"Where the leaves dance, the fire will continue to burn.The fire's light will shine upon the village and allow new leaves to sprout."
On a vast ceremonial platform, the iconic voice of the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, rang out.
Warm.Kind.Reassuring.
Just hearing it instinctively made people feel that this was a benevolent, wise old man.
Surrounding the stage were parents and children alike, their faces filled with excitement. More villagers arrived by the minute—invited guests and curious onlookers blending together into a swelling crowd.
The speech lasted two full hours.
And the moment the Third Hokage finished, thunderous applause erupted like a tidal wave.
The crowd surged with feverish enthusiasm. Some even shouted and rushed toward the stage, arms raised high, eyes blazing with devotion.
It was as though a contagious madness had swept through them.
Adults.Children.All of them wearing the same expression of blind reverence.
The Third Hokage looked deeply satisfied.
Today was mid-September—the official opening ceremony for the new academic year at the Ninja Academy.
He had deliberately set aside his daily duties to deliver this speech—not to teach techniques, but to instill ideology.
To plant the Will of Fire deep into the hearts of these children.
Because in Hiruzen's mind, that was his greatest responsibility as the so-called heir to the Will of Fire.
Naruto Uzumaki stood alone at the very edge of the crowd.
He wore a polite smile and clapped along—not out of genuine feeling, but because appearances mattered.
More importantly, he had been personally invited by the Third Hokage.
That morning, Naruto had sensed an unusual level of ninja activity throughout the village. As he took his first bite of breakfast, he felt the Third Hokage's entourage moving directly toward his home.
Naruto's sensory range had already expanded to over five kilometers, and with his ever-growing chakra reserves, that range would only increase.
The Hokage claimed he wanted to use this rare opportunity to teach Naruto a new jutsu.
Instead, he handed Naruto a scroll—and went straight to the stage.
He never even mentioned the school ceremony.
So Naruto hadn't used the Transformation Jutsu.
At first, he had been standing relatively close to the platform.
But as the crowd thickened, he was pushed farther and farther back—
—as if he were some kind of plague.
People unconsciously avoided him.
What made it even more absurd was that Gekkō Hayate (Moonlight Hayate) was tailing him again.
Even as Naruto stood there smiling and clapping for several seconds, Hayate stayed close—only leaving after a while to head toward the Hokage.
Inside the sealed space, Minato Namikaze's voice rang out, filled with emotion.
"Naruto, did you hear that?That's the Will of Fire, passed down from the First Hokage himself!"
Naruto shifted his consciousness into the seal and looked at his father's excited expression with mild surprise.
"What's so special about it?" he asked calmly.
Minato's face grew solemn.
"The Will of Fire is the foundation of Konoha's strength," he said firmly."It's a belief handed down from the First Hokage and carried on to this day."
"It teaches us to protect those precious to us.""To shield them from harm.""To believe that the young are the future—and that the older generation must protect them, even at the cost of their own lives."
"The sacrifices of our predecessors aren't meaningless," Minato continued passionately."They inspire the next generation to become the pillars of tomorrow."
"Only the Will of Fire can ensure that children grow up in peace—without being consumed by war!"
By the end, Minato was practically giving a speech of his own.
Nearby, Kurama cracked open one fox eye, glanced at Naruto's unchanged expression—
—and smirked mockingly.
"Finished?" Naruto asked flatly.
Minato faltered.
Naruto met his father's gaze.
"Father… have you ever considered the possibility that the person who created the Will of Fire did so knowing it would also cause harm?"
Minato stiffened.
"That's impossible."
Naruto's eyes sharpened.
"Do you remember Konoha's White Fang—Hatake Sakumo?"
At that name, Minato froze.
"A shinobi respected across nations," Naruto continued."Someone even the Legendary Sannin acknowledged."
"He lived by the Will of Fire—abandoned a mission to save his comrades."
"And how did the village repay him?"
"They blamed him.""Even the comrades he saved turned their backs on him."
"In the end, crushed by public pressure… he committed suicide."
Naruto didn't stop.
"You said the Will of Fire ensures children aren't killed in war."
"But that's not what Konoha's official records say."
"Father, during the Third Great Ninja War, didn't one of your subordinates die at thirteen?"
"Buried as a hero… but still a child."
Minato knew exactly who Naruto meant.
Guilt twisted in his chest.
"And even more ironic—" Naruto continued, voice calm,"the First Hokage, founder of the Will of Fire…"
"His own grandson, Senju Nawaki, died at twelve during the Second Great Ninja War."
Naruto paused, then asked the question he'd clearly been waiting to ask.
"Father… can you explain why, after the Third Hokage took power, the Senju Clan declined so rapidly—"
"—until only Tsunade, one of the Sannin, remained?"
Minato had no answer.
He had died too early.He had ruled for barely a year after the war.Too much had happened beyond his reach.
"Heh. Naruto—fist bump."
Kurama suddenly spoke up.
"About the Senju Clan… I know a few things."
Remembering that Kurama's first jinchūriki was Uzumaki Mito, Naruto immediately extended his fist.
In an instant, Kurama transferred his memories to Minato.
Naruto withdrew from the mental space.
Inside the seal, Minato stood frozen—like a man who had lost his purpose, even in death.
Back in the real world, Naruto's gaze shifted.
He sensed more ninja arriving at the edge of the crowd.
These newcomers felt… different.
They didn't clap.They showed no enthusiasm.Their eyes were cold—and within that coldness flickered resentment.
Naruto examined their gear.
It wasn't ANBU.
He recognized them immediately.
The Konoha Military Police Force.Members of the Uchiha Clan.
Naruto felt no interest in them.
They were people destined to die.
In the shinobi world, even the dead could still have value—
—but these weren't worth the trouble.
He glanced at the Third Hokage still basking in adoration, then pulled out the scroll he'd been given.
Clearly, the Hokage had no intention of seeing him again today.
Naruto stepped into a quiet corner and unrolled it.
At a glance, he sneered.
A basic Genin Taijutsu manual.
That answered everything.
From today onward, he could publicly train in taijutsu without drawing suspicion.
With that settled, Naruto turned and headed toward Ningu Mantendō(Ninja Tool Shop).
Meanwhile…
"Nii-san! I really wasn't sneaking off to train again!"
A small boy puffed out his cheeks in protest.
"Hehe, Sasuke, I believe you," a calm voice replied."I'm free today—no missions. I'll help you practice shuriken throwing."
The two figures walked through a sparse grove—only to spot someone climbing the training wall inside their usual training ground.
"Nii-san! Look! Someone's using our training field!"
"Wait, Sasuke—"
Too late.
Sasuke charged forward, voice brimming with childish arrogance.
"Hey! Do you know you're trespassing?!""Do you even know who I am?!"
The boy on the wall stopped.
He didn't look at Sasuke.
Instead, he raised his head and locked eyes with the taller figure nearby—blue eyes steady and unwavering.
"Uchiha Itachi."
(End of Chapter)