Konoha.
As the third round of the Chūnin Exams and the Five Kage Summit drew closer, Konoha was bustling with unprecedented liveliness and excitent.
Uchiha Clan Training Grounds.
"Shirou-sensei, please! I'm begging you to train !"
Sasuke, who had never experienced the tragic Uchiha Clan Massacre, had a much brighter personality compared to his counterpart in the original tiline. His deanor exuded an almost sunny disposition.
"Well then, little Second Pillar, why do you want this special training?"
Looking at Sasuke's youthful yet determined expression, Shirou couldn't help but smile—a rare gesture for him. He was also curious.
Without revenge as his goal, what could Sasuke's dream possibly be?
Faced with Shirou's question, Sasuke grinned and gave a response that left Shirou both stunned and unsurprised.
"Shirou-sensei, my goal is to beco as strong as you, to make the Uchiha na known throughout the ninja world! And also to defeat Naruto and make him my second-in-command!"
Though Sasuke's words seed sowhat naive and childish, Shirou could see a hint of determination in his eyes.
Becoming stronger was genuine, as was his desire to surpass Naruto.
At that mont, Shirou silently wondered to himself. He had already consud the wills of Indra and Asura entirely, yet Sasuke still harbored such thoughts.
Was it the lingering influence from the very beginning? Or were the two simply destined to be at odds?
However, when he saw Sasuke's bright smile, Shirou couldn't help but grin himself. He nodded and said,
"If you want special training, I'll arrange soone for you. After all, you've already learned both the Chidori and Rasengan, and Naruto has been training with Minato recently."
"Who is it? Could they possibly be a better teacher than you, Shirou-sensei?"
Sasuke's face was full of doubt. In all of Konoha, who could be stronger than Uchiha Shirou?
"Snake, I'll leave this little Second Pillar to you. I don't think there's anyone better suited in the entire ninja world."
With a aningful smile, Shirou spoke toward the trees behind him. A masked figure erged, leaving Sasuke in shock.
But when Sasuke saw the Sharingan with three tomoe reflected in the mask, suspicion filled his eyes.
"Shirou-sensei, I don't an to question you, but wouldn't Brother Itachi or Brother Shisui be better suited?"
"No, he's even more suitable than Itachi or Shisui to train you."
Thinking of this, Shirou smiled and gestured for the older Sasuke to proceed.
Behind the mask, the older Sasuke looked at his younger self. Especially at the look in the boy's eyes—it was clear he underestimated him.
The masked figure's Sharingan briefly flashed with a crimson glow, causing the younger Sasuke to grow excited and shout:
"I get it now, Shirou-sensei!"
That brief flash of crimson—Sasuke had seen it. It was the mont when the three tomoe evolved into the Mangekyō Sharingan.
This ant the masked figure was none other than the mysterious Uchiha rumored to have awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan five years ago.
In young Sasuke's eyes, neither his brother Itachi nor Shisui had awakened the Mangekyō yet.
Watching Sasuke's excited expression, Shirou smiled and walked away.
"Sasuke, right? Don't worry—I'll make sure you grow stronger in the shortest amount of ti."
Although it was a bit awkward training his younger self, the masked Sasuke couldn't help but feel thrilled. This version of him had far greater potential, especially with the Nine-Tails' imnse power inside him.
He believed he could give this world a trendous surprise.
At over twenty years old, Sasuke was undoubtedly the perfect candidate to train his younger self—at least until the younger Sasuke discovered his path.
And it wasn't just Sasuke. Everyone was making a final push to grow stronger.
...
Elsewhere.
"Temari, wind release jutsu isn't sothing you can master in just a day or two. Also, you don't lack techniques right now. If you want to improve your strength in the fastest ti possible, there's only one way!"
As Temari's ntor and soone who shared a sisterly bond with her, Pakura furrowed her brow in thought. After a long pause, she finally ca up with a solution.
"Pakura-sensei, you an...?"
Temari, who was two years older than Naruto and Sasuke, was now fifteen—the golden age for a ninja's developnt.
Although she was still a genin, the missions she had been undertaking were already of a much higher level. With her calm and intelligent deanor, she had naturally learned a great deal.
Seeing Temari's composed expression, Pakura smiled in satisfaction and nodded.
"That's right. You already have everything you need—except ti. And the only way to rapidly improve your strength is through Lord Shirou's Sage Seal!"
The Sage Seal.
Ever since Konoha's top-secret project revealed the descendants of the Sage of Six Paths, Uchiha Shirou had awakened a powerful Sage Body. The seal he created ca to be known as the Sage Seal.
"Sage Seal! Am I even qualified for it?" Temari asked hesitantly. After all, even among Konoha's jōnin, only a few had received this seal.
Seeing Temari's concern, Pakura smiled and nodded. "We'll test it first. If your body can adapt, then there's no need to worry. If not, we can use a one-ti temporary enhancent to strengthen you."
The Sage Seal was extrely dangerous. Most Konoha ninjas who eventually acquired it started by using costly one-ti seal vials to gradually acclimate their bodies before permanently receiving the seal.
Of course, there were exceptions—so people were naturally compatible.
But all this hinged on one condition: absolute loyalty.
Thinking about this, Temari glanced hesitantly at Pakura. Although she had co to see Konoha as her ho, her identity as the daughter of the Fourth Kazekage made her situation even more complicated.
Could the Hokage truly grant her the Sage Seal?
With this concern lingering in her heart, Temari followed Pakura toward the Hokage's office.
...
anwhile.
"Haha, Minato, it's been so long! I can't believe Naruto's already this big."
Jiraiya's hearty laughter echoed through the house as he climbed in through the window, just in ti to interrupt Namikaze's family dinner.
When Naruto saw the man, his eyes widened, and he blurted out, "Aren't you the guy who was peeping at the bathhouse earlier—mmph!"
Before he could finish, Jiraiya quickly covered Naruto's mouth, his face turning bright red. This kid!
"Hey, kid, that was research! Do you even know what research is?!"
Naruto had t Jiraiya by chance at the bathhouse, where the latter had been conducting research. Minato, watching the scene unfold, couldn't help but smile.
"Naruto, this is my teacher—Lord Jiraiya."
"The Legendary Sannin, Jiraiya?!" Naruto exclaid, pointing at the old man with wide eyes. When his father nodded in confirmation, Naruto's expression turned colorful. anwhile, Jiraiya laughed heartily and pulled up a seat at the table.
"Well, it's been so long since I've been back in Konoha. I didn't expect the village to be this lively, and Naruto's grown so much!"
"And this ran and beef—Minato, your cooking skills haven't changed at all."
Jiraiya's boisterous laughter filled the room, creating a warm and cheerful atmosphere.
For once, Minato brought out his treasured sake, sothing he rarely drank.
"Jiraiya-sensei, what brings you back this ti?" Minato asked after a few rounds of drinks.
As Uzumaki Naiko gracefully smiled and went to clean up the dishes, she called Naruto to help her in the kitchen. Left alone at the table, Minato fixed his gaze on Jiraiya with curiosity.
Jiraiya, savoring the sake in his cup, finally spoke after a long pause.
"The Five Kage Summit. With such a big event, how could I not co back? But Minato, you've been keeping secrets, haven't you? I didn't hear a thing about this."
Holding the Chūnin Exams alongside the Five Kage Summit—it was clear Uchiha Shirou was planning to reshape the power structure of the ninja world.
With Konoha's current military strength, combined with the revelation of Mangekyō Sharingan and Wood Release users, the village was now strong enough to redefine the balance of the ninja world.
And that, Jiraiya thought with a heavy heart, was precisely why he returned. He could see the shadow of war looming on the horizon.
"Jiraiya-sensei, it's not that we deliberately kept this from you all these years. The truth is, you simply didn't want to get involved in these matters," Minato said with a bitter smile and shook his head.
Perhaps it was to avoid suspicion back then, but both he and Jiraiya had chosen not to ddle in these affairs directly. However, in the past few years, ever since the annihilation of the Sarutobi clan five years ago, Minato had stepped into the center of power. Or rather, perhaps it was because he had genuinely felt Shirou's sincerity.
"Jiraiya-sensei, you must have seen Konoha's developnt over these years. Look at all the chaotic small nations—under the presence of Konoha's ninja forces, they've gradually regained peace, and their economies have begun to recover..."
Minato spoke with deep emotion about Konoha's revolutionary impact on the ninja world over the years. It wasn't just about the developnt of military power internally; externally, Konoha had already begun reshaping the ninja world.
"Back then, these small nations were plagued by endless wars. Now, they've beco inseparable from Konoha. Jiraiya-sensei, perhaps the will of the Fourth Hokage was right after all!"
"If there's only one voice in this ninja world, will it finally bring an end to the chaos and wars?"
Facing his teacher, Jiraiya, Minato couldn't help but express all the thoughts in his heart. These weren't just fantasies; they were grounded in actual evidence.
Hearing Minato's words, Jiraiya let out a lancholic sigh, wearing a bitter smile as he shook his head.
"Yes, perhaps you're right. At first, I thought Uchiha Shirou was just another ambitious figure like Danzo, constantly expanding his influence and military power externally."
"No! It's completely different!" Minato firmly shook his head, rejecting this notion.
"Danzo's ambition was arrogant and self-centered. He believed only he could represent Konoha and was willing to sacrifice the village's well-being for his own goals. But the Fourth Hokage, while seemingly ambitious, has a clear and logical purpose behind every action."
At this point, Minato, rarely, showed a look of admiration. He opened a red book on the table and turned to a specific passage at the front, speaking with emotion:
"During the Second Great Ninja War, there were records of chaos in the Land of Rain. Several villages ca together under the deterrence of great military force and ford alliances to govern themselves. Military deterrence, while it may create resentnt, also suppresses the evil in people's hearts.
In contrast, alliances based solely on individual morality are eventually overco by greed, leading to collapse. Look at the smaller nations in recent years, like the Land of Snow. Without Konoha's stationed forces, they would have long fallen into turmoil..."
Minato shook his head with a sigh and said, "Jiraiya-sensei, reforming the ninja world will be a vast undertaking. To the leaders of countless ninja villages, we may seem like demons. But what happens after the bloodshed?"
Minato laid bare his thoughts. Uchiha Shirou's ambition gave them a clear vision of peace, not just empty promises.
Jiraiya understood this, but he couldn't help thinking of the prophecy from the Toad Sage. He sighed in lancholy.
"This world will face an unprecedented catastrophe. The Child of Prophecy and the demon will appear simultaneously. If the demon wins, the ninja world will fall into chaos..."
Hearing Jiraiya bring up the prophecy again, Minato frowned slightly and lowered his voice.
"Jiraiya-sensei, I no longer believe in fate. I only believe that power can change everything!"
Seeing the shock in Jiraiya's expression, Minato looked toward the kitchen where his wife and Naruto were, his blue eyes filled with determination and a smile on his face.
"Hokage-sama possesses absolute power. That's why he never fears the ergence of powerful ninjas in Konoha. Many rare and advanced ninjutsu—even forbidden techniques—are accessible to anyone who pledges their loyalty.
And the ninja world is already beginning to change. The Will of Fire has given ninjas dignity! Now, I no longer have to worry about myself, and I don't have to worry about Naruto and the others."
Hearing Minato's words, Jiraiya fell silent.
Minato was essentially telling him that Uchiha Shirou wasn't afraid of anyone's power, and neither were the countless ninjas in Konoha.
Under the rule of the Third Hokage, the governnt appeared kind but was overly cautious and fearful of any power beyond its control.
In contrast, Uchiha Shirou, with the combined strength of the Senju and Uchiha clans, was undoubtedly the strongest!
"I've grown old. Truly, I've grown old. Over the years, I've drifted further and further away from Orochimaru, Tsunade, and even you," Jiraiya murmured to himself.
Watching one person after another begin to accept Uchiha Shirou's will—not just understanding it but genuinely embracing and believing in it—even his closest companions and disciples had done so. For the first ti, Jiraiya's gaze beca clouded with doubt.
What had he been pursuing all these years?
If one or two people had left him, he might have thought they had changed. But now, nearly everyone around him had left.
Even Minato!
At this thought, Jiraiya slowly picked up his cup, while across from him, Minato, full of apology, raised his cup.
"Jiraiya-sensei, I'm sorry. Perhaps my words earlier were too harsh, but I just don't want you to drift further away from us."
Seeing his disciple, Minato, trying to console him, Jiraiya suddenly burst into hearty laughter.
"Oh, Minato, are you saying your teacher has been running away all this ti?"
"Ahem, Jiraiya-sensei..."
"Alright, I'm not stupid! Orochimaru, Tsunade, and now even you... It seems I've been the one drifting further away from you all these years. Although I still can't fully understand, I, Jiraiya, won't allow myself to fall behind and lose touch with all of you!"
With Jiraiya's laughter and the crisp clink of their cups, Minato breathed a sigh of relief, a smile spreading across his face.
When countless people around you say soone is wrong, you might believe they truly are wrong.
But when nearly everyone around you leaves and says the other person is right, you begin to question yourself: have you unknowingly drifted away from them?
This is human nature.
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