Konohagakure No Sato :
Hokage Tower :
It was late Noon. The grand inauguration ceremony and all the official festivities had finally wrapped up, but a fresh wave of chaos was currently unfolding on the top floor of the Hokage Building—right outside the Hokage Office.
Clack! Rattle! Clatter!
A Chunin guard violently rattled the handles of the double doors, but they were firmly locked from the inside. Behind him, a crowd of sweating shinobi and a deeply stressed Shizune stood watching the spectacle play out.
The entire situation was, to put it lightly, pretty disrespectful to the newly appointed Fifth Hokage.
"At this rate, we're gonna have to force our way in!" the Chunin guard called out, straining against the lock.
Inside the office, the culprit behind the whole circus—currently defying the entire building—shouted right back without a shred of hesitation.
"JUST TRY IT!! .........WHO DO YOU THINK I AM?!"
Konohamaru was standing behind a massive fortress he had built out of dozens of heavy wooden desks, Bookshelves and chairs webbed with miles of ninja wire, and rigged with a frankly terrifying amount of explosive tags. He sat right behind his masterpiece in pure, stubborn defiance, yelling at the crowd through the locked door.
"I AM THE GRANDSON OF THE THIRD HOKAGE!"
The guards outside went completely silent for a second.
"If you go against me... then that means you're going against the Hokage!" Konohamaru's voice boomed through the hallway including a little sniffle .
Shizune rubbed her temples, feeling a massive headache coming on. As the right hand to the new Hokage, she knew this couldn't be allowed to drag out.
"This really won't do...." she murmured softly to the guards standing nearby. "We need Lady Tsunade to take her place in the office immediately. She has a mountain of back-to-back meetings scheduled in there today."
"Oink! Oink!"
Tonton, the little pink pig resting comfortably in Shizune's arms, squeaked in wholehearted agreement.
Just as the guards exchanged quiet nods and decided that breaking down the door was their only real option, heavy, steady footsteps echoed down the corridor.
Step. Step. Step.
One of the older guards turned and immediately went pale. He hastily spun back toward the door and pleaded into the wood, "Honorable Grandson! Even for you, there are things that can and cannot be forgiven!"
Konohamaru's snappy reply echoed right back through the crack of the door. "SHUT UP!"
"What is all the damn commotion now......? It's hurting my head."
A towering figure approached the crowd, looking at the huge scene gathered outside her brand-new office.
"Hokage-sama!" The guards bowed instantly, snapping to attention.
"Tsunade-sama," Shizune greeted, stepping forward to quickly fill her in on the situation.
After listening to the summary, Tsunade stared at the guards in utter disbelief. "It's literally one kid... What are you all doing standing around for??"
The guards broke into a collective nervous sweat. "Y-Yes, ma'am!"
Inside, Konohamaru caught the tail end of the conversation through the door—especially Tsunade's very direct follow-up order:
"Get rid of him."
Hearing those harsh words, the older guard panicked slightly, speaking up with extreme caution. "B-But Lady Tsunade... that's the Grandson of the Third Hokage!"
Tsunade scoffed loudly, her eyes narrowing.
"AND I AM THE GRANDDAUGHTER OF THE FIRST HOKAGE....!"
"..."
A dead silence washed over the entire corridor. Nobody dared to make a sound at this statement .
"It doesn't matter if he's his grandson or his great-grandson," Tsunade continued coldly. "Nothing justifies this kind of nonsense during such a crucial time for the village—and you guys spoiling him like this isn't helping, either."
She crossed her arms, exuding an overwhelming authority. "He might actually open his eyes if he gets roughed up a little. Drag him out."
When the guards hesitated for a split second, her voice dropped an octave. "MOVE IT, OR SHOULD I WRITE YOU ALL A FORMAL INVITATION...???"
"YES, MA'AM!"
"ON IT!"
The guards snapped to attention, nodding frantically at each other. The older guard let out a heavy sigh and took a step back, while another stepped forward, rapidly weaving hand seals to blow through the barricade with ninjutsu.
"WAIT!!"
The crowd turned toward the booming voice and saw a tall, white-haired man casually strolling toward them.
"Now what, Jiraiya?" Tsunade asked, absentmindedly petting Tonton, who had hopped right out of Shizune's arms and into hers.
Jiraiya held up his hands in a placating gesture.
"Hey, hey, just hold on a second. Things aren't really that big of a deal, you know?"
"...So someone hijacking the Hokage's official office isn't a big deal to you??"
"He's just a kid, Tsunade. He's grieving for the Old Man."
"I know that," Tsunade sighed. "That's why I'm just throwing him out of the office. Otherwise—"
"I get why you're doing it," Jiraiya interrupted gently. "Just let me give it a shot first."
Tsunade looked at Jiraiya and let out a long breath. Ever since Sensei's death and Jiraiya's 'talk' with Naruto, this was probably the first time she had seen him look even remotely spirited about taking initiative on something.
Relenting, Tsunade sighed. "Fine. But I have a mountain of people to deal with today as Hokage."
"I know."
"Just make it fast. We don't have time to waste."
"THANKS!"
Jiraiya grinned cheerfully and sprinted straight past them, heading toward the outer window at the end of the hall.
Shizune's eye twitched as she watched him dash away. "Is he...?"
"Yeah," Tsunade shook her head. "He's gonna climb in through the window from the outside and... probably have a chat with the kid."
Once Jiraiya vanished out the window, Tsunade turned back to the rest of the floor, taking charge. "Alright, everyone get back to your posts. And Shizune—go make the preparations. Especially for the Suna delegates."
"Yes, Tsunade-sama!" Shizune bowed, immediately turning to handle the arrangements.
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Konohagakure :
Third Training Ground :
After losing the Third Hokage, it didn't take me long to realize just how much he actually mattered in my life.
And ironically, I had the 'Toad' Sage to thank for that realization.
When you look at it from all angles, the Third Hokage's intentions toward me were at least understandable, manageable, and—as bitter as it makes me to admit—somewhat accepting.
Protect the village. Cherish your bonds. Stay loyal to Konoha and your companions.
While the Third wanted all of that done his way, somewhere along the line, I realized I wanted those things too.
Just on my terms.
It wasn't about blind loyalty—it was a mutual exchange of interests. It wasn't just about unilaterally protecting precious bonds, either. It was about the people who actually acknowledged me despite me being a 'monster' or a Jinchuriki, and the few who were even willing to give their lives for me.
( Though ...for this situation ,the old man was also responsible ......but atleast he was willing to die )
Of course, a certain Toad who would do the exact same thing only because I was the supposed 'Child of Destiny' was someone I never truly considered family.
That's why, after coming this far, I finally understand that while the Hokage's methods and directives were flawed .
In the end
the ultimate result was something even I ended up accepting.
(...He really was terrifying... Sarutobi Hiruzen.)
No wonder the Uchiha fell into one eternal genjutsu after another under his watch.
Yet, after the Third Hokage's death, the absolute freedom I had been waiting for so patiently suddenly felt... completely meaningless.
Whether it was Tsunade-nee, the Elders, or any of the higher-ups, I hadn't felt 'caged' since the Chunin Exams. And somehow, that feeling didn't change even with the Third gone ......or even Present ??
(...Or maybe they're just intimidated by what I pulled off during the exams. First Orochimaru, and then taking down the Ichibi...!!..........Well Not Tsuande nee though )
While that's what I like to tell myself, I knew deep down that wasn't the whole story.
The proof?
Well, despite my 'talk' with Jiraiya at the cemetery, there hasn't been a single follow-up or interrogation from the village. Whether it was because of the Toad's absence or the Third's death leaving unanswered questions behind, a sensitive Jinchuriki like me should have been placed under total lockdown immediately.
But it didn't happen.
Which was just another piece of proof pointing to a truth I had been avoiding.
And what was that truth?
Simple.
It wasn't about the Third Hokage being innocent, the villagers being ignorant sheep, or holding Danzo accountable.
The truth was that the only cage binding Uzumaki Naruto..... was
Me.
The only real issue in my life, the only bars keeping me trapped since I awakened my memories three years ago, were self-inflicted.
I was sabotaging myself.
Because as soon as I started changing?
The village changed, too.
The civilians changed.
The shinobi changed.
The clans changed.
The Hokage changed.
It didn't happen overnight, but in the end, it only took three years. Just three damn years.
And the most laughable part?
Even the canon version of Naruto was the exact same way. The second he started changing—even without Pain's attack or the Fourth War—the village and everyone in it started changing around him. The only difference was that the canon Naruto was too dense to ever notice it.
(...Man, that guy begged the whole world and the village for acknowledgment, but he couldn't even pick up on Hinata's feelings after years of standing right next to her......even after that war )
It's pretty laughable when you think about it. For a guy who starved for attention and validation, he didn't even notice Hinata or her feelings over six whole years in the academy, or even after surviving the Fourth Shinobi World War. Even when that girl stood by him, ready to lay down her life for him—twice.
Again.
And again.
First against Pain, and then against Madara himself.
Sure, Hinata wasn't some powerhouse combatant back then, but she actually took action while the rest of the village just watched. Even his beloved 'Sakura-chan' did nothing but scream his name from the sidelines, never taking a single step to help him in any way.
( ....Though She did erform CPR ........after Naruto Died ..1!! )
Naruto's eyes twitched at that thought , especially since Naruto came back because of Big Daddy Sage of 6 paths .
(Why am I even thinking about the canon guy anyway...? The dude didn't even know Hinata's name after six years in the same classroom.... totally stupid.)
The Canon Naruto wanted to be acknowledged by the entire world and the village, while not even remembering the names of his own classmates—much less Hinata, who was always looking only at him.
(...Just as I thought. Looking back, the one keeping me & him in a cage this whole time was.... just myself, wasn't it?)
Even recently, as my perspective shifted, I still treated the Hokage's presence like an invisible cage.
But looking back now, the Old Man never forced me to accept Kakashi after our fallout two years ago. The same went for Jiraiya and the rest. Sure, he engineered opportunities, but over the years, I watched the Old Man constantly adapt his approach based on me and my actions.
Later on, whether it was my developing relationship with Ino or Hinata, after a bit of initial fumbling, the Old Man still gave me his full backing. It was the exact same story with everything else—participating in the Nara Birthday and other clan gatherings, forming bonds with civilian shopkeepers, connecting with shinobi like Hattori... slowly but surely, things changed.
Yet, I stubbornly accepted every single gesture as another cage.
Were there subtle manipulations? Absolutely. But they were actually good steps in my life. I was the one who framed them as traps, treating them as obstacles standing in my way to freedom.
And now?
I was caged all over again.
By whom?
By myself, of course.
(Your worst enemy cannot harm you as much as your own unguarded thoughts.)
Over the last five days, after thinking things through by myself, I finally came to understand.
(Maybe the problem was that there wasn't a problem, and I was just so unused to peace that my brain was trying to make one up for me.)
Sarutobi, Danzo, the Elders, the villagers, everyone... at the end of the day, if I hadn't let myself be affected by all of it over the years, would I have ever actually been brainwashed?
The faults were definitely on the Third, Danzo, and the rest. But without my own silent cooperation, would any of it have been possible?
The canon Naruto was rolled around on the fingertips of the village, Jiraiya, and eventually Tsunade.
Despite saving the village and the world, the guy didn't even get his parents' inheritance or their house back.
forget their house , even later he was still given a single bachelor apartment .
Even when te Village was rebuilt aftwer pain attack or saving the world from Kaguya .
But what about me? The present me?
The moment I moved, the world moved with me.
The moment I changed, everyone adapted.
Maybe they did it for profit, or maybe to mitigate their losses. But once they saw I wasn't going to cooperate blindly, they found other ways to handle me—ways that I actually found agreeable.
Agreeable enough that now, I don't even have a voice inside me saying I should ditch Hinata and the others to just mind my own safety and business.
Yes, the choice was mine, but now, the thought of abandoning the village doesn't even enter my mind.
If the Third had taken my invented jutsu or seals without giving anything back, I wouldn't be having these thoughts. I would have been planning my escape, harboring pure hatred for this place.
But the Third & even the village actually accepted my demands, slowly but surely.
It was the same with Ino, Hinata, and my other bonds. Aside from a little initial hesitation regarding Ino, the Old Man and the village eventually came around. The same went for the Hattori situation, the Sealing Division clearance, access to S-rank jutsu, and even setting up the medical breathing project with Tsunade-nee.
The Third Hokage and the village never shortchanged me.
They never treated me like a slave.
A weapon, sure—but never just a tool.
They treated me like a person.
And that was why, without even realizing when it happened, I had started seeing this place as more than just a village.
( Though Hinata , Ino , shino and others are also the reason for the majority of it ...but )
I saw it as home.
Somewhere I could actually belong.
Maybe it was because I was the Jinchuriki, or maybe because I was the Fourth's legacy.
But it happened anyway.
Unlike the other hidden villages, Konoha had unknowingly become my home. And the day I finally understood that, a massive heavy chain snapped inside my mind, my heart, and my body.
That was the day I realized it wasn't about the Third or the village's political mechanisms, but my own behavior that made most things turn out the way they did.
The Third and the village definitely pulled their manipulations. But it was my own support that fueled their 'Will of Fire.' And once I shifted my ground, that so-called 'Will of Fire' shifted right along with me. It wasn't Sarutobi Hiruzen's legacy anymore—it was my own.
I was free.
Not like Monkey D. Luffy free, though. Without Garp, Shanks, and Dragon backing him up from the shadows, that guy would have ended up dead in some filthy gutter on his very first voyage.
The freedom I had been longing for—the kind of freedom that truly belonged to me—was something I only understood the day the Third died.
It had been with me all along.
With that realization came clarity, but it also laid bare the exact situation of why I was still dragging another of these invisible chains around.
And the reason for it?
(...My knowledge of the future.)
Somehow, over these three years, the biggest advantage I possessed had quietly turned into another shackle binding me.
The fear of change.
Calculating the profits and losses of every move.
Overthinking every single path forward.
It all became my new cage.
Just like right now, as I looked at the two Akatsuki members walking my way:
Hoshigaki Kisame and Uchiha Itachi.
Looking at them, my very first thought was still trapped inside that cage: confront them without making any changes to the original story.
The fear of the unknown.
The terrifying feeling of losing control.
The agonizing insecurity of being unprepared for the upcoming apocalypse.
The feeling of despair that drove me to train like an absolute lunatic every single day for three years straight since awakening.
The horror of losing my loved ones.
The crushing anxiety over the changes brought about by none other than myself—especially the butterfly effect.
All of these became the chains that bound me in a cage called dread.
Dread of the unknown.
Dread of the future itself.
And dread of my own self, standing at the center of it all without any say in the matter.
And the proof of all this?
"Damn. Never thought security would be so lax around a Jinchuriki," a deep voice rasped.
Hearing that sentence, my eyes narrowed sharply. My Level 6 Mindhub skill kicked in, with 6 mind partitions that also allows me to think 60% faster than anyone else around me, forcing me right back onto a high-stakes crossroad.
One part of me wanted to snap these chains off once and for all and kill the intruders in front of me. That part wasn't some arrogant, blind fool—it was speaking cold truth based on pure confidence after measuring all my trump cards, my current strength, and my position in the village, especially with heavyweights like Jiraiya and Tsunade nearby.
(...Having the Hiraishin is the ultimate confidence factor, though )
Killing Uchiha Itachi — 50% confidence.
Killing Kisame — 100% confidence.
And if I have to fight them both at once?
Itachi drops to 30%.
Kisame stays at a solid 100%.
Yes, if I really wanted to, Kisame was dying today—a direct result of all my hard work, cheats, and training over the last three years.
But then the other side of my mind spoke up—the chained, logical side whose arguments were just as sound.
Kill Kisame... and then what?
Even if by sheer luck I managed to kill Itachi too, all I'd do is alert the Akatsuki prematurely.
And the result?
Pain, Obito, Black Zetsu, and eventually Madara would show up on my doorstep one after another. Maybe even the other Great Villages would be manipulated into moving against us by someone like Black Zetsu.
A 12-year-old kid—a Jinchuriki—taking down S-rank monsters like Kisame or Itachi without even drawing on the Nine-Tails' power would immediately turn the entire world upside down.
(...And it's guaranteed that there are White Zetsu lurking around, watching everything unfold.)
It was a total net-loss play.
A situation that made my blood boil—not in excitement, but in pure frustration and helplessness.
Before I could even make up my mind on what to do, the shark-man seemed to lose his patience, already lunging forward into action.
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Author's notes :
The reason for this chapter was
becasue i was planning to change some things but also to prvide a good proof for some of the future actions for a Technical and Smart minded preplanning MC .
While it looked the same as before , the confusion thing , but it's not the same .
It's showing Naruto's will to accept changes and also mvoing with it while accepting the loss of control over the things .
Ofcourse the third or others are not innocent , just in case you guys misunderstood , but it was bout Naruto finally accepting himself as a man of the Naruto world and not an outsider and acecepting this a real world and not just a manga or anime .
The next chapter ..is the FIGHT
Do Give me some suggestions though .
Just so you guys know , Powerstones are the grass for this Horse Author , keep feeding me and I will run/Write the same way.
I felt this chaoter has some repetition though .
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