During his interactions with the Third Hokage, Naruto—relying on his Heaven Rewards Diligence ability—gradually honed his acting skills to an astonishing degree.
He hadn't expected, however, that Hiruzen Sarutobi, the so-called kindly old man, was far more cunning than he let on. Every time Naruto asked for money, the Hokage would deflect with excuses. And when he did bring Naruto food or small gifts, he made it seem as though Naruto should be deeply grateful.
Had it been the original Naruto, he might've sincerely believed that the Hokage was genuinely good to him. He would've probably shed tears and exclaimed, "Grandpa Third is the best!"
But the current Naruto wasn't so easily fooled.
Behind his innocent facade, he carefully kept up appearances, knowing that Hiruzen thought he could still control Naruto, the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki.
Why go through all this effort? It was all to guard against Danzo.
Naruto knew that, in the early years, Danzo had never stopped trying to pull him into Root.
If Naruto had shown coldness toward the Third Hokage or failed to meet his expectations, Danzo might have used that as an excuse to take him in—after all, the Village demanded the Jinchūriki's absolute loyalty.
For now, the Third Hokage acted as Naruto's shield. Like an umbrella held up against the storm that was Danzo.
When Naruto turned four, he once again asked the Hokage to teach him the Chakra Refining Technique. This time, Hiruzen didn't refuse. By now, most of the major clans had already started training their children.
In Hiruzen's mind, helping Naruto become a shinobi would surely deepen the boy's attachment to him.
But aside from that one technique, the Third Hokage taught him nothing else.
Still, Naruto was satisfied. Learning how to refine chakra was already a huge step—he had grasped the very foundation of a shinobi's strength.
After teaching him, Hiruzen returned to the Hokage Building. Standing by the window, he looked out at the bustling village below, a content smile on his face.
This is my era, he thought. I am the greatest Hokage.
Then, suddenly remembering something, he pulled out a crystal ball. A few seals later, an image shimmered into view—it was the women's bathhouse.
Hiruzen's face flushed red.
CLANG!
The office door burst open.
Startled, Hiruzen quickly dispelled the image. When he saw who entered, he frowned slightly. "Danzo! Haven't I told you to knock?"
Danzo simply raised an eyebrow.
Haven't I always come in like this?
"Hiruzen," Danzo said, striding forward and slamming his palms onto the desk, "Hand over the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki to me. I'll train him into a shinobi absolutely loyal to Konoha."
"It's not going to happen," Hiruzen replied coldly. "Don't even think about it."
Danzo's gaze sharpened. "You know everything I do is for Konoha. Give him to me, and I'll forge him into the perfect weapon for the Village."
"He's Minato's son. Don't forget that," Hiruzen said firmly. "And I am the Hokage, Danzo. Don't forget that."
Danzo glared at him. "You'll regret this, Hiruzen."
He turned with a sharp flick of his cloak and stormed out.
"Oh—and close the door."
Hiruzen's voice rang out behind him.
Danzo paused for a moment, then snorted coldly and left the door wide open.
Outside the Hokage Tower, Danzo's face was dark.
One day, Hiruzen… I will become Hokage. Only I can lead Konoha to true glory. Just wait.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the village, Naruto was ecstatic.
He had finally learned the Chakra Refining Technique and was already testing it eagerly.
To his surprise, Heaven Rewards Diligence applied here too.
Chakra +3… Chakra +5…
He had only tried the method once, following the Hokage's instructions. According to Hiruzen, being able to refine chakra in a single day meant you had talent. Doing it in a few hours? Genius.
Naruto succeeded on his very first attempt.
It was absurd.
After a few more cycles of refining, Naruto paused. The chakra scroll provided by the Hokage had clearly warned: don't over-extract chakra. For a child of his age, ten sessions per day was the safe limit.
But Naruto chose to stop early.
Thanks to the boosts from Heaven Rewards Diligence—and the natural vitality of his Uzumaki bloodline—he already had plenty of chakra. If he generated too much, too fast, it could draw suspicion.
Right now, the most important thing for Naruto was to grasp control over the chakra within his body.
He focused, attempting to condense the chakra onto the palm of his hand—but it was far harder than he had imagined. Frustration flickered across his face. This shouldn't be so difficult, he thought. Even if it's my first time using chakra…
With his mental fortitude, he should've been able to control it more easily.
Then it hit him.
The Nine-Tails… That had to be the reason.
In the original timeline, it had been mentioned that the Nine-Tails' chakra constantly disrupted Naruto's ability to control his own. That interference would only grow stronger as he tried to mold chakra.
His eyes narrowed slightly.
Right... I'm still under ANBU surveillance.
Suddenly, he became aware of another danger—appearing too talented too soon.
It was one thing to be considered a genius. After all, he was the son of the Fourth Hokage, Namikaze Minato, and Uzumaki Kushina. Talented blood ran in his veins.
But being too extraordinary? That was dangerous.
Geniuses were common in this world. Monsters were not.
So Naruto began acting.
He continued to sit and pretend to be refining chakra, occasionally showing signs of struggle. After an hour, he threw in a deliberately excited outburst, like a child who had just grasped something for the first time.
Hidden in the shadows, one of the ANBU sighed.
"Looks like the kid's a genius after all."
There were four ANBU watching him in total—two perched in the tree outside the window, one hidden in the corner of his room, and one stationed on the rooftop.
Naruto could sense them all.
One of them radiated clear hostility. Naruto couldn't be sure why. Maybe it was his status as the Nine-Tails' Jinchūriki. Maybe something else.
After refining his chakra for a while, Naruto decided to attempt basic control again. He tried directing chakra to his palm.
He failed. Then failed again. And again.
But then something happened.
"Chakra Control +1… Chakra Control +2…"
The system's familiar voice echoed in his mind.
Even though he failed repeatedly, it felt like he had trained dozens of times already. His body still moved clumsily, but Naruto was thrilled.
This was progress. This was the road to strength.
Days passed.
Reports of Naruto's training made their way to the Hokage's desk, and Hiruzen Sarutobi found himself quite pleased.
The boy had clearly inherited Minato's talent and Kushina's formidable Uzumaki vitality. And with the Nine-Tails sealed within him, the potential was endless.
As long as Naruto could be guided—and kept loyal—he could become a powerful protector of the village.
"Danzo…" Hiruzen muttered, staring out the window.
This is how you guide people. Not with Root's mindless obedience, but through shaping bonds and loyalty.
He couldn't help but recall that other brilliant youth—Uchiha Shisui. What a pity. Such potential, wasted due to the Uchiha's growing unrest.
Still…
"All of this is for Konoha."
Taking a slow drag from his pipe, Hiruzen exhaled a thick cloud of smoke, letting it drift lazily into the air.
...
TN:
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