I'M NARUTO UZUMAKI

Sooner or later

After a heated argument, Danzo finally stormed out of the office, slamming the door behind him.

The massacre of the Uchiha clan last night and the defection of several surviving members required someone to bear responsibility.

The primary blame fell on Uchiha Itachi, now labeled an S-rank rogue ninja. However, Danzo also carried significant culpability—he was Itachi's direct superior in Root and had long advocated for the clan's eradication.

He wanted to refute the accusations, but after Root suffered heavy casualties during the coup's suppression, he lacked the power to challenge the Hokage's ruling.

For now, he had no choice but to retreat into the shadows and wait for his next opportunity to overthrow Hiruzen Sarutobi's rule.

Still, with the village in turmoil, Danzo realized something: as long as he avoided taking the reins amid this chaos, he wouldn't be held accountable for the aftermath. This suited his immediate interests.

With Danzo gone, the Third Hokage turned his attention to his next duty—handling the fallout within the Uchiha district.

Beyond securing the clan's compound and sealing off their secret meeting hall, he needed to visit the only Uchiha left in the village: Sasuke, the youngest son of the late Fugaku and Mikoto Uchiha.

Unlike his visit to Kakashi, this meeting carried more weight.

According to the medical-nin's reports, Sasuke had witnessed his brother slaughter their parents firsthand. Since waking up, his mental state had been volatile, his Sharingan activating involuntarily in response to distress.

The Sharingan was said to reflect the depths of the soul, and even a brief glance at its blood-red glow sent shivers down a person's spine.

Ignoring the oppressive aura of Sasuke's gaze, the Third Hokage approached the boy, his voice gentle. "Sasuke, can you tell me what happened last night?"

Drawn in by the Hokage's soft tone, Sasuke gradually steadied his breathing. But when he spoke of Itachi, his fists clenched, his words sharp with hatred:

"Don't worry, Hokage-sama. I'll train every day until I'm strong enough to kill that man. I swear on the Uchiha name—I'll avenge my parents and my clan."

The Third Hokage sighed softly and left the Uchiha district, the weight of Sasuke's words pressing on him.

Despite what had happened with Naruto, he still chose not to reveal the truth. Itachi's actions had been for the village, but that knowledge was a burden Sasuke was not ready to bear. Itachi himself had insisted on keeping the truth hidden.

If vengeance drove Sasuke to grow stronger, then it was a necessary sacrifice.

With the Hokage gone, Sasuke stood alone in the vast emptiness of the Uchiha compound. With nothing else to occupy him, he threw himself into relentless training.

In the past, he had no clear goal for his efforts. But Itachi's betrayal gave him purpose.

And in Sasuke's mind, there was one person who could help him grow stronger—Naruto.

If anyone could push him to his limits, it was the boy who had bested Kakashi and defied the entire village.

…

A few days later, within the Hyūga Clan's estate.

The Uchiha massacre had seemingly left no impact on Konoha's oldest noble family.

Hyūga shinobi still held key positions in Konoha's security forces, the Branch Family continued serving under the oppressive Caged Bird Seal, and the clan's rigid traditions remained unchanged.

Hyūga Hiashi, head of the clan, took a sip of tea as he reviewed reports from the Branch Family's surveillance.

Two major incidents had shaken the village in recent days. The first was an explosion outside Konoha's walls, resembling a Tailed Beast Bomb. The second was the complete eradication of the Uchiha clan, with nearly all members vanishing overnight.

The former puzzled Hiashi, but the latter had long been expected.

The Uchiha's decades-long conflict with the village elders had finally culminated in their destruction, erasing a once-mighty bloodline from history.

For the Hyūga, the fall of the Uchiha was a double-edged sword. Their strongest rivals were gone, but their fate served as a grim warning—if the elders could move against the Uchiha, they could target any clan, no matter how powerful.

Yet Hiashi reassured himself with one fact: the Hyūga had always maintained neutrality, obeying the village's leadership without resistance. As long as they remained loyal, there was no reason for the elders to turn on them.

Even so, resentment brewed beneath the surface. The shinobi of Konoha had despised the Uchiha, but their distrust of the village's higher-ups ran deeper.

For now, the Hyūga's prosperity would last for decades—but what about the next generation?

That, Hiashi believed, depended on Hinata.

With that thought, he moved to the clan's private training ground, silently observing the ongoing match between his daughter, Hinata, and her cousin, Neji.

Hinata was his heir, while Neji, the son of his late twin brother, was widely regarded as the clan's strongest prodigy. This match would determine Hinata's training path—would she continue her studies at the Academy, or would she receive elite instruction within the clan?

Hiashi's presence did not go unnoticed. Both Hinata and Neji paused momentarily, acknowledging him with a glance before returning to their fight.

With the seal of confrontation completed, the match resumed.

Two small figures darted across the training ground, their movements refined by the Byakugan's unparalleled perception. Every strike landed with precise, nerve-disrupting force—had they been fighting ordinary opponents, the battle would have been over in seconds.

In terms of speed, Neji had the upper hand. But in terms of sheer power, Hinata had made surprising strides. The match remained too close to call.

As the battle continued, Neji's frown deepened.

More than anyone, he could sense Hinata's rapid improvement. Just two years ago, she was barely able to withstand a single exchange against him. Now, they were evenly matched.

Yet Neji felt no jealousy. He respected Hinata's dedication—if she trained as hard as he did, she deserved to grow stronger.

What truly angered him was the clan's system of oppression.

No matter how skilled he became, the Caged Bird Seal would forever brand him a lesser shinobi. His father, Hizashi, had died because of it—sacrificed to appease the Hidden Cloud after their failed kidnapping of Hinata.

By all rights, it should have been Hiashi, the clan leader, who paid with his life.

Lost in his thoughts, Neji hesitated for a split second. It was all the opening Hinata needed.

Seizing the opportunity, she struck decisively, knocking Neji to the ground.

Rather than continuing the match, Neji admitted defeat. He was a year older than Hinata—if they were equal now, it meant she had already surpassed him in potential.

More importantly, he had overheard Hiashi's bet with Hinata. And for once, he wanted to see his uncle lose.

Beaming with sweat-soaked triumph, Hinata ran up to her father. "Father, I won! That means you have to keep your promise—you'll let me invite Naruto over, right?"

Hiashi's sharp eyes lingered on his daughter before he sighed, nodding.

He didn't have the heart to tell her the truth.

Naruto hadn't been seen on the streets in days. It wasn't a good sign.

Either Konoha had already chosen a new Jinchūriki, or Naruto had been taken into ANBU custody for specialized training.

Neither possibility boded well.

But there was no avoiding the truth forever. Sooner or later, Hinata would return to the Academy. And sooner or later, she would realize what had happened.

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