Mysterious Confidence

## Konoha - Five Years After the Nine-Tails Attack ##

"Die, you demon."

Naruto ran for his life, his legs beginning to weaken.

Several chunin closed in on him quickly, fifteen kunai flying toward him in rapid succession.

Just then, his vision suddenly sharpened. The incoming kunai seemed to almost stop in mid-air, and he could even see exactly where they were going to land. Naruto swiftly grabbed one of the blades and began deflecting the others, though one still struck his shoulder.

He cried out in pain but managed to vault over a fence, escaping to safety. He pulled the kunai from his shoulder and noticed the wound was already beginning to heal.

"Why is it healing so fast?"

His vision shifted, turning black and white, and then he suddenly collapsed in the alleyway.

When Naruto woke up, he found himself in what appeared to be a sewer.

"Follow my voice," a strange voice said.

After walking for a few minutes, Naruto discovered a massive iron gate.

"Hello, Naruto," the voice said.

Naruto scrutinized the man. He was tall, with blond hair, and wore a white cape inscribed with "Fourth Hokage."

"I am Minato Namikaze, the Fourth Hokage," he said, watching the child before him.

"How is that possible? Aren't you dead? Am I dead too?" Naruto asked.

"No, you aren't dead; I am. We are currently in your mindscape, a manifestation of your psyche," Minato replied.

Naruto stood stunned as he heard this.

"You... you're my father? How can that be?" Naruto asked.

"Five years ago, when you were born, the Nine-Tails attacked the village. The Third Hokage asked me to kill the beast, but that was impossible. The Nine-Tails is pure chakra, lacking a physical form, so it cannot die. I had no choice but to seal it inside a newborn, and unfortunately, that newborn was you."

Suddenly, behind the bars of the empty cage, Naruto saw two eyes flickering with red light and black vertical pupils. The Nine-Tailed Fox, the most powerful existence in the world and the strongest of the nine tailed beasts, stood just behind the gate.

Seeing this, Naruto jumped back in fear; the monster that had attacked the village and caused so many deaths was suddenly right before his eyes.

"Don't be afraid, little one," the Nine-Tails said.

"Naruto," Minato said. "This is the Nine-Tails. He isn't the demon everyone imagines him to be. The attack five years ago wasn't his fault."

Minato began to explain what had happened five years prior—from the moment of Naruto's birth to a mysterious figure controlling the Nine-Tails to attack the village, and finally, how Minato sealed the beast inside Naruto.

Naruto was stunned after hearing his father's words.

Minato touched Naruto's stomach, transferred the key to the seal to him, and opened the cage.

"What are you doing?" Naruto asked, worried.

"Naruto, I told you that the Nine-Tails' attack that night wasn't its fault. The Nine-Tails will help you as you grow. My only request is that you release it before you die. It shouldn't be trapped in a cage and used as a weapon," Minato said.

"Will you really be my friend?"

"Of course. I will look after you and make you strong—strong enough to protect those you care about," the Nine-Tails replied.

"Naruto, do you realize your vision is different?" Minato asked.

"Everything is black and white," Naruto answered.

"Naruto, do you know who Madara Uchiha is?" Minato asked.

"I know he is one of the founders of Konoha, the leader of the Uchiha Clan, and one of the world's strongest ninjas," Naruto said.

"Madara is actually my father," he said.

"My dad is Minato Namikaze, and my grandfather is Madara Uchiha—I'm definitely going to be Hokage too!" Naruto shouted, pumping his fist.

"You certainly will, Naruto," Minato said, ruffling his hair. "The Uchiha Clan possesses the Sharingan. You have already activated its first stage. Look at the ground."

Naruto looked down and saw his reflection in the water; his eyes were blood-red, with a single black tomoe in each.

"The Sharingan evolves as you mature, up to three tomoe in each eye."

"Oh, I knew I was amazing," Naruto said happily.

"You cannot go to the Uchiha Clan; they would use it for their own benefit. I want you to be a good person, not to become arrogant and power-hungry like the Uchiha. Never rely too much on the Sharingan, okay?" Minato asked, and Naruto nodded.

"Our clan's ninjutsu and weapons are in the Namikaze Clan's estate, protected by a bloodline seal that only you can enter. Be careful, and don't let anyone find out."

Naruto nodded, and Minato smiled before slowly fading away.

Naruto woke up in the alley.

"You have gained my second ability. You can sense the people around you. You should tell the Hokage; he will help you, but don't let him know I'm helping you for now," the Nine-Tails said, and Naruto nodded.

He stood up and began walking toward the Hokage's office.

Naruto arrived at the office.

"Old man," Naruto said.

"Hello there, Naruto? Is there something you need?" the Hokage asked. Even though the Hokage had no actual blood relation to Naruto, he treated him with the affection of a grandfather.

"I wanted to ask, can you tell me who my parents were?"

"Naruto, I don't know. I only know they were heroes who sacrificed themselves in the battle against the Nine-Tails," the Hokage replied.

"Old man, can you have the Anbu ninjas leave first? I only want to tell you."

An expression of surprise appeared on the Hokage's face.

"How did you know?"

"I can sense them on the ceiling."

"Very well," the Hokage said, waving his hand to signal the four Anbu ninjas to leave the room.

"Is it safe now?" he asked.

"Are you sure they're all gone? I can still sense one more person over there," Naruto said, pointing behind the bookshelf.

At Naruto's words, the four Anbu quickly returned and lunged at the lurker, swiftly subduing them.

Damn Danzo, always meddling, the Hokage thought.

"Naruto, your sensory abilities are truly impressive. You actually detected a lurker," the Hokage said.

"Of course, I knew I was amazing," Naruto replied.

Subsequently, Naruto walked toward the portraits of the previous Hokages, stopped in front of the Fourth's, and turned to ask the Hokage:

"Do you have anything else you'd like to tell me?"

The Hokage was startled.

"How did you know?"

"Now that I think about it, I look almost exactly like him. How did I never notice?" Naruto said, then began to explain everything that had just happened.

Minato really is a genius; he's still giving me headaches even after passing away, the Hokage thought.

"What do you plan to do? You know you can't tell anyone."

"I'm going to train, make myself as strong as my father, and then I'm going to take your place," Naruto replied.

The old Hokage laughed.

"Haha, I believe in you."