Naruto stared blankly at the backs of the departing figures, his eyes fixed on Kakashi like a puppet whose strings were pulled taut.
He asked a question that cut deep, as if it came straight from his soul.
"Ever since I can remember, I've had no parents. The villagers treated me like I was the Nine-Tails reincarnated. Now I finally have a clue about my past, and Konoha just forbids me from looking into it? What, am I just supposed to go on living as their little demon fox?"
Kakashi winced. The pain in his heart was sharp, like a blade digging deep.
"I'm sorry, Naruto... This wasn't my decision."
Even Jiraiya and Tsunade hadn't been able to change it. What could he possibly do?
"So it's the Third Hokage's orders then, huh?"
Naruto let out a cold, bitter laugh.
"You won't tell me my parents' names, fine. But now you won't even let me look for them on my own?"
His pupils narrowed into vertical slits. Crimson chakra started swirling around him, pulsing with rage.
Seeing the signs of a Tailed Beast transformation, Kakashi reacted instantly. With a swift strike to the back of Naruto's neck, he knocked him out cold and caught him before he hit the ground.
"You guys eat. I'll take Naruto home."
"Is he really okay?" Sakura asked, stepping in front of him with Sasuke to block his path.
Kakashi forced a weak smile. "I'm just taking him home. Don't worry—he'll sleep it off."
Only then did Sakura and Sasuke reluctantly step aside to let him pass.
...
Back in Naruto's messy apartment, Kakashi gently laid him on the bed.
He had no intention of reporting this incident to the Third Hokage. If the old man found out, Naruto would end up living like Kushina had—sealed inside barrier after barrier, day after day.
This... was the only thing he could do for his late master and mistress.
Kakashi slumped against the bed, utterly drained. Not physically—from chakra—but from the weight of everything he'd failed to protect.
He hadn't saved Obito. He hadn't saved Rin. He couldn't help his sensei. He failed to protect Obito's eye. He hadn't even been able to give Naruto a happy childhood.
Gazing out the window, Kakashi murmured to himself.
"What a failure I am..."
...
Elsewhere, Hyuga Gakuya had completed the first phase of his plan. He continued touring Konoha with Hikari and Karin, playing the role of guide.
He brought them around to all of the village's most iconic spots.
"This is the Yamanaka flower shop," he said, stopping in front of a quaint building. "Let's go in. I'll buy you both a bouquet."
"Yay!" Karin beamed with excitement.
As they entered, a familiar face greeted them—Yamanaka Ino.
"Welcome to Yamanaka Flowers. What can I help you with today?"
"I'll take one bouquet of roses, and one of violets," Gakuya said.
Karin immediately pouted. "Why do I get violets? I want roses too!"
"Violets represent wisdom," he replied with a grin. "And with how clever and mischievous you are, they suit you perfectly."
She clearly wasn't thrilled, but she accepted it with a reluctant sigh. "Fine."
Ino wrapped up two gorgeous, freshly picked bouquets and handed them over.
"That'll be 1,000 ryo."
Gakuya handed her the money and took the flowers.
"Please come again!"
Outside, he solemnly presented one bouquet to each girl.
The roses were elegant and noble, the violets graceful and refined.
"To Hikari and Karin—may you both always be beautiful, brilliant, and beloved."
Hikari smiled sweetly as she accepted her bouquet. "Thanks,."
Karin, though still wishing she'd gotten the roses, accepted the violets with a smile of her own.
"Thank you."
Passersby couldn't help but stop and stare.
This guy's juggling two girls... and somehow pulling it off?
Ino's mother suddenly appeared beside her, whispering some advice.
"Ino, remember this: never date someone like that."
"Especially not Sasuke," she added pointedly. "That boy's surrounded by girls. Got it?"
Ino just nodded numbly.
...
After the stroll, Gakuya brought the two girls back to the hotel to rest.
That evening, he used the Transformation Jutsu to sneak back to the Yamanaka flower shop. He bought several white chrysanthemums, then slipped through the shadows to Konoha's cemetery.
He quietly placed the chrysanthemums before the shared grave of the Hyuga patriarch and matriarch, bowing respectfully.
Then he moved on to his own parents' grave and did the same.
...
The next morning, Hyuga Neji arrived at the cemetery, white chrysanthemums in hand. He had come to pay respects to his parents—and to Gakuya's.
But he was surprised to find fresh flowers already placed on the graves, still glistening with dew.
Neji immediately activated his Byakugan, scanning the area for any traces.
"Did... Gakuya come back to Konoha?"
"What would he be doing here?"
The questions lingered in his mind, unanswered.
From a nearby rooftop, hidden in the shadows, Gakuya breathed a quiet sigh of relief.
"Almost got spotted. He's grown up a lot..."
On his way back, Gakuya passed by a group of young ninja wearing Kumogakure headbands.
As they crossed paths, the Kumogakure ninja murmured among themselves.
Karui scratched her red-brown hair. "Hey, what village is that guy from?"
Sound Village was still new, founded recently by Kabuto, and not well-known.
Atsui shrugged. "Oh, I think my sister mentioned it. Some place called Otogakure."
"Pfft. Another tiny backwater village. I'll slice through them in the Chūnin Exams like they're nothing."
Omoi, another of Killer Bee's disciples, frowned. "Just because they're from a small village doesn't mean they're weak."
"Yeah, yeah, don't be such a buzzkill."
As they walked off, Gakuya frowned slightly. Something was different. The story wasn't following the script.
He ran through their names and faces in his mind.
"That was Atsui, Samui's younger brother... and those other two were Killer Bee's students—Karui and Omoi."
...
Because of the upcoming Fourth Great Ninja War—triggered by Gakuya—Kumogakure and Konoha had become allies, building a strong foundation of trust.
Their current relationship was nothing like in the original timeline. It wasn't strange for them to send genin to each other's tournaments anymore.
Soon after, Gakuya received a message from Kabuto. He had arrived in Konoha with the Sunagakure delegation and had already met with Hiruzen Sarutobi.
That night, Gakuya found Kabuto waiting atop the Hokage Rock.
From there, they could see the entire village sprawled out beneath them.
Kabuto reported, "Gakuya-sama, I've located the base of the Root organization. Shimura Danzō is inside."
"Well done," Gakuya replied, sitting atop the First Hokage's stone head. "But don't kill him yet. If Danzō dies too soon, Konoha will get suspicious."
"Wait until the night before the plan begins. And be careful of Kotoamatsukami—that genjutsu won't work on me, but you're still vulnerable."
Kabuto bowed slightly. "Understood."
"Kumogakure sent a team too. Do you have any intel on them?"
Kabuto opened a small notebook and flipped through it.
"They sent twenty-seven genin. Their strongest are Atsui, Karui, and Omoi. The team is led by an elite jōnin, a Magnet Release user named Toroi."
Gakuya nodded. "What about the ones I'm interested in—Raikage, Killer Bee, or Yugito Nii?"
"None of them are here."
"What about the other villages?"
"Konoha has eighty-seven genin registered. Of note are Hyuga Neji, Uchiha Sasuke—"
Gakuya cut him off. "Tell me about Neji."
"Hyuga Neji. Graduated early in Year 60 of the Konoha calendar. Excels in taijutsu, and in the hybrid style of nin-taijutsu... Completed 136 D-rank missions, 23 C-rank, and one B-rank."
Gakuya nodded in quiet approval.
"Escaping the caged bird seal really let his potential shine. He's a real genius."
"Well, if anything else comes up, I'll contact you. Just remember the plan."
Kabuto tapped his temple. "No need to worry, Gakuya-sama. I've run it through in my head a thousand times."
"For the grand finale."
His eyes gleamed with anticipation. He'd spent three years setting this up. Now the curtain was about to rise.
His revenge was finally at hand.
Gakuya gave a faint nod—and disappeared before Kabuto's eyes.
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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