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Chapter 106n
🕑 Added 2025-07-22 16:48:10 +0000 UTCChapter 106n
2-in-1-chapter
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If that mysterious Uchiha were to invade Konoha again and release the Nine-Tails, he truly had little confidence in quelling such a disaster.
Therefore, sending Uzumaki Naruto to someone capable of suppressing a Tailed Beast and who had already defeated that mysterious man—Uchiha Rēn—was naturally a reasonable choice.
"I know what you’re thinking, Shikaku. But let me tell you: I am indeed worried that Madara might still be alive. But that’s only one reason why I’ve decided to send the Nine-Tail's Jinchūriki to the front. The other reason is Uchiha Rēn."
Akimichi Torifu left no room for misunderstanding.
This matter, He had to make clear to avoid any misunderstanding that might cause trouble for the clan.
"I see the shadow of Madara in Uchiha Rēn. Even if he might not be as powerful as Madara was in my memories, the problem is that Konoha no longer has a First Hokage. As long as Rēn is alive, the rise of the Uchiha clan is unstoppable."
At this point, Torifu seemed a bit resigned.
"Shikaku, don’t think that just because I became Hokage, our three clans control the village. Your family is full of smart people—you’re the smartest among them. Don’t let this Hokage title I gained by coincidence cloud your judgment. When Jiraiya and Tsunade return to the village, this seat will go back to them sooner or later."
"Even if, hypothetically, Jiraiya and Tsunade refuse to return, what difference does it make? I’m nearly seventy—how many more years can I even sit here? Shikaku, we have no need to oppose the Uchiha clan."
Shikaku rubbed his face, furrowing his brows even tighter and asked, "I understand, old man. But what if the Uchiha want... an Uchiha Hokage?"
"So what?"
Torifu countered naturally, calm as a still pond.
Shikaku froze.
Torifu looked at his junior, who had recently been so busy he was practically running himself ragged and overthinking everything, and said earnestly, "If the Uchiha want the Hokage position, let them fight for it. Even if Uchiha Rēn becomes Hokage, what’s the problem? Is he going to wipe out the Ino-Shika-Chō alliance?"
"Sarutobi and the others suppressed the Uchiha partly due to Tobirama-sensei’s influence, and partly to preserve their own power. Whether the Uchiha are an evil clan... I think you have your own judgment, don’t you?"
Shikaku’s expression shifted. The anxiety in his eyes faded, replaced by his usual laziness and ease.
"Phew."
He let out a deep breath, rubbing his head vigorously with a wry smile. "Old man, I was overthinking things. The past few days I’ve been so busy I couldn’t think straight... I unconsciously fell back into the mindset of advising the Third."
Torifu was right.
The Ino-Shika-Chō and the Uchiha were not enemies.
Guarding against and suppressing the Uchiha would only earn them a terrifying enemy, not any benefit. The clan was their foundation. The Hokage seat was just icing on the cake. As long as the Hokage wasn’t like the manipulated Fourth Mizukage, massacring his own people, it didn’t matter to them who sat in that chair.
This was the attitude and choice shared by most clans in the village.
"It’s good your head is clear now! A brief lapse isn’t a problem—everyone makes mistakes. Just don’t stay confused."
Torifu let out a breath of relief.
"Hokage-sama, it’s about time to arrange for Uzumaki Naruto to head to the front," Shikaku, having sorted out his thoughts, immediately refocused on his duties.
"If I weren’t busy straightening you out, I’d have gone already."
Torifu muttered a complaint, but stood up swiftly. Together with Shikaku, he left the ANBU base and headed toward the Hokage building.
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In the mirror was a man in an ANBU uniform. His fox mask was pushed up onto his head, pressing down his spiky white hair. Most of his handsome face was hidden by a black mask, leaving only his heterochromatic eyes: one dark, one blood-red.
Kakashi lowered his mask. If not for that blood-red eye, it would have been hard to recognize him.
After finishing his preparations, he left home, hurrying to the Hokage building.
"Kakashi!"
As he entered the Hokage’s office, he saw a cheerful Might Guy waving at him. Kakashi wasn’t surprised at all—this was expected. Although Guy didn’t use ninjutsu, and his genjutsu skills were limited to dispelling common illusions, his taijutsu prowess was undoubtedly Konoha’s best.
To protect the Nine-Tail's Jinchūriki Naruto, it made sense to assemble enough elite protectors. Guy was an obvious choice.
Besides Guy,
He saw the clan heads of the Aburame and Akimichi clans sitting on the sofa.
"Kakashi, you’re finally here!" Torifu complained without apology. With a wave of his large hand he said, "You all know each other, right? No need for introductions. Since everyone’s here, let’s go. Uzumaki Naruto has been waiting at the village gate for a while."
Aburame Shibi, Akimichi Chōza, Might Guy, Hatake Kakashi.
This was the escort force Torifu had assembled for the Nine-Tail's Jinchūriki Naruto. Besides these four, four elite ANBU squads had been deployed for covert escort along the route.
This was already an exceptionally luxurious formation.
It represented the last of what Torifu could muster as acting Fifth Hokage—including two clan heads.
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At the village gate,
Naruto, carrying a large backpack, was pacing nervously, his mood fluctuating between excitement at his first journey outside the village and fear of the unknown world beyond. His restless emotions made him walk back and forth repeatedly.
Uchiha Genshi ignored the boy, simply clasping his hands behind his back as he watched the figures appear atop the distant rooftops.
Finally, they had arrived.
"Genshi-dono, thank you for your trouble."
Torifu greeted Uchiha Genshi politely.
"It’s nothing. Hokage-sama, you’re too kind."
Genshi waved a hand.
Torifu didn’t waste words. However, he looked curiously at the young man standing beside Genshi. If he remembered correctly, that was Uchiha Shisui—a genius said to rival Uchiha Rēn in reputation. But why did he look so worn down?
"This is Uchiha Shisui. To ensure Naruto’s safety, he’ll also go to the front. His genjutsu is excellent. If trouble arises, he should be useful. What do you think, Hokage-sama?"
"If your clan is willing to offer additional help, I’m more than happy to accept."
The Uchiha clan volunteering assistance gave Torifu no reason to refuse.
Shisui stood there like a statue. His old beliefs and convictions had been shattered by the darkness he saw in Danzō’s memories, leaving him yet to fully recover. He hadn’t followed Rēn to the front, but stayed with the clan to recuperate.
Yet, after more than half a month, his condition showed no improvement.
Genshi was a little worried.
He feared that Shisui would die young like his cousin Uchiha Kagami. So he decided to send Shisui to the front, believing that spending time with peers might help. He wrote a letter to Rēn, hoping the clan head could help guide Shisui.
With nothing else keeping them they all departed.
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The crackling sound of burning firewood drove away Naruto's drowsiness.
He rubbed his eyes, lifted the blanket covering him, thanked Uchiha Shisui, and handed the blanket back. The blanket bore the symbol of the Uchiha clan’s fan; it was clear at a glance where it came from. The Uchiha clan's family crest, like their pride, was widely known. Naruto remembered that Fujika’s home was also decorated with this pattern everywhere.
Uchiha Shisui wore a pale, forced smile. He took back the blanket but didn’t have the energy to say much to Naruto, just sitting dazed on a wooden stump.
Everyone else was already used to this.
This Uchiha prodigy seemed either possessed or afflicted with something: when traveling he kept his head down, walking in silence; when resting, he would just sit there staring blankly. No one knew what he was thinking all day long. But after spending two days together, everyone could see that Uchiha Shisui was a rare good person.
Not just rare among the Uchiha—there were few such kind-hearted people even in all of Konoha.
His personality was cheerful and magnanimous, his speech gentle and polite, always wearing a faint smile when meeting people, making interactions with him feel like a refreshing breeze. Most precious of all, this wasn’t because Uchiha Shisui was particularly skilled at social graces. On the contrary, he was rather innocent and pure, and all this kindness was genuine and natural.
Even when Naruto had fallen asleep leaning against his backpack, Shisui didn’t forget to quietly cover him with a blanket.
None of the others nearby had even thought to do that.
“Naruto, wake up and wash your face—it’s time for dinner,”
Akimichi Chōza said as he stirred the soup pot with a ladle.
As the head of the Akimichi clan, few knew that he actually had quite decent cooking skills. This wasn’t a family tradition—the Akimichi clan loved to eat, but that didn’t mean they liked cooking. Chōza’s cooking skills were honed on the battlefield, and only his comrades who had fought alongside him and survived knew how good his cooking was.
Unfortunately, after leaving the battlefield, Chōza seldom cooked himself anymore.
This mission to escort the Nine-Tail's Jinchūriki to the eastern frontlines gave him a chance to revive his long-unused culinary skills.
Tonight’s dinner was pork soup with grilled rice balls.
The mouthwatering aroma filled the air, and Naruto’s stomach growled loudly. After a whole day of traveling, he was utterly exhausted. Plus, as the saying goes, boys eat a lot and get hungry quickly—and Naruto was exactly at that age. He hurried off to wash his face by the creek, while Kakashi, silent as a shadow, followed closely behind.
They had already left Konoha two days ago.
Kakashi was still mulling over how exactly he should talk to Naruto. It was really a mess left behind by Sarutobi Hiruzen: the bond between Kakashi and Naruto was the Fourth Hokage, yet Naruto didn’t know he was the Fourth Hokage’s son, and Kakashi didn’t know whether he should reveal this secret.
Without that bond, he had no reason to continue looking after Naruto.
He had consulted both Aburame Shibi and Akimichi Chōza, but neither had given him a clear answer. Whether or not to tell Naruto the truth about his identity was a question that troubled Konoha’s leadership. If they kept hiding it, they feared Naruto would one day come to resent the village. But if they revealed it now, they worried he might spiral out of control...
While the higher-ups sighed aloud, they inwardly cursed the “Third Hokage” for his incompetence.
A perfectly good Jinchūriki—
Instead of carefully nurturing him, he and his advisors had created so many troubles.
They had burdened his successors with this mess.
“Uncle Chōza, how much further do we have to go?” Naruto asked, holding a grilled rice ball. This had become a routine over the past two days. Even though he already had a rough idea of the journey ahead, every night at dinner he couldn’t help but ask this question.
