Chapter Text
It had been a week since the Mizuki incident. In that time, Naruto had started training with his new power pole. Remarkably, he had grown used to it within two days—thanks to his prior experience handling various weapons like katanas, tantos, and bo staffs. Ever since he became a genin, his parents—Minato and Kushina—had also begun his elemental training in wind and water within his mindscape.
He created hundreds of clones, dividing them into groups: some worked on slicing leaves with chakra for wind manipulation, while others practiced removing water from a damp cloth—an advanced chakra control exercise Kushina had insisted on. With his clone army helping, he mastered both techniques quickly. Meanwhile, the real Naruto focused on improving his physical speed and strength.
"Sochi, remember this from now on—you're a genin. Be on guard and don't spend money on useless things," Kushina said firmly.
"I already know, Kaa-san. I've been earning money on my own for a year now," Naruto replied.
Suddenly, the atmosphere dropped in temperature.
Naruto turned to see Kushina's hair rising in the air, glowing with chakra like the Nine Tails itself.
"I am your mother," she said, eyes narrowing. "It's my duty to say it, and your responsibility to listen!"
Naruto froze in fear. He had accidentally angered his mother—and that was never a good thing.
Off to the side, Minato watched silently. He knew better than to interrupt an angry Kushina.
Trying to change the subject, Naruto nervously said, "Kaa-san… has anyone ever told you that your hair is really beautiful?"
Kushina's expression instantly softened. "Really?"
"Yup," Naruto said, nodding.
"Well, other than your father, you're the only one who's ever said that. You know... I used to hate my red hair. I was bullied a lot because of it."
Minato interjected, "Yeah, and anyone who did that ended up beaten to within an inch of their life."
Kushina gave him a quick glare before continuing. "But your father… he said he liked my hair."
"You know," Naruto said, "I kinda wish I had red hair like yours."
Immediately, dark clouds formed over Minato's head.
"So... you don't like my blonde hair?" he asked dramatically.
"No, no!" Naruto said quickly. "I've got your spiky hair already, Tou-san. I just thought it'd be cool if I had Kaa-san's red color too—then I'd have both your styles!"
A moment passed, and then Naruto grew more serious.
"Tou-san… why did Hiruzen remove the Uzumaki Clan's history from the Academy curriculum? It's like Konoha just erased them. I mean, the clan may be gone, but that's no reason to act like they never existed. We even had to memorize pointless trivia about the First Hokage—like what he ate or how he slept."
Minato frowned slightly. "What? I don't know why Hiruzen removed the Uzumaki clan's history or their connection to Konoha. But… yeah, it is strange. What value is there in knowing how the Shodaime snored?"
"That's what I'm saying!" Naruto said, a little frustrated. "And another thing—it's unfair that students who fail the clone jutsu automatically get held back. What about kids with talent in taijutsu, or infiltration, or interrogation?"
"Well… any ninja sent on a mission needs to be able to do the basics," Minato explained. "Even those specialized in other fields have to meet a minimum standard."
"I get that, but what about the ones who stay in the village—like interrogators or analysts? Couldn't they just be trained directly in their specialties?" Naruto asked.
Minato thought for a moment, then nodded. "You're not wrong. But it's not just our village. All the major hidden villages follow similar standards."
Naruto's eyes narrowed slightly. "Tou-san… do you know who Danzo is?"
Minato's expression turned serious. "Yes. He was Hiruzen's teammate, trained under the Nidaime Hokage. Why?"
"He's the one who leaked my jinchuriki status to the village," Naruto said darkly. "Even though it was supposed to be an S-rank secret. Hiruzen himself said that leaking it was an act of treason—but Danzo was never even put on trial."
Minato's eyes widened. "What? But… most villages keep their jinchuriki identities strictly confidential."
Naruto clenched his fists. "Danzo wanted to use me as a mindless weapon—his personal tool."
"What?!" Kushina roared. Her chakra flared, her hair writhing. "That one-eyed bastard dared to lay his filthy plans on my son?!"
Minato placed a calming hand on her shoulder. "Kushina, calm down. But yes, Naruto—Danzo is… dangerous. Immoral. He operates in the shadows and leaves no evidence. He believes emotions are a weakness, and that shinobi should exist only to serve the village and its goals. He relishes war over peace."
"So… he'd betray Konoha if it didn't follow his ideals?" Naruto asked.
Minato shook his head. "It's the reverse. He's too loyal—twistedly so. He'd sacrifice anyone or anything to keep Konoha on top. And yes… his dream has always been to become Hokage. He sees Hiruzen as soft, and me as… incompetent."
Naruto frowned. "But what would he even gain by becoming Hokage? He's old—same age as Hiruzen. Even if he ruled, it would only be for five or ten years. What's the point?"
Minato's voice dropped. "That's the danger. If he ever became Hokage, he'd immediately push for war with the other nations. He has his own secret Anbu faction—Root—trained to obey only him. If Danzo ever took power… it would mark the beginning of an era of darkness."
"What? How could Danzo have his own ANBU without the Hokage knowing?" Naruto asked, eyes wide.
Minato sighed, his expression dark. "Root was originally formed during the Second Shinobi War. It was meant to be a more efficient and ruthless ANBU division under Danzo's leadership. But after the war, Hiruzen ordered it to be disbanded."
"And?"
"He ignored that order," Minato continued grimly. "Danzo kept running Root in secret—operating from the shadows. When I became Hokage, I was planning to investigate him. But… then the Kyūbi attack happened. Everything changed."
"So basically, he's been acting like a Hokage from the shadows, and no one condemned him for treason?" Naruto asked, incredulous.
"There was never enough proof," Minato said. "Danzo is careful—too careful. No one knows the locations of his Root bases. He personally trains Root operatives, starting by breaking their minds, erasing all emotion, and making them loyal to him alone."
"If he ordered them to kill the Hokage, they'd do it—without question."
Kushina stepped forward, her eyes blazing. "That's why I want you to stay far away from him. Never let him get close to you, Naruto."
"I get it, Kaa-san. I'll be careful," Naruto replied seriously. "But still… he shouldn't get away with all of this."
"You're right," Minato said with a nod. "But until we have solid evidence, we can't move against him openly. He's like a snake—strike too soon, and he'll vanish underground."
"Then why shouldn't I try to find the evidence?" Naruto asked, his voice firm.
A silence fell. Both Minato and Kushina exchanged a look but said nothing.
"Come on," Naruto continued. "I've been taught all these shinobi skills—what's the point if I can't use them? I already snuck into ANBU Headquarters and painted the walls without getting caught. And that was before I had any real training in espionage or stealth."
He paused for effect, then added, "I'm not saying I'll just run off recklessly. I'll plan it out. First, we need to find out where Danzo lives, where his bases are. Then we can start thinking about infiltration—quietly, carefully."
Minato and Kushina remained silent, clearly contemplating his words.
"I have a plan," Naruto said finally.
He began to explain it. When he was done, Minato and Kushina shared another glance, then slowly nodded.
"It might work," Minato said cautiously. "But be careful."
Kushina, trying to lighten the mood, changed the subject. "So, Naruto… how's Sasuke doing?"
Naruto scratched his head. "Still brooding. He's got that classic emo glare. But ever since I started improving my skills, he looks at me with this mix of jealousy and anger. I guess… I might've surpassed him."
"He's obsessed with revenge," Minato said quietly. "All he cares about is finding his brother."
Kushina frowned. "I still can't believe it. Itachi? Killing his own clan? That boy was always so calm… kind. A pacifist. He wasn't the type to kill unnecessarily."
"I heard ANBU messed with his head," Naruto said. "Pushed him past his limits."
"But then, why leave Sasuke alive?" Kushina asked.
"I don't know," Naruto replied. "Maybe he couldn't go through with it. Or maybe someone stopped him before he could…"
Kushina's expression softened. "Poor Sasuke… Seeing his entire clan wiped out by his own brother… it's too cruel."
Minato was pondering about it but said nothing.
The Next Day
Naruto made his way through the village streets, a rare and genuine smile lighting up his face. Today marked his official registration as a shinobi, and despite the turmoil of recent days, he allowed himself a moment of pride.
At the photo studio, he sat up straight and gave a bright, confident grin for the camera. The flash went off, and he took the photo, then walked briskly to the registration office.
Inside, Iruka, the Third Hokage Hiruzen, and a record manager were handling the paperwork for the new genin.
"Ah, there you are, Naruto," Hiruzen greeted him with a small smile. "I've recorded your role in capturing Mizuki as an A-rank mission. You'll receive the payment accordingly."
Naruto nodded without a word, his expression neutral now. The warmth from earlier had faded.
Everyone in the room could sense the tension. It was subtle, but unmistakable.
Naruto quickly filled out the required forms. Once finished, Hiruzen turned to Iruka and the record keeper.
"Please leave us," he said quietly.
They glanced at each other, then nodded and exited the room without question.
Hiruzen waited a moment before speaking. "Naruto… are you alright?"
Naruto didn't answer.
"I need you to understand," Hiruzen said gently. "Everything I did, I believed it was for your own good. But I admit… none of it went the way I planned."
Naruto looked up slowly, his eyes no longer boyish—they held something sharper, colder.
"So you meant to keep me in the dark for as long as possible," he said, voice calm but laced with accusation. "And now you expect me to act like none of it ever happened? After you betrayed me?"
Hiruzen looked taken aback. "Naruto… I never meant to betray you. Please, try to understand—"
Naruto let out a quiet scoff, the sarcasm thick in his voice.
"Yeah, well, people don't understand when they're lied to and kept in the dark. Over. And over. Again."
The silence that followed was heavy.
Hiruzen didn't respond right away—because he had no easy answer.
Suddenly, the doors to the room burst open with a loud BANG.
"Jiji! Today, I'm going to defeat you and take the hat!" came the high-pitched voice of a child.
Hiruzen let out a long sigh.
A small boy came charging into the room, a blue scarf trailing behind him—only to trip over it and faceplant with an audible oof.
He scrambled to his feet, rubbing his nose, then turned to Naruto with a glare.
"Hey! You tripped me! You're just scared I'll beat him and become Hokage before you!" he shouted.
Naruto raised an eyebrow and smirked. "Oh really? Why would I be afraid of a future Hokage who trips on his own scarf?"
The boy's face turned bright red with embarrassment. "Liar!" he yelled.
Naruto leaned casually against the desk. "Who are you, anyway?"
The boy stood up straight, puffing out his chest. "I'm Konohamaru Sarutobi! The future Hokage!"
Just then, an adult with dark glasses and a Chūnin vest burst into the room.
"Honorable Grandson! Are you alright?" the man gasped, rushing to Konohamaru's side.
Then he pointed accusingly at Naruto. "You! What did you do to him?!"
Naruto muttered under his breath, "Stupid people… no wonder the kid's like that."
"Hey! Who are you calling stupid?" both the man and Konohamaru shouted in unison.
Konohamaru stepped forward dramatically. "Do you even know who I am?!"
Naruto smirked again. "Wow… you really don't know who you are? That's... really sad. You should go see Inoichi—maybe he can help you remember."
Hiruzen sighed again, rubbing his temples. "This is going to be a long day."
Konomaru's face turned red with embarrassment. "You…! Do you know who my grandfather is? I'm the grandson of the Hokage!" he shouted.
Naruto was amused by his antics — it was like watching his younger self.
"Really, I don't care if your grandma is the Hokage," he said with a smirk, then gave Konohamaru a bonk on the head.
"Ouch!" Konohamaru exclaimed, rubbing his head. "Hey! You dare to hit me?!"
"You—how dare you!" the tall man, Ebisu, hissed, raising his hand to strike Naruto.
"Ebisu, that's enough!" Hiruzen commanded, his voice firm.
There was a puff of smoke, and suddenly a young girl with blonde pigtails appeared in front of them, wearing a costume that barely covered her—striking a pose with a seductive look on her face.
The sight made both Hiruzen and Ebisu's noses start to spurt blood like geysers. The man collapsed to the floor, twitching.
Konohamaru stared wide-eyed in awe. "Wow! How did you do that?!"
Naruto chuckled, his arms crossed. "He's a pervert. He fell for it."
Konohamaru blinked, still impressed. "That's awesome!"
Hiruzen rose to his feet, looking slightly flustered but trying to maintain composure. "I think my work here is done…"
Naruto stood up straight. "Yeah, and I'm done here too." With a quick nod, he turned and walked out of the room, the door closing behind him.
While walking back to his house, Naruto heard someone calling his name. He turned to see Konohamaru running toward him, a determined look on his face.
"Hey, you! What's your name?" Konohamaru asked, catching up to Naruto.
"I'm Naruto Uzumaki, the future Hokage," Naruto replied, giving him a confident grin.
"No way! I'm gonna be the next Hokage!" Konohamaru declared, his chest puffed out with pride.
Naruto raised an eyebrow, looking him up and down. "Well, you need to surpass me for that."
Konohamaru's eyes lit up. "I will! But for that, you need to train me!"
Naruto snorted. "Sorry, kid. I'll be way too busy to train you. Don't you have that Ebisu guy who literally clings to you like a koala?"
Konohamaru grimaced. "But he's not awesome like you! Please teach me, Naruto! I'll do whatever you say!" He made the classic puppy-eyed jutsu, staring up at Naruto with pleading eyes. "I won't disturb you, I promise!"
Naruto paused, considering it for a moment before asking, "Why are you asking me? We both have the same goal—to become Hokage. Shouldn't you be training yourself for that?"
Konohamaru nodded vigorously. "That's exactly why! Because we have the same goal! I need you to train me!"
Naruto stared at him, eyes narrowing. "Isn't that a little childish?"
"Whatever," Konohamaru said, shrugging it off. "Just teach me!"
Naruto sighed, a little exasperated. "Alright, first things first. Do you know how to access your chakra?"
Konohamaru nodded confidently. "Yeah, I can do that."
"Did you practice the leaf balancing exercise?" Naruto asked, crossing his arms.
Konohamaru's face dropped. "No… Ebisu-sensei said he knows a shortcut to make me Hokage in no time."
Naruto's eyes flared with anger. "A shortcut? That guy is just manipulating you. If he knows some magical shortcut, why isn't he Hokage already?"
Konohamaru was taken aback by Naruto's sudden intensity. "W-What do you mean?"
Naruto's voice grew sharp. "He's just filling your head with lies to keep you under his control. If there was a shortcut to becoming Hokage, don't you think everyone would've taken it by now?"
Konohamaru's face grew serious, realizing for the first time.
Naruto picked up a leaf from the ground and held it out in front of Konohamaru.
"Okay, here's how it's done," Naruto began, showing him the technique. "You need to balance the leaf on your forehead using your chakra, like this." He placed the leaf on his own forehead, holding it steady with ease. "See? Just like this."
Konohamaru watched intently, his eyes wide. "Like this...?"
"Yep. When you master this, you need to make sure you can do it subconsciously, even when you're talking to others. The leaf shouldn't fall off," Naruto explained.
He closed his eyes for a moment, then continued. "Once you've got that, you need to rotate it over your body. Do it so naturally that you don't even think about it."
Naruto started to demonstrate, and soon multiple leaves were hovering around his body, spinning and rotating. Some were balanced on his fingertips, while others danced in the air around him.
Konohamaru watched, mouth agape in awe. "Whoa… that's amazing."
"Once you're able to do that," Naruto said, his tone a little more serious, "you'll need to balance multiple leaves on your fingertips—again, subconsciously. When you can do all of this, then come find me. Don't skip any steps."
As Naruto spoke, the leaves continued to spin, rotate, and balance effortlessly around him. He wasn't even looking at them anymore. His chakra control was so refined that it seemed almost like second nature.
Konohamaru blinked, still struggling to process. "But... what's the point of all this? Why do we need to balance leaves?"
"Chakra control," Naruto replied, turning his gaze toward the horizon for a brief moment. "You need extreme chakra control. This will help you master the basics of chakra manipulation. When you get good enough, you'll be able to do things you couldn't even dream of. I'll explain more later, but first, master this."
With that, Naruto turned and walked off, leaving Konohamaru to practice on his own. Just before leaving the clearing, Naruto glanced around, seemingly in a random direction, but Konohamaru could swear he knew someone was watching.
Hiruzen sat in the quiet of his office, his gaze fixed on the crystal ball before him. He watched Naruto's training session with Konohamaru, noting how effortlessly the young shinobi balanced multiple leaves in the air, his chakra control appearing almost flawless.
"It seems he's taken the leaf balancing to an extreme level," Hiruzen murmured to himself. His eyes softened with a hint of admiration. "Maybe it's a good thing... He's training seriously, and he's made Konohamaru train seriously, too."
A slow, thoughtful frown formed on his face as he continued to observe. His attention shifted slightly when he noticed something unusual. As Naruto demonstrated his technique, he suddenly glanced in a random direction, his eyes sharp and knowing.
Hiruzen's heart skipped a beat. Does he know I'm watching him?
The thought nagged at him, but it was quickly replaced by a deeper curiosity. He had always expected Naruto to be clever, but this level of awareness, of intuition, seemed to indicate something more—something that went beyond simple training.
Hiruzen leaned back in his chair, his fingers steepling in front of him. "The way he's growing... It's not just in strength. It's in wisdom, too. He's becoming something more than I ever imagined."
He exhaled slowly, gazing at the image of Naruto still in the crystal ball. "This will be interesting."
He watched Naruto for a moment longer before his thoughts shifted inward, filled with quiet regret.
"I hope you will forgive me, Naruto, he thought, a heavy sigh escaping his lips. I see you as my own grandson… but perhaps I should have told you sooner. Maybe I should have shared the truth when you first entered the Academy—or when you graduated. Instead, you learned it from someone who despises you."
His chest tightened, and he closed his eyes briefly. "I've always known the burden you carry—the loneliness, the anger—but I never once considered how much pain I've caused you by keeping my silence."
The Hokage looked down at his desk, the weight of the years pressing down on him. He had always thought he could protect the village, guide the young generation... but Naruto had slipped through the cracks. The boy had suffered in ways Hiruzen could never fully understand, and he had failed to offer him the support he deserved.
"I'm too slow..." Hiruzen thought bitterly, clenching his fists. "I failed to protect someone who needed me most."
For a long moment, he was silent. The burden of leadership, the years of decisions, and the quiet guilt weighed heavily on him. Naruto had grown stronger, yes—but so had his pain, and Hiruzen had been too late in offering him the help he needed.
With Naruto
In the quiet stillness of the system interference space.
Minato's voice was calm but filled with concern. "Naruto… can you tell us why you're angry at Hiruzen?"
Naruto exhaled slowly, lowering his gaze.
"It's not that I'm angry," he said. "I just… I don't know how to feel. A part of me wants to say it's fine — that he did what he thought was best. But another part of me... feels disappointed."
He looked up, his voice laced with lingering hurt.
"I asked him so many times… why the village hates me. Every time, he just said, 'People fear what they don't understand.' He told me he didn't want to burden me with the truth. But the thing is… I was already carrying that burden. Every day."
He clenched his fists.
"He could've told me about the Kyūbi… about what I really was. But he didn't. And what made me really angry was the day Mizuki tried to frame me. I asked Hiruzen about you two… and he told me it was irrelevant."
Naruto's voice dropped, bitter. "That… hurt more than anything."
Minato and Kushina exchanged a glance, then turned back to their son with soft expressions.
Minato nodded slowly. "Your feelings are valid, Naruto. It's not wrong to feel the way you do."
"But," Kushina added gently, "I don't think you should carry that anger for too long. Hiruzen has his flaws — everyone does. But he's one of the kindest man I've ever known."
Naruto opened his mouth to argue, but Minato raised a hand.
"Wait — let us finish," he said calmly.
"As for why he didn't tell you about us…" Minato looked him in the eye. "That was our decision. We asked him not to reveal anything until you were strong enough to defend yourself. We have enemies, Naruto — dangerous ones. Knowing about us too soon could've put your life in even more danger."
Naruto fell silent, taking in their words. He looked down, the emotions swirling inside him slowly settling into something quieter — not acceptance yet, but maybe the beginning of understanding.
Naruto remained silent, their words echoing in his mind.
Then, slowly, memories began to surface — fragments of a childhood filled with loneliness… and a single constant.
He remembered how, when no one else was there for him, Hiruzen was.
Even though the old man had kept secrets… he had never shown hatred.
When the villagers looked at Naruto with fear and disgust, Hiruzen looked at him with quiet compassion.
Naruto recalled the warm smile, the kind words, the times the Third Hokage would visit him with a gentle hand on his shoulder, asking how he was doing — not as a jinchūriki, but as a child.
And then there was that one moment — one he had nearly forgotten.
The day he declared, "I'm gonna be Hokage someday!"
People had laughed. Called him delusional. Even the academy instructors dismissed it.
But not Hiruzen.
The old man had simply smiled and said, "Then you better work hard, Naruto. A Hokage must earn the trust of the people — and their love."
That memory struck deep.
Naruto clenched his fists — not in anger now, but in realization.
"…He believed in me," Naruto whispered. "When no one else did… he actually believed in me."
Minato and Kushina watched their son quietly, proud smiles tugging at their lips.
Then Naruto looked up, a familiar mischievous glint in his eyes.
"Well… I've got an idea," he said, smirking. "How about we play a little prank on him?"
At that, Kushina's eyes lit up with excitement. "Ooooh, I'm listening," she said eagerly, leaning forward like a child about to hear a juicy secret. "What is it?"
Naruto leaned in and whispered his plan.
Kushina burst into giggles, unable to hold it in — laughing like a little girl caught sneaking cookies before dinner. "Oh my god, that's perfect!" she said between laughs. "He'll never see it coming!"
Minato chuckled softly, shaking his head. "You two are so alike, it's kind of terrifying."
Kushina grinned. "Terror runs in the family!"
Later that day, all the jōnin instructors assigned to lead genin teams gathered in the Hokage's office — all except one.
After reading out the team placements, Hiruzen looked up from the scroll.
"Is everyone satisfied with their assigned teams?"
The jōnin nodded in quiet agreement.
"Very well," Hiruzen said, rolling up the scroll. "You're dismissed."
One by one, they filed out, the room gradually falling silent.
A few moments later, the door creaked open again.
Kakashi Hatake stepped in, hands in his pockets, his signature slouch in full display.
"You're late," Hiruzen said, his tone flat.
"Sorry," Kakashi replied, scratching the back of his head beneath his silver hair. "I got lost on the road of life."
Hiruzen sighed, more tired than annoyed. He knew Kakashi well enough not to press it.
"You've been assigned Team 7: Naruto Uzumaki, Sakura Haruno, and Sasuke Uchiha."
For a moment, there was silence. The smile under Kakashi's mask faded. His lone visible eye sharpened — the lazy air around him evaporating.
"Lord Hokage…" Kakashi said quietly. "I don't want to take Naruto."
The End
Status Window – Legacy System
Name: Naruto Namikaze Uzumaki
Status: Civilian
Chakra Level: Near Infinite
Chakra Control: 10
Intelligence: 30
Strength: 35
Speed: 30
Agility: 23
Reflexes: 21
Taijutsu: 10
Ninjutsu: 5
Genjutsu: 2
Fūinjutsu: 9
Stat Points Available: 3