The next day.
Naruto awoke from his sleep. He washed up and prepared breakfast. Looking out the window, the weather was clear.
"Alright! A new day, another day for hard training!" Naruto stretched lazily, his hands quickly forming seals.
"Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
After a swirl of smoke, four Narutos appeared beside the original.
"I'll skip the pleasantries. Zanjutsu, Hakuda, Ninjutsu, Chakra stabilization, Kido – you guys figure out the assignments. Thanks for your hard work, everyone," Naruto said gently.
"Don't worry about it! I'm Uzumaki Naruto too! I yearn to become stronger. In the days to come, I will become a light that illuminates you." "Actually, Naruto, you're really talented. With your talent and hard work, you can definitely become the most outstanding Hokage." "In this cruel world, I will always be by your side." The several talkative Narutos all wore gentle smiles, speaking softly.
"Get out of here before I pummel you," Naruto said, clenching his fists, a smile on his face.
The four shadow clones instantly vanished.
"Finally, some peace and quiet," Naruto sighed deeply, got dressed, and headed for the Ninja Academy.
He had an agreement with his shadow clones: he would go to school once a week, and the clones would cover the rest of the time. For them, attending boring classes at the Ninja Academy was undoubtedly torture, but considering the potential of his classmates, Naruto could only endure it.
Naruto had considered graduating early but later dismissed the idea. Firstly, his peers had high potential, and building connections with them was necessary. Secondly, early graduation wasn't part of the Third Hokage's plans and definitely wouldn't be approved.
And as it turned out, Naruto's thinking was correct. Danzo and the Third Hokage had once argued over the issue of Naruto's early graduation. Danzo advocated for Naruto to graduate early and join the ANBU under his guidance. The Third, however, believed that Naruto's bonds with his classmates weren't deep enough, and graduating early at that point would do more harm than good. The two argued endlessly, fully exposing Danzo's ambition to get his hands on Naruto. In the end, the Third Hokage predictably ended the discussion with his tried-and-true Hokage authority.
Danzo, incensed, stormed off, his heart twisting further with resentment.
In the dimly lit Hokage's Office, the Third Hokage's gaze was incredibly complex, eventually hardening with determination. "I didn't do well before, but now, I will make amends. Minato, I will ensure Naruto lives a good life," the Third murmured softly in his office.
Arriving at the familiar classroom, Naruto felt a little puzzled when he didn't see a familiar figure. Sasuke usually arrived at school very early. This was the first time in a year he'd been late, wasn't it?
"Naruto-kun! Morning!" In the classroom, Ino, upon seeing Naruto, grabbed Sakura and cheerfully greeted him. The other students followed suit, saying good morning to Naruto.
"Morning," Naruto replied to each of them, his gaze finally landing on the shy girl with short, lavender hair. The image of Hinata the "Big Sis" flashed in his mind, and he couldn't help but chuckle. "Morning, Hinata."
"M-Morning, Naruto-kun," Hinata, receiving special attention, shrank back like a startled bird, her face blushing as she responded.
"What's this? Why did Naruto specifically say good morning to Hinata? He didn't do that before," Sakura pouted on the side, a little miffed.
Once Naruto was seated, a few students suddenly gathered around him.
"Naruto, did you hear? The Uchiha clan was wiped out!" "Really? Such a big clan, wiped out?" Other students immediately crowded around, discussing it in surprise. "It's true! A prominent clan, annihilated overnight! It seems only Sasuke survived." "Oh my god, who did it? That's terrifying!" "No idea. The ANBU are cleaning up the mess now. I heard the compound is flowing with rivers of blood."
Listening to the discussion, Naruto's expression gradually turned serious. His premonition from yesterday had been correct; something had indeed happened.
After the decline of the Senju clan, it wasn't an exaggeration to call the Uchiha Konoha's number one prominent clan. They had countless members who had awakened the Sharingan and formed a crucial piece of Konoha's top fighting strength. Yet, such a powerful clan was wiped out in a single night?
It just didn't make sense. Where were Konoha's ANBU? Konoha's ninja? Were they all just twiddling their thumbs?
The more Naruto thought about it, the more something felt off. The annihilation of a clan was too abnormal, too bizarre.
Assuming the mysterious force that wiped out the Uchiha was unrelated to Konoha, it would mean this force possessed the terrifying ability to infiltrate Konoha, annihilate the Uchiha clan in one night without being detected, or even escape unscathed if discovered. Their reasons for wiping out the Uchiha clan could only be a few: to weaken Konoha's strength, or a vendetta against the Uchiha.
If they could silently annihilate the Uchiha, they certainly wouldn't hold Konoha in high regard either. They might as well have attacked Konoha directly.
No matter how he thought about it, Konoha must have played an extremely important role in the Uchiha massacre. It was even possible that Konoha itself was responsible.
Naruto's eyes flickered, his vigilance increasing. To so easily wipe out the Uchiha… it seemed there was a mole within the Uchiha. With only Sasuke left alive, that mole likely had some connection to Sasuke.
The gentle smile of Itachi suddenly surfaced in Naruto's mind.
Could it be… Sasuke's older brother, Uchiha Itachi?!
Naruto swallowed hard and took a deep breath. "Do you guys know who did it?" he asked.
"Huh? Naruto, you don't know?" The classmates looked astonished. "It was Sasuke's older brother, Uchiha Itachi! He annihilated the Uchiha clan!"
As the words fell, tumultuous waves crashed in Naruto's heart.
Itachi? How could it be Itachi?! He remembered the man who was overwhelmingly powerful, almost terrifyingly so, yet also incredibly gentle towards his younger brother. Such a man had killed every Uchiha except Sasuke? This was completely impossible.
It seemed the mastermind behind the Uchiha massacre was no simple character. Naruto's gaze darkened. He'd visit Sasuke after school.
After school, Naruto brought Rock Lee along, and the two headed towards the hospital. The last time he'd come to the hospital, it had also been because of Sasuke. Thinking about it, Sasuke was on his way to becoming a hospital regular.
Neither of them spoke on the way, the atmosphere heavy. After a long while, Rock Lee couldn't bear the silence any longer and spoke first. "Naruto, did you hear? The Uchiha were…" He didn't say the words 'wiped out.' Those two words were simply too heavy.
Previously, Lee had been troubled by his own lack of talent and had even entertained many childish thoughts, like self-harm. But compared to a clan being annihilated, his own troubles seemed so insignificant.
"From now on, Sasuke will have to carry the fate of the entire Uchiha clan. It's too much ответственность for him," Naruto sighed. Everyone born into this world has their own responsibilities. Before the massacre, Sasuke was a carefree young master from a prominent family, comfortably accepting his family's affection. Even if he made mistakes, someone would always cover for him.
But after one night, he was all alone. His words and actions would now represent the Uchiha, and the honor of the Uchiha would press down on his shoulders like a great mountain. For a child of only seven, all of this was far too cruel.
Naruto and Rock Lee fell silent once more.