Chapter 2: Roots and Rewards
Within the Hokage's office, the air was heavy with incense and the weight of old decisions.
The Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, sat at his desk, the white robes of his office stark against the dark wood. In his palm, a crystal ball glowed softly, displaying the image of a blond boy walking the streets below.
The wooden door to the office creaked open without a knock.
An old man entered, leaning on a cane. Half his face and torso were swathed in bandages, but his presence was far from frail—it was coiled and formidable, like a dormant predator. This was Shimura Danzō, a power in the shadows of Konoha.
The Third Hokage did not look up, as if he had been expecting him.
Danzō's single visible eye flicked dismissively to the crystal ball's image. A cold snort escaped him. "Sarutobi," he began, his voice gravelly and direct. "Hand the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki over to me. He is the Fourth's offspring. That talent should not be wasted. Under my guidance, he will become a true shinobi of use to the village."
Hiruzen let out a weary sigh, the sound filled with years of this same argument.
"It is precisely because he is Minato's son that I wish for him to know a measure of happiness. His path does not lie with Root."
"Happiness?" Danzō's lip curled into a sarcastic mockery of a smile. "Under your 'care,' I have seen little of it. You fear him, Sarutobi. You fear what he might become if he grows powerful and unmanageable. Your sentiment is a weakness. I would shape him into a pillar for this village."
"You would shape him into a cold-blooded weapon," Hiruzen retorted, his own kindly demeanor hardening as he waved a hand over the crystal ball, extinguishing the image. His eyes, sharp now, met Danzō's unflinching gaze.
Danzō did not deny it. He merely stood, a statue of cold ambition, a sneer frozen on his features.
After a tense silence, Hiruzen shook his head, the weariness returning. "Enough, Danzō. We will continue to observe. For now, that is my decision."
Danzō's eye narrowed to a slit, but he offered no further argument. He turned and left as silently as he had come, the door closing with a definitive click.
…
The inability to extract chakra in class was, of course, an illusion Naruto carefully maintained. At the ninja academy, he played his role as the dead-last failure perfectly. But staying low-key did not mean he was ignorant. Naruto was intimately familiar with Konoha's hidden darkness and had spent every spare moment in secret training, honing the strength he kept concealed. The academy's simplistic curriculum had been mastered and internalized within his first month of attendance.
———————
An hour later, the awaited chime sounded in Naruto's mind.
Ding—Sign-in location has been refreshed!
Ding—Next sign-in location: Uchiha Clan District.
Naruto paused mid-slurp of his ramen.
The Uchiha district?
If there was one place in Konoha he had never ventured, it was indeed the grounds of the Uchiha clan. Not because it was heavily guarded, but because, for a year now, it had been a ghost town.
One year ago, the Uchiha clan was massacred. The prodigious genius, Uchiha Itachi, had slaughtered his entire family single-handedly. Only his younger brother, Sasuke, had survived. The once prestigious Uchiha district now stood desolate and avoided by all.
Naruto had considered signing in there long ago, but after that night, the entire district had been sealed off by order of the village. It had only been reopened to the public very recently.
Finishing the last of his broth, Naruto paid at the counter, wiped his mouth, and set off toward the outskirts of the village where the Uchiha had been relocated.
Due to the village's internal politics, the Uchiha had been forced to the remote edges of Konoha long before their fall. When Naruto finally arrived, he couldn't help but let out a soft breath at the sight. Vast, well-built compounds stood empty and silent, windows like sightless eyes. The glory of a once-great clan had crumbled to dust over power struggles and fear.
But Naruto wasn't here to mourn history. He closed his eyes, focusing inward.
'System. Begin sign-in.'
Ding…
Congratulations, Host! Successful sign-in at system-refreshed location: Uchiha Clan District!
Ding…
Rewards Granted:
- Three Tomoe Sharingan Awakening Card!
- Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique!
*- 5.6% Template Experience!*
*Byakuya Kuchiki template unlock progress: 40% + 5.6% = 45.6%!*
The Three Tomoe Sharingan Awakening Card will grant the Uchiha Clan's Kekkei Genkai, the Three Tomoe Sharingan, in its mature state. Use now?
Naruto's spirit surged. He hadn't expected to obtain a fully mature Three Tomoe Sharingan from this sign-in!
The Three Tomoe Sharingan. Though called the Cursed Eyes, their power was undeniable. And a mature Three Tomoe was the foundation for further evolution—the Mangekyō, the Eternal Mangekyō, and legends even spoke of the Rinnegan. The Uchiha's destruction was deeply intertwined with Konoha's fear and desire for these very eyes.
Sensing that the Third Hokage's surveillance had lifted and confirming the absolute emptiness around him, Naruto took a deep breath. He didn't hesitate.
'Use it now!'
Integrating Kekkei Genkai for Host: Three Tomoe Sharingan.
A sudden, searing heat erupted behind Naruto's eyes. It felt as if all the chakra in his body was being violently drawn towards them, a torrent of energy focusing into two points.
His vision swam, then shifted.
The familiar blue of his irises vanished, replaced by a vivid, bloody scarlet. Within each pupil, three comma-shaped tomoe spun slowly into existence, forming a perfect pinwheel. They gleamed with an otherworldly light.
The world transformed. Naruto's perception widened, sharpened. Movement seemed to slow, details he had never noticed sprang into hyper-clarity. He could see the flow of chakra within his own body, a swirling blue energy he could now manipulate with pinpoint precision. His entire being felt elevated, refined.
It was fortunate the Third Hokage had turned his crystal ball away. Even if he were watching, he would only see Naruto from behind, head slightly bowed. He would not witness the impossible: the proud Sharingan of the Uchiha clan, blazing in the eyes of Uzumaki Naruto.
With the awakening of the Three Tomoe Sharingan and the additional unlock of his Byakuya Kuchiki template, Naruto's power had taken a monumental leap. At this moment, overwhelming a standard Jōnin would not be a problem.
The seed of resentment was growing, now nourished by the eyes of a fallen clan.