Living at the Hatake house was the first time Naraku felt like he actually had a normal life.
Wake up early, head to school, grab breakfast on the way and eat it while walking. Spend the morning in class. At lunch, eat a bento that wasn't scraps but an actual meal meant to keep him healthy.
Afternoons were shorter, leaving room to train on his own or with Sakumo's guidance. Evenings ended with a shower, clean sheets, and uninterrupted sleep until morning.
Sakumo kept the Sharingan a secret and warned Naraku not to reveal it for a few years. Even if he wasn't an Uchiha, Sakumo understood—awakening the Sharingan so young would paint a target on his back. Not even the clan might be able to protect him.
The higher-ups said nothing about Sakumo taking him as a student. Dead silence. But with their history of targeting the Uchiha, Naraku figured they were just biding their time, waiting to test him in the shadows.
The Uchiha clan, on the other hand, treated it like good news. White Fang's reputation was huge—people even whispered he could be the next Hokage. If Naraku was under his wing, it meant the clan had a powerful ally. Fugaku himself sent over supplies and money as a gesture.
At school, the news spread like wildfire. For days, his classmates couldn't shut up about it. Civilian kids practically vibrated with envy—White Fang was the hero of Hidden Leaf. Being trained by him was like winning the lottery.
But the clan kids? Sarutobi, Uchiha, Hyūga… they didn't care as much. Their family techniques already covered everything a shinobi could need. White Fang's style wasn't essential to them.
Naraku tapped his pen against his notebook, forcing himself to look at the blackboard. In reality, he'd told the system to open the forums.
No new anime episodes. Probably the Animator still had more to record before uploading.
Scrolling through posts, he noticed the buzz around him had cooled. His screen time was too little for anyone to make decent fan content.
So he switched tabs, pulled up Naruto, and hit play. Both Part One and Part Two, sped up to blitz through the episodes. If the Animator was just observing, he needed to see what was coming.
Sure enough, the anime was chronological. Episode one started at the tail end of the Warring States period, not with Kaguya dropping onto Earth. Confirmation—the Animator wasn't creating, just documenting.
The early episodes covered the landscape of the ninja world, the great clans, and the endless feud between Senju and Uchiha.
Then came Hashirama Senju—born into hatred, but impossibly kind.
And Madara Uchiha—genius heir, raised to be a weapon. The two met by the Naka River, hiding their surnames, and became friends.
Naraku pieced it together fast. Part One was their story. From childhood friends, to rivals, to founders of Hidden Leaf. From brotherhood, to betrayal, to the Valley of the End.
And that's exactly how it ended: Hashirama versus Madara, a battle that broke the world. Madara fell. Not long after, Hashirama died too, passing the Hokage's seat to Tobirama.
Part One finished there.
It wasn't just a flashy battle anime. War trauma, clan politics, moral clashes, village intrigue—it gave the story weight. And that weight hooked people, turning Naruto into a cultural phenomenon.
But fame bred noise. The fanbase exploded with arguments.
The final episode's live chat scrolled with grief over their fallout, while the comments section tore into both men.
Top comment: Hashirama was a complete idiot, handing out Tailed Beast like party favors to the neighbors and preaching peace through love. Totally unrealistic.
Another top comment: Madara was just as delusional. Did he really think he and Hashirama could steamroll the world by themselves and then rule as dictators? Dream on.
Further down: "If shinobi can level mountains and split seas, why are they still bowing to daimyos? Just off the lords and run the countries themselves."
Naraku skimmed it all, amused. Same arguments he remembered seeing in his old world.
Finally finishing Part One, he stretched, glanced at the classroom clock. Less than thirty minutes till lunch. He closed the site, deciding to binge Part Two in the afternoon.
The bell rang. The teacher walked out, and the class immediately dissolved into chatter—students showing off bentos or making lunch plans with friends.
"Spaced out again?"
A shadow fell over his desk. Naraku looked up to see Kakashi holding a few bills, already walking toward the door.
"C'mon. We said we'd hit the ramen shop today."
"Right. Sorry."
Naraku smiled faintly, scrambling to his feet.
They grabbed seats at Ichiraku, ordered, and waited.
Kakashi leaned on the counter, studying him. Naraku's hair still hung long, hiding half his face. No wonder everyone thought he looked gloomy.
"You should tie your hair back."
"…Huh?"
Naraku touched his bangs, then considered it. Maybe it was time to shake things up. An Uchiha should look sharp, not like a ghost.
"Like this?"
He ran his fingers back through his hair, pulling it away from his face and leaving only a few loose strands. Sunlight from the shop window lit up his features. For a moment, Kakashi actually blinked.
"Uh…" He scratched his cheek, looking away. "Better than before."
"Then I'll keep it this way."
Naraku grinned, bright and unguarded.
"…Whatever. Do what you want."
Before Kakashi could say more, two steaming bowls of tonkotsu ramen hit the counter, broth glistening with oil.
"Eat before it gets cold," Kakashi said, cracking apart his chopsticks.
"Yeah. Let's eat."
They polished off the noodles, even draining the broth, both wearing the same content, heavy-bellied smiles.
Back at school, the timing was perfect—lunch break ending, everyone gathering in the classroom.
Naraku walked in with his new look. The reaction was instant.
"Wait, who's that guy?"
"Look at the crest—he's Uchiha."
"No way… that's Naraku Uchiha?"
"You're kidding. He's actually hot?"
"How did I not notice before?"
"Whoa…"
Obito noticed Rin staring, wide-eyed and impressed, and his stomach twisted with jealousy. He folded his arms and muttered, "Big deal. It's just a haircut."
Asuma wasn't much better. He'd crushed on Kurenai for a year, and now she was watching Naraku like he was a star in the sky. Compared to him, Asuma felt small. Dull.
Naraku soaked in the attention secretly, pleased with himself. But outwardly, he kept his face shy, retreating a step to half-hide behind Kakashi.
Kakashi, already used to his quirks, sighed and blocked half the stares for him.
Thankfully, the teacher returned before it got too much, herding everyone back to their seats.