"Sasuke, are you adjusting well to living here with me?"
In the small courtyard, Sasuke was practicing his taijutsu with meticulous focus.
Hiruzen Sarutobi's aged figure stood nearby with his hands behind his back, gazing kindly at Sasuke as he worked hard.
"Thank you, Lord Hokage, for taking care of me."
Hearing Hiruzen's words, Sasuke paused in his movements and bowed deeply, expressing his gratitude.
The kind old man before him was the Hokage, a figure who was already extremely busy yet still found time every day to teach him. Sasuke was deeply moved by this.
He also appreciated the change in environment. Living in the desolate Uchiha compound, filled with haunting memories and empty spaces, would have surely driven him mad sooner or later.
---
"You're a good child. Just call me Grandpa from now on. Grandpa will teach you well and help you rebuild the Uchiha clan, restoring its glory."
Hiruzen gently patted Sasuke's head as he spoke. His pipe, held firmly in his mouth, didn't fall—an almost magical feat.
Sasuke was touched by Hiruzen's words but didn't show it outwardly.
After a long pause, Sasuke spoke softly.
"Thank you, Grandpa. I'll work hard…"
Sasuke wasn't afraid of people treating him with indifference or disdain, but when someone was kind to him, he didn't quite know how to respond.
Though he was only seven years old, he could already discern people's intentions.
---
"Let's have dinner together tonight. Grandpa has work to do for now."
Hearing Sasuke call him "Grandpa," Hiruzen smiled gently before disappearing from the courtyard.
Left alone in the empty space, Sasuke stood there in a daze for a moment before resuming his rigorous training.
---
In the Hokage's office, Hiruzen wasn't processing paperwork. Instead, he took out a crystal ball.
The ball displayed a small image—a shimmering scene of water…
Finding the empty bathhouse somewhat dull, Hiruzen shifted the image.
This time, it showed a small figure practicing taijutsu with utmost dedication.
Watching Sasuke train so diligently brought a soft smile to Hiruzen's face.
---
Initially, he had acted on a whim, intending only to preserve a trace of the Uchiha bloodline within Konoha.
But leaving a child as young as Sasuke to grow up alone in the desolate Uchiha district would have led to problems.
If left unchecked, Sasuke might grow up resenting Konoha and eventually abandon it without hesitation.
So, Hiruzen brought Sasuke into his home.
On one hand, this move demonstrated to the villagers that the orphaned Uchiha child was being well cared for by him, the Hokage.
Despite the Uchiha clan's tarnished reputation, they had made significant contributions to Konoha.
On the other hand, Konoha was now fully under his control. No clan dared to defy his will anymore.
He also hoped to nurture Sasuke into a promising shinobi for Konoha's future.
This decision, Hiruzen thought, might even enhance his legacy. His actions would leave a deeper imprint on Konoha's history.
---
As Hiruzen spent more time with Sasuke, he discovered that while the boy wasn't as prodigious as Itachi or Shisui, his dedication to training was genuine.
In Sasuke, Hiruzen saw glimpses of his younger self.
Unknowingly, a bond began to form between them.
He found himself enjoying the role of a mentor. At this stage in his life, he wanted to mold Sasuke into an outstanding ninja.
Deep down, Hiruzen harbored regrets.
He hadn't been able to properly accompany his two sons as they grew, consumed as he was by his duties.
His eldest son had died young, leaving behind only a posthumous child.
His younger son, now grown, had a distant relationship with him.
Even the three disciples he had mentored with care had long since gone their separate ways, their relationships strained or broken.
These were wounds in Hiruzen's heart.
---
The affection he showed Sasuke, in some ways, was a reflection of his lingering regrets.
After all, children had a unique, healing power.
Both Hiruzen and Sasuke were healing each other.
Hiruzen also thought of his three-year-old grandson, Konohamaru. One day, when he was gone, Sasuke—this fine child—would surely take good care of Konohamaru.
At this moment, Hiruzen's thoughts were those of an elderly man nearing the end of his life.
Having resolved Konoha's internal strife, he had lost interest in the trappings of absolute power.
Konoha was now united, and it would take time for the village to mature.
The future belonged to the next generation.
Hiruzen only needed to pass this ideal version of Konoha into the hands of a new Hokage who embodied the Will of Fire.
---
As Hiruzen's focus shifted to Sasuke, he had less energy to spare for Naruto.
The young Naruto was left drinking expired milk and eating stale instant noodles.
To Naruto, Iruka was a beacon of light in his dark world, a raindrop in the desert.
But at this point, Hiruzen hadn't helped Iruka resolve the turmoil in his heart.
Iruka still harbored deep resentment toward Naruto.
He had once lived in a happy family.
But seven years ago, during the Nine-Tails' attack, Iruka's parents were killed.
Seven years may fly by for those who are happy, but for those in pain, it drags on endlessly.
To Iruka, Naruto was, in some way, the Nine-Tails incarnate.
His heart was filled with conflict and anguish.
On the one hand, he was a teacher. As a teacher, he couldn't treat Naruto like the other villagers did, looking at him with strange eyes. He couldn't bully or reject Naruto like his classmates.
But every time he saw Naruto, he couldn't help but think of his own parents, who had loved him dearly.
This, without a doubt, deepened the pain in his already scarred heart.
As for his attitude toward Naruto, he chose to ignore him.
To escape the pain in his heart, if he had a choice, he truly, truly wished he wouldn't have to see Naruto...
---
In a rundown little house, Naruto had eaten expired milk and stale bread. It wasn't surprising that he had severe diarrhea and was left utterly exhausted.
Weakly, Naruto opened the refrigerator.
What greeted him was complete emptiness.
*Growl...*
"Damn it, I'm hungry again… Why hasn't Grandpa Hokage come yet?"
Naruto had barely managed to fill his stomach earlier, but the bad food upset it, leaving him drained and hollow once more.
*Knock, knock, knock!*
After gulping down a few large mouthfuls of water, Naruto lay weakly on his bed. Suddenly, a knocking sound came from the door.
"I'm coming!" Naruto perked up slightly at the sound of the knock.
He knew today was the day he was supposed to receive his monthly allowance.
That's why he'd stayed home all day, waiting. He wanted to get the money and enjoy a delicious bowl of ramen.
---
"Grandpa Hokage, why are you so late today? I'm starving!"
Naruto opened the door, a happy smile spreading across his face.
After all, Hiruzen Sarutobi was the only person in the village who cared about him...
Hiruzen never looked at him with strange eyes or whispered behind his back.
But as Naruto opened the door, he froze. The person standing outside wasn't Hiruzen Sarutobi.
It was a masked ninja.
"Here. This is your monthly allowance."
The masked ninja's voice was cold and impatient.
"Oh, oh. Thank you, big brother!"
When Naruto saw the envelope in the man's hand, he quickly bowed in gratitude.
After all, without this allowance, he might have starved to death in this bustling village of Konoha.
---
The masked ninja looked at the little boy in front of him, his heart as cold as ice. His other hand, hidden under his cloak, clenched tightly into a fist.
His younger brother had died seven years ago in the Nine-Tails' attack, and the boy in front of him—Naruto—was the Nine-Tails itself.
Back then, countless lives were lost, especially those who weren't strong enough. Even a mere brush from the colossal beast was enough to reduce them to dust.
He wished he could cut this monster in half with a single sword strike.
But the orders from above lingered in his mind.
His fist unclenched and clenched repeatedly before he finally calmed down.
---
Naruto reached out his frail, bone-thin hand to take the envelope, looking pitiful.
The masked ninja's coldness intensified.
Finally, he couldn't suppress his anger. He kicked Naruto, sending him flying.
Naruto was thrown several meters, crashing into the wall.
Lying on the ground, Naruto looked at the masked ninja with a face full of pain and confusion, as if he couldn't understand why this was happening.
Fortunately, despite his anger, the ninja hadn't used his full strength.
The ninja tossed the envelope toward Naruto. The torn envelope spilled a few coins, scattering them in the wind before they landed near Naruto.
"Hmph! If you dare tell anyone about this, don't blame me for what happens."
Seeing Naruto's miserable state, some of the ninja's anger dissipated.
He left those cold words behind before disappearing.
---
Naruto's eyes were filled with sorrow. He couldn't understand what was wrong with the world.
Why did everyone else have parents who loved them, but he didn't?
Why did everyone else have friends to play with, but he didn't?
Why could everyone else use their money to buy whatever they wanted, but he couldn't?
It felt like everyone avoided him as if he were a plague.
After much pleading, only one shopkeeper reluctantly sold him almost-expired milk and instant noodles.
Even so, the price of those near-expired goods was almost double what others paid.
---
He enjoyed eating ramen, not just because it was delicious, but also because the owner there never looked at him with strange eyes. On the contrary, the owner would always secretly add a little extra to his bowl...
But his monthly stipend wasn't much...
Naruto only felt that the warm sunlight was unbearably dazzling.
Especially the silver coins scattered on the ground—there were less than half of what there usually were.
This made his already difficult life even worse.
"Can I even survive this month...?"
Naruto, after regaining some composure, endured the pain and struggled to lean against the wall. He stared blankly at the blazing sunlight streaming through the doorway.
But at that moment, all he felt was an overwhelming chill...
The scorching sun seemed to carry no warmth at all. Instead, it stole away the little comfort he had left in his heart.
...
In the shadows, a member of the Anbu coldly observed Naruto, as if oblivious to his companion's earlier outburst.
Even if Naruto were to go to the Hokage to complain, he would warn him against it.
After all, this monster, Naruto, was only alive thanks to the Hokage's mercy.
And recently, the Hokage had gained a grandson and didn't have the energy to pay attention to this matter.
If some more time passed and the Hokage still didn't intervene, the Anbu operative was considering taking matters into his own hands.
...
Naruto painstakingly gathered the silver coins scattered on the ground and held them tightly in his arms.
He lay quietly on the floor.
The pain in his abdomen and the ache in his heart made it feel like he couldn't breathe.
He didn't even have the strength to climb onto his bed.
He just wanted to lie on the ground for a while.
The sunlight streaming through the door slowly faded away.
Naruto fell into a dream.
In his dream, he saw his parents.
Although their faces were blurry, Naruto felt a deep sense of happiness.
They even sat together and shared a meal in harmony.
He really didn't want much...
A mysterious energy surged in his mind, gently washing away the darkness in Naruto's heart, just as it always did.
This was the will of Asura...
It was the reason why every reincarnation of Asura never succumbed to complete darkness. The will of the first Asura always soothed the darkness within each reincarnation.
It even created beautiful illusions to fill the void in their hearts...
But by Naruto's generation, Asura's will was no longer as strong as it once had been.
Moreover, the tragic circumstances of this generation's Asura surpassed those of all previous reincarnations.
The speed at which the darkness was consuming Naruto far exceeded the speed at which his heart could be soothed.
Naruto's world seemed devoid of light...
And Hiruzen Sarutobi's flickering candlelight was also dimming rapidly. Darkness was spreading swiftly within him as well...
It was only a matter of time before it erupted...
And when that time came, it would mark Naruto's fall into darkness...
...
"Heh heh, Minato. I wonder, if you saw all this, would you find it amusing...?"
Within Naruto, a faint red energy began to stir, silently healing the injuries on his body.
But as soon as Naruto's body returned to its usual weak state, it stopped.
Naruto's misfortune brought it great delight. It was the only source of amusement it had found over the years.
Every time Naruto suffered, it was overjoyed.
After being hurt by humans for thousands of years, its heart had turned icy cold.
It harbored nothing but resentment toward humanity...
...
It all felt like the ripple effect of a butterfly's wings, or perhaps the world was heading down an alternate path.
---
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