Naruto: Set a goal, conquer the universe.

Page 3

That damned Hiruzen!

The Third Hokage stood up and looked out the window at Danzo's receding figure, his eyes growing heavy.

The rumors from back then suddenly appeared throughout the village, catching him completely off guard.

There are very few people who can do this, and it would be too easy to find out. It was Danzo who had this rumor spread.

This enraged the Third Hokage, who then stripped Danzo of some of his power.

However, Danzo was ultimately his entanglement from childhood to old age. As he grew older, he lost the will and determination he had in his youth, and Danzo continued to control Root.

"I hope you don't go down the wrong path, Danzo, otherwise I won't be protecting you anymore," the Third Hokage muttered to himself.

He sighed heavily, turned around and looked at the Hokage's photo frame, his gaze settling on a photo of a blond young man.

"Minato, if only you were still here. I'm getting old. But don't worry, I will definitely protect Naruto's safety," the Third Hokage said earnestly.

Naruto's identity is too special.

He was both the orphan of the Fourth Hokage and the Jinchūriki of the Nine-Tails.

He intended to keep the news a secret when he brought Naruto back, but Danzo took it upon himself to spread the news that Naruto was the incarnation of the Nine-Tails.

Danzo's plan was to put pressure on the Third Hokage through the villagers, thereby sending Naruto into Root and training him to be a suitable weapon.

However, he did not expect that the previously weak Third Hokage would withstand the protests of the entire village and even issue a written rule that no one is allowed to harm Naruto.

This was completely unexpected for Danzo. For a moment, he thought that the young Hiruzen had returned.

The identity of the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki was spread, and there were Jinchuriki in every village. There was no plan to assassinate them. When the Jinchuriki was in danger, the Tailed Beast inside them would not just watch their Jinchuriki die, but would unleash a burst of power.

You can't kill a Jinchūriki without Kage-level power.

Sending a Kage-level figure to another village to kill a Jinchuriki is essentially a one-for-one exchange, or even impossible. No village has that kind of resources.

However, the news of the Fourth Hokage's orphan must absolutely not be spread!

Not at all.

When the Fourth Hokage sacrificed himself, the Third Shinobi World War was nearing its end, but it was not completely over yet. If people knew that Naruto was the orphan left behind by the Fourth Hokage, then what awaited Naruto was endless assassination attempts.

The Fourth Hokage earned the title of Yellow Flash during the war; it was earned through bloodshed!

How many people did Minato kill on the battlefield?

No one can count how many ninjas from the other four great nations, including some smaller ninja villages, were killed by Minato.

The four major powers even have a consensus that if they encounter a golden flash during a mission, they can retreat on their own without being punished.

Many people developed Minato phobia after seeing Minato's killing methods.

They dare not expose their backs in open spaces, even when eating, sleeping, or walking on the street.

They were terrified that a golden figure would slit their throats at any moment.

This kind of death, where you don't even know how you died, is just too devastating.

Minato killed so many people, and he made so many enemies!

No, the range of his enemies is far greater than the number of people he killed.

Those killed by Minato will have their families, relatives, and friends do everything they can to avenge them.

When Minato himself was around, none of these were problems; with Minato's strength, he was more than capable of suppressing any dissent.

But now that Minato is gone, Naruto's situation is extremely dangerous.

If it were revealed that he was the last surviving son of the Fourth Hokage, the entire ninja world would assassinate Naruto.

You can only commit a thief in a thousand days, but there is no way to guard against a thief in a thousand days.

If Naruto's identity as the Fourth Hokage's son is exposed, even the Third Hokage cannot guarantee his safety unless the Third Hokage does nothing and stays by Naruto's side all day.

But that's not realistic.

This is why the Third Hokage didn't reveal Naruto's identity.

All he wants now is for Naruto to grow up safely and peacefully like a normal person; this is his greatest wish as an old man nearing seventy.

"Kakashi!" The Third Hokage called out, thinking of this.

A white-haired young man wearing an Anbu mask suddenly appeared in the Hokage's office, which was previously empty except for the Third Hokage.

"Lord Hokage!" Kakashi knelt on one knee and said respectfully.

"From now on, you will protect Naruto's safety!" the Third Hokage said in a deep voice. After a pause, he continued, "If any Root members try to harm Naruto, do not hesitate to kill them! Naruto must never enter Root!"

Upon hearing Naruto's name, a hint of warmth appeared in his previously lifeless eyes.

For him, his family was dead, his mentor was dead, his teammates were dead, and his heart was dead too!

The fact that he didn't break down completely already shows how incredibly strong his mind is.

In the entire Hidden Leaf Village, besides Guy, Naruto is probably the person he is closest to, after all, he is his master's only orphan!

Kakashi once asked the Third Hokage to let him take care of Naruto, but the Third Hokage refused.

The Third Hokage explicitly forbade anyone connected to the Fourth Hokage to approach Naruto.

Naruto was brought back by the Third Hokage when the Fourth Hokage died. If an infant is cared for by the Fourth Hokage's disciples and friends, it is equivalent to telling everyone that Naruto is the Fourth Hokage's son.

This is not allowed!

The Third Hokage erased all the details that would have exposed Naruto's identity.

"I understand!" For the first time in many years, Kakashi voluntarily accepted the mission.

The Third Hokage looked at Kakashi before him, a hint of heartache flashing in his eyes. He sighed softly. The once peerless genius ninja, the youngest Konoha ninja to be promoted to Jonin, had completely lost heart after experiencing a series of setbacks.

His talent was completely sealed away.

He was a Jonin at the age of 12 back then, but he hasn't made any further progress.

He had considered making Kakashi Hokage, but Kakashi was in no condition to become Hokage, nor could he shoulder the responsibility.

Chapter 5 Sasuke and Taking on Disciples

To prevent Kakashi from breaking down and committing suicide, he sent Kakashi into the Anbu, frequently assigning him missions to divert his attention.

They also wanted to further hone Kakashi's skills through various high-intensity missions.

He completed part of it, and Kakashi's strength did improve, but there was no sign of his heart opening up.

Mental illness is something even the strongest medical ninjas cannot cure.

Even Tsunade herself...

"Go, but you can't be exposed in front of Naruto. You have to wait until Naruto graduates from the Ninja Academy at least," the Third Hokage instructed.

“I understand,” Kakashi nodded and said.

"Go!" the Third Hokage said, waving his hand.

"Yes!" Kakashi's figure vanished instantly.

The Third Hokage picked up his pipe and took a silent puff. He could still protect Naruto's safety for several more years!

On the other side, Naruto, who had just received the compensation, excitedly ran to Ichiraku Ramen.

"Uncle, give me a large bowl of miso ramen, oh, and remember to add extra vegetables!" Naruto shouted as he skillfully jumped onto the chair.

"Oh? Aren't you the one who hates vegetables the most, Naruto?" Ayame asked curiously.

"Mommy, I need to work hard to exercise from now on. I need to make sure I get enough nutrition, and vegetables are a must!" Naruto said with a smile, scratching his head with one hand and squinting his eyes.

"Haha, it seems Naruto is also heading down the path of a ninja. Well then, this ramen is on me. Keep up the good work, Naruto!" Tetsuya said with a smile as he walked over with a bowl of ramen.

"Thank you so much, Uncle Tetsu!" Naruto said without any hesitation, happily accepting the ramen that Tetsu had brought him and expressing his gratitude.

"Boss, two bowls of miso ramen, one small one will do," a voice came from the side.

Naruto looked over curiously and saw two people, one big and one small. Judging from their appearance, they must be brothers.

"Brother, the small portion isn't enough!" the younger one, who was about the same age as Naruto, said to his older brother in a spoiled manner.

"You can't eat too much, Sasuke. We're waiting to go back and eat Mother's cooking," Itachi said with a smile, tapping Sasuke's forehead.

“Alright.” Thinking of his mother, Sasuke lowered his head and agreed with Itachi’s suggestion.

Naruto turned around, feeling quite envious.

Why didn't my parents give me a younger brother or sister?

Seeing Naruto eating ramen alone, Sasuke, who was waiting, suddenly spoke up for some reason: "Hey, are you eating ramen all by yourself?"

“ε=(?ο｀*))) Huh? Are you talking to me?” Naruto, who was engrossed in eating ramen, slurped the ramen into his mouth with a mouthful of ramen when he heard Sasuke’s words.

"Of course! There's no one else here!" Sasuke said, raising his head with great pride.

"Ah, it's just me." Naruto nodded and said.

"Tsk, your parents aren't eating with you?" Sasuke said with a sneer.

“I have no parents,” Naruto said calmly.

Sasuke's expression changed slightly, and Itachi quickly said from the side, "I'm very sorry, my brother said something he shouldn't have."

"It's okay, I'm used to it." Naruto shook his head and continued eating his ramen.

"I'm sorry," Sasuke whispered from the side.

Naruto waved his hand to indicate that he was alright.

At that moment, Ayame came over with two bowls of ramen. Sasuke and Itachi took the ramen and started eating.

While eating ramen, Sasuke couldn't help but steal glances at Naruto beside him. He didn't know why this blond-haired guy always managed to attract his attention.

I'm clearly not a person who's good at caring for others.

Watching Naruto finish his ramen and prepare to leave.

Sasuke opened his mouth as if he wanted to speak, but ultimately said nothing. He wasn't one to actively make friends.

"Hey, hey, hey, my name is Naruto Uzumaki, what's your name?" A voice appeared in Sasuke's ear, and he quickly turned his head.

Naruto, who was about to leave, turned around and looked at him with a hint of expectation in his eyes.

Does this guy want to be my friend?

Sasuke pursed his lips, raised his head, and said, "Uchiha Sasuke!"

"Hey, Sasuke, can we be friends?" Naruto asked with a hint of hope in his voice.

"Ahem, well..." Sasuke looked at the hope in Naruto's eyes and couldn't bring himself to refuse. He nodded and said, "Since you want to, then we're friends."

"Haha, Sasuke, you're my first friend!" Naruto laughed out loud.

"Is that so?" Sasuke's fair face flushed slightly. To be honest, Naruto was also his first friend.

"See you next time, Sasuke!" Naruto said, waving his hand.

"Okay, see you next time," Sasuke nodded and said.

As Sasuke watched Naruto's departing figure, a smile involuntarily crept onto his lips.

"It seems I'll have to bring you to the village more often, Sasuke. You've made friends in such a short time," Itachi's voice rang in Sasuke's ears.

"No, no, I don't want to make any friends. I'm perfectly fine with my clan," Sasuke retorted.

"Is that so?" Itachi smiled gently, without revealing Sasuke's little scheme. "Let's eat our noodles."

Half a month has passed, and Naruto has been working out with Guy every day.

Over the past two weeks, Guy has witnessed Naruto's will and determination, proving him to be a promising candidate for taijutsu training!

Hokage's office.

The Third Hokage stared intently at the crystal ball on the table, his face slightly flushed, and a drop of clear liquid trickling from the corner of his mouth.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door.

The Third Hokage deftly canceled the telescope technique, then picked up a document and placed it in front of him. He lowered his hat and said in a deep voice, "Come in."

Kai pushed open the door and entered.

Upon seeing that it was Guy, the Third Hokage breathed a sigh of relief.