Naruto: I Am Uzumaki Naruto!?

Uchiha Shisui turned stiffly, his voice dry.

"Uh... Lord Patriarch, I think I... lost."

Uchiha Fugaku's expression darkened.

"..."

His hand, which had been poised to celebrate, slowly dropped.

Damn it!

I was just about to cheer, and you tell me you lost?!

What the hell is your Mangekyō Sharingan good for? Target practice for dogs?!

Shisui looked devastated. He turned his gaze toward Uzumaki Naruto, who simply smiled back at him.

There was no smugness, no mockery—just that same bright, easygoing smile.

Shisui wanted to cry.

How can someone so gentle be so terrifying?

Naruto's voice snapped him out of his daze.

"Shisui-niisan, that's about 200 million now, right? When are you planning to pay up?"

Shisui turned desperately to Uchiha Fugaku, eyes brimming with hope.

"Patriarch..."

Fugaku immediately looked away, his face darker than a storm cloud.

Another 40 million?!

Absolutely not! You're on your own!

Shisui gritted his teeth, fists clenched.

"...One more time!"

He pointed at Naruto with the desperate resolve of a man drowning in debt.

"I got careless! I wasn't paying attention! This time, I won't lose! I'll put my friend's house on the line!"

Beside him, Uchiha Itachi, who had been silent this whole time, twitched.

"..."

Ten minutes later.

Shisui sat there, his expression vacant, his body slumped. He turned slowly to Itachi.

"...Itachi, I lost."

A long pause.

"...I also lost your house."

Itachi let out a small sigh and patted Shisui's shoulder comfortingly.

"It's fine. You'll get used to it. I lost to Naruto too."

Shisui: "..."

"...What?"

Just like that, the Uchiha had arrived with high spirits—only to leave in complete defeat.

---

The training ground erupted in cheers.

"AHHHH!!!"

"NARUTO!!!"

"THAT WAS INCREDIBLE!!!"

Yamanaka Ino, Hyūga Hinata, Aburame Shino—everyone rushed toward him.

"You're amazing, Naruto! You actually beat Uchiha Shisui!"

"That's one of the strongest shinobi in the village!"

"Naruto-kun, you're incredible..."

"Seriously! You looked so cool standing there just now—so, so cool!"

Naruto grinned, rubbing the back of his head. As he chatted with his classmates, he reached out and playfully ruffled Hinata's hair.

The small girl immediately turned bright red, her face completely buried in her collar.

Not far away, Hiashi Hyūga, Hinata's father, clenched his fists as a vein throbbed on his forehead.

This brat...!

---

At the Hokage Building, Sarutobi Hiruzen had just returned to his office when the door suddenly slammed open.

Shimura Danzō strode in, his face as dark as ever.

Without greeting or hesitation, he sat down and spoke in a cold, heavy voice.

"Sarutobi, you were at the Academy earlier. You saw what happened with Uzumaki Naruto, didn't you?"

Hiruzen frowned.

"Danzo, knock next time before entering."

Danzō's one visible eye twitched, but seeing the Hokage's robe draped over Hiruzen's shoulders, he swallowed his irritation.

"...Fine. Next time, I'll knock."

"But answer my question—what do you think of Naruto?"

Hiruzen took a slow drag from his pipe, exhaling calmly.

"What do I think? Naruto is a good child. He is kind, no matter who he faces."

Danzō's expression twisted into something between disgust and frustration.

He slammed his hand on the armrest of his chair, rising abruptly.

"Sarutobi, after seeing that kunai throw, do you still believe you can keep him under control?"

"You've hidden the truth of his parentage all these years to maintain your reputation, but what happens when he finds out?"

"If he turns against the village, he'll be far more dangerous than Orochimaru. Even you and I together might not be able to stop him."

Hiruzen's gaze hardened.

"Danzo, I kept Naruto's identity secret to protect him."

Danzō scoffed.

"Protect him? From what?"

"The boy is the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki—he was always destined to be a weapon. The only difference between him and a trained guard dog is a name. You chose to hide his lineage not to protect him, but to protect your own image."

Hiruzen's hand tightened around his pipe, his face darkening.

"Enough. What exactly do you want?"

Danzō leaned forward, his tone dangerous.

"Give Naruto to me."

"I'll take him into the Root and mold him into the perfect Jinchūriki—one absolutely loyal to Konoha."

Hiruzen exhaled sharply.

Loyal to Konoha?

No.

Loyal to you, Danzo.

He immediately rejected the offer.

Hand Naruto over to Danzō? The next thing he knew, the boy would be nothing more than a mindless weapon—and Danzō would have the strongest pawn in the village under his control.

Naruto's sheer potential terrified Danzō.

And Sarutobi Hiruzen understood why.

If the boy ever turned against Konoha, the consequences would be unimaginable.

Danzō scowled, realizing that Hiruzen would never agree.

"...Then how do you plan to control him?"

"Naruto is a Jinchūriki. He needs to be leashed."

Hiruzen frowned.

Yes. Naruto had no resentment toward Konoha yet. But that could change.

If he ever discovered the truth—about the Nine-Tails, about his parents, about everything that had been stolen from him...

Could he still be controlled?

Hiruzen tapped his fingers against his desk, deep in thought.

A name suddenly surfaced in his mind.

The image of a certain little girl with white eyes appeared before him.

He inhaled, then exhaled.

"Leave it to me, Danzō. I'll speak with the Hyūga Clan soon."

Danzō's scowl deepened.

"...Fine."

"But mark my words, Sarutobi—if Uzumaki Naruto ever shows hostility toward Konoha, I will personally take him and mold him into the weapon he was always meant to be."

Hiruzen watched as Danzō stormed out of the office.

The Hokage narrowed his eyes.

I'm not worried about Naruto turning against Konoha.

I'm worried about you, Danzō.