บท 3: The Truth in the Mountain
Over the next few days, Haruto Takeda—formerly Ethan Nakamura—continued to adjust to the strange new reality he had been thrust into. Though his body was small and weak, his mind remained sharp, and he had already gathered some crucial information. He knew he was in an orphanage, surrounded by other children, and he had learned his new name from the kind elderly woman who cared for him—Obaa-chan. She was always there, her soft eyes crinkling with warmth as she hummed lullabies and tended to the infants with gentle hands.
Haruto spent most of his time lost in thought, trying to make sense of his situation. The language, the environment—it all pointed to Japan, or something very close to it. But the pieces didn't quite fit. He knew, deep down, that something was off.
Then, one morning, Obaa-chan lifted him from his crib, as she always did, wrapping him in a soft blanket. This time, however, she didn't carry him around the orphanage. She took him outside.
The rush of fresh air startled him at first. After being confined to the dimly lit orphanage for what felt like weeks, the brightness of the sun and the open sky was almost too much. Haruto blinked as his eyes adjusted, squinting against the harsh light.
That was when he saw it.
High above the village, carved into the side of a mountain, were three colossal stone faces. For a moment, Haruto's mind couldn't process what he was seeing. But as the details came into focus, recognition hit him like a lightning bolt.
The Hokage Monument.
He knew those faces. He had seen them countless times before, etched into the mountain that overlooked Konoha. His breath caught in his tiny chest, his mind racing.
This is the Hidden Leaf Village.
The first face was unmistakable—Hashirama Senju, the First Hokage, the man who founded Konoha. His features were strong, determined, and radiated an aura of leadership. Next to him was Tobirama Senju, the Second Hokage, with his sharp, calculating eyes and cold demeanor. And finally, the wise, aged face of Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Third Hokage.
But where's Minato?
That question echoed in his mind, louder with every passing second. He knew the Hokage Monument well from his days as an anime fan. The faces of the Hokages were a permanent fixture of the village, but something was missing. There were only three faces on the mountain. No Fourth Hokage, no Minato Namikaze.
Haruto's pulse quickened. His thoughts spun faster as he tried to place himself in the timeline of the Naruto universe. The absence of Minato's face could only mean one thing: this was before he became the Fourth Hokage. Which meant… this was before the Nine-Tails' attack on Konoha, before Naruto was even born.
I'm in the past. That thought hit him with the force of a blow. This is before the events of Naruto.
His mind raced to narrow it down further. He knew that the Second Great Ninja War had ended years ago, a war that had shaped the world of the shinobi. And the Third Great Ninja War—the war where Minato would gain fame as the Yellow Flash—was on the horizon.
The Third War hasn't started yet, he realized, piecing it together. This is the period between the Second and Third Great Ninja Wars.
Haruto felt a cold sweat break out across his skin, his tiny heart pounding. He knew this time period was crucial to the history of the Naruto world. The Hidden Leaf Village would soon be plunged into chaos, caught between warring nations. Shinobi would rise and fall, and some of the most dangerous events were just over the horizon.
His mind raced with all the knowledge he had from watching the anime. He knew the key figures of this time—Hiruzen Sarutobi was the current Hokage, a man of immense power and wisdom. The Uchiha Clan, still intact and part of the village, played a pivotal role in this era. And Orochimaru, one of Hiruzen's students, was already beginning to walk down the dark path that would lead him to desert the village.
How much time do I have? he wondered, his mind buzzing with possibilities. If Minato wasn't Hokage yet, then it was only a matter of years before the Third Great Ninja War began. A war that would tear across the five great nations, leaving death and destruction in its wake.
Haruto closed his eyes, trying to steady his thoughts. This world was far more dangerous than the one he had known before. He had knowledge of the future, knowledge that could be invaluable—but only if he could survive long enough to use it.
What do I do now? he thought, feeling the weight of the world pressing down on him. He was just a baby, trapped in a fragile body that couldn't defend itself, in a world filled with shinobi capable of incredible and deadly feats. And soon, war would break out, and the village would be thrown into chaos.
Obaa-chan carried him through the village, unaware of the turmoil in his mind. She cooed softly to him, her voice filled with affection, but Haruto barely registered it. His eyes remained locked on the mountain, on the faces of the First, Second, and Third Hokages.
I'm living in Konoha before everything happens, he thought. Before Naruto. Before the Nine-Tails. Before the Third Great Ninja War.
The sheer magnitude of it all settled over him like a blanket of dread and possibility. He had been given a second chance at life, but that life was in a world of shinobi, where death was a constant companion and survival was never guaranteed.
I need to be prepared. The thought surged through him like a spark of determination. I know what's coming. I have to survive.
As Obaa-chan carried him back toward the orphanage, Haruto's mind churned with plans and possibilities. He knew the dangers that lay ahead, but he also knew that this world was full of opportunity. If he could somehow survive long enough, if he could learn and grow, there was a chance—however slim—that he could shape his own destiny in this world.
But first, he would need to find a way to protect himself. In this world of shinobi, strength was everything. And if there was one thing Haruto knew from his past life, it was how to fight, how to push through adversity, and how to persevere.
As Obaa-chan gently placed him back into his crib, Haruto stared up at the ceiling, his mind already racing through the possibilities. He wasn't Ethan Nakamura anymore. He was Haruto Takeda, a child in the Hidden Leaf Village, on the cusp of one of the most dangerous periods in the Naruto timeline.
I'm in Konoha, Haruto thought, his eyes narrowing with determination. And I'm going to survive.
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