Despite their disagreement and shared concerns, the three understood one thing clearly.
The current Hokage of the Hidden Leaf Village was still Hiruzen Sarutobi.
They were merely his advisors, and if Hiruzen stood firm in his decisions, they could change nothing.
"But you need to take a stand, Hiruzen."
"The Nine-Tails Jinchuriki and the Uchiha clan—you must propose a plan."
"Otherwise, we won't agree."
Koharu Utatane stepped forward, partially acknowledging Hiruzen's words.
But she also demanded a definitive response from him.
As Hokage, how did he view the potential threat posed by the Uchiha clan?
"The Uchiha in contact with Naruto Uzumaki is named Izumi Uchiha."
"Their childhood experiences are somewhat similar, which is why they've grown close. But that girl isn't a high-ranking heir of the Uchiha clan."
"If evidence of Uchiha rebellion is found, I'll deal with them accordingly."
"I have contingencies in place—you don't need to worry."
Hiruzen's brow furrowed, his mood souring under their questioning.
He had already investigated Izumi Uchiha thoroughly.
That's why he hadn't intervened. A five-person Anbu team monitored Naruto daily.
If anything happened, the Anbu would report immediately—there was no need for these three to confront him.
The root of this confrontation was Danzo Shimura.
"If that's the case, we have nothing more to say."
"But don't forget your promise."
Homura Mitokado adjusted his glasses, nodding. Though he and Koharu had been spurred by Danzo, they didn't fully align with anyone.
As neutral parties, their role was to balance the light and shadow of the village.
With their goal achieved, they left.
Seeing this, Danzo didn't linger either and departed.
"The Uchiha clan… what a troublesome bunch."
Once alone, Hiruzen slumped into his chair, rubbing his forehead wearily.
A crystal ball appeared before him, showing Naruto tirelessly practicing shuriken techniques.
…
On the other side, after school, Naruto stayed on the training field, honing his shuriken skills.
The academy's targets were far more precise than the makeshift one he'd created.
With each throw, Naruto felt his arms grow sore.
As the sun set, sweat beaded on his forehead.
[It's not enough. This won't let me surpass Sasuke Uchiha.]
A voice echoed in Naruto's mind, urging him to stand again.
Children are naturally competitive. Despite his hard work, being effortlessly outdone stung.
Naruto refused to accept defeat. He wanted to beat Sasuke and bask in the crowd's cheers.
"Naruto, still here?"
"You're working hard, but you need to take care of yourself."
"Otherwise, how will you handle tomorrow's ninja tools class?"
As fatigue crept into Naruto's body, Mizuki and Iruka Umino approached.
Seeing Mizuki's kind smile, Naruto's face lit up.
But his smile froze when he caught Iruka's disdainful glare.
"Mizuki, I have things to do. I'm heading back."
As the homeroom teacher, Iruka didn't acknowledge Naruto.
He merely nodded to Mizuki and left.
[As expected, he hates me. Iruka-sensei is just like everyone else in the village.]
Naruto was used to it. Even with Chu Ran's prompting, he felt no new sting from Iruka's aversion.
Growing up, he'd faced too much of this disdain.
"Don't mind him. Iruka-sensei's just in a bad mood today."
"How about I treat you to Ichiraku Ramen?"
"I hear from the owner that you love their ramen."
Mizuki stepped forward, patting Naruto's shoulder reassuringly.
Iruka's behavior didn't faze Naruto, but the mention of Ichiraku Ramen made his eyes light up.
They gathered the scattered shuriken and headed to Ichiraku Ramen together.
As usual, Naruto ordered char siu ramen with a side of fried dumplings.
He ate with satisfaction—ramen was his favorite food, after all.
"Naruto, you're really dedicated."
"You were only a little behind Sasuke."
"In my opinion, you deserved an A."
Mizuki watched Naruto finish eating, speaking up as if defending him.
Naruto didn't sense Mizuki's ulterior motives.
His face showed a flicker of disappointment, but it quickly faded.
"After all, he's an Uchiha. They're skilled with shuriken and Fire Release."
"But in other areas, I bet you could beat him."
Mizuki propped his chin, smiling at Naruto.
Naruto's eyes sparked as he recalled that Sasuke shared Izumi's surname.
[Right, same as Big Sis Izumi. Of course he's good with shuriken.]
[But in other areas, I'll definitely surpass him later.]
It was as if Naruto had found an answer, his resolve strengthening.
"Mizuki-sensei, I'll keep working hard."
"I'll definitely surpass Sasuke Uchiha one day."
Naruto's gaze was firm, his fists clenched as he spoke to Mizuki.
He wouldn't give up easily. Having endured countless hardships, Naruto wasn't one to abandon his goals lightly.
In the original Naruto story, his self-doubt stemmed from the Nine-Tails' chakra disrupting his potential.
It made him seem average, even lackluster, despite his vast chakra reserves, which he couldn't fully harness.
But now, with Chu Ran's physique and soul enhancements, the Nine-Tails' influence was minimal.
With his awakened talent, Naruto could face his goals head-on.
He now had the confidence to close the gap, step by step.
(End of the Chapter)