Uchiha Fugaku not only personally pushed Shisui toward the Hokage faction but also guided his extraordinarily gifted son to side with Konoha.
As the saying goes, the weaker you appear, the easier it is to be manipulated. If Fugaku had revealed his Mangekyō Sharingan—and with Shisui, Itachi, and three Mangekyō users standing as deterrents—how could the Uchiha Clan have been wiped out so easily in the end?
At the time, Itachi was still too young. When he joined the ANBU under the Third Hokage, the old fox had already seen through him. Through subtle manipulation, Hiruzen slowly indoctrinated him with the ideology of "The Village Comes First." Over time, this belief took root deep in Itachi's heart, leading him to approach everything from a broader, more detached perspective.
Eventually, Itachi came to believe that he belonged to Konoha more than to the Uchiha—that his clan's ideology was too narrow. While it's true the Uchiha Clan had its extremists, the majority were ordinary civilians who ended up massacred in the coup's aftermath.
In truth, Itachi, Shisui, and the entire Uchiha Clan were too naive when it came to the political games played by the likes of the Third Hokage and Danzō. Especially Danzō, who masterfully manipulated everything from the shadows.
Shisui, trusting too much, even revealed the existence of Kotoamatsukami to Danzō. But was Danzō ever truly devoted to Konoha's peace?
No—what he craved was power. He wanted the Uchiha's Sharingan to control the chakra of Hashirama's cells within him, and ultimately to seize the Hokage title for himself.
If Shisui had known that the clan he so desperately wanted to protect would one day perish by Itachi's own hand, who knows how he would've reacted?
Compared to the extreme and absolute methods of Itachi, Shisui clearly leaned toward peaceful coexistence between the Village and the Uchiha. Even if war had broken out, Shisui would have likely chosen defection over slaughter.
Naruto, of course, was unaware of any of this. Or rather—he didn't have the time to care.
Right now, he was ecstatic.
The technique he had always dreamed of creating was finally complete—or, at the very least, a prototype of it.
Ever since discovering he was under constant surveillance, Naruto had been quietly developing a way to break free. His ultimate plan was to create something akin to Genjutsu—a method to hypnotize or mentally control the ANBU watching him from the shadows.
After studying the basic principles of Genjutsu, Naruto began experimenting. His naturally vast reserves of mental energy, combined with the constant sharpening provided by his Heaven Rewards Diligence trait, eventually bore fruit.
Today, he succeeded.
It wasn't a full-fledged Genjutsu, but it was close.
He named the technique: Soul Seize.
Its mechanics were simple—on the surface. It relied on his immense mental energy, paired with a small amount of chakra, and activated through direct eye contact. Once established, it required a steady infusion of mental energy to maintain control.
Naruto had taken inspiration from Uchiha Obito's control over the Fourth Mizukage. Obito had used Sharingan Genjutsu to manipulate a Kage-level opponent—proof that such control was possible.
Naruto didn't need to control someone that powerful. Just one elite Chūnin.
That would be enough to finally allow him to train without restraint—and his growth would skyrocket from there.
Once under his control, the ANBU could simply report false intelligence back to the Third Hokage. Naruto would be free to experiment with techniques and strategies that, until now, he'd been too cautious to explore.
Of course, Naruto knew the Hokage wouldn't rely solely on ANBU reports. He had, after all, once spied on Naruto during class using the Telescope Technique. If Naruto hadn't developed acute sensory abilities, he wouldn't have even noticed the old man watching him.
Still, this breakthrough was monumental.
A genuine smile crept onto Naruto's face.
"Hey, Naruto! Something good happen?" Lee's voice called out.
Naruto turned and laughed freely. "Lee! It's definitely something worth celebrating!"
He rarely felt joy like this. In this cold, suffocating world, he'd survived on hatred alone. Without it, he might have already gone insane.
After all, he wasn't the original Naruto anymore. He couldn't afford to be blindly optimistic.
As they walked toward the edge of the forest, Lee watched him with some confusion.
Suddenly, Naruto stopped.
"Come out," he said calmly, staring into the trees.
Lee blinked, puzzled. Was someone really hiding in there?
High up in the branches, the ANBU operative froze.
Had Naruto discovered her?
"Fire Style: Consecutive Fireball Jutsu!" Naruto's voice rang out.
It was a custom version of the Fireball Technique—refined over time, now requiring only two hand seals and capable of near-instantaneous casting. But Naruto held back. He adjusted the speed and power, careful not to kill the person hidden in the foliage.
Soul Seize required eye contact.
As long as the ANBU stayed hidden, he couldn't use the technique. So he had to force her out.
The ANBU operative was stunned. Not only had Naruto detected her, but he'd also responded with such overwhelming force and precision. When had he become this powerful?
And more importantly… when did he even learn Ninjutsu?
In that critical moment, she couldn't afford to hesitate. Seeing several high-speed fireballs roaring toward her position, the hidden ANBU agent was forced to reveal herself from the treetops.
With practiced precision, she activated the Substitution Jutsu, narrowly avoiding the attack. Though Naruto's fireballs missed their mark, his true objective had already been accomplished.
The moment she landed, Soul Seize activated.
It struck her mind like a sledgehammer. Her thoughts blurred. A wave of dizziness washed over her as her consciousness began to unravel.
"W-What's happening…?"
Lee's eyes widened. His cheerful demeanor faded as he instinctively sensed that something serious was unfolding.
"I'll explain later," Naruto said curtly, his attention focused.
Standing before him now was the ANBU agent, wearing a cat-patterned porcelain mask and long, flowing purple hair that reached her waist. Naruto stared at her, a sense of vague familiarity tugging at his memory.
He reached forward and removed the mask.
What appeared beneath surprised even him. Her delicate features were framed by that same deep purple hair, her skin smooth and pale like polished jade. She looked young—only in her teens—but already possessed a breathtaking beauty.
Naruto instantly thought of someone from the original timeline: Yūgao Uzuki, an ANBU who rarely appeared but left a lasting impression. Given the timeline, her current rank as an elite Chūnin made sense. Combined with her kenjutsu, she likely qualified as a Tokubetsu Jōnin.
"What's your name?" Naruto asked slowly.
"My name is Yūgao Uzuki. Codename: Uzuki Rabbit," she replied in a slightly dazed tone.
"What is your current mission?"
"My mission is to monitor the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki, Uzumaki Naruto, under the direct orders of the Third Hokage."
Lee's eyes widened in disbelief.
He didn't know what a "Nine-Tails Jinchūriki" was, but he understood enough—Naruto was being watched. That alone made Lee's heart tighten with frustration. Why would Naruto, his friend and classmate, be treated like this?
Naruto remained calm.
"Who are the others assigned to rotate shifts with you? What are their codenames?"
"There are two others assigned to rotate duty with me," Yūgao replied. "I don't know their real names. In ANBU, we only use codenames. One is Maple Leaf, the other is Black Tiger…"
More information spilled from Yūgao's lips—details about the surveillance schedules, patrol patterns, and procedures. Apparently, she had been assigned to watch Naruto for the past two years. Who had been in charge before that was something only the Third Hokage would know.
Naruto took in every detail with care.
He was impressed with the results of Soul Seize. Of course, it wasn't perfect. Unlike the terrifying mental manipulation of Kotoamatsukami, Naruto's technique had clear limits.
If he forced Yūgao to do something deeply against her will—especially something that clashed with her core values—the illusion of control would likely break.
But for now, this was enough.
He had successfully gained a measure of freedom. Enough to move without being constantly watched. Enough to grow in secret.
And that was more than he'd ever had before.
...
TN:
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