Naruto: Starting with the Two Kamui

"A ninja doesn't think about what's impossible! Overcoming difficulties and finding ways to achieve them—that's what a ninja should be thinking about!"

"Naive! Your naive and ignorant ideas will not only harm the entire team, but may even plunge the village into crisis. You are not fit to be a ninja!"

"Ha! If maturity means abandonment, I'd rather never grow up. If being a ninja means certain death, then I'd rather not be a ninja at all!"

Have you finished speaking?

"That's all! I speak my mind and keep my word; that's my ninja way! Over!"

"Disruption in the examination room will result in a 5-point deduction!"

Returning to the present, Ibiki loosened his fists that were clenched in his pockets: "I understand... but please wait a moment, at least let me treat Naruto's wounds, otherwise he will die."

Ibihi turned and went back to the torture chamber. A few minutes later, he left.

Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu looked at Naruto lying on the ground, his body wrapped in bandages.

"He still possesses a portion of the Nine-Tails' power within him."

"His Sharingan in his right eye seems to have been bestowed upon him by Shadow Uchiha Yu; it must be extraordinary..."

"This is an opportunity to reclaim this power... Otherwise, Naruto will eventually become an unstable factor threatening the village."

"What Konoha needs now is not just a scapegoat, but someone with power who is forever loyal to Konoha and will never betray it!"

"As for Naruto Uzumaki, the environment in which he grew up meant that he could never be of one mind with the village!"

"If it were Danzo... we would have already eliminated him completely!"

"We won't do what Danzo did... we'll just cripple all his talents as a ninja, so that he no longer poses a threat to Konoha!"

"You can handle his eyes. As for sealing the Nine-Tails' chakra, I'll take care of that... After it's over, destroy his chakra system so he can never gather chakra again. If Minato asks, just tell him it was caused by Ibiki's torture. Anyway, it was that brat Naruto who asked to be tortured!"

Let's do it this way!

Just as the two were working together and preparing to divide the tasks, they were about to cripple Naruto.

Whoosh! The bandages in front of them suddenly deflated; it was a special Stand...

The two suddenly realized: "Damn it, it was that Ibixi guy who did it!"

Chapter 397 Sage's Time!

Inside the Hokage's mansion, Ibiki Morino brought the dying Naruto to Kakashi and told him about the underhanded dealings the two advisors had been up to.

Ibiki said, "Hokage-sama, this is all I can do within my authority. I'll leave the matter of dealing with those two advisors to you."

"Ah, Ibiki, thank you for your hard work..." Kakashi thanked him, thinking to himself: Otherwise, if something happened to Naruto, I really wouldn't know how to explain it to my teacher.

Before leaving, Ibiki said, "Hokage, this is also my suggestion. Don't let Naruto Uzumaki stay in the village any longer. There is no longer any fertile ground for him to grow. It's not too late now. If it's any later, he might really fall into darkness, and what those two advisors were worried about will become a reality!"

The moonlight was cool and clear.

Kakashi sat on the steps, staring blankly at Naruto, who was covered in wounds.

So much has changed in just one year.

The hero of the Ninja Wars has become an object of everyone's contempt. The son of a hero who was once bathed in the sunlight and carefree is now struggling alone in the darkness, but he still has not given up his dream of becoming Hokage!

Despite having blood on his hands, being habitually lazy, and often late, he ended up sitting on the throne of Hokage.

"Compared to the great achievements of my teachers and ancestors, what I have done is truly insignificant. Why... just because of a teacher's common mistake, should he be pushed into an abyss of no return? What has happened to this village?"

An unprecedented sense of powerlessness lingered in Kakashi's heart.

He didn't even know... if he were to become careless one day, would he also end up disgraced?

The people of Konoha placed too much expectation and pressure on the hero.

Perhaps the achievements of our ancestors were so outstanding that the path of heroes for future generations became a trestle bridge on the horizon, with the entrance to heaven above and an abyss below!

This path is surrounded by admirers and seems to be incredibly glamorous... but heroes must proceed with extreme caution. Only when they reach the entrance to heaven can they achieve their goal. If they stumble and fall into the abyss, they will be doomed forever!

"Look at what the Third Hokage did! Why didn't you sacrifice yourself for Konoha! Why didn't you die in battle!"

Look, Hiruzen and Minato are a perfect example of contrast.

If you're a hero for a day, you must be a hero for life. If you can no longer be a hero, you'll live a life worse than a bear! This is the gradually distorted view of heroism among people who are accustomed to and dependent on heroes to save them in every disaster and calamity. But...

Heroes should not be compared!

Heroes cannot be judged by ordinary people!

Just as Kakashi was feeling downcast, a person emerged from the shadows behind the house.

"Shikaku?"

"Ah, I heard about what happened tonight and was a little worried about you, so I came to check on you. Sure enough, you've become like this..." Shikaku sat down on the steps next to Kakashi.

"I feel like I'm about to give up on being the Hokage..."

"Ah, I understand your situation. On one hand, there are the people you must treat equally, on the other hand, there are your former mentors and disciples, as well as your stubborn advisors and the Jonin who hold differing opinions."

"You don't have the strength of the First Hokage to pacify the chaotic world and convince the masses. The merits you made in the Battle of Kannabi Bridge, because Minato led the team, have become a stain on your record. The only things you can be proud of are your achievements in the Anbu and your sense of responsibility when you stepped forward and stood in front of everyone during the Konoha calamity... But these achievements are gradually becoming outdated."

"You were appointed during a special period in Konoha. The Third Hokage died, the Fourth Hokage fell, and Jiraiya and Tsunade were injured. You had no choice but to step forward and shoulder the heavy responsibility..."

"After Konoha was rebuilt, the lives of the people returned to stability, and your resume as the Fourth Hokage's favorite student was brought up again. Some people even secretly compared you to the Shadow Uchiha Yu... saying that the village was saved thanks to the Shadow, and that you, the Fifth Hokage, were nothing special."

Kakashi said, "Ah, I am Minato's disciple, but I am still proud of it! Compared to the Shadows, what I have done is indeed insignificant! But I only want to do my best to change this village! This is the promise I made when I said goodbye to my father!"

Nara Shikaku said, "Your idea is beyond doubt, but in the current situation, the Kage's authority is too limited. If power could be highly centralized like in the Dark Ninja Country, many problems could be easily solved."

"To highly centralize power? You want us to emulate the Ninja Kingdom?" Kakashi asked in surprise.

Shikaku glanced at him intently: "It doesn't necessarily have to be imitation. Shadow is an extremely prescient person, as if he has seen through the essence of this world. Sometimes I even suspect that he has a God's-eye view, which allows him to plan ahead and carry out such sweeping changes..."

"Kakashi, there are some things I can only say to your face. The daimyo of various countries enjoy the benefits of ninjas while being wary of their military power. According to my calculations, the system of one village per country will collapse in the next few decades."

"The emergence of the Hidden Ninja Country will inevitably accelerate this process... because the Ninja Country has refreshed the nobles' understanding of the ninjas' ambitions and abilities. In order to prevent usurpation from happening around them, the Daimyo will inevitably take action, either weakening the ninjas' power or going to extremes like the Land of Lightning, simply razing their own ninja villages to the ground!"

"It won't be long... Konoha Village will inevitably face a catastrophe, not from the threat of other ninja villages' military strength, but from being rejected by the secular world and having its lifeline cut off, leading to a survival crisis that will uproot it completely!"

"It's never too late to mend the fence after the sheep are lost... Joining the entire village into the Dark Ninja Kingdom's organization is the only way to save ourselves!"

Hearing Shikaku's words, Kakashi was greatly shocked: "Shikaku, as expected of you, I wouldn't even dare to think about something like that..."

"It's not your fault. I'm your advisor, so of course I can come up with all sorts of ideas. If I were in your position, I'm afraid I wouldn't have the courage. I have a wife and children, and I don't want to be nailed to the pillar of shame in Konoha at such a young age... In short, even if you want to push this forward, this matter can't be rushed. Let's deal with the internal resistance in the village first."

Kakashi said, "Just thinking about these obstacles makes my scalp tingle..."

Shikaku placed his hand on Kakashi's shoulder: "It's alright. At least, the Ino-Shika-Cho trio is definitely on your side! And Minato didn't become Hokage for nothing. There are still quite a few Minato supporters in Konoha, but they can't show it due to public pressure."

"The Hyuga clan, the most prestigious clan in Konoha, is a living example. If Minato hadn't acted decisively back then, Hizashi would be gone forever, and his son Neji would have spent his life as a caged bird. They will always remember this kindness... When necessary, they will definitely stand up and support you, Minato's prized student!"

"Thank you, Shikaku. Without you, I really don't know how I would have gone on..." Kakashi rallied, looking at Naruto before him: "For the future of Konoha, I must preserve the spark of the new generation, even if it's through a painful process..."

Lin Yu watched this scene from the shadows and murmured, "Nara Shikaku, as expected of Konoha's number one strategist. Kakashi, I almost couldn't resist using Kotoamatsukami to forcibly pull him away from you. But considering that we might work together in the future, I'll keep him by your side. That way, he can still be of use to me..."

Chapter 398 The Hokage's Decisive Move!

In a private room, Naruto woke up, his injuries from being strangled by wire now healed: "Strange, where am I? Wasn't I in Uncle Ibiki's torture chamber?"

The door opened, and standing in the doorway was an ANBU member wearing a mask. He said indifferently, "Naruto Uzumaki, the Fifth Hokage is waiting for you on the top floor of the Hokage's residence. Go there immediately!"

Whoosh! Naruto leaped onto the roof and saw Kakashi wearing the Hokage cloak and a straw hat, his back to him, gazing at the Hokage Rock standing before him, his back view carrying a hint of sadness.

Naruto said, "Kakashi-sensei..."

Kakashi turned around and said, "Naruto, I have good news and bad news. Which do you want to hear first?"

What's wrong with Kakashi-sensei today? He's keeping us in suspense.

Naruto replied without hesitation, "Good news!"

Kakashi said, "After investigation, it was found that you were not the arsonist that night. The fire was started by those children's prank. It was unfortunate that they burned to death, but they also had their own faults..."

Naruto breathed a sigh of relief, but his expression didn't show much joy.

Kakashi asked, "Your name has been cleared, aren't you happy?"

Naruto said dejectedly, "What's there to be happy about? Those were several vibrant lives. Their pranks might have been just a moment of confusion, but they lost their lives forever. Perhaps in the future, they would have become pillars of Konoha..."

A complex emotion flickered in Kakashi's eyes, and his voice softened slightly: "Also... when the fire started, your mother was so frightened that she went into labor. Your father took her to Konoha's top hospital, and everything went smoothly..."

Naruto exclaimed with delight, "Ah, Mom gave birth!! I have a little brother!!"

"It's not a younger brother, it's a younger sister..."

"What?! I have another little sister!"

"Ah... this is the good news I wanted to tell you."

"Then, what's the bad news?" Naruto asked.

Kakashi clenched his fist behind his back and said solemnly, "From today onwards, you are no longer a Konoha ninja..."

"Huh??" Naruto's joy froze completely on his face, replaced by deep confusion: "Why? Since I'm innocent, why take away my ninja qualification!"

Kakashi said, "This is a decision I made after careful consideration. I believe you are no longer suitable to stay in Konoha..."

"Kakashi-sensei..."

"Stop talking!"

"But!!" Naruto was extremely unwilling.

"You want to become Hokage, right? Then you should know that as a genin, it is only natural to obey the Hokage's orders unconditionally!!" Kakashi even brought up the Hokage's orders, leaving Naruto with no way to refuse.

Naruto clenched his fists tightly and asked in a trembling voice, "Then, will I be able to come back in the future?"

Kakashi countered, "Do you think there's anyone in this village who still hopes for your return?"

"..." Naruto's eyes dimmed.

But he quickly mustered his spirits and said, "Kakashi-sensei, thank you for your past guidance. I will never forget your teachings. In this ninja world, those who break the rules are called trash, but those who do not cherish their comrades are even worse than trash!"

"From now on, no matter how the people in this village view me or my father, I will consider them important companions. If Konoha is ever in trouble, I will never stand idly by! Even if I am unworthy!"

Kakashi's heart was bleeding: Naruto, to doubt that your heart could be tainted by darkness is an insult to you, but Naruto... the one who is truly unworthy is not you, but this rotten village!

Kakashi hardened his heart and said, "Go to your father's place. He's already waiting for you at the back gate of the village!"

Thud! Naruto knelt down and solemnly kowtowed several times to Kakashi and the Hokage Rock behind Kakashi. Then he took off his headband, picked up a kunai, gritted his teeth, carved a horizontal line representing a rogue ninja in the middle of the headband, tied it on his forehead, turned around, and disappeared from the rooftop.