Iruka stammered as he announced the results, "Uzumaki Naruto, wins!"
The match was over too quickly, the outcome completely unexpected. It wasn't even close; it was a one-sided beatdown where Sasuke Uchiha was on the receiving end the entire time. From start to finish, Sasuke barely had a chance to fight back. He only managed a single attack using a combination of the Substitution Jutsu and the Clone Jutsu, which Naruto easily predicted and deflected.
When did Naruto become so strong? How could just a few days of training lead to such a significant improvement?
On the roof of the ninja academy, the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, stood on the terrace, looking out at the village. Beside him was a silver-haired ninja, his face mostly covered, with only one eye visible.
"Kakashi, what do you think?" Hiruzen asked.
Kakashi Hatake replied softly, "Physically, they're about equal. Sasuke might even be a bit stronger. But Naruto has far more combat experience. He also knows how to enhance his speed using chakra, a technique similar to the Body Flicker Jutsu. His instincts are sharp, likely due to his Uzumaki bloodline. He probably awakened a sensory ability. That's why Naruto won so decisively. But if Sasuke had managed to activate his Sharingan, the outcome might have been different."
Hiruzen smiled, "Watching them just now reminded me of the Fourth Hokage. What about you?"
Kakashi remained silent.
Hiruzen continued, "One is the last of the Uchiha, the other is the child of your former teacher, the Fourth Hokage. I intend for you to be their team leader. If anyone in the village can guide them, it's you."
Kakashi nodded, "Understood."
"There's one more thing," Hiruzen added, his eyes focusing on Naruto, who had returned to a corner of the class. "Naruto wasn't like this before. His behavior and skills have changed suddenly. The ANBU haven't found any suspicious contacts, and the seal on the Nine-Tails remains intact. Find out what caused this change. We can't afford to overlook anything regarding the jinchūriki."
Kakashi nodded again.
Hiruzen hesitated, as if wanting to say something more, but he stopped himself. He felt it unnecessary to voice his concerns. After all, Naruto was the son of the Fourth Hokage, Kakashi's teacher. In a way, they were like brothers. Surely, Kakashi would take care of him.
With that, Hiruzen left to attend to his duties as Hokage. Kakashi remained on the rooftop, his gaze occasionally drifting to Naruto, but mostly lingering on the frustrated and furious Sasuke Uchiha.
Despite being acknowledged as a "genius," Naruto's life didn't improve as he expected. He thought that revealing his talents would lead to a life similar to his time at the Shin'ō Academy in the Soul Society. However, nothing changed.
His classmates still refused to befriend him. The teachers still looked at him with disdain. Some of the girls even began treating him worse—how could he dare to defeat their beloved Sasuke?
Naruto didn't feel disheartened. After his confrontation with the Third Hokage, he had already lowered his expectations. But it did make him curious. During his time in the Soul Society, Naruto learned an important lesson: people need a reason to hate. And just as they need a reason to hate, they also need a reason to love.
Naruto had shown them his strength, his worth, yet their hatred remained. It was as if their hatred had a weight, a reason that far outweighed any reason to accept or love him.
If it wasn't because he was an orphan, or because he used to be a prankster, then what was it?
Naruto looked up at the Hokage Monument in the distance. The four giant stone faces of the previous Hokages stared back. He had memorized their biographies and accomplishments long ago. The First Hokage, who united the ninja world. The Second, who founded the ninja academy. The Third, who was still alive and seemed almost immortal. The Fourth Hokage, who sacrificed himself to save the village from the Nine-Tails.
Wait, the Nine-Tails?
The "inner power" inside him was also a fox, one that knew about Konoha but was ignorant of the Soul Society. Naruto had never connected the two before, but now he couldn't help but wonder.
He entered his inner world again.
"Brat, stop bothering me!" The Nine-Tails growled the moment it saw him, its temper flaring.
Naruto looked up at the giant golden eyes. "I remember hearing a story when I was a kid. The Fourth Hokage saved the village from a demon fox. Was that you?"
The Nine-Tails grinned maliciously. "Yes, that was me. Took you long enough to figure it out. I'm not some spiritual partner in your little friendship games. I hate you. I'd devour you if I could."
Naruto remained silent, stepping closer.
The revelation that the fox inside him was the Nine-Tails didn't evoke any strong emotions. Even if it was the reason he was shunned by the village, he couldn't bring himself to care much about how the village saw him anymore. He had found another place, another home in the Soul Society, a place far better than Konoha.
He looked up at the seal holding the fox in place.
"So, you hate me because the Fourth Hokage sealed you inside me?" Naruto asked, pinpointing the source of the fox's hatred.
The Nine-Tails snorted, refusing to answer directly, but its silence was telling. That blonde man...
Naruto pressed on, "Why me? Did the Fourth Hokage just pick a random orphan?"
Why would anyone seal such a powerful entity inside a child unless there was no other choice? In the Soul Society, older kids always protected the younger ones when fighting over food.
The Nine-Tails suddenly looked amused, leaning closer to inspect Naruto. "The people of Konoha never told you, did they?"
Naruto shook his head, confused. "I figured out you were the Nine-Tails on my own."
If he hadn't gone to the Soul Society, he wouldn't even have known there was a fox inside him.
"Brat, let me enlighten you," the Nine-Tails said, jabbing a claw towards Naruto's forehead, grinning maniacally. "The Fourth Hokage had no choice but to seal me inside you. After all, you're his son!"
Naruto froze.
His face twisted in disbelief, his eyes wide and wild as he stared at the Nine-Tails. The father he never knew, never even had a picture of, was the Fourth Hokage?
"That's impossible," Naruto whispered, unable to comprehend the truth. The idea that he was the child of a hero, the child of the Fourth Hokage, made no sense. How could the son of a hero be hated by the entire village? How could he be left all alone, with no friends and no one to care for him?
"I'm not lying," the Nine-Tails said, its voice dripping with satisfaction. "But Konoha has been lying to you your whole life. They didn't want you to know the truth. They only see you as a weapon, a tool of war. So, why protect this village?"
Naruto took a deep breath, trying to calm the storm of emotions inside him. He wanted to confront the Third Hokage, to demand the truth. But then he remembered something from his childhood. He had once asked the Hokage for a picture of his parents, only to be told there wasn't one. He had asked their names but was brushed off with excuses.
He recalled his recent encounter with the Hokage. The old man wasn't to be trusted. He had been hiding the truth all along.
The Nine-Tails kept whispering in his mind, "Let me out. Break the seal, and I'll lend you my power. Together, we can destroy this village."
"Shut up!" Naruto snapped, glaring at the fox. "I'll never do what you want!"
The Nine-Tails narrowed its eyes. "I like that fire in your eyes. But are you still going to protect Konoha?"
Naruto clenched his fists. "Konoha... I'm not protecting it. If my father sealed you inside me, then I'll find him and get the answers myself. I won't listen to you, you monster!"
"You killed my father!" Naruto shouted, his voice echoing through the sealed chamber.
(End of Chapter)