Standing here are three Hokage resurrected through the Edo Tensei technique from the scroll world; the young Obito Uchiha; the Fifth Hokage, Princess Tsunade, and her ANBU; Sakura Haruno, Shikamaru Nara, and Shikaku Nara…
These people have either already learned, or are just now learning, about the relationship between Minato Namikaze and Naruto Uzumaki. However, they also understand what kind of person this ordinary Chūnin with a scar on his nose is, especially in Naruto's eyes.
"Iruka-sensei..."
Sakura Haruno hesitated, unsure of what else to say. She could only glance vaguely at the Fourth Hokage, waiting for him to make his decision.
Yet, faced with Iruka Umino's plea, all Minato Namikaze could do was—
"I'm sorry..."
"Please trust Naruto."
Because, at this moment, in order to avoid disrupting the course of destiny, to ensure that Kakashi in this world could be revived, and to allow the possibility of even more miracles to occur...
As Naruto Uzumaki's biological father, all Minato could do was stand here and trust in Naruto.
Seeing the Fourth Hokage's unwavering resolve, Iruka Umino could not fully understand—despite his claims—why the Hokage still refused to intervene at this critical moment.
Watching Naruto pinned to the ground by Pain's black rods, Iruka couldn't find any way to comprehend or accept this situation, no matter how many reasons he was given.
"Forget it!"
In frustration, he turned away—heading straight toward the battlefield?!
It wasn't arrogance, thinking that a mere Chūnin like himself could turn the tide of battle.
But if the Hokage truly did nothing now, and Naruto was defeated, then Konoha—and the entire ninja world—would be doomed.
What difference would it make whether he died sooner or later?
At least, as that boy's teacher...
He couldn't just stand by and watch Naruto have the Nine-Tails extracted and die before his eyes.
On the battlefield—
Pain: "These rods are filled with my chakra. I've avoided your vital points. This is just to keep you immobilized. After all, as the Nine-Tails' Jinchūriki, we need you alive to successfully extract the tailed beast from your body."
"Damn it!!" Naruto was completely helpless, his chakra now running wild like uncontrolled currents.
"Pull yourself together!! Kid!"
Naruto looked up at the voice. It was Shima-sennin, who had just lost her husband.
"No matter what that bastard says, don't let him fool you!" Shima-sennin cheered him on through her tears. "Don't forget, you're the Child of the Prophecy! The savior of this world! Jiraiya-chan and your father both trusted you with their lives and believed in you completely!!"
Her voice cracked with emotion.
"So you can't lose! You absolutely cannot lose!! If you die here, I won't stand for it! Yaaah---"
Her words were cut off as she was sent flying by Pain's Shinra Tensei.
Naruto: "You!!"
"It's time to take you away." Pain extended his hand toward Naruto.
At the same time, Iruka Umino, running from the edge of the battlefield, was getting closer.
But someone beat him to it!
This was something no one could have anticipated...
That girl with the Byakugan—whose presence was so faint that she blushed at the slightest conversation, whose abilities were even considered inferior to her younger sister's, and who was always at risk of being replaced as the head of the main house by her younger sibling.
"Hinata…"
Sakura, Iruka, Ino, Kiba, Shino—many were stunned in that moment! They couldn't help but utter her name.
"Haaah!"
The girl struck with a Gentle Fist, forcing Pain to retreat from Naruto's side.
The Edo Tensei Minato Namikaze froze in shock. Because of their appearance, and because the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju, had intervened to protect Konoha, he no longer knew how profoundly they had altered the predestined course of fate.
But he never could have imagined that the little girl would...
Why would she act like this in such a situation?!!
The Fourth Hokage, Minato, recalled—wasn't she the heiress of the Hyūga main house?
Other than that, having only recently been revived by Edo Tensei himself, his impression of this heiress was very faint. Aside from her status as the main house's heir, he had no other information about her.
This only deepened his confusion—why would that girl dare stand in front of Pain at a time like this?!
The young Obito Uchiha was also stunned. "She... didn't Naruto tell everyone not to intervene?! Why did she charge in like that?!!"
It wasn't that Obito blamed Hinata. Having lived alongside Naruto and Sasuke for some time, he understood Hinata Hyūga better than this Edo Tensei Fourth Hokage did at the moment.
If Obito had to describe this Byakugan girl, he would say—
She was always watching them.
Whenever Minato and Kakashi's teams trained together, and whenever Yuhi Kurenai or Asuma would visit, this girl would shyly tag along.
She claimed it was to follow her mentor, Kurenai Yuhi, to learn—but let's be honest, her true intentions were elsewhere. Those Byakugan eyes never left Naruto for even a second!
Because of this—because this girl, like Rin, had always been watching him—the young Obito now felt a complex mix of emotions. Though rare, he occasionally saw glimpses of Rin in her.
'I'll always watch over you.'
Those words, spoken by Rin, were Obito's most cherished memory of redemption.
Obito didn't know what Naruto truly felt about this girl deep down, but if she dared to stand in front of Pain like this, then her fate...
It wouldn't be instant death like Fukasaku, but probably something like Shima—severe injury.
"What are you doing here?! Get out of here!! You can't possibly beat that guy!!"
If Obito Uchiha was just anxious, then the voice of Naruto Uzumaki, now sprawled on the ground unable to rise, carried an overwhelming sense of fear, as if the final straw was about to break!
"I came here on my own initiative."
"What are you talking about?!" Naruto shouted. "Why did you come to such a dangerous place?!"
"She's right."
Hearing that smooth, masculine voice, Naruto's blue eyes widened in shock!
The voice came from behind and to the side. He hesitated, almost afraid to turn around and confirm...
"Iru...ka... Sensei...?"
"Sorry, Naruto."
Iruka Umino forced a light tone.
"I knew I couldn't beat Pain. I probably wouldn't last more than a few rounds with him. But I'm still your teacher. I couldn't just stand by and watch my most important student... die right in front of me, could I?"
Naruto froze, his mind suddenly going blank.
This emptiness came from a deep fear within him.
In an instant, the day he was tricked into stealing the Scroll of Seals flashed through his mind.
'Sorry, Naruto. Because I wasn't good enough, you suffered, didn't you? The feeling of loneliness is truly unbearable.'
Iruka-sensei had shielded him from Mizuki's attack.
'Naruto Uzumaki is different. He's not a demon fox. He's my most important student—an outstanding ninja of Konohagakure!'
Hidden behind a tree, he heard that affirmation for the first time.
It felt like...
The beginning of everything.
The first chapter of Naruto Uzumaki's story, written by the Pervy Sage!
...
"Who gave you permission to come here?! Why did you come?! Get back where you came from! Now! This instant!!! Get back this instant!!!"
Naruto Uzumaki shouted hoarsely, probably the harshest tone he had ever used with Iruka-sensei and Hinata.
Unfortunately, neither of them showed any fear or hesitation, remaining unmoved.
Hinata: "All I ever do is cry. I give up before I even start. There were times I almost lost my way, but it was your spirit, Naruto-kun, that helped me find my way back."
Naruto: "....."
The blue-haired Byakugan girl continued, "I've always chased after you, wanting to walk by your side; wanting to catch up to you, to stay by your side. You changed me. Your spirit, your smile, saved me...."
"So, if it's to protect you, Naruto-kun, I'm not afraid to die."
"Because..."
"I like you."
Her expression softened like water as she spoke.
The next moment, when facing Pain, there wasn't the slightest sign of retreat from her.
Seizing the opportunity when Pain thought she was about to attack, she swiftly used her Byakugan to spot the chakra rods embedded in Naruto's back. Without hesitation, she kicked one of them off!
But before she could do anything more, Pain's Shinra Tensei sent her flying!
"Sorry, Naruto. Your teacher never had grand ambitions. I only wanted to see you grow up safely, fulfill your own dreams—just as the Fourth Hokage-sama hoped, just as Jiraiya-sama hoped, just as Kakashi-sensei hoped..."
"…become a hero."
While Pain focused his attack on Hinata, Iruka seized the opportunity and grabbed one of the black rods embedded in Naruto. Without a moment's hesitation, he pulled it out with all his strength!
Of course, the cost was that he too was sent flying by Shinra Tensei.
Naruto Uzumaki felt a lump in his throat. The emotions surging within him left him staring blankly at the unfolding scene, as if he had gone completely dumbstruck.
Yet, the two who had been knocked back still managed to smile. At least they had removed two black rods from Naruto's body.
Seeing their unexpected success, more ninja, now isolated due to Pain's surprise assault, let go of their fear and charged toward the battlefield!
As Hokage, Tsunade's reason compelled her to shout for others not to advance!
"Those two attacks were just Pain's carelessness. What comes next won't be so easy!"
That was true, but...
She had already charged forward herself!!
Watching this, the two Edo Tensei Hokage couldn't help but marvel at Naruto Uzumaki—this miraculous youth who, single-handedly, had changed the entire village's view of him, and of Jinchūriki in general!
Minato Namikaze, in particular, struggled to suppress his emotions, constantly biting his lip to hold them back.
…
"Minato-sensei!" Even Obito was ready to charge forward without a second thought!
"Don't come closer…"
Naruto muttered weakly, his voice barely returning.
Then, gathering all the strength he had left, he shouted at Hinata, at Iruka-sensei, and at the Konoha ninja rushing toward them:
"Don't come closer—!!!"
Gentle Step: Twin Lion Fists!
Konoha Shurikenjutsu!
Hinata and Iruka, both having been sent flying once by Pain's Shinra Tensei, charged toward him again.
"Ridiculous."
Pain's voice dripped with mockery, matching the fear that gripped Naruto.
He had seen it—those seemingly weak individuals, the unremarkable Chūnin teacher, were Naruto Uzumaki's soft spots.
"No! Don't—"
Naruto's words couldn't keep up with the thoughts racing through his mind. He knew pleading for Pain's mercy was useless. He turned his gaze to the distance, where Iruka-sensei, Hinata, and Grandma were charging toward him...
'Please.'
'Please, don't come.'
'I've already...'
Thoughts flashed through his mind in an instant.
The Pervy Sage, Kakashi-sensei, Sage Grandpa, the scene of him returning to Konoha after three years of training, shouting "I'm home!" as he looked at the bustling streets.
Hinata's gentle words from earlier echoed, as did Iruka-sensei's voice:
—You are an outstanding student I recognize, Naruto Uzumaki.
...
Boom—
The Shinra Tensei sent Hinata Hyūga soaring into the sky.
Thud—
The Chakra Black Rod pierced Iruka Umino's body.
These two sounds rang out especially loudly in Naruto's ears.
Hinata was thrown high into the air and slammed down hard. Her legs gave out, yet she still tried to crawl toward them, struggling to move after collapsing on the ground.
Iruka, his chakra disrupted by the black rod, forced his way back to Naruto's side, determined to shield him from Pain.
"Even though you always cause trouble..."
Unable to bear watching any longer, Naruto buried his face in the tree trunk beneath him, feeling as if the earth itself was holding him. He heard Iruka-sensei say to him:
"But seeing you alone, never giving up, clumsy but always pushing forward... To grow to where you are today, Jiraiya-sama, Kakashi, and I—we're all so proud of you."
"Though we're not far apart in age, somehow, I think I've come to see you as my own son."
"!!"
Naruto's heart trembled, and he instinctively lifted his head.
On one side, Hinata's gaze was resolute; on the other, Iruka-sensei smiled just as he had that day when he tied the forehead protector on Naruto's head.
"Father and son? How touching."
Pain sneered coldly—
"Shinra Tensei…"