Chapter 25
"You stood one against seven. Your talent ranks among the very top in the entire history of the village. That's why I've always hoped you would become a ninja who can stand on your own."
"After all, you've always been an intelligent child—one who thinks for himself."
Uchiha Itachi stared at his father in shock, as though he had personally witnessed the dark future Fugaku had just described.
That look in his father's eyes carried a complexity Itachi still couldn't fully understand.
He had always thought of his father as a deeply calculating man—stubborn in his convictions, the kind of clan head who knew full well the coming conflict between clan and village yet remained firmly on the Uchiha side.
But at this moment, Itachi realized his father understood more clearly than anyone that that path ultimately led to destruction.
Uchiha Fugaku turned his head. His gaze settled on the distant blond figure, who was flashing Sasuke an innocent grin.
A long silence passed. In Fugaku's heart echoed an unspeakable relief.
The shadow in his eyes gradually faded, replaced by an almost incredulous sense of release.
Uzumaki Naruto—
His future remained hazy, but one thing always shone through: unyielding tenacity.
"The Hokage is no longer desperately clamping down on the jinchūriki. Instead, he's allowing contact with us. This softening of the higher-ups' stance is a signal. At the next clan meeting, it should be possible to quiet some of the more radical voices."
After a moment's thought, he explained: "A future like this… I only ever saw it once—during the time the Fourth Hokage, Namikaze Minato, was in office."
"Back then, the Fourth had a gentle personality and adopted a policy of acceptance toward the Uchiha. While he lived, relations between our clan and the village truly improved. We were slowly integrating."
"Unfortunately, the Fourth died too soon. Everything returned to the starting point of suspicion."
Fugaku glanced at the setting sun. A rare gentleness passed through his eyes.
He slowly placed a hand on Itachi's shoulder. "But now, that path of destruction has shifted again. I've seen it once more."
"Starting from the change in the Hokage's attitude, the dead-end road toward the cliff now has a gentle curve."
"Though I still can't see clearly what change occurred around Uzumaki Naruto… as long as this road remains open, there is no need for us to choose mutual destruction."
Feeling the weight of his father's palm, Itachi suddenly found the burden of the clan resting lighter on his shoulders. The future held new hope—everything no longer felt as oppressively heavy as he had once imagined.
"I understand, Father."
Itachi's gaze followed his father's. He looked at Naruto's figure.
As though sensing the distant stares, Uzumaki Naruto unconsciously turned his head and noticed the two of them.
"Sasuke! Your brother and dad are watching us over there!"
"Huh? Big brother's back?" Hearing Naruto, Sasuke also spotted his older brother and father talking in the distance.
Uchiha Fugaku gave a small nod. "That child has inherited his father's destiny. He will bring new hope to the Uchiha clan."
"Go on."
"Yes."
Itachi followed behind his father. Their shadows overlapped in the setting sun. The once-fractured relationship between father and son quietly began to mend.
...
Time flowed on like water. Three years passed.
During this period, the Third Hokage often used the excuse of delivering living expenses to bring Naruto children's books and reading materials.
He would occasionally drop by to chat with Naruto, asking for his impressions of the various clans he had come into contact with.
Sometimes Naruto would talk about everyday things.
Like how the villagers still inexplicably isolated him, or how the Akimichi clan's barbecue was delicious, or how strict the Hyūga house rules were—but their new little sister was really cute.
He had met the smart dogs of the Inuzuka family, occasionally seen some bug-playing kids in the forest, and frequently spotted that green-spandex ninja running laps around Konoha…
Other times he would share Fox Sage's evaluations with Grandpa Third.
For example, about the special nature of the Uchiha clan: some members were hot-tempered, some straightforward, others liked to scheme—but overall, this clan valued bonds deeply, even if those bonds sometimes restrained them. Getting along well with them would benefit the village more…
Hiruzen carefully noted down every conversation. Naruto's dual perspectives often gave him new angles of understanding.
Through Naruto, Xuanming took the opportunity to extract a great deal of foundational shinobi cultivation knowledge from Hiruzen.
After all, Xuanming didn't know everything. The Nine-Tails' memories didn't provide much in the way of human-summarized knowledge—he had to study and create for himself.
He combined shinobi knowledge with Daoist cultivation methods, forging a new theoretical cultivation system unique to this world.
It wasn't necessarily superior to existing ninja systems by much, but it did establish a hereditary-style body of knowledge similar to the great clans.
Through Xuanming's daily companionship, he step by step taught Naruto the true essence of cultivation, gradually weaving Daoist principles into the boy's growth and helping him form a steady, grounded mindset.
Occasionally he would guide Naruto to quiet places in the forest or mountains for meditation and heart-refinement practice.
During these sessions, he led Naruto to sense the power permeating the air.
Not by directly absorbing natural energy, but by learning—through meditation—to precisely perceive the flow of chakra within his own body.
This was also training Naruto's sensory ability, laying a solid foundation for the future.
Over these three years, Naruto maintained contact with the Hyūga clan, occasionally visiting to learn, train, and spar.
Without the Byakugan, truly mastering the essence of Gentle Fist was impossible.
But once Naruto gained precise control over his own chakra flow, he deepened his understanding of Taiji Bagua Palm techniques.
On Xuanming's instruction, Naruto also taught the theory of Taiji Bagua Palm to Hinata and Neji.
The style wasn't suited to replace their clan's inherited Gentle Fist, but it still accelerated their progress in Gentle Fist.
The two systems were so similar—mutually complementary, spiraling together like twins.
Neji's talent blossomed further. During this time, various everyday events helped him clearly recognize the divide between main and branch houses.
Even with Uzumaki Naruto acting as a bridge, the relationship between Neji and Hinata didn't worsen.
But as a genius from the branch family, the clan system had already created a tragic psychological distance toward the main house.
After all, the gap in their taijutsu progress was undeniable.
Besides the Hyūga, the place Naruto visited most often was the Uchiha compound.
Every time he walked the path to Sasuke's house, he felt the strange stares from Uchiha ninja throughout the district.
It felt odd—but compared to the villagers' isolating glares, these were far kinder.
If the Hyūga compound was a solemn dojo, the Uchiha compound was Naruto's personal playground.
Because of the changed future Fugaku had "seen," combined with the subtle policy shifts and higher-up trust brought about by Uzumaki Naruto,
some of the more reasonable Uchiha members in the Military Police gradually changed their attitudes toward the village.
Under Fugaku's quiet guidance, the Police Force's enforcement style lost some of its harshness and gained more moderation—naturally reducing the villagers' hostility.
Over three years of spending time with Sasuke,
they caught fish together, explored the back hills hunting and roasting sweet potatoes, trained in the practice field, occasionally fought over silly arguments, got scolded and dragged home by Aunt Mikoto for dinner.
Uchiha Sasuke might badmouth Uzumaki Naruto out loud, but deep down he no longer rejected him.
Uchiha Itachi would occasionally, between missions, give pointers to the two little ones.
Naruto wasn't afraid of this older Itachi-niisan—instead, because of his legendary genius reputation, he often pestered him for ninja stories.
Compared to the original timeline, Hiruzen's handling of the Uchiha leaned far more toward peace, leaving Danzō far less room to maneuver.
Uchiha Shisui did not die. He and Itachi successively joined Hiruzen's Anbu, becoming a stronger bridge linking clan and village.
...
Six-year-old Naruto—thanks to healthy eating habits and consistent training—wasn't short for his age. His body was sturdy and solid.
Right now he stood in front of the mirror at home, preparing his outfit in advance.
Xuanming's figure appeared beside him, helping adjust the zipper and reposition the goggles.
As Naruto grew older and his body became stronger, the duration Xuanming's projection could remain active also passively increased.
Naruto still chose his signature orange-style jacket and vest. Perhaps this color was simply fated to suit him.
In those bright blue eyes lay a calm confidence far beyond his years.
Tomorrow was the entrance ceremony for the Ninja Academy.
Uzumaki Naruto's academy life was about to officially begin.
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