Chapter 135: The Reason Why Naruto Lost His Mind
"I want this! And that! I want that too!"
Hanabi, her little legs moving in a blur and her long hair swaying in the wind, darted back and forth between the stalls like a hungry ghost girl reborn. Her eyes sparkled with excitement at every new sight.
Her mouth was smeared with oil, but her hands were empty—because almost everything she'd bought so far had ended up in her sister's hands.
"Oh my…" Hinata muttered, trailing close beside Hanabi.
She held a box of takoyaki, calmly skewering each octopus ball with a bamboo stick and popping it into her mouth one by one, cheeks slightly puffed as she chewed.
Ryosuke stood behind them, the designated pack mule, weighed down with everything the sisters had just purchased. Each finger bore at least one bag, and he looked as though he was about to drop something with every step.
"I haven't been here in forever. I didn't expect there to be so many new food stalls," Hinata said, glancing around even as her mouth was half-full.
"That's probably because of the alliance. Things are more stable now."
Ryosuke raised his head, motioning with his chin toward a shop ahead. "Look over there. That grilled fish shop—the fish they're using aren't from the Land of Fire. They're deep-sea species. Probably imported from the Land of Hot Water or Iron."
Then he gestured to the other side of the street. "And that drink stand? The desserts and flavors are completely different. I'd bet they're from the Land of Snow."
With the Allied Nations formed, it wasn't just shinobi missions that had changed.
Vendors from other countries had started moving into the Land of Fire, and Konoha's own merchants were expanding outwards in return. This trade surge had all been made possible by the Seagull Shipping Chamber of Commerce—a neutral party that acted as a trustworthy middleman.
With mediation and fairness, even old enemies were starting to play nice in the name of mutual benefit.
"Well, I guess the alliance is worth something then." Hinata licked her lips and reached into one of the bags Ryosuke carried, retrieving another snack.
"All you do is eat."
Ryosuke sighed and made a motion to flick her on the forehead—only to realize both his hands were too full to move.
So he gave up.
"Sis! Let's come back to the snack street tomorrow!"
Hanabi reappeared beside them, panting slightly, a box of half-eaten skewers in her hands. She passed them off to Ryosuke smoothly before grabbing another bite.
Her rosy cheeks were damp with sweat, but she was beaming.
Today had been her first day at the Academy—and it had been a great day. She'd made new friends, and her favorite sister had come to pick her up.
It was completely different from the quiet, lonely days she used to spend at home.
"Tomorrow, huh…" Hinata rested a hand over her stomach, suddenly hesitant.
As the heir of the Hyūga, she didn't lack money. They could easily afford to eat out every day. But lately… she had started gaining a bit of weight.
She'd barely had time to train. Her days were full of clan duties, meetings, tea with the elders… and not much else. The calories, unfortunately, didn't burn themselves.
"Just one more day?" Hanabi pleaded. "I haven't even eaten everything yet! The skewer guy said new stalls from other countries are coming soon!"
Her tone was pitiful—but with oil on her face and pepper flakes stuck to her lips, it wasn't exactly convincing.
"Your sister's very busy," Ryosuke interjected, saving Hinata from caving. "She might not always have time to come get you after school."
He leaned down, meeting Hanabi's eyes. "But if you do well on your school tests, we'll consider taking you out again. That way, you won't have to spend all your allowance on snacks."
Some things could be given freely—but not everything. Kids needed boundaries.
"Hmph." Hanabi pouted but didn't argue. She knew they were busy. And she wasn't really upset. Her mood quickly shifted as she darted off again, drawn to something else down the street.
Ryosuke and Hinata watched her go, both quietly moved.
Because the truth was—neither of them had ever had a childhood like this.
---
"That kid's a curse."
"Every other genin team is doing fine. Only his squad runs into problems."
"Didn't they already lose a teammate because of him? What, are they going to lose their jōnin too?"
"Why is the Third even keeping someone like that in the village?"
---
The muttering voices drifting in from the sidewalk pulled Ryosuke and Hinata out of their thoughts.
Both paused, sharp ears catching more than they wanted.
As Hyūga, their perception abilities were naturally heightened. Even without trying to eavesdrop, they picked up the conversation.
"…That guy?" Hinata turned toward the sound, then glanced back at Ryosuke. "They're… talking about Naruto, aren't they?"
She lowered her voice when she said his name, almost instinctively.
"There's no one else in the village who gets treated like that," Ryosuke murmured, pulling his gaze away from the group.
He had no idea what Naruto had been through recently.
Since his third transformation, Ryosuke had mostly kept to himself. He hadn't even seen Hoshicai or their usual intelligence contacts lately.
His most frequent visitor in the past few weeks had been a fat stray cat.
"…Is this the end of today's trip?"
Hinata stopped when Ryosuke did.
"I'll carry the rest of the bags," she offered, reaching for them. "You should head out."
Ryosuke looked at her for a beat—then smiled softly.
She knew.
And she didn't try to stop him.
---
Though it was nearing dinnertime, Konoha Hospital was eerily quiet.
The corridors were sterile and still.
Doctors, nurses, even patients kept their distance from one specific room. No one lingered near it. No one passed by unless absolutely necessary.
As if the air itself around the door was cursed.
Inside that sealed hospital ward sat a single patient.
Alone.
Naruto.
This wasn't some isolated VIP suite. Before he'd been admitted, another patient had shared the room. But once Naruto arrived, everyone else had been quickly discharged or transferred without delay.
Now, he sat on his bed, staring blankly out the window. The clouds drifted slowly above, carried by the spring breeze.
He looked like he was just watching the sky.
But inside—he was barely holding on.
"You haven't been doing so well, huh? There are more people watching you than usual."
A familiar voice echoed inside his mind.
His lifeless eyes regained a flicker of light.
"…Ryosuke?"
Though the voice came from nowhere, and there wasn't even the faintest ripple in the sterile hospital air, Naruto quickly smothered the shock rising in his chest. On the outside, his expression remained calm.
He turned his head slightly, then lay back against the pillow and closed his eyes.
No one watching would suspect a thing.
Across the village, Ryosuke sat alone on a wooden bench in a quiet park near the hospital. A subtle smile tugged at his lips.
"You've gotten better," he said softly. "The power of the tailed beast really has taught you patience."
It had been almost a year since their last contact. But Naruto continued to grow.
His restraint now wasn't something most adults could manage—let alone someone his age.
"I didn't have a choice," Naruto replied inside his mind, his tone tinged with fatigue. "Ever since I started learning to use the Nine-Tails' chakra, I feel like I've been walking on a tightrope."
"One step to control the beast... and one step to reassure everyone else that I haven't become one."
"Like I'm being pulled in two directions just to survive."
Ryosuke narrowed his eyes. "That's an interesting way to phrase it. Falling into darkness. Did something happen recently?"
"So… the rumors reached you too, huh?"
Naruto sighed. "It was an A-rank mission. A joint operation between multiple genin squads."
"Our team's part of the assignment was attacked by a rogue ninja—a seriously dangerous one. His name was Orochimaru. You've probably heard of him."
"...One of the Legendary Sannin," Ryosuke replied without hesitation.
That name wasn't unfamiliar to him.
In this version of the timeline, Sasuke had become a ninja earlier than usual. He'd awakened his Sharingan faster, too. It wasn't surprising that Orochimaru had already taken notice.
Naruto continued: "His strength… it was on another level. Stronger than Kakashi-sensei. We barely made it out."
"Our intel didn't reach the frontlines in time, but thankfully, it was a joint mission—so the others picked up the slack. Our team was penalized, but not too harshly."
Ryosuke listened silently.
"Kakashi-sensei and Sasuke are still unconscious—both of them are in intensive care."
"Uesugi's injuries weren't as bad. He was discharged earlier."
"As for me… I used the Four-Tails transformation. My body couldn't handle it. My recovery's been slow. Worse, the Nine-Tails' chakra isn't healing me the way it used to."
"It's like something's interfering with the seal."
"Orochimaru," Ryosuke said quietly. "He tampered with it."
"…Yeah. He reinforced the seal somehow."
Images began forming in Ryosuke's mind as he pieced the incident together.
If Orochimaru had attacked, it was likely for Sasuke. His Sharingan was a rare prize.
Ryosuke couldn't confirm the dynamics between Sasuke and Naruto—how close they'd become, whether they would risk everything to protect one another. But he knew Kakashi.
Kakashi wouldn't have abandoned his team.
And if Kakashi stayed to fight, then Naruto would've stayed too.
Even without knowing much about Uesugi, Ryosuke could calculate the odds.
Kakashi Hatake—an elite among jōnin.
Naruto—already tapping into Four-Tails power, a jinchūriki far ahead of schedule.
Sasuke—wielding dual tomoe in both eyes.
Plus a fourth teammate, status unknown.
Four against one—even against Orochimaru—that shouldn't have ended in near-total collapse.
Which meant something else had gone wrong.
Something personal.
"…Were you in control when you entered Four-Tails?" Ryosuke asked, his tone suddenly sharper. "You're not supposed to stay rational at that level."
"…You figured it out already, huh?"
Naruto's mental voice was quiet now. Heavy.
"It wasn't just the fight."
"Orochimaru told me something."
Ryosuke waited.
"He told me that I'm the son of the Fourth Hokage—Namikaze Minato."
Ryosuke didn't react. He'd already suspected this.
But Naruto wasn't finished.
"When he said it… I held back. I already knew, deep down. I'd just been running from it."
"His words didn't surprise me. They confirmed the truth I'd been avoiding."
His voice trembled now, barely contained beneath the surface.
"If the Nine-Tails' seal hadn't been reinforced... I wouldn't even be able to talk about this."
"Just thinking about it would've triggered a reaction—sent me spiraling again."
"But then Orochimaru said something else."
Ryosuke's brows furrowed.
"He told me that my father… wasn't a hero."
"He said Minato was just a pawn."
"That during the Third Great Ninja War, the Hokage was forced to step down. And with no other choices, they put someone easy to control on the throne."
"Someone from the commoners."
"Someone who wouldn't make waves."
"That person was my father—Namikaze Minato."
Naruto's voice cracked as he said it.
"A puppet."
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