Chapter 2: Uzumaki Naruto – I Won
"Maybe you were right… I really am an idiot. But being this confident? That's not a good thing…"
Naruto had heard everything. He didn't know whether the voice was telling the truth or lying, but one thing was certain — he didn't want to die!
Everything else was meaningless. Only staying alive mattered.
His soul had already faded into a faint shadow, but suddenly, the corners of Naruto's lips curled upward. As the last part of his soul was being devoured, the strange seed-like entity began to struggle violently.
"No… impossible! How can you have the power to counter-devour me?! Your soul shouldn't be this strong…!"
Flames ignited inside the seed. The portion of Naruto's soul that had been swallowed became fuel for the fire.
As the seed burned away, the scattered soul energy — after being scorched by the flames — lost its will to resist and was slowly absorbed back into Naruto.
The seed was gone, but the roots that had wrapped around his soul suddenly began emitting friendly signals toward him.
Friendly? After trying to devour him just moments ago?
They were nothing more than extensions of that same parasitic seed!
Naruto's soul flames burned once again. The roots were completely incinerated and devoured…
By absorbing everything, Naruto's soul not only grew stronger, but he also gained foreign memories — along with some basic abilities left behind by the so-called "System."
Naruto?Fire Shadow?Anime?
He was the main character of an anime?
All the suffering he had endured for six years since birth… was simply because of a "protagonist setting"?
How ridiculous…
......
"Sarutobi-sensei, Naruto's condition is stable. Aside from the head injury and bleeding at the back of his skull, there are no other abnormalities. The seal remains intact…"
A man with long white hair stood beside the hospital bed, looking down at the unconscious boy with a slight frown.
Beside him was the elderly Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen.
The white-haired man performing the examination was none other than one of the legendary Sannin — the Toad Sage, Jiraiya!
He hadn't wanted to return to the village, but after receiving multiple urgent messages about Naruto's sudden six-month coma, he could no longer refuse.
He knew some of the sealing techniques Minato had researched, so he was the best person to check on Naruto's condition.
"Jiraiya, what do you think will become of this child in the future?"
The Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, studied the small boy on the bed with visible worry as he asked.
Most children grew thinner when ill, but Naruto — who had always been scrawny from barely eating — had actually gained some weight after lying unconscious in the hospital for half a year.
However, Sarutobi didn't care about that. What he truly wanted to know was whether Jiraiya could obtain any prophecy from the Great Toad Sage. Would this child become Konoha's ultimate weapon?
Or would he one day bring harm to the village?
"I can't bother the Great Toad Sage over something like this. The Child of Prophecy still hasn't been found, and Naruto isn't in any immediate danger. As long as the seal isn't broken, there won't be any problems. I still have things to do, so I'll be leaving now!"
Jiraiya had no intention of getting involved with Naruto. His mission was to find the Child of Prophecy. As for Uzumaki Naruto's background…
That was just a waste of his time. He wasn't going to abandon his goal of saving the world just because the boy was Minato's son.
"Go ahead. I'll keep watching over this child. If the day ever comes when he tries to break free from Konoha… then I'll have no choice but to apologize to Minato…"
Sarutobi Hiruzen gazed at the golden-haired boy on the bed and let out a deep sigh before leaving the room.
Even the one person who might have cared had spoken like that. As the Hokage, he would be even less merciful!
Minato…It's a shame you weren't strong enough to survive. Or perhaps your popularity simply became too annoying for others.
The villagers needed someone to hate. Since you were willing to die for the village, you probably wouldn't mind your son becoming the new scapegoat, right?
After inwardly cursing, the aged Third Hokage put on his Hokage hat. He took one last heavy look at the hospital room, then walked toward the Hokage Building under the escort of his guards.