Fugaku has gone mad; he's going to create a new Uchiha clan in Kirigakure.

Fugaku Uchiha's Mangekyou Sharingan peered through the water, staring intently at the shadow beneath the roots of the golden tree. Something seemed to be hidden in a corner beneath the water, in a place unnoticed by the light sphere, something he hadn't seen on the other side.

With a thought, his body, formed of mud, slowly sank into the cold water. There was no resistance; it was as if the water was merely a projection of his consciousness. He swam toward the shadow.

The roots of the golden tree are intertwined and deeply embedded in the endless darkness underwater, emitting a soft yet resilient golden glow. On one of the particularly thick main roots, something is wrapped around it.

Or rather, it's one person.

A baby.

Fugaku Uchiha floated in the water, watching quietly.

The baby was curled up, eyes closed, with a peaceful expression, as if asleep.

Its body is covered with a layer of crystal-clear golden crystals, completely enveloping the baby, like a piece of amber in human form. Golden tree roots, like living vines, gently and tightly entwine this "amber".

"Naruto Uzumaki..."

After pondering for a moment, Fugaku Uchiha came to an answer.

The image of the baby enveloped in crystals is probably the prototype of Naruto's core "self," and those golden crystals are undoubtedly the manifestation of Ashura's chakra continuously permeating, influencing, and even "covering" Naruto's true consciousness.

As he gazed upon this eerie yet sacred scene, a thought suddenly took root in his mind.

This infiltration was originally intended to test whether they could obtain chakra fragments from Indra or Ashura, but it turned out to be extremely difficult.

But what if we sever the root that connects to the "Amber Baby," allowing Naruto's "true self" to break free from the continuous influence of Ashura's chakra?

It might not be good for him personally, and it's hard to say for Konoha either, but one thing is certain: Naruto will most likely have nothing to do with Ashura in the future.

In other words, perhaps his own strike severed the protagonist's halo?

Having thought of this, he no longer hesitated.

His right arm instantly extended and transformed into a long, black blade of mud. He silently swung his arm, the long blade cutting through the water, precisely slashing at the golden main root that was wrapped around the "amber baby"!

There were no obstacles as I had imagined.

Ashura's chakra defense seems to only target direct attacks on its main body; it doesn't seem to have any defensive mechanism against the large tree that it spawned.

"Tch~~"

With a soft sound, not the sound of metal cutting wood, but more like the buzzing of some kind of energy channel being forcibly severed, the golden main root broke in response, and tiny golden fragments of light burst out from the break.

The binding force vanished instantly.

The amber crystal containing the baby, having lost its anchor, trembled slightly before slowly and irrevocably sinking into the endless abyss of darkness below.

However, at the very moment the main root breaks, the break is not empty.

A thick, almost viscous, golden "liquid" radiating a warm glow suddenly spurted out, with a drop of it landing squarely on the mud blade made of the [Yellow Springs Azure Pool Blade] by Uchiha Fugaku!

"Buzz!!!"

In that instant, Fugaku Uchiha felt as if his consciousness had been violently struck by a blazing golden torrent, and an indescribable, surging, and passionate "positive" emotion exploded in his "mind" like a volcanic eruption!

Courage, friendship, protection, passion, tolerance, and belief in the future!

Countless beautiful and dazzling thoughts came rushing in, but they were too extreme, like someone who grew up in China going to America and consuming the highest concentration of sugar in the US, relentlessly washing over his mind.

He felt like the protagonist in a martial arts novel, who, no matter what problems he encountered, would just shout about courage and bonds and charge forward...

"Spiritual communication!"

Without the slightest hesitation, Fugaku Uchiha, relying on his last shred of clarity, dispelled his clone. His main body, remaining in the Land of Whirlpools, instantly sensed this and activated a summoning jutsu, retrieving the broken blade...

...

The night was deep in the eastern coastal market of the Land of Whirlpools.

Fugaku Uchiha took a deep breath, his forehead covered in a fine layer of cold sweat.

"Damn it, this shit is poisonous!"

He cursed under his breath, still shaken. No wonder Konoha had tormented Naruto countless times, yet Naruto still treated Konoha like his first love.

In that brief encounter, he couldn't help but feel a strong urge to rush back to Konoha, to repent for abandoning his clan, to embrace Uchiha Itachi, and to use love to redeem everything!

"Why aren't you sleeping?"

Beside him, Uchiha Mikoto was awakened by his movements. She rubbed her sleepy eyes and asked in a soft, drowsy voice.

I can't sleep because I'm thinking about you.

Fugaku Uchiha took a few breaths; the mouthful of shit he had just eaten had made him very angry.

"Hate..."

Mikoto gave him a gentle push, the force soft and ineffective. After a moment of silence, she asked softly.

"real?"

Without waiting for Fugaku Uchiha's reply, she quietly pulled out her hair tie from under her pillow...

---Divider line

Konoha, Naruto Uzumaki's apartment.

Falling...

Falling...

Rise...

Rise...

Naruto Uzumaki opened his eyes, feeling a little strange.

He felt as if he were rising and falling in the water, or as if something had crawled back into his brain. It felt like a puzzle that was missing a piece had finally been completed, and along with this process, some heavy, invisible shackles seemed to have been unlocked.

His mind didn't even need his conscious control; it began to think on its own in an unprecedentedly clear, calm, and efficient way.

He suddenly understood the knowledge that the ninja academy professors had taught him, knowledge that he had once struggled to comprehend.

It's like a stuffy nose caused by a cold, which suddenly clears up at a certain moment.

He can even apply what he's learned to other situations. For example, with the Body Flicker Technique, several improvement plans naturally come to mind, which can make it start up faster, move more stealthily, and consume less chakra.

But that wasn't the most shocking thing for him.

The most incredible thing is his memory.

His past experiences, like a meticulously compiled and fully indexed masterpiece, automatically, page by page, from the moment he awoke, from the most recent to the furthest, were recalled in his consciousness with unparalleled clarity, coherence, and distinct details.

He "saw" himself standing in front of the bulletin board yesterday, his fingers trembling as he touched the words "Son of a Hero," he "heard" the hushed, fearful whispers of people on the street, and he "felt" the deeper sense of confusion and loneliness he felt upon returning to his cold apartment...

The Book of Memories continued to turn its pages rapidly.

The pranks at the ninja academy, the cold stares and stones thrown by classmates, the villagers' scorn and disgust, the Third Hokage's occasional lunch and his complex, indescribable gaze, the twilight spent alone swinging on the swing, the nights spent graffitiing the Hokage Rock...

Ultimately, this book of memories stopped at its very first page.

Fiery red hair, a beautiful face streaked with tears yet forcing a smile...

This must be his mother.

Brilliant blonde hair, gentle blue eyes...

This must be his father, his eyes filled with endless affection, reluctance, sorrow, and a hint of determination.

The former was directed at him, the latter at Konoha.

"Oh, I see. I really don't know what to do with you..."

...

After a long while, he got up and walked barefoot to the window.

His face was vaguely reflected in the glass window. He raised one hand and gently pressed it against the cold glass. Through the window, he could see the familiar outline on the Fire Shadow Rock in the distance. From this angle, it was as if his hand was touching the stone statue from afar.

"Dad, love alone isn't enough. Back then, you weren't quick enough, and you weren't ruthless enough..."

---Divider line

"Knock knock knock".

A polite and restrained knock broke the morning silence of the apartment.

Naruto Uzumaki opened the door.

A ninja with a mask and messy silver-white hair stood outside the door.

"Excuse me, who are you?"

Naruto Uzumaki raised his head, his gaze calm yet filled with a hint of curiosity as he scrutinized the unfamiliar one-eyed man.

"I am..."

Kakashi Hatake paused halfway through his sentence. The reason was simple: the blond, blue-eyed child in front of him was practically a carbon copy of his teacher, especially his calm and collected demeanor, as if nothing could make him lose his temper.

"Your father's student, I am under the orders of the Fifth Hokage to be responsible for your safety from today onwards... Eh, you're not surprised at all?"

Seeing the calm and collected Naruto Uzumaki, Kakashi Hatake bent down and squatted in front of the seven-year-old Naruto, staring straight at him with his single, dead-fish eye.

"Uncle, I'm the son of the Fourth Hokage. Isn't it normal for me to have someone protecting me?"

Naruto Uzumaki stood with his hands behind his back, a slight smile on his face.

"Hey, I'm only twenty years old."

Kakashi scratched his white curly hair.

"I'm just noticing that you're somewhat different from what's recorded in the intelligence."

"People always change, Uncle Kakashi. Would you like to come in and sit for a while?"

"Don't be so old-fashioned, kid."

However, despite saying that, Kakashi knew that Naruto was right. After his father committed suicide, he himself changed drastically overnight. Back then, he had his teacher, Rin, and Obito who pulled him out of that abyss, but who did this kid have? Before this, he wasn't even allowed to get close to Naruto.

"I won't go in. I came to find you because there's something else. The Fifth Hokage wants to see you and talk about... what happened yesterday."

...

On the way to the Hokage Building, more and more villagers arrived early in the morning, and many of them saw the blond child being led by the silver-haired Jonin.

Just like yesterday, fear, apprehension, and avoidance instantly appeared on the faces of those who recognized Naruto. They either hurriedly lowered their heads and quickened their pace, or subconsciously retreated to the side of the road and increased their distance.

Kakashi glanced at Naruto beside him out of the corner of his eye.

The child simply walked calmly, eyes straight ahead, seemingly oblivious to the stares and whispers, his face showing neither resentment nor anger, nor feigned strength.

"Aren't you... angry?"

Kakashi couldn't help but ask.

"Theoretically, I should be angry. They used to hate me because of ignorance and rumors, and now they are afraid that I will retaliate against them for their past actions because of my status. They just parrot what others say and are arrogant at first but obsequious at second. However, I thought about it all night last night and I realized that these people are like fools. They have no judgment of their own."

As he spoke, Naruto turned his head and glanced at Kakashi.

"People may hate or pity idiots, but they won't actually get angry with them. It's pointless, don't you think, Uncle Kakashi?"

"Oh, this..."

Kakashi opened his mouth. His master's wife was clumsy with words but could fight; his master had a sharp tongue but was always gentle and refined. So, combined, they were like this...

"Naruto, not everyone can be like you. Most people are just ordinary people, and their vision for their entire lives can only see what's in front of them."

"I know."

Naruto Uzumaki stood with his hands in his pockets, looking around at the villagers who were busy getting up in the morning but avoided him like the plague.

"These villagers in Konoha are naive and emotional, like babies."

"If you give a baby a kunai, he will use it to stab people; if you give them a rattle, they will shake it and make a sound. In other words, we must make the choices for these people."

Kakashi paused slightly, turned his head, and looked intently at Naruto with his one exposed eye.

So that's why.

Naruto continued, his gaze fixed on the towering Hokage Rock in the distance.

"I still want to be Hokage. My father loved Konoha so much that he even sacrificed himself for it. How can I watch his hard work be trampled on?"

"yes."

Kakashi sighed with emotion, but also felt a sense of relief. After all, he was worried that Naruto might become extreme due to the stimulation. The fact that Naruto thought this way at least showed that the boy had a strong will and had inherited his teacher's will.

"If you can think like that, the teacher would be very happy in the Pure Land... Wait, what does 'trampling' mean?"

"It means that my grandfather was also an idiot."

Naruto's voice remained steady.

"In dealing with my issues, he couldn't be ruthless, nor could he be soft, so he ended up pleasing neither side. He wasn't even as good as Shimura Danzo. Although this guy was the culprit who caused my miserable childhood, at least he was ruthless enough. Unfortunately, he was also short-sighted and couldn't see the long term."

"Ha ha..."

Tsunade's unrestrained laughter echoed from the Hokage's office.

She sat in the large Hokage chair, leaning back with one hand covering her stomach, laughing so hard she almost fell over. Opposite her desk sat Hiruzen Sarutobi and Danzo Shimura, who could hear Naruto and Kakashi's conversation clearly through a crystal ball that floated in the center of the desk, its surface shimmering with light and shadow.

At this moment, both of their faces were somewhat dark.

"cough."

Hiruzen Sarutobi coughed twice.

"This child has matured overnight."

Danzo Shimura snorted through his nose, his voice hoarse.

"This is getting interesting. This intelligence must have been deduced by him himself."

...

On the street, Kakashi glanced discreetly in a certain direction of the sky, his gaze seemingly briefly meeting the view from a crystal ball in the distant Hokage Building. Indeed, observing Naruto and guiding him to say something was one of his tasks for the day.

"So what do you think of the Fifth Hokage?"

"It's alright."

Naruto tilted his head, seemingly thinking about it very seriously.

"The notice blamed most of the mistakes on Shimura Danzo, without explicitly stating the Third Hokage's faults. You have to understand, if the Third Hokage lost the war, that was a matter of ability. But if he had problems with his own people, that was a matter of ideology, which is tantamount to denying the sanctity of the Hokage. That is the most fatal flaw."

"Hmm, this kid has good judgment."

Tsunade raised her head slightly, her gaze sweeping over the Third Hokage and Danzo.

"However, that's about the limit for her."

But the next sentence made Hiruzen Sarutobi burst out laughing, and even Danzo Shimura's lips curled up almost imperceptibly.

"You brat, I'd like to see why you say that!"

On the street, Kakashi also took the opportunity to ask the "why" question on behalf of the Hokage.

"because..."

Naruto Uzumaki sighed softly.

"Because she's not shameless enough."

"She should inherit the relationship between my three grandfathers and me, care for me, love me, and continue to maintain that fragile 'white lie' with warmth. But she chose to reveal my identity. She's betting that I'll understand, that I'll be grateful. But what if I don't understand? What if I resent Konoha even more because of this?"

"She gave the choice to a seven-year-old child. Despite being an old woman, she acted like a child."

"Who the hell is old?! Shizune, let go of me, I'm going to kill him!!!"

The next moment, Tsunade leaped onto the balcony, intending to break through the window, but Shizune held her tightly...

"However, she is a good person."

On the street, Naruto Uzumaki raised his head.

The morning sun shone brightly over the eaves, illuminating his youthful yet serene face, and his golden hair shone with a warm and dazzling light.

Then, without warning, two clear tears slowly slid down from his azure eyes.