked into the village, was now packed to the brim. The usual hum of soft conversation was drowned in a chaos of laughter, clinking bowls, and footsteps. Even outside, makeshift tables and chairs cluttered the street, occupied by villagers slurping noodles like it was some kind of festival.

Sasuke didn't like it. Too loud. Too much. Too many people.

Sakura stood beside him, her mouth slightly open in surprise. "Did we... miss something?"

Ayame rushed past, balancing a towering tray of ramen bowls like it was nothing. She didn't even glance their way.

"I'm sorry!" she called out mid-stride. "We're full right now... can't take any more customers!"

"What's going on?" Sakura asked, raising her voice to be heard.

Ayame paused just long enough to glance over her shoulder.

"Wait... I know that voice," she said, turning fully and blinking. "Hey! You two are back?"

Sasuke stepped forward. "What happened?"

"I don't have time to explain!" she said, already halfway gone. "You can head to the back if you need space. Just don't block the walkway!"

She vanished into the noise.

Then a voice from the crowd: "Hey, where's Naruto?"

Sakura turned, confused. The man wasn't a familiar face, but he asked like he knew Naruto personally.

Did Naruto know him?

Before she could think further, Sasuke took her hand without a word and led her toward the rear entrance.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

The backroom of Ichiraku Ramen was the complete opposite of the storm outside. The clamor faded behind the wall, replaced by the rhythmic clatter of Teuchi working in the kitchen. They sat on crates stacked near the wall, the scent of broth lingering in the air.

Sakura glanced through the narrow kitchen window, watching the old man's hands move like lightning.

"Okay," she whispered. "You were right. Something's up. And it smells like Naruto."

Sasuke gave a low grunt and leaned against the wall, arms crossed. "I came back hoping for some peace."

She smiled faintly. "Yeah? Then you came back to the wrong village."

He didn't reply. Just stared at nothing.

"Well..." she said after a beat. "Welcome back to being Naruto's friend."

That got him. The corner of his mouth twitched. Barely noticeable, but it was there.

Then Sakura asked, "I'm curious... what do you think about Naruto having Wood Release?"

Sasuke blinked slowly. "Hn?"

"I mean," she shrugged, "weren't you so sure he had Scorch Release?"

"I still think he does," Sasuke said immediately, eyes flicking to her. "There's no proof that's changed."

"Mmhm," Sakura said, suppressing a smirk. "Classic Sasuke. Can't stand being wrong."

He ignored the jab. "Whatever this variant is, it's still Wood Release."

That quieted the air between them. For a moment, only the hiss of boiling broth could be heard from the kitchen.

Sasuke finally spoke again, voice low. Controlled.

"There's a reason that bloodline was tied to Hashirama Senju. It wasn't just power. It was presence. When he entered a battlefield, everything changed. He wasn't just strong—he was unstoppable."

Sakura nodded slowly. She'd read the stories. The God of Shinobi. The First Hokage. The man who was more god than human.

"And now Naruto has that," Sasuke said, almost to himself. "Even if it's different. It's still that bloodline's echo."

"...So," Sakura said carefully, "you think Naruto has the potential to be the next Hashirama?"

Sasuke didn't respond right away.

Then: "I think Naruto's always had the potential to be something more. This just makes it louder."

Sakura raised a brow. "That's... high praise. Coming from you."

"I'm not complimenting him," Sasuke said flatly. "I'm observing."

But she saw the look in his eyes. A tension. Not resentment. Not jealousy.

It was deeper than that.

A kind of gratitude.

"...Don't tell him I said this," Sasuke muttered, "but I'm glad."

"Glad?"

"It gives me something," he said. "Something to aim for. A mountain to climb. That's what he's always been, to me."

Sakura tilted her head. "A rival to push you forward?"

"Hn." He closed his eyes briefly. "Since the day we became Team 7."

Suddenly, Ayame approached them. Her apron was dusted with flour, and her smile didn't quite reach her eyes. "Hey... you two. Long time no see."

"We just got back from a mission," Sakura said, voice tired. Her shoulders slumped slightly.

"Can you talk about it, or is it one of those strictly classified things?"

"It was simple," Sasuke replied flatly, though Sakura's nervous glance told a different story. "Naruto's at the Hokage's office. He... made a mistake."

Ayame blinked. "Oh. I'm sure it's nothing serious. Knowing Naruto, he'll just get a slap on the wrist."

Sasuke and Sakura exchanged a glance, subtle but sharp, both fighting the urge to laugh. Or maybe to sigh.

"Maybe," Sakura said. "Anyway... what's with the crowd outside your stand?"

Ayame leaned on the counter, lowering her voice. "You haven't heard? The Fourth Hokage is Naruto's father."

She waited, expecting shock. Expecting something.

Sasuke gave a shrug. Sakura nodded slightly.

"Wait... you already knew?" Ayame asked, frowning.

"We just found out," Sakura said.

Ayame stared at them, confused. "Then... why don't you look even a little surprised?"

Sasuke's eyes narrowed. "Because being the Fourth's son is probably the least impressive thing about Naruto."

Ayame stared for a moment, then gave a soft laugh.

She wiped her hands on her apron, looking back at the long line snaking out of her shop. "Ever since the truth came out, people have been swarming here. Everyone suddenly wants to meet the Son of the Yellow Flash. Ramen's five times the price now. Same bowl. Different hunger."

Sakura looked toward the crowd. "They're not here for Naruto. Just his shadow."

Sasuke didn't say anything. He just watched the people smiling, laughing, and pretending like they had always admired the boy they used to call a demon.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

Meanwhile, in the Hokage's office, the silence was heavy, broken only by the soft rustling of parchment and the creak of old wood under shifting weight.

Hiruzen's fingers absently brushed against Oscar's scales.

"A fascinating summon," Hiruzen murmured, more to himself than anyone else.

Oscar perked up and, without hesitation, leapt into Naruto's lap.

"Yeah," Naruto said softly, stroking the creature's head. "I found him half-dead in Lordran. Took care of him. Guess we stuck."

Then his tone shifted sharp, but restrained.

"Speaking of Lordran... not cool, old man. Ordering Kakashi-sensei to dig into it behind my back?"

Hiruzen sighed, already expecting this. "I won't deny it. I was… frightened, Naruto. You've changed so... quickly."

Naruto's eyes narrowed, unreadable. "So you assumed I was a threat?"

"Yes," Hiruzen said plainly, meeting Naruto's gaze without blinking. "Not because I wanted to, but because it's my duty to protect this village—even from those I care about."

Oscar shifted slightly, sensing the tension. You could cut it with a kunai.

Naruto didn't flinch. "Fair enough," he said after a beat. "You're the Hokage. You've got to think of the village first."

"But still," Hiruzen added, his voice quieter now, "if I had some answers... if you let me in, I thought maybe... just maybe I could repair what's broken between us."

Naruto leaned back slightly, eyes distant.

"Old man," he said. "That bridge? It's not just broken. It's dust. Gone with the wind. But..."

Hiruzen raised an eyebrow.

"We can build a new one," Naruto said. "Start fresh. Not based on trust that was never there, but on understanding. You want to know about Lordran? Fine. I've already told Kakashi-sensei a lot. So I'll extend the same hand to you. Will you meet me halfway?"

Hiruzen was quiet. Then he nodded, the gesture solemn. "You want answers too."

"Yeah," Naruto replied. "And I want the truth this time. No riddles. No lies."

Hiruzen straightened. "Then ask."

Naruto took a deep breath. "Is Minato Namikaze my father?"

Silence swallowed the room.

Hiruzen didn't respond at first. His thoughts raced. How had Naruto pieced it together? Who had told him? Was this a test? Was he fishing for truth or testing a lie?

Kakashi stepped in, sensing the hesitation. "Lord Third. Don't assume. Just answer."

Naruto turned toward them, his expression calm but firm. "When I met Mito-sama's chakra signature, she told me about my mom, Kushina Uzumaki. She mentioned a boyfriend. I did the math. Same hair. Same eyes. Same birthday as the Fourth's death."

Kakashi gave a small nod, confirming what Hiruzen now understood: the boy had figured it out on his own.

The old Hokage snapped his fingers. ANBU shimmered into existence, surrounding the room as a barrier went up, sealing the space in silence.

"Very well," Hiruzen said. "Yes, Naruto. Your father was Minato Namikaze. The Fourth Hokage."

Naruto closed his eyes.

Oscar curled closer into his chest.

He didn't speak for a long moment. Then, quietly, he whispered, "I knew it. But… hearing it is different."

He exhaled slowly, a tremor in his breath.

"You know… I used to think the Fourth Hokage was a bastard," Naruto admitted, voice breaking. "I mean, sealing the fox into a newborn? Into me? Making me the monster everyone hated..."

"Your father loved this village," Hiruzen said. "But he loved you more. That's why—"

Naruto held up a hand. "Don't. I get it. I do. I just... I have so many questions."

Tears welled in his eyes. "Why didn't anyone tell me? Why did I have to live hated and alone, thinking I was nothing, when my dad was a hero?"

Hiruzen looked down, ashamed.

Naruto sniffed, brushing his eyes with the back of his sleeve. "He should've lived. He should've fought harder. He should've survived so I could punch him in the stomach and then hug him."

His voice cracked.

"I deserved at least that much."

The dam broke.

Naruto wept; not like a child, but like someone who had held it in too long. And Kakashi, without a word, stepped forward and wrapped an arm around him.

Oscar curled tighter around Naruto's neck, humming faintly with magic, like a heartbeat.

"I'm sorry," Hiruzen said, voice heavy. "For all of it. For the silence. For the burden. For leaving you in the dark."

Naruto didn't respond. He just kept crying. And for the first time in a long time, the old Hokage didn't feel like a leader.

He felt like an old man trying to make peace with the sins of the past.

And that peace had only just begun.

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It took Naruto a few minutes to compose himself. He wiped his face with his sleeve, steadying his breath before his voice finally cut through the silence.

"Why didn't you tell me about my father?"

Hiruzen looked at him, guilt lining the wrinkles of his face. "Because I wanted to wait until you were ready. More importantly... I thought it was best for someone close to your father to be the one to tell you."

Naruto's expression twisted into something bitter. "Oh? You mean his friends? The ones who never showed up? Never even looked for me?"

He turned sharply toward Kakashi.

"Or his student."

Then Naruto raised his hand.

His palm eye opened.

A surge of power filled the room, and before anyone could react, an invisible presence was suddenly slammed hard into the wooden floor with a shattering crack.

The floor split.

The room shook.

"Or how about... his master?" Naruto snarled.

Jiraiya groaned as he materialized, face-first in the broken floorboards. The sheer pressure from Naruto's chakra pulsed like a storm, and for a single terrifying moment, every ANBU present felt their instincts scream in warning. A phantom of killing intent laced the air—not real, but dense enough to feel like a genjutsu. It didn't manifest fully, but it didn't need to.

Oscar chirped sharply and pressed against Naruto's chest, trying to soothe him.

Naruto exhaled as the malice faded.

Kakashi was already helping Jiraiya up as the old Toad Sage muttered, "How... how the hell did he see me?"

"Hawks can see ultraviolet light," Kakashi said calmly, dusting Jiraiya off.

"What the hell does that have to do with anything?"

"I'll explain later," Kakashi replied, deadpan.

"Please," Hiruzen said gently. "Naruto. Calm yourself. I know you're angry, and you have every right to be. But letting it control you will only cause more pain. To yourself. To others."

Naruto took a deep breath. "Yeah... sorry. That wasn't right of me." He bowed slightly.

He glanced at Kakashi, then to Jiraiya, now groaning and clutching his ribs. "Does the perv need any healing?"

"He's fine," Kakashi said dryly. "His ego might be bruised, though."

"You really do have your mother's temper," Jiraiya wheezed with a grin, trying to lighten the air.

Naruto ignored him.

"So. Why didn't my dad's friends do anything?"

"They tried," Hiruzen said slowly. "But the politics around you were... more complicated than I ever anticipated. Many of Minato's closest friends were clan heads. Taking you in, the Kyūbi's jinchūriki, would have tipped the balance of power. Suddenly, the Uchiha or Nara or Yamanaka would hold leverage that others would challenge. You'd be a pawn in a much larger game."

Naruto groaned, rubbing the bridge of his nose.

"Actually," Hiruzen added quietly, "Mikoto Uchiha—Sasuke's mother—tried to adopt you when you were still an infant."

Naruto froze. His eyes widened slightly.

"She fought for it," Hiruzen continued. "But the Elders denied the petition. They feared what it would mean politically. That the Uchiha would control both the Sharingan… and the Kyūbi."

Naruto didn't respond right away. He just let the thought sink in. Sasuke… as a brother?

"Huh," he said quietly. "Guess I really did get screwed by the system."

"Life isn't fair, kid," Jiraiya said, waving a hand dismissively. "Get over it."

"Fuck you," Naruto snapped, eyes flaring again.

Oscar squeaked in agreement, puffing up on his shoulder like an angry cat.

"Enough," Hiruzen said, raising his hand. The chakra in the room simmered down again. "Naruto… I know none of this changes the past. And I take responsibility for the decisions made. But not everyone abandoned you."

Naruto's gaze sharpened. "Really?"

"Most of the clan shinobi in your class, their parents knew who your parents were. I gave them the truth. They may not have told their children outright, but they made it very clear: do not isolate Naruto Uzumaki."

"Yeah, well…" Naruto exhaled. "Didn't matter. Kids follow the crowd. All it takes is one kid whispering demon and the rest fall in line. I didn't exactly make it easy to get to know me, either."

"But look at where you are now," Hiruzen said, a note of pride returning to his voice. "You have comrades. A team. People who trust you and believe in you. You built that from nothing."

"Yeah… I guess I did."

Hiruzen smiled gently.

Naruto turned to the silver-haired man. "What about you, sensei? Why didn't you take care of me?"

Kakashi didn't answer right away. His single visible eye didn't flinch, but it lowered.

"Naruto… Minato-sensei was more than my teacher. He was the closest thing I ever had to a father. And like my own father… I lost him." Kakashi's voice was calm, almost too calm. A man who'd rehearsed his own grief too many times.

"After the war, after losing so many people… I lost myself too. I thought…" He hesitated. "I thought you'd be safer without me. Away from my curse. Away from the trail of death that seems to follow anyone I care about."

Naruto frowned. "You're not cursed, Kakashi-sensei."

Kakashi gave a short breath of laughter, but there was no humor in it. "Hard to believe that… when I bury everyone I let get too close."

And then Naruto did something that caught even the ANBU off guard.

He hugged him.

No hesitation. No fanfare.

Just a boy reaching for the man who'd stood behind a mask his whole life.

"Did you ever think about me? In those years?" Naruto asked, his voice muffled by the jōnin's vest.

Kakashi closed his eye. "Every day." He placed a hand on Naruto's back. "I couldn't be there the way I wanted to, but I never stopped watching. When your jinchūriki status got out, I forced the Hokage's hand and had him assign me as your shadow guard."

Naruto didn't say anything. Just hugged him tighter for a moment before stepping back, letting his usual lopsided grin flicker across his face.

"Thanks, sensei."

Then his eyes shifted.

He looked straight at Jiraiya.

"As for you…" Naruto's tone changed. "I have my own questions. But I don't want to talk about it here. Not now. Not in front of everyone. I'm sure you feel the same."

Jiraiya, a rare seriousness settling into his face, gave a slow nod. "When you're ready," the old sage said.

Hiruzen finally spoke again. "Naruto… are there any more questions?"

Naruto let out a long breath. "Honestly? I feel like someone dragged my soul through a meat grinder. But… yeah, one last question."

He sat up straighter, folding his arms.

"Where's my inheritance?"

"Pardon?"

"Come on, old man. My dad was the Fourth Hokage. My mom was a Kyūbi jinchūriki trained by the wife of the First. You can't tell me they didn't leave behind a treasure chest or something. Money, land, legendary jutsu; whatever they had, I want to see it."

The Hokage chuckled dryly. "About that… during the Kyūbi attack, the Namikaze estate was utterly destroyed. And after the battle, Konoha was in shambles with the lives lost and economy wrecked."

He leaned forward.

"To recover, the village seized and redistributed the unclaimed assets of many deceased shinobi, your parents included."

Naruto gave a long sigh and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Of course they did."

"But," Hiruzen continued quickly, "not everything was lost. Some funds were kept aside. How do you think you managed to buy enough paint to graffiti the Hokage Monument?"

Naruto sweatdropped. "Wait… that was their money?"

"A portion," Hiruzen said with a smirk. "You've already dipped into your inheritance. Try not to bankrupt your parents posthumously."

"Noted," Naruto muttered. "I'll add it to the mountain of vault gold I took from Gato."

Hiruzen raised an eyebrow but said nothing.

"What about land?" Naruto asked.

"You're entitled to the restored Namikaze and Uzumaki property. It's yours, if you choose to claim it," Hiruzen confirmed.

"And legacy? Not just money, what about their techniques? I don't want to forget who they were. I want to honor them."

Hiruzen leaned back thoughtfully.

"Well, normally… legacy is something a parent passes down themselves. A student might inherit it. But you…"

Naruto slowly raised his hand.

A Rasengan bloomed to life, perfectly formed in his palm.

"I've already started. But if there's more, I want it. I don't need every scroll or weapon. Just the things that mattered to them."

Hiruzen nodded slowly. "I'll see what I can gather. And I'll make sure it's only the jutsu they would've wanted you to have."

Naruto smiled softly. "Good." Then he stood. "Now, if you don't mind… I haven't eaten Ichiraku ramen in weeks, and I feel like the universe owes me a dozen ramen bowls."

"You're dismissed, Naruto," Hiruzen said with a tired smile.

Naruto turned to Kakashi. "You coming?"

"I'll catch up."

Naruto glanced once more at Jiraiya. "We will talk later."

The Toad Sage gave a solemn nod.

And with a flicker, Naruto vanished with Oscar.

Naruto landed in front of Ichiraku Ramen, blinking at the swarm of villagers crowding the shop. It was packed to bursting. Tables were crammed outside, lines snaked down the street, and vendors were selling Fourth Hokage Jr. keychains.

"What the hell..." he muttered.

"Sorry, we're—" Ayame began, stepping out from behind the counter to turn away another overeager fan. But she stopped cold the moment she laid eyes on him.

Red hair. Tall frame. Eyes like blue wildfire.

Ayame's breath caught.

"Hey there, Ayame," Naruto said with a friendly grin.

Her face flushed like boiling broth.

She didn't recognize him. Worse, she was already checking him out.

"What... can I do for you?" she asked, voice suddenly high-pitched and shaky.

Naruto tilted his head. "You okay? You look a little flushed."

Ayame laughed nervously. "I'm great! Fantastic. Just hot in here, you know, ramen steam and all that."

"Right. Well, do you know where Sasuke and Sakura are?"

"They're in the back." Her tone went up half an octave.

"Cool. I'll head back. Oh... bring me some miso ramen?"

Ayame squeaked, nodded frantically, and dashed off like a fangirl on a sugar rush.

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Sasuke and Sakura were quietly enjoying their bowls when Naruto flickered in.

"Yo!" He dropped into the seat beside them. "Guess what? Big news. I just found out that my dad is the freaking Fourth Hokage."

Sakura didn't look up. "We know."

Sasuke barely paused mid-slurp. "Whole village knows."

Naruto stared at them. "Wait, what?! How?!"

Sasuke shrugged. "Ask the old man. It's everywhere now. Kinda hard to miss the Hero of Konoha fan club rally outside."

Naruto groaned. "Damn it. I wanted to break the news."

He sulked for a beat, then turned to Sasuke.

"Also... your mom tried to adopt me once. When I was a baby."

Sasuke froze with chopsticks halfway to his mouth.

"She knew my parents. But because of the Kyubi seal and, you know, politics, it got shut down."

Sasuke blinked. "That's a lot."

"Yeah," Naruto said with a sigh. "Honestly, I'm fine. Just tired. Really tired. Gonna eat ramen till I pass out."

"Speaking of," Ayame said, setting down a massive bowl of ramen, "here's your order."

She had noticeably unbuttoned her top. A lot. And leaned in just a bit too close.

"Thanks, Ayame-nee-chan!" Naruto said, beaming as he immediately started digging in.

Ayame froze.

Her eyes slowly moved from Naruto's face to his sapphire-blue eyes to the unmistakable whisker marks on his cheeks.

Oscar, the crystal lizard perched beside him, chirped happily.

"Naruto?" Ayame whispered.

Naruto slurped a mouthful of noodles and mumbled, "Yeah?"

Ayame's smile cracked like glass. Her pupils shrank.

She turned and walked away in complete silence. Then bolted into the bathroom and slammed the door behind her.

From inside, a muffled scream erupted.

Sakura sighed. "And there it is."

"Guess she had to take a massive dump," Naruto said between bites.

Teuchi appeared from the front, drying his hands with a towel.

"Good to see you three again," he said, looking Naruto up and down. "You've... changed."

"I'm still me, old man Teuchi," Naruto said through a mouthful of noodles.

"Sure. But if something happens with my daughter, are you prepared to take responsibility?"

"Of course!" Naruto said confidently. "I have no idea what we're talking about, but yeah."

"You hear that, Ayame? Naruto said he'll take responsibility!" Teuchi called out.

Another scream came from the bathroom.

Sasuke leaned toward Sakura, voice low. "What is going on?"

Sakura sighed. "Ayame-san found Naruto attractive. Tried to seduce him, thinking he was some hot stranger. Now she's having a breakdown because she tried to flirt with her honorary little brother. Teuchi's trying to lock in a marriage if anything happened."

Sasuke shook his head. "And Naruto's being dense as usual."

"Believe it," Sakura deadpanned.

Sasuke let his head fall onto the table with a loud thump.

Oscar patted his head with a tiny paw.

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Author's Note: And scene.

I hope you guys enjoyed today's chapter. Let's jump into the Q&A, which I know a lot of you like.

1. Villagers committing seppuku

Credit where it's due, this idea originally came from reader Dragonsnow1 over on Spacebattles. I really liked it.

Here's the thing: like many of you, I watched the original Naruto and always felt the villagers were underutilized and underwhelming. They ostracized Naruto for most of his life, but the moment he saved the village, they flipped overnight into loyal fans. And honestly? That could've worked, if Kishimoto had followed through.

Letters. Apologies. A real moment of reckoning. Anything.

But we got nothing. So the "forgiveness" arc just ends up feeling half-baked and unearned.

That's why I liked the seppuku idea. It fits the world's feudal aesthetic and gives the villagers a dramatic, consequential reaction to Naruto becoming a hero. And in my DS1 version—where Naruto is emotionally distant from civilians—it creates an interesting contrast between their remorse and his indifference.

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2. Hiruzen's dialogue with Naruto

Yes, I know Hiruzen gets hate in the fandom. And I get it. A lot of that comes from one filler scene that fanfiction grabbed and never let go. But to me? Hiruzen's still a fascinating character.

The real problem is Kishimoto's writing style. He wrote week to week with very little long-term planning. So by the time Shippuden came around, retcons hit hard and Hiruzen got caught in the crossfire.

When I started writing this story, I didn't want him to just be "the guy who ruined Naruto's life." I wanted him to be complex. Respected. Powerful. Flawed. Someone whose achievements are real, but whose judgment isn't perfect. That's good storytelling.

So when I wrote that scene between Naruto and Hiruzen, I made sure to show both sides.

Naruto did a lot of things right but also made some reckless calls. Hiruzen had reasons for his decisions even if those reasons didn't always lead to great outcomes.

Now, about Naruto's so-called "terrible life"...

Let's clear some things up.

If you've actually read the manga or watched the canon anime (not filler), Naruto's suffering comes from social ostracization which is awful, but not the same as physical abuse or extreme poverty.

He wasn't kicked out of stores. Filler.

He didn't fish for food or go hungry. Filler.

He didn't live in extreme poverty. He got an orphan stipend. Filler exaggerated it.

His apartment? Pretty decent, especially for a 12-year-old kid living alone. Not a rat hole.

He loves ramen because he loves ramen—not because it was the only thing he could afford.

And the spoiled milk? That wasn't symbolism. He just doesn't check dates like a normal person.

So yeah, a lot of what people call "Naruto's tragic childhood" is more filler and fanon than canon. Canon Naruto had a lonely, emotionally neglected childhood—not an abusive one. And that distinction matters when writing his story honestly.

If you've got questions about anything I mentioned, my writing decisions, or where the story is headed drop them in the comments. I'll answer.

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3 – Naruto Having Access to His Parents' Inheritance

The trope of Naruto being some broke, starving 12-year-old has always baffled me because it's just not canon.

Kishimoto never expanded on Naruto's home life, Minato and Kushina's estate, or even the Uzumaki heritage beyond vague mentions. So naturally, fanfic filled in the blanks… sometimes to absurd degrees.

But if we're aiming for canon consistency, here's my logic:

After the Nine-Tails attack, Konoha was in crisis. A lot of shinobi died. The village was devastated. It makes sense that the village would seize the estates and assets of the deceased—Minato and Kushina included—to rebuild. That's not shady; that's damage control in a war-torn world.

As for Naruto being flat-out broke? No canon evidence supports that. People forget: this kid was buying enough paint to graffiti an entire mountain. Canon never showed Naruto stealing, and there was no implication he was living in squalor. So where'd the money come from?

My answer: a trust fund. Likely a chunk of Minato and Kushina's leftover savings, quietly managed by the village. Naruto probably never even knew it existed.

Minato and Kushina's house being destroyed during the Nine-Tails attack? That tracks perfectly with what we see in canon.

So yeah—that's the direction I've taken here.

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Naruto Learning His Parents' Jutsu

Now, about Naruto accessing his parents' techniques…

Let's be real: I'm not doing the fanfic cliché where Naruto is minato 2.0 or kushina 2.0 with chakra chains or the Flying Thunder God. That's lazy and breaks the fun of fanfics in my opinion.

So here's what I'm going with:

Chakra Chains – Reimagined

Instead of directly copying Kushina's technique, Naruto—thanks to his high INT stat (DS1 crossover bonus) and some guidance from Jiraiya—refines it into something personal: chakra arms.

Think Asura from Hindu mythology or Asura's Wrath.

They're spiritual extensions of himself. Some wield weapons. Some cast jutsu. Others protect allies. Visually stunning, mechanically unique, and emotionally significant. This isn't Naruto copying a legacy. This is him transforming it.

Flying Thunder God – Reworked

No instant teleportation. Not in this world. Not with this Naruto.

Instead, FTG becomes more like a perfect dodge mechanic—a high-speed dash with invincibility frames, like in Bloodborne or Dark Souls. It's brutal, tactical, and it fits how Naruto fights in this crossover.

Again, not handed to him. Earned.

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4 – Jiraiya and Naruto's Talk

We're getting close to their sit-down. I want to ask you guys:

What do you want from this confrontation? Do you want it emotional? Explosive? Quiet and resentful? Should Naruto call Jiraiya out? Should Jiraiya be guilty? Defensive? Broken?

I'm not here to skip emotional payoff with some lazy "life isn't fair, kid, get over it" line.

Because let's be honest, that's one of the worst fanfic tropes out there.

Naruto just found out the most powerful being on the planet was sealed inside him by people he never met. The kid should be allowed to ask questions, to rage, to feel. But every time we're about to get that catharsis, someone—Jiraiya, Anko, Asuma, a random ANBU, hell, even Sasuke sometimes—shows up and tells him to suck it up. "Bad things happen. Get over it."

Except… YES, THEY DO CRY. Sasuke screams about his trauma nonstop. Hiruzen never shuts up about his regrets. Every major villain in Naruto gets a whole arc where they sob and scream about their childhood.

But Naruto? He's supposed to smile and eat ramen and "be grateful." And that's bullshit.

The worst part? Some writers make Naruto say that line. Like he'd ever tell someone who's truly hurting to "get over it." That's not Naruto. He connects with people through empathy and shared pain. He lifts others because he's felt that same emptiness.

He doesn't dismiss pain. He meets it.

So yeah. When Naruto and Jiraiya talk, it won't be brushed off. It's going to be messy. It's going to be real. Because Naruto deserves that moment.

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Let me know your thoughts in the comments. Genuinely. I love reading your theories, reactions, and takes—it fuels the next chapter every time.

That's it… for now.

Thanks so much for the continued support. You make this story something I look forward to every single week.

As always, thanks for reading.

— Adam