Using the Body Flicker Technique to dart through the streets, Shisui followed behind the Third Hokage. He soon realized he was about to overtake the Hokage in speed.
So, he quietly slowed down, falling into formation with the surrounding ANBU to maintain proper order—careful not to do anything that might offend the Third.
Before long, the Third Hokage and his entourage arrived just outside the Uchiha compound.
In a secluded alley, Hayate Gekkō and Yugao Uzuki, tasked with monitoring Naruto, waited anxiously for orders.
If something were to happen to the jinchūriki inside Uchiha territory, the blame would surely fall on them. Their chances of promotion to tokubetsu jōnin would plummet.
While waiting, Hayate grumbled impatiently,
"Usually Naruto keeps to himself and never wanders around. What's up with him today, showing up in Uchiha territory? He must've been influenced by someone—always stirring up trouble."
Unfortunately, his complaint was overheard by the Third Hokage, whose expression subtly shifted upon hearing it.
He was Naruto's legal guardian, after all. If anyone had influenced Naruto the most, it was undoubtedly him…
Yugao quickly noticed the Hokage and signaled with her eyes. Hayate turned, realizing something was wrong. He promptly bowed and said respectfully,
"Lord Third, you're finally here. I was just about to report the situation…"
After hearing their report, the Third Hokage's furrowed brows relaxed, and he let out a quiet breath of relief.
So this really was just a friendly visit between two kids. The Uchiha clan hadn't orchestrated anything sinister. He'd overthought the situation—and come to think of it, it was his own advice that had encouraged Naruto to be more social, prompting him to accept Sasuke's invitation.
In a way, this was all his own doing… The Hokage sighed inwardly.
Just then, with a series of whooshes, over twenty ANBU operatives appeared nearby—direct subordinates of the Hokage.
Seeing his loyal forces assembled gave the Hokage a sense of confidence. He debated whether or not to enter the Uchiha compound to retrieve Naruto.
After brief consideration, the Third Hokage decided against it.
Given the current situation, Naruto hadn't fallen under the Sharingan's control, and the Police Force showed no signs of a coup. Storming in would only increase tensions with the Uchiha.
Even in the unlikely event that he discovered evidence of rebellion inside, it could ultimately harm the village more than help.
On the other hand, letting Naruto visit Sasuke's home could serve as an opportunity to gauge Fugaku Uchiha's attitude—an indirect but useful way of creating dialogue between both sides.
Still, it was a missed opportunity. He should've given Naruto a list of questions to ask in advance—he'd been too careless.
With that, the Third Hokage signaled to his subordinates to lower their guard. Walking over to Shisui, he smiled and said,
"Shisui, forget about joining them for now. Let the kids handle their own affairs."
Shisui wiped the sweat from his forehead and nodded.
Inside the Uchiha compound…
More and more people began noticing Sasuke and Naruto walking through the district, their curious and confused gazes following them.
Why was Captain Fugaku's younger son walking around with the Nine-Tails?
Several Uchiha jōnin even frowned outright, wondering if this was part of some plan by the clan head. They knew Naruto's true identity—that he was the jinchūriki of the Nine-Tails.
And whoever could control the jinchūriki held the power to overturn the entire table.
As the stares around them intensified, neither Sasuke nor Naruto seemed to mind. But inside Naruto, the Nine-Tails grumbled irritably:
"Where the hell are we? Why are there Sharingan eyes everywhere? I don't like this place."
Naruto chuckled.
"This is the Uchiha district, of course it's full of Sharingan."
After a moment's thought, he added,
"But regular Sharingan shouldn't be able to control us, right? I read in a book that tailed beasts can help their jinchūriki break out of genjutsu."
The Nine-Tails snorted, covering his nose.
"Of course regular Sharingan can't control us. But they make me sick. It's like... would you want to eat your lunch in a bathroom?"
That was certainly an unusual analogy...
The fox continued,
"You still haven't answered my question. Why'd you come here? Lately you've been hanging out with that Uchiha brat, and now you're inside the Uchiha stronghold."
Naruto didn't hide anything.
"Didn't I say I wanted to show you what the outside world looks like?"
The Nine-Tails nodded.
"Sure, I remember. But what does that have to do with the Uchiha?"
Naruto explained:
"It has everything to do with them. As the jinchūriki, I can't just openly leave the village. Even if I sneak out, the old man—the Third—will find out. So I need someone else to attract his attention."
"So you're using the Uchiha to distract him?"
"Exactly. The villagers hate me for being the Nine-Tails, but they also hate the Uchiha Police Force. The way things are going, it's only a matter of time before the Police Force and the Third Hokage come to blows. When that happens, it'll be the perfect time for us to leave the village."
The Nine-Tails narrowed his eyes, staring intently at Naruto.
He'd originally been impressed that Naruto even wanted to leave. But to find that Naruto had an actual plan? That was unexpected—even impressive.
While the fox contemplated, Sasuke had already brought Naruto to the front of his home.
Just before entering the courtyard, Naruto said internally,
"Big fox, if someone tries to hit me with genjutsu later, make sure to use chakra to snap me out of it."
"Yeah yeah, kid. Stop bossing me around," the Nine-Tails grumbled, growing increasingly annoyed by all the hassle.
Sasuke's house was huge—far larger than Naruto's tiny rental room. It was a proper, single-family villa with a courtyard, a decorative rock garden, a koi pond, and even a breezy pavilion.
As Sasuke called out, "I'm home," Naruto finally saw Sasuke's parents.
Fugaku Uchiha, Sasuke's father, was a stern-looking middle-aged man—the same man who would one day lead a coup with the Police Force and ultimately die at the hands of his own son.
Mikoto Uchiha, Sasuke's mother, was gentle and kind in appearance.
When she saw her son walk in with a boy who bore a strong resemblance to Minato, she smiled warmly.
"You must be Naruto, Sasuke's friend from school. He talks about you often. Welcome."
Sasuke blushed and mumbled,
"My mom always does this. I barely say anything about school, but she just makes stuff up, totally ignoring how I feel."
Naruto ignored the grumbling and smiled brightly.
"Sasuke talks about you two a lot too. He says his dad is strict but always looking out for him—and his mom is the best mom in the world."
Sasuke turned red and was completely at a loss for words.
(End of Chapter)
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