Naruto: Reborn in His Younger Self

Jiraiya's heart ached.

Naruto was actually planning to defect from Konoha.

Why? Why?

Wasn't Naruto supposed to be the Child of Prophecy? Why was he choosing a path completely opposite to what Jiraiya had envisioned?

Tsunade glared at Naruto, her voice sharp with anger. "Naruto, do you even understand what you're saying?"

Kakashi, his visible eye filled with concern, asked, "Naruto, what's wrong with you? It's only been a few days, and you've changed this much?"

Naruto remained silent.

These were the people he cherished the most, the ones who had guided him, protected him. Yet, he couldn't change his decision.

After a moment, he exhaled and looked at them, his voice calm yet firm. "I'm sorry, everyone. I know what I'm about to say may sound unbelievable, which is why I chose to keep it a secret. Because this matter, in itself, is already beyond belief."

"Even if I gained the trust of a few people, it wouldn't make much of a difference. Because until that day arrives, the pressure that will come bearing down on you all is something ordinary people can't endure."

"Rather than having a whole group resist in vain, it's better if I carry this burden alone. That way, the chances of success are higher."

Jiraiya studied Naruto, his mind racing.

From the moment he saw Naruto in Amegakure, to Naruto's unusually affectionate gestures—treating him to ice cream, asking for the key to the Nine-Tails' seal, and now, taking Danzo's right eye and arm…

Then there was Sage Mode. The Flying Thunder God. The imminent mastery of the Nine-Tails' chakra. Shisui's Mangekyō Sharingan. And Danzo's stolen Sharingan-covered arm…

Naruto was consciously gathering power.

Jiraiya's voice was tense as he asked, "Naruto! What kind of enemy are you preparing to fight that you're amassing power like this?"

Naruto met his mentor's gaze and felt a flicker of warmth in his heart.

Jiraiya truly was like a father to him. He had managed to grasp at least a fragment of the truth.

Naruto smiled, but there was a trace of bitterness in it. "Sensei, even if I told you, it wouldn't change anything."

"Please trust me, Sensei. I, Uzumaki Naruto, am still the same person I was before. My resolve hasn't wavered."

"But if I don't do this, a tragedy like the Uchiha massacre will happen again."

Tsunade's expression darkened. "The Uchiha Clan's downfall was a result of long-standing issues. There was nothing we could do."

Naruto shook his head. "I respect the Third Hokage, I truly do. But if we examine the situation objectively, the Uchiha massacre was, at its core, a failure of leadership on the Third Hokage's part."

"If he hadn't allowed Danzo and his subordinates to act unchecked, if he had taken concrete steps instead of relying on diplomacy alone, if he had reined in the corrupt advisors, Homura and Koharu, the Uchiha Clan's resentment wouldn't have escalated to the point of no return!"

Danzo spat out a mouthful of blood, glaring at Naruto. "What do you know, boy?! Do you even understand what it means to protect a village? Do you understand the weight a Hokage carries?!"

Naruto let out a quiet chuckle, his expression unreadable. "Hokage? It's not like I haven't been one before."

The moment those words left his mouth, his entire demeanor changed.

For those who knew him well, the transformation was jarring.

Naruto's gaze sharpened as he continued, "The Uchiha were one of Konoha's most powerful clans, their Sharingan rivaling the Byakugan. And yet, ever since the time of the Second Hokage, they were treated with suspicion, never given a true seat of power among Konoha's leadership."

"During the Third Hokage's reign, they were placed under constant surveillance, gradually pushed to the outskirts of the village, and even then, the elders still considered them a threat. The clan's own leader, Uchiha Fugaku, was denied any real influence in decision-making."

"Uchiha Itachi was a product of that corruption. A pawn of dark politics. A perfect victim."

"Whether it was the Uchiha or even Orochimaru… the Third Hokage, for all his wisdom, failed to take decisive action when it truly mattered."

"Enough!" Tsunade and Jiraiya shouted at the same time.

Naruto was going too far. His words were growing bolder, his accusations cutting deeper.

He had already criticized Hiruzen Sarutobi. Now, he was going all the way back to Tobirama Senju.

By doing so, he was indirectly challenging the very foundation of Konoha.

Jiraiya's voice was grave as he asked, "Naruto, I'll ask you one last time. Are you really going through with this? Are you going to stand against me? If I try to stop you, will you do what Nagato did and kill me as well?!"

Naruto looked at Jiraiya, his heart twisting in pain. "Sensei… I'm sorry. But don't worry, we will never be enemies. I'm not Nagato. You are one of the most important people in my life."

Jiraiya clenched his fists. "Then what do you call this?! You're rejecting the Hokage! You're rejecting the Will of Fire! If that's not standing against me, then what is?!"

Naruto's expression became unreadable. He let out a sigh. "The Will of Fire… No, I haven't abandoned it. But now, I've come to understand a will even greater than that."

Jiraiya narrowed his eyes. "And what would that be?"

Naruto's answer was calm. "The will of the gods."

Jiraiya's eyes widened in shock. Then, his expression darkened. "Naruto, you've fallen."

Naruto raised a hand, gesturing for him to listen. "Sensei, don't misunderstand. I'm not talking about Nagato's so-called 'Pain.' He is nothing more than a false god."

"I'm talking about a true god—one who possesses supreme power, standing above all living beings. A god who can ignore the cycle of reincarnation, who exists beyond cause and effect, and who can sever all ties with the world as easily as we crush an ant."

"To such a god, we are insignificant. Our struggles, our ideals, our very existence… mean nothing."

"And if such a god decides to erase us, there will be no hesitation. No remorse. Not even a fleeting sense of guilt."

"That is true terror."

Silence followed his words.

Tsunade crossed her arms and scoffed. "Naruto, what you're saying is absurd. Surrender now, and I'll consider giving you a lighter punishment."

Naruto laughed softly.

Their paths were too different.

It was too early for them to understand.

A faint hum echoed through the air.

"Flying Thunder God."

In the blink of an eye, Naruto vanished.

Danzo, realizing that his right eye and arm were completely gone, felt his world crumble.

Years of planning. Decades of careful preparation.

Gone.

His body trembled in fury, and with one final, choked gasp—he coughed up blood and collapsed into unconsciousness.

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