The reason Naruto became the sunny Naruto was inseparable from Iruka's early positive guidance and his own personality. But those close to vermillion get stained red, those close to ink get stained black - what if Naruto received comprehensive negative energy influence instead?
What if he knew his identity from the beginning?
What if someone constantly influenced him?
A person's value system and worldview formation was inseparable from their living environment and the upbringing they received.
Naruto's living environment in Konoha was already considered very poor. Combined with the constant discrimination and humiliation from villagers, it could only be said that in the original work, Naruto developing a sunny personality could only be explained by a miracle, or that he was the protagonist.
But what if someone constantly taught and influenced Naruto by his side? Instilling the world's malice rather than goodwill?
Meruem never believed there were naturally sunny people in this world. Genetic inheritance from parents and the influence brought by one's environment could change a person's character and values even more.
For example: Emiya Shirou and Kotomine Shirou.
"I'm home." With the sound of a door opening, young Naruto walked in from outside.
Wait, something seemed wrong?
Naruto had always lived alone. Why would he say such a greeting that only people living together would use?
"You're back, Naruto." A fat, chubby insect-like creature that looked like a silkworm crawled out from Naruto's blanket.
This was Meruem's Golden Silkworm Gu. As time passed, Meruem's strength recovered faster and faster, so manifesting another Golden Silkworm Gu wasn't anything remarkable.
Since meeting this world's protagonist Uzumaki Naruto before, Meruem had left this Golden Silkworm Gu at Naruto's residence.
Its purpose was to care for, or rather influence, Naruto.
What? Hadn't Meruem already left Konoha on the night of the massacre? Why could he still enter Naruto's home now?
Could Konoha's security level detect Meruem's intrusion?
Unless a super Kage-level powerhouse maintained critical alert status, or a group of Hyuga clan members constantly kept their Byakugan active twenty-four hours a day, watching every entrance to Konoha at all times.
Otherwise, that was just nonsense.
Moreover, with Four-Dimensional Apartment, this god-tier spatial skill, wasn't infiltrating Konoha as simple as drinking water for Meruem?
Meruem knew Naruto's identity: the protagonist of the Naruto world, the prophesied child mentioned by the Toad Sage, this world's favored one, and the reincarnation of Asura, son of the Sage of Six Paths.
Each of these identities indicated how useful it would be for Meruem if he could control Naruto.
So-called strategic planning required seizing every factor that could benefit oneself.
But for Uzumaki Naruto, Meruem couldn't possibly use forceful means to control him. If he forcibly used the Golden Silkworm Gu to eat Naruto's brain, all he'd get would be the body of a well-qualified Uzumaki clan member.
Such a thing had no meaning, and might even produce strange things like Senju Naruto due to this world's will's influence.
Changing methods was better than forced control. After all, Meruem's purpose in this world was only for the Divine Tree's chakra fruit.
As for what this world would become afterward - that had nothing to do with Meruem.
Not just Uzumaki Naruto - actually, even the male deuteragonist of the Naruto world, the original work's Uchiha survivor Uchiha Sasuke, Meruem wanted to use this method on too.
However, after Meruem's consideration, he felt this method was useless for the second pillar, so he gave up.
He was different from Naruto. Naruto had no one to teach or raise him from childhood - a little influence could change Naruto greatly.
It could even be said that Naruto, who had been treated differently since childhood, after spending some time with the Golden Silkworm Gu, now trusted Meruem very much.
Especially after personally seeing the Nine-Tailed Fox once.
But the second pillar's thinking was too similar to Itachi's, or rather, they were truly worthy of being brothers.
Moreover, having already obtained Uchiha Musashi, an incarnation whose talent surpassed Itachi's, Meruem really wasn't very interested in Sasuke.
Even though Sasuke was the reincarnation of Indra, son of the Six Paths, it didn't mean much to Meruem. He might expend enormous energy only to have the second pillar turned by a few words from his brother Itachi.
It was truly difficult for Meruem to influence him unless it was from Sasuke's birth.
The input and return weren't proportional. If there was an opportunity to influence him, Meruem naturally wouldn't mind, but just didn't hold much hope.
"Kinsan, I played pranks again today, and the result was still being hated by those guys. But why do you insist I continue pranking? And make me deliberately hold back in exam classes? Obviously I'm already far stronger than that cocky Sasuke now."
Young Naruto picked up the Golden Silkworm Gu, somewhat confused.
Of course, although Naruto had changed a lot and no longer obsessed over Sakura, one thing remained unchanged.
That was mutually finding Uchiha Sasuke unpleasant - perhaps same-sex repulsion, or perhaps because of the souls within their bodies.
In any case, the two found each other unpleasant whenever they met.
"Naruto, didn't I tell you? This is called concealing one's incompetence, hiding one's strength. Although you now have about genin-level strength, with even more chakra than jonin, trees that stand out in the forest will be destroyed by wind. There are tons of people in Konoha who could crush you to death, unless you borrow that fox's power. Otherwise your only outcome is death. The more excellent you are, the more those guys hiding in the shadows want to kill you. Conversely, if you appear more incompetent, those guys will be more at ease with you, because you won't threaten them."
The chubby Golden Silkworm Gu lectured Naruto with a furrowed brow.
Having an insect make so many complex expressions was truly taxing.
"So complicated. But I just need to believe what you say, Kinsan! In this world, only you care about me."
Naruto wasn't very good at thinking, so he found the Golden Silkworm Gu's words difficult to understand - a feeling of half-understanding.
But he understood one thing - what the Golden Silkworm Gu told him was for his own good. This was the unique intuitive talent of being this world's favored protagonist.
"That old guy is monitoring again. I'll hide first. Do as I taught you before!" The Golden Silkworm Gu on Naruto's hand suddenly sensed something, struggled free from Naruto's hands, and dove back into the blanket.
"Again? Why treat me this way? What exactly did I do to deserve this treatment?" After the Golden Silkworm Gu finished speaking, Naruto muttered to himself. If someone leaned closer, they'd discover that young Naruto's eyes actually flashed with killing intent.
Moreover, it was the most primitive, pure killing intent.
The person they spoke of was the Third Hokage, and the so-called monitoring was the Third Hokage's Crystal Ball Technique.
Long ago, Meruem had told Naruto through the Golden Silkworm Gu that he was under ANBU surveillance almost constantly.
Every night he'd be monitored by the Third.
"Ah, hahahaha... I failed again today! Tomorrow I'll also take another step toward becoming Hokage! Yeah, I'm going to be the man who becomes Hokage..."
Naruto proclaimed loudly in a completely different tone and posture from before, making some very ridiculous movements.
Just like Naruto in the original work, exactly the same.
"He's gone." After an unknown amount of time, the Golden Silkworm Gu sensed something and poked its head out from the blanket to tell Naruto.
"I know." After hearing the Golden Silkworm Gu's words, Naruto instantly returned to his previous appearance, completely opposite from that lively look just now.
"Hey, Kinsan, do you know why? If my father was the Fourth Hokage and I'm Konoha's hero, why am I treated this way? As if I'm really a monster. I really want to leave here. The people here make me very uncomfortable - their looks make me very uncomfortable. Kurama is much better than that so-called Hokage, my father's master's master! I don't want to become Hokage at all."
If others who knew the plot saw this, they'd be shocked - this Naruto was completely different from the one they knew.
Actually it was simple. Naruto learned the truth about these things much earlier, learned about Konoha's darkness, learned about the ugliness of human nature.
Moreover, he learned it through a certain insect's misleading guidance.
All this happened especially when his worldview hadn't fully formed.
For example, what if Sasuke learned the truth about the Uchiha massacre in advance? Would he hate Itachi? Or would he hate Konoha?
"Naruto, are you willing to just leave like this? You're just running away from it all. Don't you want revenge? Don't you want to teach these ungrateful guys a painful lesson? Don't you want to take back everything that originally belonged to your father, belonged to you? Become Hokage! Then at an appropriate moment, strike Konoha a painful blow. Isn't making this decaying village and those ignorant villagers fall into endless regret better revenge for them?"
A certain fat insect again made demon whisper-like suggestions, tempting young Naruto.
"Yes!" Along with the fat insect's temptation, Naruto, who deeply trusted it, was attracted by the fat insect's words.
This was perhaps the beginning of this world's misfortune.
"Well, this is getting more and more interesting. There's a good show to watch." In a house unknown how far from Konoha Village, Meruem's mouth curved slightly upward.
At this time, his strength had recovered to over 40%. Uzumaki Naruto's fate had already been slightly altered by his ripple. So what would this world become? Let it descend into chaos. In a few more years, when the ninja world was in great turmoil, would also be when Ant King Meruem's strength completely recovered.
He was determined to obtain the World Tree's fruit.
(End of Chapter)
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