Seeing Naruto's calm and carefree demeanor, Kakashi couldn't help but feel that it was unfair to him.
From the moment Naruto was born, he had never done anything wrong. He was like a ray of sunshine in the village, warming both the villagers and his comrades. In the future, he would undoubtedly become one of Konoha's pillars.
Was it really so excessive for such a bright and cheerful boy to want to know about his own origins? Or was it that the Third Hokage was too afraid of public backlash, deliberately concealing Naruto's identity so that the truth would remain hidden forever?
Sasuke could empathize with Naruto, though he was not as composed about it.
Naruto had lost his parents, but he had never experienced parental love and had no idea who his enemies were. He was free to live his life however he wanted.
Sasuke, on the other hand, had witnessed his parents being murdered and knew exactly who his enemy was. Ever since that night, the night the Uchiha were massacred, he had lost count of how many times he had woken up from nightmares, haunted by the blood-red moon illuminating that night of madness.
All he wanted now was to grow stronger as quickly as possible and take revenge on that man.
With this in mind, Sasuke couldn't hold back his frustration. "Naruto, how can the Third Hokage go back on his promise to you? Let's go find him together and ask about that man while we're at it."
Naruto shook his head and said to Sasuke, "Forget it, Sasuke. Even if we go to the Hokage's office, it'll be a waste of time. Instead, we should focus on training and graduating as soon as possible."
Naruto looked at Sasuke before narrowing his eyes, "You've always wanted to defeat your brother, haven't you? He's stronger than even Kakashi-sensei…"
Hearing this, Sasuke fell silent. Without another word, he picked up his training gear and began his daily exercises. Of course, he knew he wasn't a match for Itachi yet. He knew he needed to become stronger. But he was afraid. Afraid that he might grow too comfortable in this peaceful environment and forget his hatred.
What Sasuke and Kakashi didn't realize was that Naruto's heart wasn't as calm as it seemed. He had already learned the truth about his origins. Hearing Kakashi's report only deepened his disappointment in the Third Hokage.
Naruto has read Konoha's history books and understood both the achievements and failures of its past Hokage.
Before his father, the Fourth Hokage, had taken office, the Third Hokage had been a decent leader. But after the Nine-Tails attack, he had never done anything noteworthy again.
During the war with Kumogakure, Konoha had barely won, relying on the Uchiha and Amegakure's assistance. And yet, after the war, the Uchiha received no benefits. Instead, the Third Hokage targeted them even more harshly, ultimately leading to the Uchiha Massacre, which left Sasuke as the sole survivor of his clan.
Although Itachi was the one who carried out the massacre, he was not the one who benefited most from it.
That honor belonged to the Third Hokage and a certain man who wielded Hokage-level power without the title, the leader of Root.
This series of events left Naruto deeply disillusioned. He no longer believed that the Third Hokage deserved to remain in power. And in the village's history over the past decade, Naruto kept coming across one familiar name.
Byakuya, also known as Byakuya Uzumaki.
He was a jonin from Amegakure who had once visited Konoha alongside Yahiko, the current leader of the Rain, and had developed a strong friendship with Naruto's parents.
During the war against Kumogakure, Byakuya, fighting as an ally, had put on an extraordinary display. He had fought the Fourth Raikage, a Kage-level shinobi, to a standstill. He was undoubtedly the most brilliant fighter in that battle.
If Naruto ever wanted to make a move within the village, perhaps he would need to establish contact with Byakuya.
But how?
He was just a small fry who hadn't even graduated from the Academy. How could he possibly get in touch with such a powerful figure? Would the Third Hokage even allow him to leave the village?
Pushing these thoughts aside, Naruto emptied his mind and threw himself into training. He might not be able to leave the village, but that didn't mean Black Zetsu couldn't. That old relic from the Warring States period possessed plenty of lost and forbidden jutsu.
---
A few hours later, Sasuke left the training ground, drenched in sweat. Thinking back to his sparring match with Naruto, his expression darkened with frustration.
He had lost to Naruto again.
If he couldn't even defeat Naruto, how was he supposed to defeat Itachi? When he got home, he would have to train in secret. That was the only way to surpass Naruto.
Soon, Sasuke arrived at his residence. Despite the grand size of his family estate, he felt no joy. Instead, he was overwhelmed by a sense of emptiness.
There was no one else here. In fact, he was the only Uchiha left in the entire district.
Sometimes, it felt like none of this was real, that he had never woken up after returning to the village that night, trapped in an endless nightmare.
Shaking off his wandering thoughts, Sasuke ran a hot bath, intending to train again after washing up.
Just then, he noticed something unusual.
A scroll had appeared on his dust-covered dining table. On its surface was a clearly visible fan crest, the emblem of the Uchiha. Sasuke glanced around before discreetly hiding the scroll, his mind racing with questions.
Where had this scroll come from? Had the people watching him noticed it? Did it contain the information he desperately sought?
Sasuke knew he was being watched. Ever since he started learning counter-surveillance techniques, he had been aware of it.
And he had a good idea who was behind it.
It had to be the Third Hokage's men. Only he would have Sasuke monitored at all times, supposedly for his "safety" as the last Uchiha.
Without wasting time, Sasuke slipped into the bathroom and unsealed the scroll. There were no intelligence reports inside. Instead, it contained several high-level Fire Release jutsu, as well as instructions on using the Sharingan and its secret techniques.
But even this much was enough to put Sasuke on high alert.
After the massacre, all the clan's advanced Fire Release scrolls had disappeared, let alone secret techniques related to the Sharingan.
Who had sent this to him? And how did they know he had awakened his Sharingan?
Sasuke reread the scroll multiple times before finally finding a few handwritten notes at the end.
They were simple instructions: train diligently, greet people more often, and so on.
Sasuke frowned. It had been a long time since he had heard such caring words.
Was it from Kakashi?
That actually seemed like something Kakashi would do. Fine. He would accept the scroll and use it to grow stronger.
---
Unbeknownst to Sasuke, two figures hidden in the shadows exchanged whispers. They were none other than members of Root under Shisui's command. And more importantly, they were Sasuke's parents, Fugaku Uchiha and Mikoto Uchiha.
This wasn't the first day they had been watching over him. It was a mission assigned to them by Shisui, one of the rewards for their loyalty.
For them, monitoring Sasuke was more of a blessing than a burden. It allowed them to watch over him up close.
The only downside was that they could never reveal their identities. That wasn't too difficult for Fugaku. But for Mikoto, it was agonizing.
Seeing Sasuke all alone always broke her heart.
"Fugaku, do you think Sasuke will be able to master those jutsu?"
Fugaku crossed his arms and replied, "Sasuke's talent doesn't compare to Itachi's, but he should be able to handle those jutsus. Haven't you seen how hard he's been training to take revenge on Itachi?"
Mikoto's face stiffened at those words. "But… what if Sasuke becomes too strong? What if he actually kills Itachi?"
Fugaku let out a soft sigh and said, "This was Itachi's own choice. If he ends up being killed by Sasuke, then he has only himself to blame. We should refrain from interfering too much, after all, we are already dead. Besides, even if we wanted to intervene, Shisui wouldn't allow it."
After the mentioning of Shisui, his face turned grim.
"The Shisui of today is no longer the young genius jonin who once spoke endlessly about the village. He's now the cold and ruthless leader of Root."
Hearing this, Mikoto sighed and said, "I don't even know when Shisui and Itachi started changing like this. They used to be such good friends, but now they're at each other's throats. Even we and Sasuke have become mere pawns in their game."
A tear formed in Mikoto's eye, "Perhaps it's because of their differing ideologies…"
Fugaku mused, "Back in the day, the First Hokage and Madara Uchiha were also close friends, but when their beliefs clashed, they fought to the death at the Valley of the End. I believe that deep down, they still considered each other friends. But when the time came, they wouldn't hesitate to kill one another."
After a brief moment of reflection, Fugaku continued, "Mikoto, let's get back to our mission. While Sasuke sleeps, we need to ensure he remains safe from harm… and also prepare our mission report."
---
After discussing the research direction of the Cursed Seal with Orochimaru, Byakuya stepped out of the laboratory.
There was no doubt that the ultimate form of the Cursed Seal was Sage Mode. In the original timeline, Orochimaru had succeeded in creating an artificial sage body, allowing Mitsuki to master Sage Mode from birth. However, Mitsuki's success was similar to Yamato's, it was achieved through transplantation. In fact, Mitsuki was essentially a synthetic human.
This method of artificially cloning Bloodline Limit became widespread in the post-Fourth Shinobi War era, but it also introduced numerous ethical dilemmas. For instance, were synthetic humans mere tools, or were they true shinobi? And what were the moral implications of such creations?
Though these issues had yet to surface, they needed to be preemptively addressed to prevent any major crises in the future.
Leaving the laboratory, Byakuya received a piece of intelligence. As if recalling something, he turned and walked toward another underground facility, Akane's lab, which focused on medical ninjutsu research and development.
After greeting Akane, Byakuya stepped into the deepest chamber of the lab.
(AN: In case anyone forget, Akane is Karin's mother.)
Inside, a patient was being held.
It was none other than the previous Nine-Tails Jinchūriki, Kushina Uzumaki.
Thanks to Akane's care, Kushina's health was in good condition.
However, due to being deprived of sunlight for so long, her skin had become pale, and her complexion wasn't great.
Upon hearing footsteps in the corridor, Kushina sensed Byakuya's arrival and spoke with clear irritation, "Byakuya, what brings you here today? Are you here to check in on your 'prisoner'?"
Byakuya stared at Kushina and smiled, "Kushina-nee, you're joking. I've never restricted your freedom. I only kept you in the lab out of concern for your health. If it weren't for Akane taking care of you, you'd be dead by now."
"Being stuck in this tiny room is no different from being dead…" Kushina snapped back. For someone as outgoing as her, being confined here was no different from imprisonment.
Hearing this, Byakuya calmly responded, "Haven't you already grown accustomed to this? Back in Konoha, when you were the Jinchūriki, weren't you also locked away and monitored at all times?"
Kushina's expression darkened, and she frowned. "Byakuya, what do you really want? So much time has passed, are you still holding a grudge against Konoha?"
"I don't hold a grudge against Konoha. In fact, I've saved many Konoha shinobi."
After a brief pause, Byakuya continued, "I came today because I just received some news, the war between Iwagakure and Konoha has ended. Naruto won't have to go to the battlefield."
"...Naruto…"
At the mention of Naruto's name, Kushina could no longer maintain her composure.
"Again with Naruto. If you're not going to let me go, why do you keep bringing him up? What exactly are you trying to do?"
Byakuya thought for a moment, then said, "It's simple. I want revenge on the Konoha higher-ups who issued those orders back then. I want them to suffer. I want them to regret their betrayal. As an Uzumaki yourself, you should understand. If Konoha hadn't broken its alliance, Uzushiogakure would never have been destroyed.
Oh, and you probably don't know this yet, Hiruzen still hasn't revealed Naruto's true identity. He's still hiding it from him, not wanting Naruto to know that you and Minato were his parents."
Upon learning of Byakuya's true goal, Kushina visibly calmed down. "So you want revenge on Konoha's higher-ups… But what does that have to do with Naruto? With your strength, you could assassinate the Third Hokage anytime. Why are you trying to use Naruto?"
"It's simple, because I am not a Konoha shinobi. Therefore, I will not act against Konoha myself."
Pausing for a moment, Byakuya continued, "Our Uzumaki clan was betrayed back then. Now, it's only fair that Hiruzen Sarutobi experiences betrayal himself. Letting the very ninja he raised shatter his dreams is the only way to make up for what was done to the Uzumaki.
And Naruto is the perfect candidate. He's the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki, another Minato Namikaze. If even Naruto turns against them, they will truly know despair. And you… are the best bargaining chip I have to control Naruto."
Kushina was momentarily stunned. Then, she let out a cold laugh. "You're not even trying to hide your plan? You're just laying it all out in front of me? Aren't you afraid I'll tell Naruto everything?"
Byakuya smiled and replied, "I'm not worried about you betraying me, nor will I harm you. Because in my plan, Naruto will be the next Hokage."
He looked her in the eyes. "Kushina-nee, will you really refuse to let Naruto become the next Hokage?"