Reincarnated as Itachi Uchiha at the Start

Inside Naruto's Consciousness

Hiruzen Sarutobi finally understood why Minato and Kushina had been giving him the cold shoulder.

It was because he hadn't taken good care of Naruto.

"Kushina… everything—every mistake—was mine. If you want to hit me or curse me, I won't resist," Hiruzen said, devoid of his usual leadership composure, his face filled with remorse and guilt.

If Minato hadn't stepped in, Kushina would've already unleashed her Adamantine Sealing Chains and taught him the true meaning of pain.

"You think I don't want to?" Kushina sneered. "If it weren't for you being Minato's former master, I would've smacked you into the next life already."

"If it weren't for Naruto being here, I'd have crushed you where you stand, old man!"

"Minato and I worked ourselves to the bone, and even gave our lives for Konoha. And this is how you treated our child?"

"Do you even have a shred of shame?"

Faced with her fury, Hiruzen could only stammer wordlessly, not daring to argue back. He knew—once Kushina had vented, this might blow over.

So no matter how humiliated he felt, he had to endure it.

"Old man, I'm telling you now: all of the Uzumaki sealing techniques must be handed down to Naruto!"

"Minato's house, his estate, his jutsu—every last bit must be returned to Naruto!"

"If you can't manage that, don't blame me—the Red-Hot-Blooded Habanero—for flipping the table."

"Alright," Hiruzen agreed instantly without hesitation.

"Oh? That quick to agree? What, think just because we're dead, we can't hold you accountable anymore?" Kushina sneered.

"No! Absolutely not. I swear—once I leave here, I'll return everything to Naruto."

"As for the sealing techniques and jutsu—if Naruto wants to learn them, I'll teach him myself."

"Minato's estate and home—I'll make sure he gets it all back."

"And from now on, Naruto will receive the same treatment as Konohamaru. I give you my word!" Hiruzen declared firmly.

"Your word? You think your word means anything to me?" Kushina scoffed. "If your word meant anything, Naruto wouldn't have ended up in an orphanage!"

"If your word meant anything, Minato's belongings wouldn't have been confiscated!"

"Your word? Ha! I spit on it."

"Listen to me, Hiruzen Sarutobi—as long as my chakra exists, you'll never get the Nine-Tails!"

"I'm making this crystal clear!"

"If even one of my conditions isn't met, then I'm sorry—

The Nine-Tails is ours now. It has nothing to do with Konoha anymore! Consider it the price of using Uzumaki sealing techniques and Minato's inheritance!"

Hiruzen: "…"

"Of course, you're welcome to try breaking the Eight Trigrams Seal yourself. See if you can destroy the chakra remnants Minato and I left inside Naruto."

"But I'm warning you—try it, and you'll die. So you'd better be ready!" Kushina's eyes flashed coldly.

"…Fine. I agree," Hiruzen exhaled deeply.

When you're under someone else's roof, you bow your head.

A woman may seem gentle—but when she's a mother, she's fierce. And this was Kushina, the Red-Hot-Blooded Habanero.

That she was even speaking civilly right now was a courtesy to both him and Minato.

A wise man knows when to back down. Hiruzen understood what needed to be done.

"…One more thing," he said gravely. "I want to ask you both—on the night of the Nine-Tails' attack… who was responsible? Who was the masked man?"

"Masked man? Third Hokage, why pretend not to know? Isn't it obvious who it was?" Kushina shot back with a biting tone.

"Kushina!" Minato couldn't take it anymore.

"You're yelling at me? Really?! Yelling at me over this wrinkled relic? Go on, try it again!" Kushina exploded, her hair bristling like the Nine-Tails' tails.

Minato: "…"

Hiruzen: "…"

"This marriage is cursed! Fine! I'm the shrew, alright?! Happy now?" Kushina shouted, her voice shaking.

Minato's face turned awkward. "I didn't mean that, Kushina… please, calm down."

"Calm? Me? Why would I be angry? I'm dead, Minato. My life's already over."

Suddenly overwhelmed by sorrow, she pulled Naruto into her arms, crying openly.

"My poor baby… You were born into this world with no parents."

"You grew up without a mother's love."

"As your mother, watching you suffer tore me apart. And yet I was helpless…"

"Do you know how much that hurt me?"

"And now all I ask for is to reclaim our home, our belongings—and I get shouted at by your useless father!"

"Why is my life so full of pain?!"

Sob sob sob—!

"Mom, don't cry…" The young Naruto panicked when he saw Kushina sobbing, his own tears spilling out in sympathy.

Looking at his flustered father and wailing mother, Naruto's lips trembled—then he threw himself into Kushina's arms, crying just as hard.

The two of them wept like their hearts were breaking, completely ignoring the other two in the room.

"Alright, alright… Kushina," Hiruzen sighed, heart aching. "You're right. I'll handle everything you asked, one by one. I promise I'll make it right. Is that okay?"

"Really?" Kushina stopped crying, looking up.

"Really." Hiruzen gave a bitter smile.

He knew Kushina wasn't just venting. She was expressing her long-held pain and frustration—finally letting out all the anger and helplessness she'd buried deep inside.

Now that she'd cried, she'd feel lighter.

Otherwise, she'd carry that bitterness to the Pure Land, and even in death, she wouldn't find peace.

Seeing the Minato's family like this—Hiruzen felt miserable too.

If that night… if he'd been just a bit more alert, had gone to personally guard them instead of staying in the Hokage Office…

His wife, Biwako, wouldn't have died. Asuma wouldn't have hated him.

And the Nine-Tails Disaster wouldn't have torn Konoha apart.

If, that night, he'd acted faster—been more decisive—and used Reaper Death Seal himself, then Minato wouldn't have had to die. Naruto wouldn't be an orphan. Konoha wouldn't be in this state…

But—life doesn't have ifs.

Sigh.

"Third Hokage," Minato said seriously, "All I know is—the man that night had ghost-white arms, Sharingan eyes, an intimate knowledge of Konoha's defenses, and could pass through our barriers like they were nothing. Most importantly, he could use space-time ninjutsu."

"So aside from Uchiha Madara, the next most likely is…"

"…Danzo," Hiruzen murmured.

"I don't know for sure if it was Lord Danzo," Minato added, "But based on what we saw, you should definitely investigate."

"And I'm certain—this enemy doesn't have small ambitions. They may well be planning to unify the entire ninja world."

"To unify the world…" Hiruzen whispered. That sounded exactly like Danzo's dream.

"Exactly—" Minato began, then his face suddenly changed. Panic flared in his eyes. "This is bad! My real body has been reanimated!"

"What?!" Hiruzen and Kushina shouted in shock.

At the edge of Konoha, inside the crumbling, nearly collapsed Uzumaki Clan's Mask Storage Temple—

The White Zetsu disguised as Danzo placed the Shinigami Mask over his face and rapidly formed the hand seals:

Snake–Boar–Ram–Hare–Dog–Rat–Bird–Horse–Snake—hands clasped—

"Reaper Death Seal!" he shouted.

A shriek of agony echoed through the ruins, mingled with the ghostly cries of tortured souls.

White Zetsu, still in Danzo's form, began to tremble violently. A blinding white light burst from his body—his movements erratic and frenzied like he was possessed.

Then, from behind him, a towering spectral figure emerged—a humanoid being draped in white robes, with long pale hair, purple body, and red twin horns.

The Shinigami.

The Mangekyō Sharingan lit up in Orochimaru's eyes as he watched from nearby. Through his vision, the Shinigami appeared in clear detail, a dagger clutched between its teeth.

"So that's the Shinigami, huh?" a voice suddenly spoke up.

Danzo entered from outside, eyes locked on the spirit.

He had removed the bandage from his right eye—revealing his own Sharingan.

Orochimaru's face darkened. His voice was cold.

"Danzo… are you following me?"

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