Shisui turned toward Fugaku and said stiffly, “Well, Clan Leader…
it seems I lost.”
Fugaku was speechless.
His face darkened as he slowly lowered the hand he had been preparing to raise in celebration.
Damn it!
I was about to cheer for you, and now you’re telling me you lost?!
What good was your Mangekyō Sharingan?!
Shisui looked ready to cry as he involuntarily turned toward Naruto.
Naruto smiled faintly.
Shisui felt an even stronger urge to cry.
This child was so gentle, but how could he possibly be this strong?
Naruto beamed brightly.
“Shisui-nii-san, the Uchiha clan now owes me around 200 million ryō in total.
When are you planning to pay?”
Shisui looked expectantly at Fugaku.
“Clan Leader…”
With a dark expression, Fugaku turned his head away and refused to meet Shisui’s pleading eyes.
Was this some kind of joke?
Another 40 million ryō?!
Better you than me.
You can work off the debt yourself.
Shisui gritted his teeth and declared solemnly, “Again!”
“I let my guard down and failed to react in time!
I definitely won’t lose again.
I’ll use my friend’s house as collateral!”
Itachi opened his mouth to object, but no words came out.
…
Ten minutes later, Shisui stared blankly at Itachi.
“Itachi, I gambled myself away…”
“I also gambled away my friend’s house…”
Itachi comfortingly patted Shisui on the shoulder.
“It’s fine.
You’ll get used to it.
I gambled myself away to Naruto Uzumaki too.”
Shisui was speechless.
…
The Uchiha clan had arrived in an imposing procession.
They departed looking as though their souls had left their bodies.
…
“Ahhh!”
“Naruto!”
Cheers erupted across the training field.
Ino Yamanaka, Hinata Hyūga, Shino Aburame, and the others rushed toward him in a great wave.
“That was so cool, Naruto Uzumaki!
You even defeated an elite jōnin!”
“That was Shisui Uchiha!
He’s a famous powerhouse throughout the entire shinobi world!”
“You were amazing, Naruto-kun…”
“Naruto, you looked so cool—especially when you were standing in the middle of the training field!”
“…”
Naruto smiled as he chatted with his classmates and gently ruffled Hinata’s hair.
Hinata’s entire face turned scarlet beneath his hand.
In the distance, the veins on her father’s forehead throbbed violently.
…
At the Hokage Building, Hiruzen had only just returned to his office when the door flew open with a bang.
Danzō Shimura strode inside with a gloomy expression.
Without offering any greeting, Danzō sat down and spoke darkly.
“Hiruzen, you went to the Ninja Academy at noon.
You must have witnessed Naruto Uzumaki’s performance.”
Hiruzen frowned.
“Danzō, knock before entering my office next time.”
Anger flashed through Danzō’s eyes, but when he saw the Hokage’s robes Hiruzen was wearing, he could only suppress it.
“Understood.
I’ll knock next time.”
“But you still haven’t answered my question.
What do you think of Naruto Uzumaki?”
Hiruzen took a puff from his pipe and replied unhurriedly, “I don’t have any particular opinion.
Naruto Uzumaki is a good child.
He treats everyone with kindness.”
Seeing Hiruzen’s unconcerned attitude, Danzō finally lost his temper.
He slammed a hand against the chair and rose to his feet.
“Hiruzen, after seeing Naruto Uzumaki’s kunai throwing skills, are you still confident that you can keep him under control?”
“Don’t forget who Naruto Uzumaki truly is.
You concealed his parentage for the sake of your own reputation.”
“With the talent Naruto has now displayed, if he learns the truth and betrays Konoha in the future, he will become an existence even more terrifying than Orochimaru.
Perhaps neither of us will be able to defeat him.”
Hiruzen frowned and said sternly, “Danzō, I concealed Naruto Uzumaki’s identity to protect him.”
Danzō sneered disdainfully.
“Hiruzen, do you really need to repeat that excuse in front of me?”
Protect Naruto Uzumaki?
What a joke!
Being the Nine-Tails’ jinchūriki already made him a dangerous existence.
Would adding the status of the village’s “prince” somehow make him even more dangerous?
“Enough!”
Hiruzen’s expression darkened.
He slammed his hand against the desk and rebuked him.
“Stop spouting nonsense and tell me what you want.”
Danzō sneered inwardly but made no attempt to expose Hiruzen further.
“Hand Naruto Uzumaki over to me and allow him to undergo Root’s training.
I will transform him into a perfect jinchūriki who is absolutely loyal to Konoha.”
“Then we will no longer need to worry about whether Naruto Uzumaki might betray us in the future.
Instead, he will become a calamity that allows Konoha to intimidate the entire shinobi world.”
Hiruzen sneered inwardly.
I knew you couldn’t have rushed here with good intentions.
Turn Naruto Uzumaki into a calamity absolutely loyal to Konoha?
Hmph!
You mean a calamity absolutely loyal to you, don’t you?!
Hiruzen flatly rejected Danzō’s proposal.
They were both old foxes.
There was no point pretending otherwise.
If Hiruzen handed Naruto over today, Danzō could lead that living calamity into the Hokage’s office tomorrow and demand to become the Fifth Hokage.
Danzō’s expression turned exceptionally grim, but he knew he wouldn’t be able to persuade Hiruzen.
“Then how do you intend to control Naruto Uzumaki?”
“As a jinchūriki, he is a unique and dangerous existence.
Konoha must have complete control over him.”
Danzō stared darkly at Hiruzen.
He needed an answer today.
Otherwise, even if Hiruzen opposed him, he would take Naruto to Root himself.
Hiruzen frowned.
This was also something he had been considering.
Naruto currently harbored no resentment toward Konoha, but that didn’t mean he never would.
People changed.
If Naruto discovered the Nine-Tails sealed inside him—or even learned the truth about his birth—what could Hiruzen use to keep him under control then?
As Hiruzen pondered the matter, the image of a little girl with pale lavender eyes inexplicably appeared in his mind.
“Danzō, you don’t need to concern yourself with that.
In a while, I’ll speak with the head of the Hyūga clan.”
Danzō’s expression darkened further.
He rose angrily to his feet.
“Fine.
I won’t interfere this time.
But if Naruto Uzumaki truly begins harboring dangerous thoughts toward Konoha, I will personally capture him and bring him to Root to be molded into a living calamity.”
Hiruzen watched Danzō leave and sneered.
Compared to Naruto Uzumaki…
You are the enemy I fear most.
✨ Bonus Chapter Goals ✨