Chương 14: Naruto Uzumaki

"Hey, your name is Yato, right? I'm Uzumaki Naruto. We're classmates."

On the way home, someone chased Yato from behind.

With sky-blue eyes, short golden hair, a forehead protector, and three whisker-like marks on each cheek, he resembled a fox.

He was the same age as Yato, and his name was Uzumaki Naruto.

For Naruto, today was a day worth celebrating because he finally entered the ninja school he had always dreamed of. For him, who had always aimed to become Hokage, entering the academy was the first step toward his dream.

Although it was still a long way off, and he hadn't mastered any ninjutsu or even learned chakra refining yet, he believed he would one day become the Hokage of Konoha and be recognized by the entire village.

What made him happiest was discovering that among his many classmates, there was a boy named Yato. Like Naruto, Yato was also an orphan, with no family to accompany him to school or pick him up afterward. It seemed he, like Naruto, was not welcomed by the village.

Naruto knew this wasn't a good reason to feel happy, but he couldn't help it. He felt he had found someone like himself and believed they could become very good friends, sharing everything.

After all, they were both equally lonely.

"Hey, Yato, where do you live? If it's on the way, let's study and go home together in the future."

Although Yato didn't respond or even look at him, Naruto remained enthusiastic, talking to himself with his hands behind his head.

"How about I treat you to ramen? The ramen at Uncle Ichiraku's is super delicious. You must have eaten it, but it's too expensive to have it often. The village subsidy is too little."

"By the way, what flavor of ramen do you like? I think …"

Naruto was very talkative, as he kept chattering. This also showed how lonely he was and how much he lacked someone to talk to, seeing Yato as a kindred spirit.

He shared all his hobbies and interests, trying to find a topic Yato was interested in and a common hobby.

"You don't like ramen, but the atmosphere at Ichiraku Ramen is."

Suddenly, Yato stopped and turned to look at Naruto expressionlessly.

He knew the boy in front of him. Rather than saying he liked ramen, it was because Ichiraku was kind and friendly. Unlike others in the village, he never looked at Naruto with disdain because he was a Jinchūriki.

As the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki, Uzumaki Naruto had been rejected by the whole village since childhood. Everyone saw him as a monster.

Adults avoided him like the plague, and children refused to play with him. Under such circumstances, Ichiraku Ramen was a safe haven for him, one of the few places in Konoha where he felt warmth.

"Don't misunderstand, demon fox. We are not the same kind of people!"

Without giving him a chance to respond, Yato turned away and continued walking toward the back mountain.

Naruto stopped in his tracks at the mention of "demon fox." He froze, fists clenched tightly, overwhelmed by unspeakable anger and sadness.

"Who do you think you are, stinky boy? No, that's not enough. You're just a piece of hard, stinking shit, idiot."

After a long moment, Naruto came back to his senses and spat venomous curses in Yato's direction.

He didn't stop until Yato's figure completely disappeared from view, then he lowered his head in disappointment.

"Yato, you spoke too harshly." Riku, squatting on his shoulder, looked back at Uzumaki Naruto several times before saying, "He is the protagonist. Isn't it better to be on his good side?"

"He is the Jinchūriki of the Nine-Tails," Yato replied without turning his head. "Not only is Sarutobi watching, but all the Konoha high-level officials are monitoring his movements."

Jinchūriki.

While they caused significant losses to the five major ninja villages, with each outbreak killing countless ninjas, they had become synonymous with disaster. Despite this, the five major ninja villages continued to rely on the tailed beasts, creating new Jinchūriki generation after generation.

The reason is the immense destructive power of the tailed beasts.

On the battlefield, their presence is like a nuclear weapon. Just the mention of "tailed beast" can deter all the other ninja villages and make them bow down.

Such an existence attracts attention not only from the village itself but from everyone wherever they go.

Moreover, there is also the Akatsuki organization in the ninja world, whose mission is to capture all the tailed beasts.

Although the Akatsuki organization is still lurking and has not yet started to act, staying with Uzumaki Naruto makes one a big target and is extremely dangerous.

Additionally, Yato knew he was not wrong. He and Uzumaki Naruto have never been the same kind of people.

On the surface, the other party was just a Nine-Tails Jinchūriki with the blood of the Uzumaki clan. However, Naruto's background was terrifying.

He is the only orphan of the Fourth Hokage, the prophesied child according to the Toad Sage of Myoboku Mountain, and also the reincarnation of Ashura of the Otsutsuki clan.

Behind him stands Konoha Village, Myoboku Mountain, Jiraiya, and even the founder of the Ninja, the Sage of Six Paths.

When he failed the ninja exam's clone technique, the Third Hokage personally taught him the shadow clone technique!

Though the Uzumaki clan was exterminated and both his parents died, Jiraiya personally taught him the A-rank ninjutsu Rasengan! When Uchiha Madara with the Rinnegan was too strong to defeat, the Sage of Six Paths personally granted him the power of Yang to activate the Six Paths Sage mode!

From birth, Naruto was destined to be extraordinary.

***

Konoha, Hokage's office.

"Did Naruto come into contact with that kid after school?" The Third Hokage, sitting on a chair and exhaling a wisp of white smoke, asked the masked Anbu Ninja in front of him.

This was the Anbu ninja he had sent to monitor Uzumaki Naruto. Almost every once in a while, he would report about the Jinchūriki. Being related to the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki, the most lethal weapon in Konoha, even Sarutobi had to pay close attention.

It was clear that Naruto's smooth acquisition of the Book of Seals was no accident but man-made. The Book of Seals is one of Konoha's most confidential scrolls, containing all the forbidden techniques since the village's establishment, such as the Impure World Reincarnation Technique, the Shadow Clone Technique, the Flying Thunder God Technique, and various powerful ninjutsu. Even all of Senju Hashirama's Wood Release Ninjutsu is recorded in it.

It is impossible for such an important ninjutsu scroll to be stolen so easily by a child, especially a ninja like Uzumaki Naruto. The ease with which Naruto stole the Book of Seals was not due to Konoha's negligence but rather to Sarutobi Hiruzen's machinations.

Perhaps even Iruka was manipulated by Hiruzen, using heartfelt self-torture to make Naruto establish a bond with Konoha. Otherwise, it is hard to explain why the office of Konoha's top leader, where important documents are kept, was so easily breached.

"Yes, the target chased the child as soon as school was over, but it was not smooth."

The Anbu ninja, wearing an animal mask, knelt on one knee and reported everything he had observed that afternoon.

"Do you know why?"

"According to speculation, it seems that the child resents Naruto because of his status as a Jinchūriki."

Hearing this, Sarutobi did not doubt it too much. In the entire Konoha Village, whether ninja or civilian, there is almost no one who does not resent the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox.

"That's good."

Anyone who gets close to the Jinchūriki will be monitored by Konoha's high-level officials, especially someone like Yato, whose parents were executed by Konoha and who has a causal relationship with the village.

If he gets too close to the Jinchūriki, Hiruzen and other Konoha leaders will inevitably consider their own interests. Even if the other party is just a child, the Nine-Tails is too dangerous. Its two appearances indirectly and directly caused the deaths of the First and Fourth Hokages.

They can't help but worry whether Yato wants to use the Jinchūriki to retaliate against Konoha, so he deliberately approaches Naruto.

Therefore, it is best for Yato not to contact Naruto. Only this way can Sarutobi feel at ease.

"By the way, since that child has also entered the ninja school, what is his talent? How are his entrance examination scores?"

"According to the information provided by the invigilator, his entrance examination scores are very average, in the middle to lower range, and his ninjutsu talent is not strong. He seems to be training with Might Guy."

"Guy?"

"Yes."

"I see. You can relax your vigilance regarding Naruto while he is in school. I will learn about the situation from the teachers at the Ninja Academy."

"Yes!"

The Anbu ninja nodded in response, then disappeared from the Hokage's office without leaving any trace.

"Since he has no talent for ninjutsu, there should be no problem."

Biting his pipe, Sarutobi took a deep puff, let the smoke circulate through his body, and then exhaled it slowly.

He knew that Might Guy was undoubtedly the strongest physical ninja in Konoha Village. But even so, he could not pose too much of a threat to Konoha. As his disciple, it was even more impossible for Yato to harm the village.

Yato couldn't help but think of Sarutobi expression would be if he knew that Might Guy's limit burst could kill Uchiha Madara, who was as famous as Senju Hashirama. Perhaps even Might Guy would then be monitored by Konoha.

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