I'M NARUTO UZUMAKI

Hypocritical Smile

Minato found himself in a difficult position—he had no idea how to connect with Naruto.

Naruto felt the same. Although Minato was his father by blood, the two had never truly interacted. To Naruto, Minato was no different from a stranger he had never met.

This left Naruto feeling frustrated.

Growing up as an orphan, he had never known the warmth of parental love. His parents had never been there for him, and he lacked any experience in familial bonds.

Holding his forehead in irritation, Naruto withdrew from the sealed space, walked over to his desk, and picked up the used books he had bought at the market earlier that day.

Soon, he became absorbed in their contents, momentarily forgetting his previous worries.

This was how he coped with stress. Without distractions like these, he might have succumbed to the villagers' scorn and resentment long ago. He could have become a mindless monster like Gaara once was, consumed by rage and despair. Instead, he had endured.

After finishing the last of his discarded books, Naruto set them aside, lay on his bed, and began planning his next steps.

First, he needed to go to the Land of Whirlpools, seek out the Uchiha who had settled there, and explore the ruins of Uzushio Village for any remaining Uzumaki heritage.

In reality, he was looking to build his own forces.

Kurama—who had once insisted on his desire for freedom—had changed his tune after learning about the existence of White Zetsu. For once, the tailed beast had suggested forming a group, something Naruto himself had already been considering.

White Zetsu was a creation of the Ten-Tails, and the Nine-Tails was merely a fragment of that beast. As its jinchūriki, Naruto was bound to be at the center of the storm, making him a target for Nagato, Obito, and even Black Zetsu.

Though his strength had grown immensely, he was still in his developmental stage. There was a long road ahead before he could surpass the Five Kage, let alone reach the level of the Ōtsutsuki. Careful planning and preparation were necessary.

This was one of the main reasons he had chosen to leave Konoha.

If he stayed and followed the path laid out for him, he would most likely end up as the powerless middle-aged man from Boruto: Naruto Next Generations, unable to stop the Ōtsutsuki threat and reduced to nothing more than a relic of the past.

That was unacceptable.

He needed power—the kind possessed by Kaguya Ōtsutsuki and the Sage of Six Paths.

As Naruto drifted into sleep, Kurama opened his eyes within the sealed space. He glanced at Minato with the expression of a subway passenger watching an elderly man struggle with a cellphone.

His voice was low and mocking.

"Minato, you're disappointed, aren't you? You think Naruto is being disrespectful to you? That he doesn't even acknowledge you as his father?"

Minato remained silent.

Kurama let out a chuckle and continued.

"But have you ever considered the life he's had? Naruto suffered far more malice in Konoha than you realize—far more than Kushina ever did for her red hair. The villagers don't see him as a boy. To them, he's the demon fox that destroyed their village."

"It would have been one thing if he had remained ignorant of his past. If he had never learned the truth, he might have continued enduring. But he always knew. And he still gave the Third Hokage three years before finally leaving in utter disappointment."

Minato's expression darkened.

Kurama grinned, amused by his reaction.

"You Konoha shinobi always think you're so clever," he sneered. "Ever since the rumors spread that Naruto was the demon fox, I knew what you were planning. You wanted to create a jinchūriki who would sympathize with the tailed beasts. A 'perfect' jinchūriki."

"But you miscalculated. Children raised in discrimination—treated like monsters from birth—will never blend into society. They don't become saviors. They become weapons. Konoha wanted a hero, but all it did was forge another beast."

Minato, who had been silent for a long time, finally lifted his head and smiled faintly.

"Kurama, in a way, that actually puts me at ease," he said. "You used to argue with Kushina every day, but now you're defending Naruto… Seems like you care more than you let on."

Kurama's grin faded. He hated that self-righteous smile.

He also hated Konoha's hypocrisy.

The atmosphere in the sealed space became tense, as if a fight might break out at any moment. But in the end, Kurama suppressed his instincts. He wouldn't fight—not now. Not when Naruto might notice.

The Next Morning

Naruto awoke in his bed, stretched, and allowed his consciousness to enter the sealed space.

There, Minato and Kurama stood at opposite corners, locked in a silent standoff. When they noticed Naruto's arrival, both turned to face him.

After hearing their argument, Naruto was at a loss for words.

Minato believed he should return to Konoha. Despite everything, Konoha was still his home. No matter how poorly the villagers had treated him, he could one day become a Jōnin and change the system from within. That had been Minato's own path—rising from nothing to Hokage, gaining friends and allies, and striving to create a better future.

But before he could see his reforms through, he had died during the masked man's attack.

Kurama, on the other hand, had a much simpler view.

He agreed with Naruto's decision to leave. A jinchūriki was not a village's babysitter. Why should Naruto protect those who had never protected him? Why should he risk his life for villagers who scorned him?

Naruto, feeling both amused and exasperated, left the sealed space without making a decision.

A New Journey

After leaving the inn, Naruto approached a horse-drawn carriage and inquired about the fare to the Land of Fire's border. He had no interest in ANBU anymore—he had chosen his own path.

"Sorry, we're full," the caravan leader said apologetically.

Just as Naruto was about to leave, the leader hesitated, then spoke again.

"Wait… You're a shinobi, aren't you?"

Naruto nodded, giving the older man a curious glance.

"In that case, we could really use someone like you," the man continued. "We have samurai guards, but no shinobi. If you're willing to act as a bodyguard, we'll not only waive your fare, but also offer a handsome reward."

Naruto stroked his chin in thought. Free travel and a payday? Not a bad deal.

He agreed.

Upon joining the caravan, Naruto met the other guards. They were less like proper samurai and more like wandering ronin—remnants of an era being overshadowed by the shinobi system.

The rise of ninja villages had rendered traditional warriors obsolete. Samurai weren't an actual class in this world—they were just warriors. Meanwhile, shinobi weren't just scouts. They were assassins, sorcerers, and strategists combined. It was no surprise that only the Land of Iron had managed to retain its samurai traditions.

As the convoy departed, the civilian passengers looked at Naruto with awe and respect.

In the shinobi villages, a genin was at the bottom of the hierarchy. But out here, in the greater Land of Fire, a ninja was still someone to be feared.

The journey had barely begun when the convoy came to a sudden halt.

A group of men blocked the road ahead, brandishing wooden clubs.

Naruto sighed, cracking his knuckles.

It seemed the trip wouldn't be a quiet one after all.

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