Even though Kasi's chakra signature had been registered in Konoha's barrier, no one knew he had woken up. His shadow clone still lay quietly in the hospital bed, keeping up the illusion. There were no active ANBU guards assigned to him anymore — after all, everyone thought he was just another long-forgotten name in the records.
Standing on a high branch outside the hospital, Kasi watched the village from afar. Konoha looked peaceful, but something about it felt different. He sighed and made a few hand signs.
"Shadow Clone Jutsu."
Several clones appeared around him.
"You know what to do," he said quietly. "Stay hidden. Gather information. I want to know what happened these past years — and who's still here."
The clones nodded and disappeared in all directions, blending into the village. Kasi adjusted his cloak, then vanished using the Body Flicker technique.
He had only one goal in mind — to find the legacy of his brother and sister-in-law. If the memories he saw were real, then their son… Naruto Uzumaki, was still alive somewhere in this village.
After moving through the alleys, he stopped near a busy street. Children were playing, and vendors shouted their prices. But one small figure stood out — a blond boy, messy hair, bright blue eyes, and paint all over his face.
Naruto was running from a store owner, laughing as he threw a small bucket of paint that splashed all over the man's clothes.
"You little brat! Come back here!" the man shouted.
Naruto grinned and stuck out his tongue. "Catch me if you can, old man!"
Then he dashed off, leaving a trail of laughter and wet footprints behind.
Kasi couldn't help but smile for a moment. That energy — that stubbornness — it reminded him of Kushina so much. But when he looked around, the smile faded. The people watching didn't share that laughter.
Some villagers glared at Naruto with disgust.
"Troublesome brat," one man muttered.
"Stay away from him," a woman whispered to her daughter, pulling her close.
Another person spat near the ground. "That boy should never have been born."
Kasi's chest tightened. The warmth in his heart turned cold.
He didn't need anyone to tell him why they treated Naruto that way. The fox — the Nine-Tails — had taken everything from the village. And though the boy himself had nothing to do with it, he was forced to carry its burden.
Naruto kept running, smiling like he didn't care. But Kasi could see it — the loneliness in his eyes, hidden behind that grin.
He clenched his fists.
"Brother… Kushina… your son is alive. But this village…" he whispered, eyes darkening. "It's forgotten who he truly is."
The wind rustled through the leaves as Kasi watched Naruto disappear around the corner. For the first time since waking up, his heart felt heavy again — not because of his own pain, but because of the life his nephew had been forced to live.
That night, Kasi stayed in the shadows near Naruto's small apartment. The boy's room was dimly lit, the wallpaper old and peeling. From the distance, Kasi watched quietly, thinking about how much the child resembled both his parents.
Then he heard shouting from outside.
A few drunk villagers stood near Naruto's building, throwing stones at the windows and walls.
"Monster!" one of them yelled.
"Get out of our village!" another shouted.
Inside, Naruto had hidden under his bed, hugging his knees tightly. His small body trembled with fear, though his eyes tried not to cry. Kasi's sharp senses caught his quiet muttering.
"I didn't do anything… why do they hate me…"
Kasi's heart felt like it was being torn apart. His breath grew heavier. That small boy — his own blood — was being treated like dirt by the very people his parents had died to protect.
Then, he sensed them — two ANBU watching from the rooftops, and a faint, colder presence nearby. Root. They were monitoring Naruto, not protecting him. Just watching.
Something inside Kasi broke.
His chakra flared without warning, bursting out like wildfire. The air shook, dust and wind swirling around him. The mob outside was thrown to the ground, their anger turning into sudden fear. The ANBU nearby dropped to one knee, struggling to breathe under the sudden pressure.
But in Naruto's room, the storm felt different.
A soft breeze brushed his face — warm, gentle, like someone was telling him, you're not alone.
Naruto looked up, eyes wide, feeling that small warmth for the first time in years.
Kasi stood in the dark, watching quietly as his chakra slowly calmed. His anger faded, replaced by a deep sadness.
"Hang in there, Naruto," he whispered. I am here now.