Yunchuan Hyuga regularly went to Ichiraku Ramen at that time, and according to colleagues from ANBU and Root, his route had not changed. It was Naruto Uzumaki, flustered by villagers' words, who ran into him. Hiruzen Sarutobi narrowed his eyes, deepening the lines at their corners.
He asked what exactly Yunchuan Hyuga had said and done during the encounter. Kakashi Hatake faithfully recounted everything, how Yunchuan Hyuga questioned the villagers, emphasized trust and family, and then took Naruto Uzumaki to eat ramen before sending him home. He kept his description objective and calm, without personal feeling.
When the account ended, silence returned. Hiruzen Sarutobi drew on his pipe, held the smoke in his lungs, and then slowly exhaled as it rose and blurred his gaze. Yunchuan Hyuga, that child, seemed to have done nothing wrong by word or deed.
If it were anyone else helped by Yunchuan Hyuga, Hiruzen Sarutobi would have felt no doubt at all. Yet when it involved Naruto Uzumaki, that very special Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, he could not help but think further. Was it simple sympathy, or was there another aim?
He dismissed the thought, as such actions fit Yunchuan Hyuga's character and were not strange. Besides, Kakashi Hatake and Tenzo could not hide their presence from Yunchuan Hyuga, and if there were other intentions, there would have been easier chances to approach Naruto Uzumaki alone. Perhaps it was simply dissatisfaction with the child's current situation.
After a long pause, Hiruzen Sarutobi spoke again, his voice carrying faint fatigue. He said he understood, and ordered the monitoring to continue, recording all details of Naruto Uzumaki's daily life, large or small. Unless necessary, there was to be no interference.
Kakashi Hatake quietly let out a breath of relief and bowed his head in acceptance. Hiruzen Sarutobi then added two more points, looking out the window as he spoke. The villagers spreading the demon fox rumors were to receive discreet warnings.
As for the nutrition issue, he stopped mid-sentence. When Kakashi Hatake looked up and addressed him as Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi waved it off and said he would handle it himself. He admitted that with unrest outside the village, he had neglected Naruto Uzumaki over the years.
He had considered arranging extra funds under the name of orphan support to improve the child's meals. Yet whether from guilt or a leader's instinct for control, he wanted to compensate Naruto Uzumaki while also becoming the one the child relied on. For a child long rejected and longing for warmth and companionship, sudden kindness would be clung to like a lifeline.
Even if this was not the scene he wanted, since it had happened, it could still be used. Hiruzen Sarutobi thought that Naruto Uzumaki was reaching school age, and once enrolled, might finally make friends. With a wave of his hand, Kakashi Hatake vanished silently from the office.
Left alone, Hiruzen Sarutobi sat in his chair, gazing out at the peaceful Konoha beyond the window. His brow remained tightly knit, as the contact between Yunchuan Hyuga and Naruto Uzumaki felt like a thorn in his heart. It was not that he suspected Yunchuan Hyuga of harming the child, but that he felt they were not close enough.
Given Yunchuan Hyuga's talent and strength, their relationship should not be limited to superior and subordinate. He wondered if it was time to bring him into ANBU. His thoughts shifted to the child of the Uchiha and to Danzo Shimura's recent movements.
Root had uncovered a spy secretly connected with Kirigakure, and Danzo Shimura planned to use that spy to test Itachi Uchiha. As Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi knew of this, and Danzo Shimura had borrowed Shisui Uchiha from him. The spy was a Jonin and also tied to ANBU, so having Itachi Uchiha alone was risky, and adding Shisui Uchiha was reasonable.
The spy's name was Kohinata Wu Jie. Hiruzen Sarutobi murmured the name, thinking that Danzo Shimura's small moves were increasing. He decided to let Yunchuan Hyuga join the mission as well, to see what Danzo Shimura was truly planning.
Kohinata Wu Jie was a distant relative of the Hyuga Clan. Though his bloodline was thin and he never awakened Byakugan, he was still kin by blood. This would also test whether Yunchuan Hyuga was truly loyal to the village and free of clan prejudice, and whether he was qualified to join ANBU for further cultivation.
With that, Hiruzen Sarutobi made his decision. Itachi Uchiha, Shisui Uchiha, and Yunchuan Hyuga would go together to deal with Kohinata Wu Jie. As another thought struck him, he took out the Crystal Ball, formed seals, and infused Chakra.
Through the far-seeing technique, an image formed in the Crystal Ball, showing Naruto Uzumaki's home. Naruto Uzumaki lay on his bed, breathing evenly, drool soaking the pillow as he slept soundly, with nothing out of the ordinary. At that moment, loud knocks slammed against the office door.
Hiruzen Sarutobi frowned at the force, knowing this meant urgency. He ordered the person to enter. An ANBU rushed in, chest heaving, and dropped to one knee with a hoarse, shaken voice.
He presented a mud- and blood-stained Sealing Technique Scroll. Hiruzen Sarutobi's heart sank as he seized it and quickly released the seal. The writing inside was rough and fearful, and as his eyes raced over the lines, his face turned grim and then pale with shock.
Hanzo had attacked the rear base of Sunagakure with power far beyond his youth, leveling the area and declaring war again on Konoha and Sunagakure. Worse still, a meteor had torn through the clouds without warning and struck the core of the battlefield in the Land of Rain. The impact caused massive shock and earthquakes, wiping out nearly all Konoha Ninja and Sunagakure Ninja forces there, friend and foe alike.
Only a few scouts and logistics personnel at the very edge survived, but they were far away and mentally shaken, and their information was limited and chaotic. Hiruzen Sarutobi clenched the Scroll until his knuckles whitened, asking in a trembling voice if the source was confirmed. The answer was yes, verified by multiple survivors.
His body swayed, and he had to brace against the desk to stay upright, the Scroll feeling unbearably heavy. Moments ago the situation had looked good, and now the entire force was gone, the cause a meteor. He could not understand how such a thing was possible.
In a daze, Hiruzen Sarutobi tried to light his extinguished pipe, only to see his fingers shaking out of control. He set it down instead, seeming to age ten years in an instant. A deep sigh escaped him, heavy as if carrying the weight of the whole village.
How could it have come to this.
In Hiruzen Sarutobi's eyes, the Naruto Uzumaki curled up on the bed seemed to be sleeping soundly, yet at this moment he was in a completely different world. What appeared calm on the surface hid a scene no one else could see. The boy's breathing was steady, but his mind had already fallen elsewhere.
Naruto Uzumaki stood blankly in icy water, the cold stabbing up from his feet and spreading through his body. The chill made his limbs feel stiff and heavy. He could not tell how deep the water was, only that it did not reach his knees.
Before him was a world he had never seen. A faint light barely lit the cramped space, and thick moisture hung in the air. Everything felt closed in and unfamiliar.