In any case, the immense turmoil brought about by the Uchiha Clan Massacre gradually subsided with the passage of time and the compromises reached through the power struggles of various factions. On the surface, daily life returned to a certain degree of peace.
In the days that followed, once everything had settled, Naruto returned to attending the Ninja Academy.
The most significant difference from before was Satsuki's change. If the original Satsuki was "tsundere," with "tsun" and "dere" each making up five parts, now, that ratio seemed somewhat extreme. "Dere" accounted for nine-tenths, while the "tsun" had become an adorable stubbornness that only surfaced occasionally.
And she had become... exceptionally clingy. Whether during class breaks or on the way home from school, she habitually stayed within Naruto's reach.
Although she no longer directly grabbed his sleeve as she did initially, the silent dependence and the following gaze were far more evident than any words.
To be honest, Naruto felt a little secretly pleased about this change.
Furthermore, after some time had passed, Satsuki seemed to have developed a new hobby he hadn't expected—photography.
This was indeed a path Naruto had never considered. He hadn't really thought about whether cameras existed in the world of Naruto... after all, even camcorders and movie theaters existed, so portable cameras didn't seem too strange.
Satsuki had acquired a rather delicate-looking camera from somewhere and often fiddled with it. Naruto frequently saw her with her head down, carefully adjusting the lens and focus with her fingers, her expression one of deep concentration.
However, Naruto had never actually seen what landscapes or people Satsuki photographed. He only often saw her tinkering with that camera in front of him.
Then, in front of him, she would gesture towards a certain direction for a long time, only to put it down in the end, as if she hadn't found a suitable angle.
After the Clan Massacre, Uchiha Fugaku, in his capacity as a "survivor" and "former Clan Leader," held several closed-door talks with the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi.
The content of the discussions mostly revolved around the Uchiha Clan's current "unworthy" and awkward position in Konoha. Faced with the once glorious First Noble Clan of Konoha almost vanishing overnight, with only a handful of members remaining, the Third Hokage's face appeared even more aged and haggard, his words filled with heavy sighs and an unredeemable sense of guilt.
At the same time, Fugaku also officially learned the news that Danzo Shimura, the Konoha elder who had always hidden in the shadows, tirelessly targeted and suppressed the Uchiha Clan, had been confirmed dead.
What shocked him even more was that Danzo's accumulated crimes over the years, including desecrating the First Hokage's remains, colluding with rogue ninja, conducting human experiments, and harming fellow villagers, had all been made public, completely ruining his reputation and ensuring he would be infamous for generations.
If it had been in the past, when he was still the Uchiha Clan Leader who had to rack his brains for the benefit of the entire clan, he would have felt great satisfaction upon hearing this news.
But now, having shed the burden of Clan Leader and experienced life, death, and betrayal, besides the empty title of a "Konoha Jonin," his more important identity was simply a husband and father who longed to protect his family.
Hearing this news, he felt only a complex, settled calm, and a hint of the desolation of things being different now.
Within the family, new changes also gradually emerged. Satsuki had suggested to her parents more than once that she hoped Naruto would move directly into the now empty Uchiha Clan Compound, even explicitly wishing him to live directly across from their own residence...
This was not a difficult matter. With the Uchiha Clan Compound almost completely vacant, this area could theoretically even be considered the private property of Fugaku's family. It was also possible that because a tragic incident had occurred here and the location was remote, no one was interested.
However, Satsuki's request was firmly rejected by Fugaku. Besides the inevitable discomfort a father felt seeing his daughter's dependence and closeness to an "outsider" far exceeding her closeness to him, he also provided a very reasonable and irrefutable reason.
Although the small apartment Naruto currently lived in was a bit old, its geographical location was excellent, right in the central area of Konoha. Whether it was going to the Ninja Academy, shopping, or the Ichiraku Ramen shop, it was much more convenient than living in the Uchiha Clan Compound on the outermost edge of Konoha. Moving Naruto over would only cause him trouble.
This reasonable refusal, based on practical considerations, still left Satsuki depressed for a long time, and she seemed spiritless for several days.
Also, regarding their eldest daughter, Uchiha Itachi, who had fallen for Danzo's conspiracy and personally carried out the Clan Massacre... Konoha officials had officially listed her as an S-rank rogue ninja and issued a high bounty. Fugaku and Mikoto's feelings for this daughter who had betrayed their clan were too complex to describe in words.
Heartache, confusion, and a hint of lingering concern that could not be completely erased... all these emotions intertwined.
Ultimately, they chose to no longer actively mention her name at home, attempting to protect their younger daughter from further distress and to allow their own scarred hearts a moment of respite.
However, every time Mikoto inadvertently saw Itachi's former room, or saw Satsuki and Naruto walking together, her thoughts would uncontrollably drift, and her eyes would unconsciously well up, requiring her to quietly turn her face away to hide the profound, motherly grief that surged within her in that moment. That deeply etched pain could not be easily erased by simply not mentioning it.
So, what was Uchiha Itachi's current situation?
Naruto did not know all the details, only occasionally hearing fragmented news about the [Jinn] organization from Hizashi.
According to Hizashi, shortly after Uchiha Itachi was brought to the stronghold, she was arranged to have a private meeting with the "resurrected" Uchiha Shisui.
That day's meeting seemed extremely intense. No one knew exactly what happened behind the closed door, only vaguely hearing suppressed, almost broken sobs and fierce arguments.
In the end, Shisui was the first to leave the room, his eyes red and carrying an air of heavy, lingering sadness. And Uchiha Itachi, who remained inside...
However, Shisui, in order to make her and the name "Uchiha Itachi," which carried the sin of the Clan Massacre, so that the outside world would no longer focus on this special "prison."
Shisui used some of his authority as a core member of the [Jinn] organization to secretly change her name.
Uchiha Yuzu.
When Hizashi reported to Naruto (Menma), his tone carried a complex sense of emotion. As a core member of [Jinn], he had seen the girl renamed "Yuzu" a few times.
His evaluation was... that girl who had lost her sight and was renamed 'Yuzu'... indeed, she had been completely rejected by Shisui, who had once entrusted all his will to her.
Because her Mangekyo Sharingan had been taken by Menma, leaving only empty eye sockets and damaged tear ducts. Her eyes were wrapped and covered in layers of white gauze.
However, perhaps because extreme sorrow and regret never ceased to erode her, or perhaps because her body remembered the instinct to cry, the gauze covering her eyes would often be soaked by the uncontrollably flowing liquid.
Sometimes it was clear tears, and sometimes... faint, crimson streaks of blood would seep through.
On the white gauze, wet marks often spread, sometimes transparent, sometimes with a tragically beautiful blood color... appearing to possess a strange and broken beauty.
She stayed quietly in the solitary confinement room assigned to her, like a soulless doll. Only the gauze, occasionally stained red by tears and blood, proved that some intense emotion was still silently raging within that seemingly calm shell.