Seeds Sown (Revised)

However, this ninjutsu was only a prototype and still needed more time to be refined.

Just as Naruto was getting excited, an Anbu suddenly appeared behind her. Her vision went black, and she lost consciousness.

"Wait! What are you doing?!"

The Anbu who had been lying in ambush in the shadows appeared, surrounding the Anbu who had knocked Naruto unconscious.

"By Lord Danzo's order. Lord Danzo wishes to see her."

The Anbu responsible for protecting Naruto could only watch helplessly as the Root Anbu carried the unconscious Naruto away and vanished. They exchanged glances, then vanished as well.

The large patch of water on the ground disappeared without a trace as the incident passed. Other than the Anbu, no one knew that Naruto had been taken away from here.

In her inner world, the Nine-Tails was as frantic as if its tail were on fire. What had happened? Why had Naruto lost consciousness? It had only taken a nap—what exactly had happened?

In the dim room, Naruto's eyelids trembled as she slowly opened her eyes.

"This is..."

A man with his right eye covered by white bandages stood before Naruto, looking down at her as he slowly said, "Naruto Uzumaki, as a Ninja Academy student who has yet to become a Genin, you obtained a scroll containing Wind Style: Gale Palm with Mizuki's help, and used it to create a new Wind Style."

Naruto recognized who he was at a glance. The scar on his chin, the right eye covered by white bandages—who else could he be but Shimura Danzō?!

"Why did you bring me here?" Naruto blinked innocently, staring at Danzo with a puzzled expression.

Even though she had already cursed every female ancestor in Danzo's family in her heart, Naruto did not dare show it.

"For Konohagakure, Naruto Uzumaki, hand over your ninjutsu." Danzo waved his hand righteously, and the Root Anbu behind him immediately placed a blank scroll and a brush before Naruto.

As though handing over the fruits of her hard work for Konohagakure was only natural. Just one sentence—"for Konohagakure"—and they could forcibly take away everything she had earned through painstaking effort!

However, Danzo's main goal was not the ninjutsu Naruto had created. He had learned that Naruto had previously come into contact with Shisui Uchiha, and he wanted to use this opportunity to warn her, to make her behave. On the surface, it was about Naruto's ninjutsu, but in truth, he wanted her to stay away from the Uchiha Clan.

Naruto held the brush and lowered her head. With her eyes closed, she appeared to be thinking about how to write, but she was really hiding the resentment and fury in her eyes.

Her anger had reached the point where it could no longer be suppressed. Her parents had died for Konohagakure, yet how had Konohagakure treated her? They arrogantly demanded to take the ninjutsu she had created!

I! Hate! This!

Consumed by hatred, Naruto never considered that it was her contact with Shisui Uchiha that had aroused Danzo's suspicions. He had made his move while the Third Hokage was away on business.

The Seeds That Were Sown (Revised) (1/2)

♂ 　　The anger and hatred in her heart were like scorching flames, burning Naruto's will and driving her toward madness. Traces of crimson appeared in her azure eyes.

Naruto knew she could not lose control and go berserk here. Once she did, not even the Third Hokage would be able to protect her. Konohagakure would no longer have a place for her. She might even be brainwashed by Danzo into an obedient puppet, becoming nothing more than a useful tool...

Suppressing the anger and resentment in her heart, Naruto pretended nothing had happened as she looked at the blank scroll, biting the brush as though considering how to write.

Naruto had never imagined that she would meet Danzo like this. And at their very first meeting, Danzo wanted to take the ninjutsu she had worked so hard to create.

Where had she gone wrong? Why had things turned out like this... Perhaps from the very beginning, I should have pretended to be like Naruto from the original story?

"Naruto Uzumaki, once you have written it down, you may go home."

Danzo watched Naruto with interest. Being able to alter Wind Style: Gale Palm and create a new ninjutsu from it, Danzo saw immense potential in this technique.

In Danzo's view, not brainwashing Naruto into an obedient puppet was already giving the Third Hokage plenty of face. What Konohagakure needed was an obedient Jinchuriki, not a dangerous bomb that could explode at any moment and cause irreparable losses to Konohagakure.

Naruto stared at the blank scroll for a long time, then tilted her head at Danzo. Her azure eyes were filled with confusion.

"What? You do not wish to hand over your ninjutsu?" Danzo snorted, his left eye staring coldly at Naruto.

Naruto seemed not to sense Danzo's anger. She blinked innocently and said in a trembling, aggrieved voice, "I... I can't write..."

That slightly trembling voice, like the frightened bleating of a weak little lamb, would not make the cold and heartless Danzo soften in the slightest. In Danzo's eyes, Naruto was merely a tool that sealed the Nine-Tails. When she was not useful, she could be raised in the village. When she was needed, she had to serve Konohagakure, even if it meant offering up her life!

Still, what Danzo had not expected was that this tool was rather useful. She had actually developed a new ninjutsu based on Wind Style: Gale Palm, raising Danzo's evaluation of Naruto by several points.

"Is that so?" Danzo stared at Naruto. His hawk-like eye fixed on her as though she were prey, as if it could see through every thought in her mind.

"Then show me with one of your attempts!" His right eye, covered by white bandages, slowly opened. Even through the bandages, the Three Tomoe Sharingan could still easily record Naruto's every movement.

"Mm, I understand."

Naruto nodded, and a trace of resolve flashed through her deep azure eyes.

"Wind Release: Finger Gun! Aaaaargh!!!"

Blood sprayed everywhere. The skin on Naruto's palm and the back of her hand was shredded by violent wind. Fragments of torn flesh splashed onto Danzo's face and slid to the floor, leaving a savage streak of blood across his indifferent face.

"Not bad. Just like when you failed to use it before. But this is not what I want. I want you to successfully use this ninjutsu."

Danzo forced Naruto to continue using Wind Release: Finger Gun, but it was not entirely because of the ninjutsu she had created. He also wanted to use this chance to trigger Naruto's berserk state. Even if he could not make her lose control, he could still use it to warn her, making her more obedient and turning her into Konohagakure's weapon.

If he could make Naruto go berserk, he could use the opportunity to completely brainwash her into Konohagakure's puppet weapon—a remotely detonated bomb.

"Naruto!"

The place where the Nine-Tails was sealed turned blood-red. Bubbles rose from the crimson water like boiling water, while the Nine-Tails savagely slammed against the door confining it, overcome with rage and desperate to rush out and kill Danzo.

Nine-Tails! Calm down! I'm fine!

Feeling the Nine-Tails' violent emotions, Naruto hurried to calm it. On the surface, she had to howl in pain and cry her eyes out; in her mind, she had to soothe the Nine-Tails, which was about to explode with fury. Naruto felt exhausted. She wanted to die.

Danzo coldly watched Naruto clutch her wrist and howl in pain.

"Hurry up. If you want to go home, do as I say!"

"Danzo!"

The doors were violently kicked open. The Third Hokage entered with Kakashi, two advisers, and several Anbu at his side. The moment he walked in, he saw Naruto's right hand stripped of skin, raw red flesh exposed, while her azure eyes were filled with pain and terror. Tears covered her young, pale face.

"Kakashi! Take Naruto to the hospital!" Seeing Naruto's hand, exposed flesh dripping with blood, the Third Hokage's guilt toward Minato Namikaze reached its peak.

"Yes!"

Kakashi came to Naruto's side, picked her up, and vanished.

"Danzo, you have truly gone too far!" The Third Hokage adjusted the hat symbolizing his position as Hokage, his voice full of disappointment in Danzo. When he saw the bloodstain on Danzo's face, the Third Hokage naturally assumed Naruto's injury had been caused by Danzo. Moreover, the scattered fragments of skin on the ground further proved that Naruto's wound had been inflicted by Danzo, who excelled at Wind Style.

"You should know that she is the orphan of the Fourth Hokage and his wife. The Fourth Hokage gave his life for Konohagakure. Konohagakure has already wronged Naruto far too much, yet you treat her like this!"

"Hmph! In my eyes, she is nothing more than the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki. The Fourth Hokage was someone I greatly admired. He used his life to protect Konoha! He deserves my respect!"

When Danzo mentioned Minato Namikaze, a trace of admiration flashed through his eyes. However, he did not regard Kushina Uzumaki highly at all. Perhaps, in his eyes, a Jinchuriki was nothing more than a tool of Konohagakure.