Sarutobi Hiruzen cleared his throat.
"Ahem, it seems like everyone has gone quiet."
He looked around the room, his expression calm yet carrying a hint of expectation.
"I'm sure many of you are wondering—out of all the people in Konoha, why has no one ever suspected that Naruto is the son of the Fourth Hokage?"
He paused for a moment, letting the question sink in.
"Well, that brings us to the hidden strength of Konoha—the Root Organization. As I mentioned earlier, my original intention was to protect Uzumaki Naruto. Minato had far too many enemies back then, and I had no choice but to make that decision for Naruto's safety."
The Third Hokage shook his head slightly, a troubled look crossing his face.
"Of course, as the Hokage, my responsibilities are vast. I couldn't handle everything personally. So naturally, I handed over the protection of Naruto to my most reliable aide—Danzo."
He turned toward a particular corner of the room.
"Now then, Danzo, would you care to explain how this all came to be, and how exactly you warned the villagers to stay away from Naruto?"
"Danzo? Danzo?"
Hiruzen's voice turned sharp, almost accusatory.
"Why is my most capable right-hand man silent? Is he reflecting on his guilt?"
At that moment, Shimura Danzo was trembling—not from guilt, but from sheer frustration.
Reflect?
Reflect on your sister!
Right now, Danzo was frantically trying to send messages through the system—but the display only showed:
[Mute Penalty In Effect – 1 Hour Remaining]
He was still banned from speaking!
Danzo fumed in silence, fists clenched and expression twisted with rage.
"Alright then, let's see how many more things you want to pin on me today!"
After hearing Hiruzen's explanation—and especially learning that it was Danzo who was responsible—everyone let out a collective sigh of understanding.
Danzo?
Of course it was him!
That guy is always up to no good.
If he dares step outside the village at noon, he better pray someone doesn't "accidentally" take him out!
---
Senju Tobirama, noticing the conversation spiraling off course, clapped his hands.
"Everyone, let's focus. What's the answer to the next quiz question?"
Hatake Kakashi stepped forward.
"I believe in my teacher. He truly embodied the Will of Fire. I also believe in Naruto. My answer is A."
Gaara's expression turned somber.
"Naruto… you wouldn't understand. From the moment we were born, we had no choice. We were made into Jinchūriki without our consent. That pain—it's something you can't imagine. If it were me, I would choose C."
Temari turned to him, concerned.
"Gaara…"
Gaara gave a small nod.
"Don't worry, that was how I used to feel. But I think the Naruto in that alternate world might have experienced something similar to me."
Sakura frowned.
"That's impossible! No matter what, the Fourth Hokage is Naruto's father. How could he think like that?"
Shikamaru folded his arms, analyzing the situation.
"But Naruto doesn't know that at this point."
Chōji chimed in.
"Exactly! Shikamaru's right!"
[Ding!]
[Quiz Complete. Congratulations to Gaara for answering correctly. Reward: Gold Dust Control!]
[Incorrect Answer: Hatake Kakashi. Penalty: -10% Chakra!]
As the system announcement echoed, Kakashi staggered.
He suddenly felt like all his chakra had been drained from his body. His knees weakened, and he nearly collapsed.
The pain of the penalty was worse than being stabbed in the kidney!
But the worst part—
As his chakra continued to drain, there was a looming possibility: would he even be able to use his Sharingan in the future?
Hatake Kakashi, the legendary Copy Ninja—
Might lose his title forever.
On the other hand, Gaara looked down at the sand around him.
No stones.
Only pure, shining gold.
This—this was the Gold Dust technique!
His father, the Fourth Kazekage's signature ability!
Back then, Gaara didn't understand how such a seemingly weak man had become the Kazekage.
But now it made sense.
This was the secret!
No wonder the Sand Village, though barren and poor, still had its higher-ups adorned in gold and silver.
---
Might Guy rushed to Kakashi's side.
"Kakashi, are you alright?"
Even though they were rivals, Might Guy genuinely cared.
Kakashi gave a weak smile.
"I'll live. But I'm afraid I just lost half my strength."
Guy sighed.
"I told you to stop relying on that broken eye of yours. If you trained with me in taijutsu, your body wouldn't be this fragile!"
---
Uchiha Fugaku: "???"
Uchiha Obito: "???"
Uchiha Madara: "What did you just say?"
He looked absolutely ticked off in the Pure Land.
"How dare a mere Jōnin from Konoha talk down to the Uchiha clan! With that pathetic taijutsu of yours, you think you could even scratch me if I just stood here and let you hit me?"
Senju Hashirama interjected.
"Madara! Don't bully the younger generation of Konoha. If you want a fight, come at me!"
Uchiha Madara sneered.
"Hmph… Rin!"
He turned away, visibly annoyed.
Does this musclehead think I don't want to take him down?
If I could, I would've flattened him by now!
Arms folded, he gazed into the distance with a cold smile.
"That Obito brat should be reviving me soon."
"Even without relying on this stupid system, I'll return to the ninja world—and when I do, the Five Great Nations will be erased!"
---
[In the black frame world, Uzumaki Naruto appears quite different from our own Naruto.]
[He listens carefully in class, excels academically, and masters basic techniques like the Clone Jutsu and Transformation Jutsu effortlessly.]
[Because of this, there are always girls around him—just as many as Sasuke!]
[Even more impressive—Naruto in that world is kind and considerate, especially to girls.]
[Whenever someone has a question, he patiently explains everything.]
[Compared to Sasuke's constant cold and aloof attitude, Naruto is much more charming!]
[Even Sakura and Ino have started to develop feelings for him.]
---
Uzumaki Naruto's jaw dropped.
"Damn it, I'm actually starting to envy myself!"
Shikamaru sighed.
"The Naruto in that world is a genius."
Sakura crossed her arms.
"He's not just a genius—he's also a good person. Honestly, he seems more reliable than the Naruto we have here."
Ino added with a shy smile.
"I think I understand why I secretly peeked at Naruto during class in that world…"
---
Kushina beamed with pride.
"I never thought our Naruto could be this popular!"
Minato nodded gently.
"Actually… the Naruto from this world isn't bad either."
Naruto's eyes lit up.
"Wow, Dad! You really think so? I knew it! It's just that nobody has recognized my greatness yet!"
Minato scratched his head, awkwardly.
"Uh, I was just saying that to comfort you. Don't take it too seriously, Naruto."
Naruto's smile froze.
"..."
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