Naruto: The Information Broker from the Uchiha Clan.

"Naruto!!!"

The noise coming from the living room woke Naruto up, and he struggled to open his eyes from his sprawled-out bed.

I sat up and rubbed my eyes, still feeling a bit sleepy.

I caught that poor cat yesterday, isn't today my day off?

She glanced at the alarm clock on the bedside table. Why was Sakura waking her up so early at this hour?

Just as Naruto was about to ask a question, there was a knock on the door.

After three calls, the door was pushed open, and a completely unfamiliar woman with red hair walked in, holding a... soup spoon?

"Minato has already gone to the Hokage Building. Naruto, if you don't get up soon, you won't get breakfast starting tomorrow! Understand?"

Naruto, completely bewildered, retreated to the corner, still clutching the blanket tightly with both hands.

"Y-you...who are you? Why are you in my house?"

Kushina frowned, put down the soup spoon in her hand, and clenched her fists, making a cracking sound.

"Wow! You've started talking nonsense to stay in bed longer? Looks like you're still half asleep and need to wake up."

"What...what are you going to do?"

"What are you covering up for? It's not like you're not wearing pajamas, why are you shy?"

"Bang!"

……

After a while, Naruto, who had just received a good beating, finally got up and left the bedroom.

But the photos on the sideboard in the living room made him freeze in place.

A father with blond hair like himself, a beautiful mother with red hair, and a baby in the middle, whose hair color and beard clearly identify him as himself.

Following that was...

The Fourth Hokage?!

In an instant, Naruto's eyes widened. No wonder the man in the photo looked familiar; it was the Fourth Hokage from the Shadow Rock!

So... my dad is the Hokage?

"How is it? Doesn't your dad look handsome in his divine robes?"

Naruto didn't turn around because deep inside him, he seemed to be experiencing something he had never felt before.

The hand that was falling from above was still gently rubbing her hair.

"Minato would be very proud if he knew you were staring intently at his picture first thing in the morning. After all, you've always felt he hasn't spent enough time with you because of the Hokage's busy schedule."

"But Naruto... the Hokage's duty is to protect everyone in the village, so you can't blame your father!"

"If it weren't for your father on the day you were born..."

Before he could finish speaking, Naruto, who had been facing away from the photo, suddenly turned around and hugged Kushina tightly.

……

Kushina sighed and gently patted Naruto's back: "You silly boy, why are you up so early..."

Naruto slightly raised his head, his eyes slightly red. This expression startled Kushina, who asked somewhat flusteredly, "What's wrong, Naruto? Did you and Sasuke have a fight?"

Naruto shook his head and looked at Kushina: "I just... really like... really enjoy... really... like how I feel right now..."

Kushina breathed a sigh of relief and ruffled Naruto's hair again: "It seems our Naruto has grown up. Hurry up and eat breakfast, I have an appointment with your Aunt Mikoto later."

Naruto didn't know who Aunt Mikoto was, but at the moment all his thoughts were on Kushina, so he obediently nodded and went to eat.

He quickly finished breakfast and didn't go out, instead watching his mother wash the dishes at the kitchen door.

This feeling was unreal, yet it gave him immense enjoyment.

When I was very, very young, just beginning to remember things, all the children who were bullied would have their parents come to pick them up...

They might argue with the other party, risk their own children's safety, or even resort to violence.

Although it was dangerous, he really envied that feeling.

And myself...

As soon as he appeared on the street, people around him would avoid him like the plague. In the mask shop, the fox mask was very beautiful, but as soon as he glanced at it, he was pushed to the ground, and the mask was thrown out by the shopkeeper.

It was as if the mask had been cursed with evil simply because I glanced at it, making everyone want to discard it rather than touch it.

At that time, no one helped him up, no one argued with the other party, no one comforted him, and no one fought for him.

later……

Teacher Iruka is a ray of light...

But even this light, in the very beginning, with its distinctly different attitude, also loathed itself.

But what exactly did I do wrong?

Demon fox?

I am not a fox spirit at all; I am just like them, a human!

And now... the feeling I just had is very clear, it's the feeling I've always envied.

"What's wrong?"

Kushina turned around and smiled.

Naruto shook his head again, then thought for a moment and said, "Mom...Mom, can I have hot pot for dinner tonight?"

Kushina paused for a moment, then smiled and replied, "Then Aunt Mikoto and I will go to the shopping street to buy ingredients, and we'll have hot pot for dinner. Mom and Dad won't refuse any request from Naruto."

"Um."

Naruto nodded emphatically and waved, "I'm off now, thanks Mom!"

Kushina shook her head as she watched her son go to the entryway to change his shoes.

If we're having hot pot tonight, cake would be a good accompaniment. And it seems my son has changed a bit, so he might understand Minato better now...

……

Naruto pushed open the door and stepped out of his house, looking around.

So, has the location of your home changed as well?

So what the voice in my dream said was true; if my parents were still alive, this would be the life I have now.

The Fourth Hokage and his mother were, in their original world, his deceased parents.

As for hot pot... that stems from a scene I witnessed when I was a child.

……

It was already evening, and I was the only one left swinging on the swing in the park.

During the day, as a fox spirit in disguise, I couldn't get this position because everyone would reject me. Only now...

A boy who had just come down was being led by the hand by a man and being dragged away.

"How did you end up with him?"

"what?"

"That fox demon, don't get too close to him in the future, understand?"

"I understand, Dad. What are we having for dinner?"

"The whole family is having hot pot together. Mom bought so many ingredients! Aren't you happy?"

"Hooray for Mom! I'm so happy!"

……

The two figures, one big and one small, had gradually walked away into the distance, while the absurd little Naruto on the swing looked at the location of the steps.

He longed for someone to appear there and tell him it was getting dark and he should hurry home, where a delicious meal would be waiting for him.

However, as evening turned to night, no one appeared there.

No one would call him home, because he lived alone.

No one would call him home for dinner, because no one would cook for him.

When I was very, very young, I must have been a baby...

Naruto has no memory of that time, but occasionally some fragmented pieces of information appear in his mind, trying to pull him into darkness.

The scalding hot milk powder and the vicious voice—that voice, now that I think about it, could never have been my mother's; no mother would treat her son like that.

That was the nanny, an ordinary person whose family had died at the hands of a fox spirit.

So... can I blame her?

As he grew older, no shop sold him anything, except for the hand-beating uncle at Ichiraku Ramen.

Naruto likes to eat ramen, but more than that... it's because ramen was the only delicious food he could afford at that time.

The only boss who wouldn't see him as a monster is the hand-beating uncle at Ichiraku Ramen.

Day after day of ramen and cup noodles, is it the food that you enjoy, or is it the ability to see yourself as one of the same kind of people?

"call……"

Naruto let out a long breath at his doorstep, feeling the air there was exceptionally fresh.

After going outside, I walked on the street.

The old monster's scornful gaze had disappeared, and occasionally people would even greet him.

Naruto touched the beard on his cheek.

So it's not its fault...

"Naruto!!"

At the shouts, Naruto turned around and saw Sasuke walking towards him with a furrowed brow.

The two stared at each other for a moment.

"The same to you?"

"The same to you?"

Their unanimous words surprised both of them.

"So you made a wish in your dream too?"

"Yes, so it was the owner of that voice who brought us here."

"Three days."

"Yes, three days."

"I am very grateful to Him."

"Even though that bastard was there, I'm still grateful to Him. Everyone... everyone is alive..."

"Then let's cherish these three days. Although we don't know if this world is an illusion or real, we should be very happy in this world..."

"That sinner ruined everything!"

……

After a brief meeting, the two, knowing they only had three days left, parted ways.

Naruto headed towards the shopping street, buying a lot of things along the way.

A fox mask, three-colored dumplings, takoyaki, and a wooden kunai.

Before they even attend ninja school, young children often play ninja games, and back then, a wooden kunai could be the center of attention.

Naruto has money, but the relief funds he receives are not enough to buy anything because everyone pushes him, even hits him, and tells him to leave as soon as possible.

The fear one feels when facing menacing adults in childhood is something we can imagine even now.

After that first time, he dared not go near any store for a long time.

It wasn't until the third-generation grandfather exchanged the relief funds for food that the child was able to get food. But for a child, expired milk was perfectly normal.

But now...

"Oh... it was just a mask. If it weren't for your father, young master, I might have become fertilizer in the soil by now."

"It's free. Please feel free to choose whatever you like, young master."

"We really won't accept you! You made such a contribution to the village when you were so young, imprisoning the demon fox with your own body. The Hokage is great, and this is all we can do."

This sentiment was unanimous; everyone looked at them with affection mixed with a touch of respect, perhaps even a hint of fear, but not much.

So... why do the same things lead to two different results?

After finishing a skewer of three-colored dumplings, Naruto, holding a mask in his hand, arrived at the Hokage Building.

"I...I've come to see Dad...Lord Hokage."

The guard at the door looked troubled: "Young master... even if you address the Hokage as 'Lord Hokage' this time, we won't let you in. You overturned the table before, and I almost got reprimanded that time."

(⊙o⊙)！

Naruto's eyes widened. He had actually done something like this in this world?

This is much more exciting than drawing on the Shadow Rock!

However, under such gazes, the guarding Chunin became even more vigilant and refused to let Naruto in no matter what.

"I'll take him inside."

A voice rang out, and a person wearing a Jonin vest with the Uchiha clan crest on his shoulder walked over.

Naruto was a little confused; he didn't recognize this person and had never seen him before.

"You've forgotten so quickly?"

Shisui reached out to ruffle Naruto's hair, then stopped and patted his shoulder instead: "When I visited your house last time, you weren't very welcoming. In fact..."

Shisui chuckled as he spoke, "If you're already a genin, you're really not a child anymore, so you can't have your head rubbed. Speaking of which, you and Itachi's younger brother are alike; you both had issues with me when you were kids."

Naruto tilted his head in confusion, realizing it was best not to say anything if he didn't understand.

Shisui vouched for Naruto and then led him into the Hokage Building.

As Naruto got closer to the office building, his breathing became a little rapid.

The Fourth Hokage, the one I've always dreamed of becoming in textbooks, is now my father.

No, in the original world, it was also his own father.

The strange feeling and excitement made Naruto hesitate to move forward.

"Hmm... what's wrong?"

The water stopped flowing back.

Naruto chuckled sheepishly and replied, "If I come in like this, I'm afraid I'll get scolded later, right?"

Upon hearing this, Shisui paused for a moment, then chuckled, "You're afraid of being scolded? Shouldn't you be the one scolding the Hokage in this situation?"

Uh →_→

Naruto, who was about to speak while staring in disbelief, stopped at that moment.

A surge of heat rose from his body, and he heard voices talking in his ears.

"The Nine-Tails' power must be mastered within the Root!"

"Hiruzen, weapons don't need their own thoughts. The Fourth Hokage is dead. The power in the darkness must be strengthened to deter those who are eyeing us covetously!"

"No! I promised Kushina I would take care of their son. I will never allow you to bring Naruto to Root!"

"He'll just grow up to be an ordinary person! Danzo! I am the Hokage!"

"You'll regret this, Hiruzen!"

……

"A weapon doesn't need to have its own thoughts; it just needs to be a sword. As a Jinchūriki, one must have the will to bear that power."

"Spread the word..."

"At this time, the village has just experienced the Nine-Tails' rampage, and countless villagers have died. Their resentment has nowhere to go, and their darkness needs a weapon to bear it!"

……

(End of this chapter)