Before dawn, Konoha was still shrouded in a hazy mist when three-year-old Naruto was already being pulled out of his futon by Madara.
“Get—up—Naruto!”
Madara’s voice boomed like thunder in Naruto’s mind.
Naruto groggily rubbed his eyes, his small hands clinging to the edge of the bed, his short legs kicking in the air for a moment before he could barely touch the ground.
“So sleepy…”
He yawned, tears still lingering in his eyes.
Normally, he would sleep until the sun was high in the sky before waking up.
“Ninjas don’t have the luxury of sleeping in,” Madara said coldly.
“Now, go out for a run.”
“Run, run?”
Startled by Madara’s voice, his sleepiness vanished instantly.
Naruto’s eyes widened as he looked at the still star-filled sky outside the window.
“But it’s not even dawn yet…”
“Move.”
Startled by Madara’s tone, a small, wobbly figure soon appeared on the streets of Konoha.
After all, Naruto was only a three-year-old child, and his running was clumsy and unsteady.
He stumbled over pebbles from time to time, but each time he was about to fall, Madara’s chakra would gently support him, preventing him from face-planting into the dirt.
“Adjust your breathing.”
Madara’s voice guided him in his mind.
“Inhale through your nose, exhale through your mouth. Keep a steady rhythm.”
Naruto tried his best to follow, but after less than ten minutes, his little face was flushed red, and his forehead was covered in sweat.
“I… I can’t anymore…” he said, holding his knees and gasping for air.
Naruto felt like his legs no longer existed.
If not for Madara’s chakra supporting his body, Naruto would have plopped down on the ground.
Madara tutted.
“You’re already giving up at this point? Children in the Warring States period could run all day.”
Naruto pouted aggrievedly.
“B-but I’m not a child from the Warring States period…”
Madara was silent for a moment, then finally compromised.
“…Rest for five minutes, then continue.”
The training continued until the sun fully rose.
After completing his training quota, Naruto collapsed on the grass, gasping for air like a stranded fish.
His clothes were soaked with sweat, and his blond hair was sticking to his forehead, wet.
“Dad… Am I going to die?” he asked weakly.
Madara’s chakra circulated through his body, assessing his condition.
“Chakra is overused, but the recovery speed is faster than expected.”
Naruto blinked.
“Recovery speed?”
“Your body is replenishing chakra on its own.”
Madara explained, “For a normal ninja to be depleted to this extent, they would need at least half a day to recover. But you only took less than an hour.”
Naruto nodded as if he understood, but quickly became excited again.
“Does that mean I’m amazing?”
Madara snorted.
“Barely passable.”
Although he said so, he was somewhat surprised in his heart.
Naruto’s chakra recovery speed far exceeded that of ordinary people.
Was this the physical quality of the Uzumaki clan?
Meanwhile, in the Hokage’s office.
The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, sat behind his desk, the ember in his pipe flickering.
His gaze, through the crystal ball, fell upon the small figure in the training ground far away.
“I’ve been observing for three days now.”
The Third Hokage murmured to himself, “The chakra imprint left by Minato… can it really achieve this level?”
Naruto’s recent changes were too obvious.
From identifying poisons to controlling chakra, even his taijutsu movements subtly carried a sharp style.
It was completely unlike Minato’s style, and rather resembled his own style from childhood.
“Hiruzen, what are you worried about?”
A cold voice came from behind.
Danzō Shimura had appeared at the door at some point, his cane lightly tapping the ground.
The Third Hokage’s brow furrowed almost imperceptibly.
“Danzō, what is it?”
“I heard the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki has been acting strangely lately.”
Danzō slowly walked in, his single eye fixed on the Third Hokage.
“The ANBU reported that he is learning dangerous survival skills.”
The Third Hokage exhaled a puff of smoke, his expression calm.
“It’s just some basic self-preservation knowledge, left by Minato in the seal.”
A hint of suspicion flashed in Danzō’s eyes.
“Would the Fourth Hokage teach a three-year-old child to identify poisonous mushrooms?”
“Just in case,” the Third Hokage said calmly.
“Besides, Naruto will have to face these things sooner or later.”
Danzō was silent for a moment, then sneered.
“You’re too soft-hearted, Hiruzen. If a Jinchūriki loses control, the consequences would be unimaginable.”
“That’s why I’m personally monitoring him,” the Third Hokage’s gaze returned to the window.
“There’s no need for Root to interfere.”
Danzō stared at his back, finally snorting coldly and turning to leave.
The Third Hokage took a deep puff of his pipe, his brow furrowed.
He knew Danzō wouldn’t give up easily, but if he reported Naruto’s current abnormal situation to the council.
All that would await Naruto would be even stricter surveillance, and possibly being taken away by the Root organization.
“Minato…” The Third Hokage leaned back in his chair, looking up at the ceiling.
“What exactly did you leave in the seal?”
Night, the seal space.
Naruto was curled up in a corner of his consciousness space, already asleep from exhaustion.
Madara’s phantom stood beside him, his gaze fixed on the Nine-Tails.
“Madara, you’ve changed,” the Nine-Tails said lazily, its tail swaying gently.
“You’ve actually become soft-hearted.”
Madara looked at it coldly.
“What do you want to say?”
“The cold and ruthless Uchiha from back then,” the Nine-Tails’ vertical pupils narrowed slightly, and it chuckled playfully.
“Now you’ve even become a babysitter.”
Madara rolled his eyes upon hearing this.
“Say whatever you want…”
“Then do you remember how you died?”
Madara’s soul chakra suddenly faltered.
“What do you want to ask?”
The Nine-Tails flicked its tail.
“Although my perception isn’t strong, I can clearly feel that your soul is not complete.”
Madara did not refute the Nine-Tails’ words.
Ever since he arrived in Naruto’s body, he had noticed that his memories were incomplete.
Things from childhood, the wars between the two clans, his bond with Hashirama, the joint creation of Konoha, seeing the truth of the Uchiha, the great battle with Hashirama at the Valley of the End.
He remembered all of these, but he remembered that after the battle at the Valley of the End, he hadn’t died.
He had survived, and lived for a long time.
But how did he avoid Hashirama’s fatal blow?
How did he escape?
How long did he live?
He didn’t remember any of these.
The Nine-Tails chuckled lowly.
“What? Are you starting to panic because you realized you have amnesia?”
He looked at the sleeping Naruto, a complex emotion churning in his chest.
Why had he come into Naruto’s body?
That mystery alone was a headache, and now there was the question of why he had amnesia.
Too lazy to think, Madara replied coldly, “These are all things of the past. They have nothing to do with me, no matter what. I will only live according to my own will.”
The Nine-Tails gave him a meaningful glance and said no more.
In the real world, the Third Hokage still stood by the window, gazing at the moon in the night sky, unable to sleep for a long time.