Fourth Raikage: "That Naruto... Is he going to..."
Ohnoki: "That's right. I think even that Hyuga brat—Neji—will be swayed by him too."
Fourth Kazekage Rasa: "What a powerful tactic… a slap in the face followed by a sweet reward?"
Sarutobi Hiruzen: "No… Impossible. These are our excellent Genin. They would never betray Konoha!"
Orochimaru: "They're not betraying Konoha. They're just giving it a new name. What do you think of 'Whirlpool Country'? I quite like it."
---
"Help me? How can you possibly help me?"
Hyuga Neji narrowed his eyes as he stared at Naruto, the boy who was younger than him, the one who dared claim he could help. Neji didn't believe it. This boy couldn't understand the pain and burden he bore.
Uzumaki Naruto didn't respond right away. Instead, an intense red chakra burst forth from his body like a wave.
The fiery chakra surged violently, quickly taking form—and transforming into a demonic fox shape behind Naruto.
"ROAR!!!"
The monstrous aura and ferocious chakra made Neji stagger slightly, struggling to breathe under the pressure.
"Th-this chakra... It's terrifying! Could it be…"
"Yes," Naruto said calmly, "It's the power of the Nine Tails."
As Naruto spoke, the red chakra gradually dispersed, melting away into the air like mist in the morning sun.
Neji stood frozen, cold sweat running down his forehead. His heart pounded with fear and disbelief. This… this was the very Tailed Beast that had nearly destroyed the village! If it hadn't been for the Fourth Hokage, Konoha might not even exist anymore.
"Naruto… Have you… tamed the Nine Tails?"
Neji's voice trembled. He could sense it—Naruto had perfect control over that monstrous chakra. He had mastered the Nine Tails, just like that.
Despite being from the Hyuga branch family, Neji wasn't ignorant. He knew Naruto wasn't the demon fox. The beast was sealed inside him—this was common knowledge among the prominent clans.
---
Uzumaki Naruto: "No wonder people started treating me differently after I became a ninja."
Orochimaru: "That's because those from lesser families don't fit into the circle you've entered, Naruto."
Naruto: "Huh?"
Naruto looked confused, genuinely perplexed.
Orochimaru couldn't help but smirk coldly.
Such an innocent Jinchūriki.
If he weren't an Uzumaki, if he didn't have that bloodline…
How else could a mere orphan get a teacher like Hatake Kakashi?
How else could he steal the Forbidden Scroll from the Third Hokage and walk away without punishment?
If it were someone else…
Ask Sakura to try stealing it. She'd be sent straight to the torture department under Morino Ibiki!
Konoha's intelligence unit wasn't some joke. For shinobi, intelligence meant life or death.
It wasn't kindness or forgiveness that let Naruto off the hook.
It was his bloodline. His legacy.
Once Naruto became a Genin, he was absorbed into the circle of the elite, the children of clan leaders and noble families. That's when things started to feel "nicer" around him.
But for the ordinary villagers?
To them, Naruto was still the demon fox kid. That never changed.
They weren't the "Twelve Ninja Guardians of Konoha."
They were just the second-generation rich kids. Offspring of officials and elites.
---
Sarutobi Hiruzen: "Orochimaru, stop twisting facts. Konoha has always provided equal opportunities. Any ninja who works hard can surpass even geniuses!"
Orochimaru: "Oh? Do you really believe that, sensei?"
Sarutobi Hiruzen: "Whether you believe it or not, I do."
---
"I can give you equal opportunity."
"Equal opportunity?"
Hyuga Neji echoed the words to himself. It felt like a dream—unreal, impossible.
"You don't believe I can change the Hyuga clan's structure?"
Neji looked at Naruto silently. No… how could he believe it? A teenager changing a system rooted in generations of tradition?
"As long as Konoha exists," Neji finally said after a long silence, "the branch family curse will continue to exist."
His gaze drifted toward the window, where birds fluttered in the trees.
Even a bird longing for freedom couldn't escape the tree it perched on. It could fly high, but eventually, it would have to return.
Birds couldn't live without trees.
Just like the Hyuga clan couldn't exist outside of Konoha.
"But what if Konoha doesn't exist anymore?"
---
"What?"
"No more… Konoha?"
Naruto's words jolted Neji out of his thoughts. He looked up sharply, staring at the boy who had just become a Genin.
But… why didn't he doubt Naruto's words?
Why did it feel like this wasn't a mere suggestion—but a declaration of something already in motion?
Could it be that the caged bird could actually break free… fly high… far away…?
Naruto noticed Neji's expression.
He knew then—there was no need for more words.
Like Sasuke, Neji carried the burden of family.
They had both been chained by traditions, trapped beneath the same mountain.
And that mountain… was Konoha.
In the new Whirlpool Country, both Sasuke and Neji would become invaluable.
"I will make it happen. And when I do, you'll become my right-hand man."
Naruto turned and left without looking back.
"Wait… Naruto… what's your goal in all of this?"
Neji's voice echoed behind him, filled with confusion. Who wouldn't be confused after hearing that someone intended to destroy Konoha?
"My purpose?"
Naruto stopped.
He turned slightly, voice calm, but cold as steel.
"I only have one goal—"
"To rebuild the Whirlpool Country."
With those words, Naruto walked away, leaving Neji in the room alone.
The bird outside the window caught Neji's attention again. But this time… it didn't return to the tree.
It soared higher, further—beyond the canopy, into the sky.
"Father… can the Hyuga clan's fate really be changed?"
---
Orochimaru: "See? This is the real Konoha under Lord Hiruzen's rule. Even a noble clan like the Hyuga harbors deep conflict. I have to ask… is there any clan in your village that doesn't want to rebel?"
Hyuga Hiashi: "This has nothing to do with the Third Hokage. The blame lies with me, the clan head."
Hyuga Hizashi: "Brother… I didn't explain things clearly to Neji. My death was my own choice. I chose to protect you and our clan."
Shimura Danzō: "It all started because Hiruzen was too soft. If it were me, I would've gone to war with the Cloud Village!"
Sarutobi Hiruzen: "At that time, Konoha couldn't survive another war. There was no other choice."
Senju Tobirama: "The Cloud Village again? You people never learn. Just like the Uchiha!"
Uchiha Fugaku: "Are you insane? What does this have to do with the Uchiha?!"
Senju Tobirama: "Old habits die hard."
Uchiha Shisui: "..."