Naruto: I Am Uzumaki Naruto!?

Sarutobi Hiruzen stood still, his face dark as an iron kettle.

He had been listening to his Anbu subordinate struggle to hold back laughter, and frankly, he wanted to laugh too.

But then he remembered—this so-called genius, Uchiha Itachi, was supposed to be joining Anbu soon.

And now he learns that the boy not only lost his family's wealth but also their entire house in a gambling match?

Perhaps… allowing him to enter Anbu had been a bit hasty.

This needs further discussion.

Not long after, the Anbu led Sarutobi Hiruzen to the ninja academy.

Staring at the familiar school building, the Hokage frowned.

"This is the academy," he said, glancing at the masked ninja beside him. "Why are we here?"

The Anbu ninja coughed lightly. "Hokage-sama, the one who defeated Uchiha Itachi… is a six-year-old student here."

Silence.

Then, Hiruzen's face turned even darker, his expression almost resembling the bottom of a burnt cooking pot.

A six-year-old?!

Uchiha Itachi, how low is your IQ?!

"Who?" he asked through clenched teeth.

"Uzumaki Naruto," the Anbu said casually.

Hiruzen froze. "Who!?"

The Anbu gestured towards the training ground.

"There, Hokage-sama. Uzumaki Naruto, the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki. He's the boy standing next to the Hyūga girl."

Hiruzen followed his gaze and suddenly… found himself speechless.

Standing in the sunlight was a golden-haired boy, dressed in a striking red robe. His vibrant blue eyes reflected the sunlight like polished sapphire, and the red markings at the corners of his eyes only enhanced his sharp, confident expression.

Next to him, a small girl with short dark hair and pale eyes clutched her hands together shyly.

For a brief moment, as Hiruzen looked at the boy's face, a name slipped from his lips—

"Minato…"

The resemblance was uncanny.

No.

This child wasn't just like Minato.

He was… even more dazzling.

"This… is Uzumaki Naruto?"

The Hokage's voice was barely above a whisper.

In the past, Naruto had always been a scrawny, neglected child—dirty clothes, unkempt hair, and an aura of loneliness surrounding him.

But now…

The change was unbelievable.

Hiruzen took a deep breath and turned to his Anbu.

"Explain. Why has Naruto changed so much?"

The Anbu ninja quickly recounted everything—the new clothes, the neatly combed hair, and most importantly, his overwhelming kunai-throwing skill.

When Hiruzen heard that Naruto had defeated Uchiha Itachi in a kunai competition, his eyes widened.

"Wait… You're telling me that Uzumaki Naruto's kunai skills are better than yours?"

The Anbu ninja forced a wry smile.

"Hokage-sama, you're overestimating me. In terms of kunai-throwing alone… even ten of me couldn't match Naruto."

Hiruzen took in a sharp breath.

That strong?!

The Anbu nodded seriously. "Honestly, even in all of Konoha, I doubt there's anyone who could defeat him in kunai-throwing."

Hiruzen narrowed his eyes, staring intently at Naruto.

He had always believed the boy was untalented. But in reality, his immense potential had been hidden by the interference of the Nine-Tails' chakra.

And now, without that interference…

Naruto's talent was finally awakening.

Hiruzen exhaled slowly.

"Thank goodness he can't use ninjutsu…"

It was a fleeting thought, buried deep within his mind.

A ninja skilled in taijutsu alone was powerful, but ultimately, manageable.

But if Naruto ever learned to use high-level ninjutsu on top of this…

Even Hiruzen himself wasn't sure how strong he would become.

At the Academy's Training Grounds

The large open training ground was packed with spectators, forming a sea of eager faces.

Everyone was craning their necks, whispering excitedly.

"Did Naruto really beat the Uchiha at their own game?"

"That's the Nine-Tails brat, isn't it?"

"Since when did that demon fox get so strong?"

"Tch, it's disgusting. Of all people, why did he have to win?"

"Haha, I heard he even won the Uchiha patriarch's house!"

"No way! If Uchiha Shisui hadn't returned in time, the entire Uchiha family would be homeless by now!"

"Heh, that idiot Naruto should know better than to accept a match against Shisui…"

Rumors and insults flew freely, but one thing was clear—

All eyes were on Uzumaki Naruto.

Meanwhile, on the rooftop of the academy, Hyūga Hiashi stood with his arms crossed, watching the chaos unfold below.

He let out a booming laugh.

"Hahaha! The Uchiha clan, the so-called proud masters of the kunai, lost to a six-year-old brat! This is priceless!"

Hiashi hated the Uchiha.

For decades, the Uchiha and Hyūga clans had been bitter rivals—both claiming to be the greatest dōjutsu users in the ninja world.

And now?

The Uchiha had been publicly humiliated.

Even better, Naruto had been the one to do it.

"Ahh… This is fantastic. At least my daughter would never do something so reckless—"

Hiashi's words caught in his throat.

His face froze.

His eyes bulged.

Because down below, his beloved daughter Hinata had just run up to Naruto…

And with her cheeks completely red—

She kissed him on the cheek.

"…"

A dead silence filled Hiashi's mind.

His body turned stiff, like a stone statue.

His mouth opened, but no words came out.

Then, he saw her rush to the edge of the training ground, clenching her fists and shouting encouragement.

"N-Naruto-kun! D-Do your best!"

BOOM.

Hiashi almost collapsed on the spot.

First, the Uchiha brothers lost their home.

Now, his own daughter had just thrown herself at Naruto.

Was this some horrible nightmare?!