Kabuto Yakushi pushed up the glasses on the bridge of his nose.
He felt no panic at being discovered by Naruto.
Instead, like an old friend paying a visit, he leaned casually against a vermilion pillar.
"Even though the barrier here is ancient, the Anbu are still quite troublesome."
Kabuto chuckled softly, his tone carrying a hint of admiration that was hard to distinguish as genuine or fake:
"I spent quite a bit of effort sneaking in, but I didn't expect to be discovered the moment I showed my face."
Naruto remained expressionless and spoke calmly:
"Those three Grass Ninja... you killed them, didn't you?"
Although phrased as a question, his tone was as certain as if he were stating a fact.
"The timing, the cause of death, and the perfectly timed framing..."
Naruto slowly opened his eyes; those blue irises appeared exceptionally deep in the dim light.
"I can't think of anyone other than Orochimaru who uses such methods."
"Heh, seen through me already?"
Kabuto didn't deny it; instead, he admitted it quite openly:
"Those three pieces of trash were such an eyesore. Not only were they disrespectful to Naruto-kun, but they also tried to lay hands on your property."
"As your senior, I simply took the liberty of cleaning up the trash for you."
"And..."
The smile at the corner of Kabuto's mouth deepened:
"If we didn't make a big scene to scare the village higher-ups,"
"how would Naruto-kun have the chance to live in such a quiet place,"
"to ponder some... deeper questions?"
"Should I express my gratitude to you, then?"
"I wouldn't dare accept that."
Naruto didn't feel angry about being manipulated.
He stood up and walked to the window.
Through the gaps in the wooden lattice, he looked out at the brightly lit Konoha in the distance.
"Kabuto-senpai, I've been thinking about something these past few days."
Naruto's voice was very calm:
"Why is this world always filled with so much injustice and absurdity?"
"In the Land of Waves, I saw a country easily destroyed and rebuilt by money and violence, where the so-called Daimyo and rules were mere decorations."
"In Karin, I saw how so-called allies can be exploited like objects, and how the Will of Fire is worthless in the face of material interests."
"And as for myself, I've been defined as a vessel and a weapon since birth; all the hatred and fear stem from that."
He turned around, his gaze piercing as he looked at Kabuto:
"These are not coincidences."
"Everything, every single thing, points to one source—"
"the 'One Country, One Village' system."
Kabuto's eyes flickered slightly as he followed up:
"This is the reality of the world: the strong prey on the weak, and might makes right."
"Those without power can only be sacrificed as consumables; it's quite fair."
"No, it's not fair, nor is it correct."
Naruto held up a finger and shook it gently:
"The 'One Country, One Village' system forcibly binds shinobi—weapons of slaughter—to national politics."
"To compete for limited resources and mission shares, they slaughter each other; hatred is manufactured institutionally and glorified as a matter of course."
"Everyone only has eyes for snatching the resources of others, without thinking about how to expand production."
"Ultimately, in this decadent system, everyone—from the high-and-mighty Kage down to the commoners—becomes a pathetic victim."
"And the only true beneficiaries are the rulers who pass down power through bloodlines for generations."
"There is a problem with this; there is a major problem."
The smile on Kabuto's face slowly faded.
He had originally thought Naruto would say something about revenge or power.
He didn't expect that this twelve-year-old boy's gaze had already pierced through the surface, pointing directly at the root of the ninja world's structure.
Many of the things he said were things even Kabuto hadn't considered.
"A very interesting perspective."
Kabuto's gaze became serious:
"Since you believe it is fundamentally and systemically wrong,"
"then, Naruto-kun, what do you intend to do? Destroy it?"
"Destruction is only a means, not the end."
Naruto sat down in a chair and looked at Kabuto:
"Kabuto-senpai, you didn't risk coming here tonight just to discuss philosophy with me, did you?"
"Of course not."
Kabuto shrugged, his expression becoming a bit strange, as if he found it somewhat difficult to speak:
"Actually, Lord Orochimaru sent me."
Kabuto sighed inwardly.
Ever since that battle in the Forest of Death, Lord Orochimaru's state had become extremely... eerie.
Given his past personality, an existence like Naruto...
would either be destroyed, brainwashed and recruited, or simply ignored.
Yet these past two days, although Lord Orochimaru's body was weak,
every time he mentioned Naruto, a hint of... fanaticism would faintly appear in his eyes.
One could even say that he almost couldn't go three sentences without mentioning Naruto.
This feeling made Kabuto's skin crawl.
Why would the insufferably arrogant Orochimaru place such importance on a genin?
Even Kabuto only valued Naruto's personality and identity, acknowledging his potential.
But why would Lord Orochimaru...
"Lord Orochimaru asked me to tell you..."
"If you wish to seek the ultimate truth, he is willing to be your guide, or... a stepping stone."
After saying this, Kabuto himself felt it was absurd.
However, Naruto showed no surprise.
Instead, the corner of his mouth curled into an expected arc.
The effect of the Domination Chains was even better than imagined.
Although there was currently no way to completely control a soul of Orochimaru's level,
a seed called 'Obedience' had been planted, taking root and sprouting within Orochimaru's soul and thoughts.
"A stepping stone? Quite the resolve."
"In that case, tell me about your layout and objectives for coming to Konoha."
Kabuto quickly adjusted his state of mind,
and revealed the entire plan: allying with Sunagakure, assassinating the Kazekage, launching a surprise attack on Konoha, creating panic, and triggering a war.
"The Konoha Crush Plan?"
After listening, Naruto didn't show the slightest shock or admiration.
"Too small-minded."
"Orochimaru still hasn't managed to escape the limitations of being a 'ninja' tool."
"Kill the Kazekage, then kill the Hokage... and then what?"
"Besides replacing them with two new Kage to continue lingering in this decadent system, does it change anything fundamental?"
"As long as those high-and-mighty 'owners' exist, ninja will always be just dogs biting each other."
"Owners?"
Kabuto was stunned for a moment, and then his pupils constricted slightly.
"Are you saying..."
Naruto casually picked up a blank scroll from the table and began to write.
His brushstrokes were powerful, and his expression was focused.
Then he tossed it to Kabuto.
"Since he has this intention, let him set the stage for me."
Kabuto took the scroll and, by the moonlight, quickly scanned its contents.
At first, his expression was fairly normal.
But as he read further, his pupils began to contract violently, and cold sweat broke out on his forehead.
"This... this is...!"
Kabuto suddenly looked up, staring intently at the harmless-looking boy before him, his voice trembling slightly:
"Naruto-kun... are you serious?"
"The plan on this... if implemented, I'm afraid the entire world's structure..."
"...will be completely reshuffled."
Naruto finished the sentence, pushing up his glasses, the lenses reflecting a terrifyingly cold light:
"Since the existing order is full of loopholes and decadence, there's no need for it to exist anymore."
"Then I will crush it with my own hands and toss it into the dustbin of history."
Kabuto gripped the scroll in his hand tightly.
He had thought Lord Orochimaru's "Konoha Crush Plan" was crazy enough.
Kill the Kazekage first, then the Hokage, stir up conflict between two countries, and then fish in troubled waters.
But compared to the plan of the boy before him,
Lord Orochimaru's plan was like a child's prank—small-scale and trivial.
"Take the scroll to Orochimaru."
Naruto's voice echoed in the empty ancestral hall:
"Tell him to do as I say."
"When the old order collapses, I will stand upon the ruins and establish new rules."
Kabuto took a deep breath and put away the scroll.
For the first time, he bowed deeply to Naruto.
"I understand... Lord Naruto."
"I will convey it exactly as told."
Kabuto's figure slowly backed away, receding into the darkness once more.
Dead silence returned to the ancestral hall.