Giant claws hovered before Obito Uchiha and every member of the Uchiha clan.
Because within the illusion they had become connected to Naruto Uzumaki, Obito, Fugaku, Mikoto, Shisui, Itachi Uchiha, Inabi, Yashiro, Tekka, and the rest of the Uchiha all felt it at once—the crushing killing intent rushing toward them, along with the stench of blood clinging to the Nine-Tails' claws.
Plop.
A dark red drop of blood fell onto "their" chests.
"Naruto… isn't hurt…"
"That's good."
"We don't have much time left. Is there anything you want to say to Naruto?"
"Don't be picky with food. Eat until you're full every day so you can grow strong. Bathe daily and stay clean. Don't stay up late, make sure you get enough sleep. Remember to make friends. You don't need many—just a few companions you can truly trust. And about studying… I wasn't good at it myself, so if you aren't either, that's fine. Don't let it discourage you…"
By this point, many of the more sensitive Uchiha were already choking up.
"Remember to respect your teachers and seniors. And the three shinobi taboos… never casually lend or borrow money. Save every bit of your mission pay. You can't drink alcohol until you're twenty, and even then, too much is bad for your health. Always drink in moderation."
"As for the taboo about women… well, your mom is a woman herself, so she doesn't really understand that one either. In any case, try to stay as far away from Jiraiya-sama as possible."
Pfft…
Knowing Kushina's personality well, Mikoto Uchiha let out a small laugh, but tears still slipped down as a mother who could deeply empathize.
The Uchiha were emotionally delicate by nature. Many of the women, including Izumi Uchiha, could no longer hold back their sobs.
Yet within the consciousness of the swaddled Naruto Uzumaki, they couldn't truly speak or cry. Precisely because of that, the thought that this child had lost both parents on the very day he was born only made it more painful.
Because she was close friends with Kushina, Mikoto had always known that Naruto was the son of her and the Fourth Hokage.
Most of the Uchiha, however, had never known this.
They felt disbelief, along with the uneasy sense that they had overlooked something crucial.
Until, one by one, the realization struck them…
Naruto…
Wasn't that the name of the most shunned Nine-Tails brat in the village?!
Wait—
"That Naruto… is the Fourth Hokage's son?!"
"Is that really true?!"
"The Third Hokage never told anyone!"
"I didn't even know the Fourth Hokage-sama was married and had a family! I always thought he was single!"
"My god… the child the village has been ostracizing all this time is… the Fourth Hokage's son?!"
The Uchiha youths were utterly stunned.
And at the same time, knowing all too well what kind of treatment Naruto Uzumaki would face in the future, the members of the Uchiha clan could no longer suppress their emotions as they listened to the final words of Kushina and Minato Namikaze.
Naruto—
No matter how bitter or painful things become, keep your own rhythm and chase your dreams straight ahead.
Believe in yourself.
And… and…
There are still so many things we want to tell you.
"Naruto, what your father wants to say to you sounds just like your mom's nagging at home."
"Eight Trigrams Seal…"
…
So this was the truth behind the Nine-Tails incident.
What happened to the Fourth Hokage's family really was caused by the Uchiha clan—by the Sharingan.
That masked man's Sharingan had been seen clearly through the eyes of baby Naruto Uzumaki. His strange abilities, too, were without a doubt the special powers of a Mangekyō Sharingan.
Combined with the intelligence they already had, Fugaku Uchiha, Shisui Uchiha, and the others had essentially confirmed the masked man's true identity.
At this moment, the Uchiha clan's former pride and their resentment toward Konoha's leadership completely collapsed. Even though controlling the Nine-Tails to attack Konoha had never been the clan's plan, the one who carried it out was undeniably one of their own—Obito Uchiha.
Staring at the bright ceiling light in the nursery, Mikoto Uchiha was overwhelmed with complicated emotions.
Within the genjutsu, time and order were entirely controlled by the caster. At this moment, whether it was Fugaku Uchiha and Mikoto Uchiha, Itachi Uchiha and Shisui Uchiha, or any other member of the Uchiha clan, they had all become the newborn Naruto Uzumaki.
Even with adult minds, they were unable to make any changes as they grew.
At three years old, daily supplies almost never appeared properly on the table.
The Konoha ninja, who worshipped the Fourth Hokage yet only knew this child as the Nine-Tails' Jinchūriki and had no idea he was the Hokage's son, would stand on tree branches and carelessly toss supplies through the window.
Just like throwing kunai or shuriken.
At four years old, Naruto's hunger became their hunger.
Born into the prestigious Uchiha clan, even when they were ostracized, they had never truly experienced going hungry in the village unless forced by circumstances during missions.
The ramen shop they normally paid no attention to now gave off a smell so enticing.
Without thinking, they wondered whether they should go in and eat a bowl.
Then came the question of how to maintain that three-ton idol image. What could they say, with dignity intact, if someone from another clan exclaimed in surprise, "Wow, even the Uchiha clan eats commoner ramen?"
They reached into their pockets.
"..."
There wasn't even enough for half a bowl.
When had the Uchiha clan ever been reduced to such a miserable state?
Shisui Uchiha felt a surge of sympathy for the Fourth Hokage's son. Thinking of young master Sasuke, who was protected by Itachi day after day—if not chubby, he at least ate nutritious meals every time.
Then he looked at the body he was currently inhabiting. Aside from a slightly round face that could fool people at a glance, his arms, legs, and height were all noticeably thinner and smaller than Sasuke's at the same age.
'What kind of human suffering is this? Forcing a four-year-old to go into the mountains to pick mushrooms to eat?!'
Young Itachi Uchiha thought that when Sasuke was four or five, he usually ate meals prepared by their mother or by himself. Once, when he accidentally cooked too much, Sasuke couldn't finish it for days, and he had even been lectured by both their father and mother for it—a rare occurrence.
'So this is why I said Konoha has serious problems.'
'Hey, kid! That mushroom is poisonous!'
'The fish you're holding hasn't been gutted. If you roast it directly over the fire, it'll taste awful.'
'Great. Just imagining that I'll have to share this kid's sense of taste later makes my life feel dark.'
'I'm a proud member of the Uchiha clan. Why am I eating this kind of thing? Someone save me.'
'And the worst part is I might have to run to the bathroom afterward.'
'Oh my god…'
When no one was around, the young members of the Uchiha clan actually joked like this. But because Konoha's other clans usually placed them on too high a pedestal, these so-called geniuses didn't dare casually reveal their true selves in public.
It was an instinctive behavior born of strong pride and delicate emotions—an effort to maintain appearances so others wouldn't form a negative impression of them.
Young Sasuke: I hope that idiot Naruto's cooking won't be much worse than my brother's.
…
Young Itachi Uchiha: Back then, when I cooked too much for Sasuke, I really should have let him bring it to his classmates instead.
…
"That grilled fish smells incredible."
"Grandpa, you're not some vagrant from around here, are you? If you're hungry, take this skewer."
"Ah, thank you."
'…I'm speechless.'
'Third Hokage, you're really scamming food off a child.'
'I can't respect that.'
'Calling him a vagrant is already generous. Why not just say a scavenging old man?'
'That brat Naruto keeps hitting me right in the feelings—and somehow still making me laugh. Is it really like the Second Hokage said, that the Uchiha are just too emotional? Too sensitive? But honestly, even if someone were standing right behind me, I'd still have no problem taking a leak.'
"Why are you here all by yourself?"
The Third Hokage felt an overwhelming sense of guilt toward this child.
Naruto said, "Today is my birthday, but everyone seems to really hate this day."
It was the anniversary of the Fourth Hokage's death. Konoha had lost its strongest fighting force. Countless families had lost loved ones in the Nine-Tails' rampage, and countless ninja had lost their most important comrades.
The Third Hokage chose to remain silent, offering no explanation to the four-year-old Naruto Uzumaki.
...
By the age of six, Naruto Uzumaki learned that the pitiful, hungry old scavenger was actually the Third Hokage, essentially the village's leader.
That same year, he also learned the story of the great hero, the Fourth Hokage.
He entered the Ninja Academy and met the annoyingly cocky Sasuke.
For child Sasuke, this was the first time he had viewed himself from another person's perspective. It was a strangely novel experience.
To put it simply…
He really wasn't easy to get along with.
What annoyed him the most was that every punch that landed on Naruto hurt him as well. It left child Sasuke genuinely torn about whether he should praise "Sasuke" for having such hard fists or curse "Sasuke" for hitting so damn hard.
This whole feeling of "you hurt, I hurt too" was absolutely awful!
"Ahhh! Damn it, Sasuke!! I haven't lost yet! Let's fight again!!
"You idiot!! Why are you jumping around?! Just lie there properly!!"
Child Sasuke cursed inwardly.
After yet another cycle of getting beaten one-sidedly, all he could think about was escaping this damn genjutsu. Later on…
He'd be a little gentler. Maybe treat that idiot a bit better.
He also noticed that Naruto, who sat in the back row, often glanced at him, sometimes intentionally, sometimes without realizing it.
Then one day, he realized that he—or rather, Sasuke Uchiha from the Ninja Academy—hadn't shown up to class.
Counting the days, child Sasuke discovered that without even noticing, three months had already passed since the point when he entered this illusion.
In other words…
This was the future?!
Because he existed within Naruto Uzumaki's consciousness, he could clearly sense Naruto's undisguised worry upon realizing he hadn't come to school.
'What's there to worry about, idiot.'
Child Sasuke curled his lip inwardly. Still, being cared about and missed was something no one could truly reject. And coming from his defeated opponent, no less. Annoying, sure, but not unpleasant.
"Hey, did you hear?"
Young Naruto's ears twitched. The seven-year-old child Sasuke within his consciousness heard two classmates behind him talking, people whose names he didn't even know.
"Yeah, that Sasuke Uchiha didn't come because…"
"The entire Uchiha Clan was wiped out overnight!!"
"!!"
Child Sasuke froze completely in place.
…
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