Uzumaki

Naruto's consciousness space.

"Who are you? Why can you control my body?"

Standing across from Naruto was a figure completely shrouded in shadow, impossible to make out clearly.

It had been this person who had controlled his body earlier and started fighting back.

Though Kushina, hidden in the shadows, desperately wanted to acknowledge her son, she could only endure for now in order to erase the Third Hokage's influence as soon as possible.

"Call me Uzumaki." Kushina sighed inwardly, hardening her heart as she continued this act with Naruto.

Her altered voice reached Naruto's ears, and he immediately grew excited.

"Uzumaki!? The same Uzumaki as me?"

Children's attention shifted quickly, and he immediately forgot about having his body controlled.

"I'm one of your clansmen," Kushina added.

"A clansman!?" Light gradually appeared in Naruto's eyes.

"Great, this is great!"

"I have a clansman now! I'm not alone anymore!"

Naruto happily ran around the consciousness space.

Seeing her son like this made Kushina tremble with heartache.

Sarutobi Hiruzen, you bastard!

Once Naruto finally calmed down, he continued asking, "Uzumaki, why did you appear here? Why can you control my body? Why did you know someone was nearby?"

Naruto excitedly fired off three questions in a row.

Perhaps Naruto did not truly care about the answers. What he cared about was having someone to accompany him.

"I can't tell you why I appeared here for now, nor can I tell you about being able to control your body."

"You can't tell anyone about it, especially the Third Hokage."

"Huh? Why?" Naruto trusted the Third Hokage deeply now.

Kushina snorted coldly. "Because the Third Hokage isn't a good person."

"That's not true! Grandpa Third treats me the best!" Naruto loudly retorted.

Senyo had already prepared Kushina mentally, so when she heard Naruto say that, she suppressed her anger.

Kushina said coldly, "Those people were placed by the Third Hokage to keep watch over you."

"They would rather watch you get beaten than show themselves. Do you still think the Third Hokage is a good person?"

"Or do you think they just happened to be passing by?"

Naruto instinctively made excuses for him.

"Impossible! Grandpa Third would never do that! They must have just been passing through that area."

Kushina did not argue with Naruto. Instead, she said, "If you want to know who your father and mother are, you cannot let the Third Hokage know I exist."

"Father and mother!?"

"Hey! Uzumaki! Uzumaki...!"

The entire world suddenly collapsed, and a hazy light appeared before Naruto's eyes.

He woke up groggily.

Naruto discovered that he was lying in his home, with the Third Hokage standing by his bed.

"Grandpa Third, you're here!" Naruto's first reaction upon seeing the Third Hokage was still happiness.

Because the Third Hokage gave him money regularly.

Seeing the Third Hokage meant he would not go hungry for a while.

Watching Naruto's happy expression, the Third Hokage felt satisfied. All those years spent brainwashing Naruto had not been in vain.

He deliberately put on a stern expression. "Didn't I tell you not to fight? This time, you nearly beat that person to death."

"No, it wasn't me... it was..."

He suddenly remembered what Uzumaki had said.

"If you want to know who your father and mother are, you cannot let the Third Hokage know I exist."

"It... it was them who threw rocks at me."

"They also stomped on the rice ball I bought. I used my last bit of money to buy it."

Naruto stammered as he concealed Kushina's existence.

This kind of hesitation after making a mistake did not arouse the Third Hokage's suspicion.

Because while Naruto was unconscious, the Third Hokage had already examined him.

Naruto's seal was intact. There was no chance of the Jinchuriki going berserk.

In the Third Hokage's view, Naruto's counterattack had simply been a little too fierce.

"Even so, you shouldn't have hit them that hard. You nearly beat them to death."

Naruto felt a little wronged. But he had been surrounded and beaten by four people, and no one had come to help him.

Children wore their emotions on their faces. Seeing Naruto's aggrieved expression, the Third Hokage changed his tone.

"You should be kinder. Although they hit you, they've received the punishment they deserved. You need to learn to forgive."

"Don't fight anymore in the future, understand?"

Naruto pursed his lips, unhappy.

Kushina's voice suddenly rang out in Naruto's mind:

"Kindness built upon someone else's pain is the most hypocritical kind of kindness."

At that moment, the Third Hokage took out a one-thousand-yuan bill.

"I've been rather busy lately, so I can't come by often. Spend it carefully, understand?"

Naruto froze completely.

Seeing Naruto stunned, the Third Hokage assumed he was touched.

He then stuffed the money into Naruto's hand with satisfaction.

"Alright, I bought you some food. Eat first."

"I'll be going now. I'll come see you again next time."

With that, the Third Hokage left Naruto's home directly.

The Sarutobi Clan would arrive tonight. There were too many people, so proper arrangements had to be made.

"Uzumaki, are you still there?"

After the Third Hokage left, Naruto called out in a furtive whisper.

"You can just think it in your heart. You don't need to say it aloud."

"Oh, oh..."

After answering aloud twice, Naruto immediately covered his mouth.

Good thing the Third Hokage had just left, and the Anbu were still guarding outside the room. Otherwise, Naruto would have been discovered at once.

Like a thief, Naruto looked around in every direction.

"Don't worry. The Anbu are all outside your room."

Only after hearing Uzumaki's words did Naruto relax.

He began asking in his mind as well:

"Did Grandpa Third really send Anbu to watch me outside my house?"

Kushina did not answer Naruto's question. Instead, she asked, "When people bully and insult you, does it hurt?"

Naruto sat up and hugged his knees, seeming to sink into painful memories. "Yeah."

"Then isn't it hypocritical for the Third Hokage to tell you to be kind and forgive them?"

Naruto was a little downcast. He did not want to forgive those people, but the Third Hokage had told him not to hold it against them. Otherwise, he would have fought back long ago.

Naruto was only seven years old now. He had not yet reached the age where he went around causing trouble everywhere.

At this point in time, he could barely even get enough to eat, much less go around scribbling graffiti everywhere.

"Do you know why the Anbu watched over you but never helped you?"

Kushina slowly guided Naruto along.

Naruto shook his head in confusion. If the Third Hokage was a good person, then why had the Anbu never helped him even once?

"That's because as long as the Third Hokage shows up at the end to comfort you, you'll be grateful to him."

"Why?" Naruto could not understand at all why the Third Hokage would do such a thing.