Inside Konoha Hospital, a figure walked unhurriedly down the brightly lit corridor.
This figure appeared extremely ordinary, dressed in common dark casual clothes, of average height, and with unremarkable features, the type that would be forgotten the moment he blended into a crowd, just like any ordinary villager coming to visit a patient or see a doctor on the street.
Of course, this inconspicuous effect was deliberate.
This was one of Naruto's Shadow Clones, using the most basic Transformation Technique to subtly alter his appearance and aura, silently infiltrating Konoha Hospital.
The hospital corridor was bustling with people, a bit noisy.
There were patients in hospital gowns, slowly strolling with the support of family members; family members with worried expressions, talking in low voices; and doctors and Medical Ninjas rushing about, carrying medical records or equipment.
Naruto's Shadow Clone perfectly blended into this background.
He kept his eyes downcast, his steps natural, without any movement that would draw attention.
No one in the passing crowd gave him a second glance.
He quietly passed through one corridor after another, finally stopping in front of a ward with a seemingly more somber atmosphere—the special care ward where Uchiha Fugaku and Uchiha Mikoto lay comatose.
After waiting silently at the door for a moment, catching a gap when no one was passing at either end of the corridor, the Shadow Clone quickly and lightly twisted the doorknob, slipped inside, and then gently closed the door, cutting off the outside noise.
The ward was silent, with only the regular, faint 'tick-tock' sound of medical equipment.
On the two beds, the Uchiha couple lay quietly, their faces still pale, their breathing weak.
The Shadow Clone slowly walked to the space between the two beds.
Due to Crazy Diamond's strictly limited range of activity, he had to get closer.
The next moment, with a thought, a robust figure, visible only to himself and emanating a brilliant blue light—Crazy Diamond—appeared behind him.
As Crazy Diamond's hand gently covered Uchiha Fugaku, a mental energy, clearly perceptible only to Naruto, began to fluctuate.
Under the influence of this extraordinary power, Fugaku's originally extremely weak breathing began to become steady and strong at a visible rate.
It gradually transformed into a uniform, natural breathing rhythm, as if he had fallen into a deep sleep.
Naruto carefully sensed this change, understanding in his heart.
Very good… the situation has changed from a dangerous coma to normal deep sleep.
The internal organ damage should be completely repaired.
He breathed a slight sigh of relief, then immediately moved to Uchiha Mikoto's bedside.
He looked down at the woman's pale but still discernible face—that face, strikingly seven-tenths similar to Satsuki's, now devoid of its usual gentle radiance, leaving only a sickly weakness.
Naruto no longer delayed; Crazy Diamond raised his arms again, gently enveloping Mikoto in the light of 'restoration'.
The same miraculous change began to occur.
Mikoto's breath, which had been as faint as a thread, quickly became full and steady, and a hint of color gradually returned to her face.
Watching the two of them recover at an astonishing speed, Naruto's tightly strung nerves finally relaxed a little.
In this brief moment of relaxation, his thoughts unconsciously drifted, returning to his memories of the original Naruto.
He recalled a poignant scene often discussed by fans, yet full of tragedy: during the Fourth Great Shinobi War, Uchiha Sasuke encountered Uchiha Itachi, who had been reanimated by the Impure World Reincarnation.
Sasuke, emotionally agitated, sharply questioned his brother, "Why… why am I the only one who survived?!"
This question is often interpreted as Sasuke's incomprehension and anger at Itachi for sparing his life.
However, on the night of the Uchiha Clan massacre, young Sasuke cried and ran, shouting, "Don't kill me." This starkly contrasted with his later question.
But Naruto always felt that Nizhu Zi's words at the time might not have been merely literal.
His question might not have been, "Why didn't you kill me too?"
Instead, he was agonizingly asking, "Why… after making such an extreme decision to exterminate the clan, did you only leave me alive?
Why couldn't you have left a few more clan members?
Why… couldn't you have left my beloved mother?"
"Why must I be the one to bear this loneliness and heavy burden alone?"
In Naruto's view, in Itachi's extreme plan, leaving one more Mikoto would not have made much difference.
Since he decided to leave Satsuki, a mother who deeply loved her daughter would inevitably accompany her through that most difficult, lonely childhood, which would better ensure Satsuki's psychological well-being.
Was it because he feared the plan would be exposed?
Or did he think… the bonds left behind would weaken the 'hatred' Satsuki needed?
Even more ironically, in the original story, Fugaku and Mikoto's last words to Itachi before dying were to "take care of Sasuke"… yet, this guy immediately turned around and subjected his own younger brother to a seventy-two-hour Tsukuyomi torture.
Just as his thoughts were wandering aimlessly—
"Hmm…"
An extremely faint breath, characteristic of awakening, suddenly interrupted Naruto's thoughts!
He woke up?!
Naruto's heart tightened abruptly, and he instinctively wanted to immediately dispel the Shadow Clone.
However, the instant his thought moved, his gaze inadvertently swept over Aunt Mikoto's slowly opening eyes, still filled with the daze and fatigue of just waking up—
That single glance completely froze his movements.
Mikoto struggled to open her heavy eyelids; the coma had blurred her vision, and her mind was in a fog.
She seemed to look at the'stranger' standing by her bed with some confusion, subconsciously trying to identify who he was.
However, deep within her unconsciously opened, not-yet-fully-focused eyes—what appeared was not the common tomoe Sharingan of the Uchiha clan!
Instead, it was an incredibly complex, eerie, and slowly rotating new pattern.
Mangekyo Sharingan.
This time… because Leader Fugaku saw hope for peace, he did not willingly sacrifice himself for Itachi's plan as in the original story… the situation became… he was killed by his beloved child… by his own hand…
As a mother… witnessing her husband being brutally killed by her own child, and then being burned by Amaterasu by the same child… this extreme emotional stimulation… actually… actually made her awaken the Mangekyo Sharingan?!
Just then, perhaps because she had just woken up and her body was still too weak, an immense wave of fatigue surged over her again, and Mikoto's newly opened Mangekyo Sharingan, containing terrifying power, slowly and weakly closed again, and she fell back into a deep sleep.
Naruto's emotions became extremely complex.
But in the end, he made up his mind.
He took a deep breath, and behind him, another golden phantom, radiating brilliant life energy, quietly appeared.
I'm sorry, for now… please forget this power.
He silently apologized in his heart.
The next moment, Gold Experience's ability activated, and those newly awakened Mangekyo Sharingan, containing ominous power, were skillfully removed.
Immediately after, a surge of vibrant life energy was injected, and a pair of ordinary, healthy black eyes were perfectly sculpted, covering the original empty sockets.
Having done all this, Naruto no longer delayed.
He formed hand signs, and with a puff of white smoke, his appearance quickly changed, transforming into the figure of Menma, wearing a fox mask and a black robe.
Then, the light of the Flying Thunder God technique flickered slightly, and Menma's figure instantly vanished from the silent ward, speeding towards the distant Land of Hot Springs base.