Poor Child

"At seven years old, to be able to contend with the Nine-Tails for control of his body—when he grows up, Naruto Uzumaki will surely be able to completely suppress the Nine-Tails, perhaps even becoming a Jinchuriki as powerful as Lady Mito..."

Thinking this, the Third Hokage felt filled with anticipation and encouraged him: "Naruto Uzumaki, keep going, you will surely overcome it."

Seemingly drawing strength from the words of the Third Hokage, Naruto Uzumaki truly managed to overpower the Nine-Tails.

The crimson tailed beast Chakra flowed back into his body, and the fox-like features gradually faded away.

"It's the old man..."

Naruto Uzumaki looked at the Third Hokage with exhaustion, then collapsed and fell unconscious.

The Third Hokage said with relief: "Good child..."

The group took Naruto Uzumaki and returned to Konoha.

Three days later.

Konoha Hospital.

Facing the kind and gentle questioning of the Third Hokage, Naruto Uzumaki frowned as he recalled the events, his tone uncertain.

"I was on my way home that day when I suddenly heard a noise, and then I don't know what happened, I just blacked out."

"When I woke up, I found an old man carrying me through the sky. I was so scared I struggled with all my might, accidentally fell, and then blacked out again."

"When I woke up, the person in front of me was you, old man..."

"Who was that person? I don't know. I'm just as puzzled as you are; I have no idea why they would suddenly come for me..."

Half an hour later, after seeing the Third Hokage off.

Naruto Uzumaki lay on the hospital bed, his consciousness sinking into the Sealing Space.

"Kurama, do you think I can fool Konoha?"

Naruto Uzumaki felt a bit insecure.

Although he felt his acting was one hundred percent, he wasn't a professional actor after all, and he didn't know if he could deceive the group of old foxes in Konoha.

The thousand-year-old fox, the Nine-Tails, narrowed its eyes: "What is there to worry about? If you can't fool them, just leave Konoha and become a rogue ninja."

"Do you really want me to become a rogue ninja that badly?"

When they first met, the Nine-Tails, out of a desire to spite the Fourth Hokage, often incited Naruto Uzumaki to defect.

Now...

Thinking of the Fourth Hokage, the Nine-Tails looked at its own sharp claws, then looked down at Naruto Uzumaki, and fell into silence.

Naruto Uzumaki sensed that the atmosphere was off: "What's wrong?"

The Nine-Tails sighed inwardly and muttered: "Nothing. Try not to become a rogue ninja. Being alone and unsupported is ultimately too dangerous."

"Yeah, I know."

The Uchiha clan had been wiped out, and the Jinchuriki had been lost and then returned.

Regarding these two matters, the high-ranking officials of Konoha held repeated discussions and finally reached a decision.

The Uchiha would take the blame for the Uchiha, and Itachi would bear the primary responsibility.

However, given that the blame was too heavy, Itachi alone was not enough; they needed to sacrifice a high-ranking official of Konoha to appease the dissatisfaction of the other ninja clans.

Danzo, the King of Scapegoats, was the most deserving candidate, as he had been the one leading the operation anyway, so pinning the blame on him wasn't exactly slander.

Thus, the Third Hokage disbanded Root and ordered Danzo to return home and reflect.

The blame for the Jinchuriki being lost and then returned was not significant, as he had been found.

The main point was how to handle the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki from now on.

This could only be decided by the Hokage.

Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu offered their advice—don't waste time with school, take direct control of the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, conduct individual training, and turn him into a combat asset.

The Third Hokage refused: "No, Naruto Uzumaki is Minato's child. We have already failed Minato; we cannot fail Minato's child again."

Utatane Koharu said with a straight face: "As the Fourth Hokage, Minato was always a man of great principle. I believe he would surely understand our position."

The Third Hokage naturally didn't believe her nonsense and continued to refuse.

"The Jinchuriki will possess power sooner or later; there is no need to rush the training. Therefore, what is important is his character, and his bonds with the village..."

Three days passed in the blink of an eye, and Naruto Uzumaki was discharged from the hospital.

Discharged at the same time as him was Sasuke, who was cold from head to toe.

"What a truly pitiful child..."

At the hospital entrance, Naruto Uzumaki looked at Sasuke beside him with sympathy, having ended up with a brother whose brain worked differently from normal people...

But that has nothing to do with me.

Naruto Uzumaki had no intention of engaging and stepped forward to leave.

An arm blocked Naruto Uzumaki's path, and Sasuke coldly said, "Do you know something?"

"What could I possibly know?"

Naruto Uzumaki looked baffled.

"The way you looked at me just now was exactly the same as a week ago..."

Sasuke's eyes were gloomy.

A week ago, he had a happy family and a perfect life, but a week later, his family was shattered and his entire clan wiped out.

Yet, Naruto Uzumaki had always looked at him with the eyes of someone looking at an orphan, as if he had long foreseen his fate.

Naruto Uzumaki was speechless: "You are truly too sensitive..."

It was just a small look; he couldn't believe he had remembered it until now.

"Answer my question!"

Sasuke stepped forward, intending to grab Naruto Uzumaki by the collar, but Naruto Uzumaki reacted quickly, slapping his hand away with a sharp smack.

"If you want to talk, talk properly. Don't go around grabbing people."

Naruto Uzumaki explained: "I already explained and apologized for what happened a week ago... I only looked at you just now because I heard some things about you at the hospital."

Sasuke refused to believe it: "Is that all?"

Naruto Uzumaki countered: "Then what do you think I should know?"

"You..."

You should have foreseen what would happen to the Uchiha and told me in advance so I could avoid that outcome.

But Sasuke knew this was just an unrealistic wish; it was impossible in reality.

"Don't look at me with that gaze again. I don't need your pity."

Sasuke regained his composure, issued a warning to Naruto Uzumaki, and turned to leave.

Naruto Uzumaki frowned in thought, He has a point.

Do not do unto others what you do not want done to yourself.

As an orphan in both lives, Naruto Uzumaki didn't like others looking at him with pity either, as if it made him inferior.

At the Ninja Academy, Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke walked into the classroom one after the other.

Sakura, Ino, and the other girls in the class rushed over, bypassing Naruto Uzumaki to reach Sasuke, their faces filled with worry and concern.

"Sasuke, are you okay?"

The news of the Uchiha had spread throughout Konoha, and they were all worried that their idol wouldn't be able to handle the blow.

Sasuke pushed the girls away and coldly snapped: "Get lost!"

He had no time to deal with these women, for his life from now on had only one goal—to become stronger, and then kill that man!

"Sasuke..."

Some of the girls were worried; their idol had become so cold.

Yet, there were some girls who were into that sort of thing, cupping their faces with hearts in their eyes.

"Sasuke is even cooler now!"

"Naruto Uzumaki, how are you? Are you alright?"

As Naruto Uzumaki returned to his seat, Choji, Kiba, Shikamaru, and Shino came over to greet him.

They were all boys, forming a stark contrast to the scene at Sasuke's desk.

Naruto Uzumaki didn't mind; if anything, he preferred it. He smiled and said: "I'm fine. See? I'm here at school, aren't I?"

Shikamaru and the others didn't press the issue. As members of ninja clans, they vaguely understood that the matters surrounding Naruto Uzumaki were extremely sensitive.

It was best not to talk about it if they didn't have to.

After a brief chat, the bell for class rang, and everyone dispersed to their own seats.