As the black screen faded away, it was replaced with a new scene—one framed by a glowing white border.
It was the Naruto of this world.
> [With the Third Hokage's registration form, Uzumaki Naruto was easily admitted into the Ninja Academy.]
> [Unfortunately, he didn't show any particular talent for ninjutsu.]
> [On the contrary, he seemed born with a gift... for being naughty!]
> [Graffiti on the Hokage Rock, pranking teachers, peeing against the wind...]
> [There was nothing Naruto wouldn't do—if you could imagine it, he'd try it!]
> [That's why Naruto was often surrounded by 'fans'—kids chasing after him, ready to break his legs!]
> [Over the years, Naruto came to know every corner of Konoha Village like the back of his hand.]
> [He genuinely loved life in the village. Everyone there was skilled, friendly…]
---
Little Sakura spoke up confidently, "See? I told you, this Naruto is the Naruto I know!"
Ino pouted, "So it really was you, Naruto! You're the one who kept spray-painting my flower shop door!"
Uzumaki Kushina quickly defended her son, "Our Naruto only did those things to be noticed! He's just a child trying to be accepted!"
Namikaze Minato cleared his throat, "Kushina, I admit Naruto did wrong…"
But deep inside, Minato understood him perfectly.
Naruto had no parents. No one to rely on. He had grown up alone, surrounded by cold stares and whispers. Even when he finally entered school—hoping to make friends—he found only more rejection.
Everyone avoided him.
To them, he wasn't a student—he was a monster.
And yet, despite everything, Naruto didn't give in to hatred.
His graffiti? His pranks?
They were cries for attention.
All he wanted… was for the people of the village to look at him.
To acknowledge that he existed.
Minato felt an overwhelming sorrow wash over him.
He had failed as a father.
Back when the Nine Tails attacked—when the masked man released the beast—Minato hadn't died immediately. He could've lived.
But he chose to use the Reaper Death Seal. Chose to die with Kushina. Chose to make Naruto the hero of the village.
He had truly believed Naruto would be celebrated.
But reality proved otherwise.
He had been a Hokage, but he had not been a good father.
And now, he carried that guilt.
But since Kushina had a chance to be resurrected, Minato vowed that he would strive for the same. When that time came, he would teach Naruto everything he knew.
All his ninjutsu.
All his techniques.
Everything.
But there was another matter he couldn't let go.
Who was that masked man that night?
Only a handful of people knew about the Nine Tails being sealed inside Naruto.
So how did the secret become public?
Had the masked man leaked it?
If so, for what purpose?
Even someone as gentle as Minato felt anger bubble up inside.
The name "Yellow Flash" wasn't earned in peace.
It was earned in a battlefield of blood.
---
The scene continued:
> [As Uzumaki Naruto grew older, he began to meet more and more people.]
> [Unlike others, Nara Shikamaru—born into a prestigious family—didn't avoid Naruto.]
> [Naruto finally had someone to talk to… though not quite a true friend.]
> [With time, the curriculum shifted from reading and writing to chakra control and ninjutsu.]
> [That's when everyone began to notice—Naruto wasn't just loud and mischievous, he was also... terrible at ninjutsu.]
> [He couldn't even refine his chakra properly.]
> [He became the class dunce—the tail-end ninja.]
> [In contrast, a boy named Uchiha Sasuke gradually entered Naruto's field of view.]
> [Sasuke was the second person Naruto paid close attention to, after Haruno Sakura.]
> [Handsome. Talented. From a noble clan. Excellent at ninjutsu.]
> [Sasuke was the ninja world's definition of "tall, rich, and handsome."]
Naturally, Naruto became jealous.
He quietly made Sasuke his rival.
He imagined defeating him—repeatedly—in his daydreams.
In sparring class, he would always pick Sasuke as his opponent.
And under the eyes of their classmates, Naruto boldly raised his fist and charged at Sasuke…
…only to be knocked down in a single blow.
The teacher, Iruka, sighed and called it a draw. The two boys reluctantly performed the reconciliation seal.
Naruto was unwilling to accept the loss—how could it be?!
Sasuke, on the other hand, found the victory meaningless—it wasn't worth beating the class loser.
"You're such an annoying idiot!" Sasuke snapped.
Naruto, angry and humiliated, pointed at him and started yelling insults.
Sasuke, ever calm, just gave a cold smirk, shoved his hands into his pockets, and walked away—leaving a crowd of swooning girls behind.
"Wow! Sasuke is so handsome!"
"I want to date Sasuke!"
Naruto clenched his fists and muttered under his breath, "Hmph, just a bunch of nymphomaniacs…"
---
Among those girls was the one Naruto liked most—Haruno Sakura.
Why did he like her?
Even Naruto couldn't explain it clearly.
Maybe it was because she was cute.
Maybe because she was a top student.
Of course, Sasuke was also a top student—but, unfortunately, he was a boy.
This complicated feeling—both hatred and admiration—was what defined Naruto's relationship with Sasuke.
Catching up to Sakura.
Defeating Sasuke.
These were Naruto's short-term dreams.
---
Then one day, whispers filled the classroom…
"Did you hear? The Uchiha clan was wiped out!"
"Overnight! All of them! Only Sasuke survived!"
"No way! If that really happened, why didn't anyone hear anything?"
"It's because it's a secret! This info's been locked down! Don't tell anyone, okay?"
"My lips are sealed!"
"Good. Anyway… did you tell Lee about the Uchiha?"
And just like that, a tightly guarded secret spread through the entire school—just like how Naruto's identity as the Nine Tails jinchūriki had once been exposed.
Naruto stared at the empty desk beside him—the one that belonged to Sasuke.
It was the first time Sasuke had been absent.
Could the rumors be true?
Naruto slumped onto his desk, feeling oddly hollow.
Iruka didn't scold him. He was just glad Naruto wasn't hanging upside down from the ceiling again.
Naruto turned his head and gazed out the window.
The summer was coming to an end.
The cicadas on the trees were singing their final chorus.
His mind drifted to strange questions.
If summer passed, would a cicada ever survive through winter?
He didn't get very far with the thought… because soon, he was asleep.
---
When Naruto finally woke up, the classroom was empty.
Everyone had gone home.
"What?! Nobody even woke me up?"
He stretched, laced his hands behind his head, and walked out slowly.
There was no one waiting for him at home anyway.
No rush.
"Ramen tonight sounds good… Uncle Ichiraku is the only one in this village who never turns me down."
"I'll go a bit later, don't want to affect his business…"
He walked until he reached the village's riverbank.
There was a small bridge.
And there—sitting silently—was Uchiha Sasuke.
Naruto paused.
Looking at Sasuke's back… he suddenly saw himself.
Eating alone.
Fishing alone.
Swinging alone.
Sleeping alone.
Naruto suddenly had an urge to go talk to him.
He wasn't sure what he'd say—but he wanted to say something.
He took one step forward—then froze.
He remembered Sasuke's scornful smirk.
Naruto frowned.
"Hmph. I don't want to be friends with you anyway!"
At that very moment, Sasuke turned his head—and saw Naruto staring.
Naruto forced a smirk.
Sasuke snorted coldly in return, as if saying, "I couldn't care less about you."
"…Forget it. I'll go home and eat my instant noodles," Naruto muttered, turning away.
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