Chapter 546: The Third Hokage's Worries
"Big brother, am I really...?"
After returning home, Naruto had remained silent until dinner.
Only then did he finally look at Kenichi with a complicated expression and force the question from his mouth.
"No."
Kenichi interrupted him without hesitation.
He raised his head and looked at Naruto.
This poor little guy had grown up healthy despite living in blissful ignorance, which made Kenichi briefly wonder whether Shisui's Kotoamatsukami had somehow been used on him.
However, seeing the turmoil clearly reflected in Naruto's expression, Kenichi sighed.
Suppressing emotions for too long could easily cause someone to lose control.
Kenichi understood that very well from personal experience.
"Those people have something wrong with their heads. We only need to focus on living our own lives."
Kenichi smiled and ruffled Naruto's hair.
At the same time, he wanted to see whether Naruto had truly been affected by Kotoamatsukami.
Naruto nodded, lowered his head, and began shoveling rice into his mouth.
Seeing his aggrieved expression, a thought flashed through Kenichi's mind.
The pattern of the Mangekyo Sharingan briefly appeared in his eyes before quickly fading.
Unfortunately, the Sharingan was not the Byakugan.
It was difficult to directly examine what was happening inside Naruto's head.
"Naruto, you need to understand something."
Kenichi placed his hand on Naruto's head once more.
"You're only a student who hasn't even graduated from the Ninja Academy. Since the day you were born, you haven't done anything wrong. You've never owed Konoha anything."
Naruto was the son of the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze.
He was the son of a hero and Konoha's Nine-Tails Jinchuriki.
Yet the treatment he received was truly difficult to justify.
Kenichi wondered whether Minato would regret not teleporting the Tailed Beast Ball out of Konoha if he knew what kind of life Naruto was living now.
In truth, Minato had regretted it before, though not as deeply, because Kenichi had intervened early in that timeline.
As for the Third Hokage...
That was even more complicated.
Kenichi did not know whether Hiruzen should be called a good man or a bad one.
If he was a good man, then why was Naruto constantly given the cold shoulder, isolated, and ignored throughout Konoha?
But if he was a bad man, Hiruzen still gave Naruto a considerable amount of money every month and often came to check on him.
Compared with other Jinchuriki, Naruto's situation was not even the worst.
Gaara's childhood had been far more miserable.
It could only be said that Jinchuriki generally received terrible treatment in every ninja village.
The contradictions between the early and later parts of the original story had also turned Hiruzen, once called the strongest Hokage in history, into something of a joke.
That blame should probably be placed on Kishimoto.
"Then..."
Naruto raised his head and looked at his older brother.
He bit his lower lip hard.
Tears glistened in his eyes, but he stubbornly refused to let them fall.
Naruto was strong.
He was trying his best not to cry.
"Do other people's opinions really matter?"
Kenichi smiled, pinched Naruto's cheek, then poked him on the forehead before lowering his hand.
"We live our own lives. What do those people have to do with us? Why should we care what they think?"
Kenichi shrugged.
"They're not Uzumaki anyway."
He had never cared what people unrelated to him thought about him.
Naruto sniffled.
His big brother was right.
He was Uzumaki Naruto, not some other Naruto.
He only needed to live his own life.
As long as his big brother approved of him, and as long as his big brother remained by his side...
A child's emotions came and went quickly.
Before long, Naruto was happily eating with Kenichi again, allowing Kenichi to relax.
Naruto's emotions had been genuine.
They did not resemble those of someone being controlled by genjutsu.
However, Kotoamatsukami had always been portrayed as an overwhelmingly powerful genjutsu that subtly altered a person's thoughts without their awareness.
Perhaps it had been too powerful, which was why it disappeared from the story so early without accomplishing much.
For now, Kenichi would need to continue observing Naruto.
Looking at the boy's recovered smile, Kenichi also smiled faintly.
However, his thoughts soon returned to the question of how he could leave this world and return to his own.
The only thing he could currently confirm was that he had traveled to another timeline.
Just like in Loki, perhaps the Naruto world also possessed countless timelines.
The sacred timeline would be the orthodox Naruto story, while all other timelines were branches derived from it.
The object Kenichi had encountered was most likely some kind of machine capable of traveling through time.
The idea was rather absurd.
Although the technological development of the Shinobi World was strangely uneven, creating a time machine was still too ridiculous.
It would be like a primitive tribe in Africa from his previous life gaining access to electricity and running water, then announcing a few years later that it had created the world's most advanced lithography machines and mastered their entire manufacturing process.
Was that possible?
It was highly unlikely.
Because of that, Kenichi suspected that the object had been brought to this world by the Otsutsuki Clan.
If he could find it again, he might be able to return home.
Holding on to that hope, Kenichi finished his meal and completed the household chores.
Then he watched Naruto wash his socks with a thoroughly miserable expression before climbing into bed and falling asleep.
The next morning, Kenichi woke before dawn.
He glanced at Naruto, who was still sound asleep, then quietly climbed out of bed, changed his clothes, and left the room.
The moment he opened the front door, he saw Sasuke standing in the dim hallway.
Kenichi pouted.
"Let's go."
He glanced at Sasuke and sighed.
This boy was far too persistent.
The training plan Kenichi had prepared for him did not require him to wake up this early.
Even so, Sasuke stubbornly insisted on joining Kenichi's morning training every day.
In other words, Kenichi and Sasuke often saw Konoha at four in the morning.
After attaching their weights, the two began warming up on the silent, empty streets.
The air before dawn was quite cold.
Sasuke's warm breath turned into white mist and slowly disappeared into the darkness.
"I heard about what happened at the academy gates yesterday."
Sasuke's voice sounded unusually clear on the quiet street.
"Yeah. And?"
Kenichi raised one leg high, then gently lowered it to the ground.
The ten kilogram weight strapped to his ankle seemed to have no effect on him at all.
Sasuke scratched his head and glanced at Kenichi beside him.
Kenichi's expression remained calm, as though he did not care about the matter in the slightest.
That left Sasuke uncertain about how he should comfort Naruto.
His fingers tightened around the note hidden in his pocket.
He had spent the entire previous night thinking of comforting words and writing them down.
But now, it seemed they would not be necessary.
That was a little disappointing.
"Nothing."
Sasuke gave up.
After they finished training, Kenichi took Naruto to the academy.
Once again, they experienced the same atmosphere as the previous day.
The cold and contemptuous gazes of the people passing through the streets.
Their disgusted expressions.
Their whispered conversations.
All of it remained near the academy.
However, Naruto appeared much more relaxed today.
Unlike yesterday, he no longer paid excessive attention to what those people said.
Kenichi, on the other hand, caught several important phrases from their conversations.
"It's truly hateful. No wonder he's..."
"So frightening. I heard the son of my neighbor say that their teacher told them those two little..."
"Someone like that becoming a ninja would definitely betray the village, wouldn't he?"
Their teacher told them.
Those were the important words Kenichi noticed.
When leaving the academy yesterday, he had also heard those people mention that a teacher had told them these things.
The question was, which teacher?
To Kenichi, the answer was hardly challenging.
Mizuki was undoubtedly the primary suspect.
Apart from Mizuki, Kenichi could not think of another Ninja Academy teacher who would deliberately target them.
Under Kenichi's guidance, Naruto's behavior at school might not have made everyone like him, but it was no longer bad enough to make them hate him.
Of course, there was still a possibility that another teacher genuinely harbored extreme hatred toward the two supposed fox demons.
However, when classes ended that day and Kenichi prepared to take Naruto home, all his questions were answered.
"Parents, please do not attack my students here!"
Seeing the silver haired Mizuki step forward with a righteous and indignant expression to protect Naruto, Kenichi revealed a mocking smile.
Some people believed themselves to be hunters, never realizing that they were actually prey.
The parents waiting to pick up their children awkwardly closed their mouths after Mizuki appeared.
It was not because they feared Mizuki.
They were afraid that the matter would be reported and that the Third Hokage would punish them.
But from Naruto's perspective, Teacher Mizuki suddenly looked incredibly heroic.
Kenichi glanced at his foolish younger brother and silently shook his head.
Naruto's personality was truly too naive.
The phrase about someone being sold and still helping the seller count the money could have been invented specifically to describe him.
Kenichi saw through such a shallow scheme immediately.
However, he had no intention of exposing it.
He merely watched in silence.
Mizuki wanted to use the two brothers.
But why could Kenichi not use Mizuki in return?
"Naruto, are you all right?"
Mizuki turned toward Naruto and displayed what he believed was his kindest and most reassuring smile.
"Thank you, Teacher Mizuki!"
Naruto responded excitedly.
Looking at the brat before him, Mizuki smiled gently.
With this child, perhaps his plan really could succeed.
Then he could take the Scroll of Seals, and afterward, he could...
The thought of that wonderful future filled Mizuki with excitement.
"It's good that you're all right. Don't pay attention to those rude people. They're only..."
Mizuki smiled and reached out to ruffle Naruto's hair.
Naruto foolishly allowed him to do it.
Kenichi pouted.
My foolish younger brother...
Never mind.
Your big brother will avenge this for you.
Kenichi silently added Mizuki's name to his mental list of grievances.
He also needed to settle the matter of Mizuki spreading distorted information among these fools.
If the rumors spoken by those parents had not originated from Mizuki, then Kenichi would wash his own socks.
Mizuki, Mizuki.
You have chosen your own path to death.
In a rare display of generosity, Mizuki invited Naruto to eat ramen.
Naturally, they went to Ichiraku Ramen, the most famous ramen shop in Konoha.
Kenichi joined them midway through the meal.
"Teacher Mizuki, are you really paying?"
Kenichi looked at Mizuki, who was sitting beside Naruto.
It appeared Mizuki was still concentrating his efforts on Naruto.
There was little he could do about that.
Naruto looked deeply moved, while Kenichi remained completely indifferent.
"Yes. Today's meal is my treat. Order whatever you want."
Mizuki spoke as though he were incredibly generous.
"Ichiraku-ojisan, I want the super deluxe enhanced ramen with five times the meat!"
Kenichi shouted loudly.
Mizuki's eyelid twitched, and his carefully maintained expression almost collapsed.
You bastard!
Are you really ordering that much?
"Big brother..."
Naruto tugged awkwardly at Kenichi's clothes.
Was this not simply taking advantage of someone?
"Oh, Naruto wants one too."
Kenichi looked at Naruto and added another order.
Mizuki took a deep breath, but still managed to maintain his kind smile.
It was only a ramen meal.
He could afford it.
As long as he achieved his objective, nothing else mattered.
And so Mizuki's performance began.
"Mizuki truly refuses to give up."
Hiruzen sat behind his desk, watching Naruto and Kenichi eat ramen while puffing on his pipe.
The moment Mizuki brought Naruto to Ichiraku Ramen, the Anbu had reported it to him.
Hiruzen had already placed Mizuki under surveillance.
The calculating Third Hokage instantly understood what Mizuki intended to do.
Did he want to steal the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki?
Impossible.
Mizuki would never dare attempt something like that.
Combining Mizuki's actions with the person he might secretly be contacting, Hiruzen narrowed his eyes and looked toward the chamber behind him.
That was where the Scroll of Seals was kept.
Mizuki's target was most likely the scroll.
"Hokage-sama, should we...?"
An Anbu spoke quietly.
His meaning was clear.
They could secretly arrest Mizuki immediately.
"No."
Hiruzen shook his head.
"Wait until Naruto and the others begin moving tonight. When that happens, withdraw from the Hokage Tower."
Hiruzen had his own plans.
He could also use this opportunity to test Naruto's true thoughts.
As for Kenichi, that man was a lunatic whose strength was terrifying beyond reason.
Hiruzen had no method of controlling him.
For now, he could only allow Kenichi to do as he pleased, provided he did not harm Konoha.
If Kenichi ever attempted to damage the village, Hiruzen had already begun preparing methods to deal with him.
Whether those methods would actually work was another matter.
Just remembering the enormous Susanoo and the colossal Senju Buddha statue he had witnessed that day filled Hiruzen with powerlessness.
A massive net was slowly spreading outward.
Yet Mizuki, standing at its very center, remained completely unaware.
"What did Teacher Mizuki tell you?"
Kenichi yawned.
They had finished eating, and Mizuki had already left.
Naruto, however, seemed troubled.
"Big brother..."
Naruto looked at him.
Then he remembered what Mizuki had said.
It would be best not to let his older brother know.
Otherwise, the plan might fail.
If that happened, Naruto would not gain everyone's recognition, and he would never become Hokage.
Become Hokage...
Naruto pouted.
He only needed his older brother's approval.
"Big brother, Teacher Mizuki told me…"
.....
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