Nagi carried Naruto as they leapt across rooftops.
Four ANBU operatives followed silently in the shadows.
When they reached a quiet clearing, Nagi set Naruto down.
Naruto blinked in surprise.
For once, the person in front of him did not look at him with disgust or fear.
"Um… thank you for earlier," Naruto said awkwardly. "My name's Naruto Uzumaki. What about you?"
" Nagi."
"Um… Nagi… why did you help me?"
"I just didn't like what I saw."
Naruto hesitated, then gathered his courage.
"Hey… Nagi… do you wanna go fishing with me? I'm really good at grilling fish!"
Seeing Naruto's hopeful expression, Nagi felt a quiet sadness for him.
Inside the mindscape, Tobirama closed his eyes, his brows deeply furrowed.
Konoha's ignorance regarding its jinchūriki has gone too far.
For some reason, Nagi sensed something warm and gentle about Naruto.
"…Alright."
Naruto's face lit up.
"Yeah! Let's go!"
He grabbed Nagi and led him toward his "secret base."
Inside the Hokage's Office, Hiruzen Sarutobi observed everything through the Telescope Technique.
On his desk lay the ANBU's freshly gathered intelligence report.
"A Shiranui clan boy, hm? 'Didn't like what he saw'… probably just childish sympathy. At least his heart isn't bad."
The office door suddenly swung open.
Danzō Shimura entered, face dark.
"Hiruzen, what are you thinking? Allowing the jinchūriki to make friends in broad daylight?"
"Naruto is at the age where children make friends. That is normal."
"A jinchūriki does not need emotions. Hand him over to me. I will train him into Konoha's weapon."
"I've said before—Naruto is not your concern. And remember, Danzō… I am the Hokage."
"You'll regret this, Hiruzen!"
Bang!
Danzō slammed the door behind him as he left.
The livestream chat exploded.
[Kushina Uzumaki: Third old man, what is this?! Isn't Naruto still treated the same? And Danzō—what do you mean "weapon"?! Explain yourself!]
[Hiruzen Sarutobi: Ahem… Kushina, I was misguided at the time. I have long since issued a strict order forbidding discussion of Naruto's status. He is treated much better now.]
[Naruto Uzumaki: Yeah, Mom! I don't have to worry about food anymore, and I've made friends like Nagi and Shikamaru. I'm doing great!]
Naruto's instinct to reassure his parents was almost reflexive.
Elsewhere—
[Gaara: Naruto Uzumaki…]
Like Naruto, Gaara had been ostracized.
The difference?
He had endured assassination attempts.
For a moment, Gaara felt he saw his own reflection in Naruto.
Temari watched him silently, her expression complicated.
At Naruto's "secret base," there was a pot and crude fishing gear.
Clearly, this was not the first time he had survived like this.
Naruto rolled up his sleeves and cast a line fashioned from a tree branch and string.
Nagi did the same.
Naruto kept trying to start conversations.
"Tomorrow's the Academy entrance ceremony. Hope we're in the same class!"
"I hope so too."
Nagi even praised Naruto for his kindness and tolerance—perhaps excessively so.
"Hehehe, I'm not that great!" Naruto scratched the back of his head, blushing so hard he nearly beamed.
Inside, Tobirama watched the two boys getting along and exhaled softly.
Then his expression turned cold.
"What exactly is Hiruzen doing…?"
In Tobirama's view, there were only two viable approaches to a jinchūriki:
One—embrace them with love.
Two—strip away their emotions and forge them into a weapon.
This half-measure was dangerous.
What if one day Naruto snapped?
Would the Nine-Tails not emerge again?
After eating grilled fish, the two parted ways.
Back home, Nagi meditated and entered his mindscape, where Tobirama resumed guiding his training.
The next day—
Academy enrollment.
Parents arrived with their children.
Genma accompanied Nagi.
The campus buzzed with chatter.
The Ino–Shika–Chō families gathered together.
Tsume Inuzuka firmly tugged at Kiba's ear, warning him not to cause trouble.
Hiashi Hyūga stood stiffly beside Hinata, who shyly glanced around as if searching for someone.
Inside Nagi's mind—
Tobirama looked at the lively children and felt a rare sense of satisfaction.
The Ninja Academy he had founded had been worth it.
Suddenly, his senses sharpened.
Nagi followed his gaze.
In the distance stood a stern-faced man holding the hand of a pale, handsome boy.
Fugaku Uchiha.
And Sasuke Uchiha.
Whispers rose around them.
"What is it, Lord Second?" Nagi asked inwardly.
Tobirama snorted.
"That naturally wicked Uchiha brat."
Even without the Sharingan activated, even without a gunbai fan on his back—
Tobirama could recognize an Uchiha at a glance.
His sharp gaze fixed on Fugaku—then especially on Sasuke.
That face.
That faint aura.
It stirred his long-standing distrust.
The chat erupted again.
[Sasuke Uchiha: Tobirama Senju—you're the wicked one.]
[Tobirama Senju: Hmph. Uchiha brat. I knew I wouldn't like you.]
[Izuna Uchiha: Tobirama! What do you mean "wicked face"?!]
[Hashirama Senju: Tobirama, how many times have I said it? The Uchiha are a clan of deep love.]
[Tobirama Senju: Hmph. I am well aware of how deep—and how dangerous—that love can be.]
(Tobirama: No one understands the Uchiha better than I do.)
Once everyone gathered, Hiruzen stepped onto the stage and began speaking of the Will of Fire.
"Where the leaves dance, the fire burns on…"
The children stared at him with shining eyes, as if ready to charge into battle that very moment.
Tobirama watched Hiruzen and sighed.
"Hiruzen… you've grown old."
Soon came class assignments.
As expected, Nagi was placed in the same class as the Rookie Nine.
The girls immediately swarmed around Sasuke.
Sasuke looked thoroughly annoyed.
Nagi silently thanked his glasses for sparing him similar attention.
The classroom door slid open.
A man with a scar across the bridge of his nose entered—
Iruka Umino.
"Everyone, take your seats and quiet down."
There was something about teachers that naturally suppressed chaos.
(Though in the ninja world, "student killing teacher" did seem like an unfortunate tradition.)
The children quickly settled.
Just as Iruka began introductions—
The door slammed open.
"NARUTO UZUMAKI HAS ARRIVED!"
Naruto made his grand entrance.
He was immediately sentenced to stand in the hallway.
Soon it was time for self-introductions.
One by one, the students stepped forward.
When it was Nagi's turn, he walked calmly to the front.
"My name is Nagi. I like tofu and fish. My dream is to live peacefully."
A simple introduction.
Nothing more.
Shikamaru Nara watched him thoughtfully.