The more Namikaze Minato listened, the more alarmed he became.
Just as he was about to speak, Uzumaki Naruto had already withdrawn from the seal space and was heading down the stairs.
The shadow clone that had escorted Gekkō Hayate home had just entered the house.
The moment the door closed, Naruto released all remaining disguises and immediately dispelled the clone.
A rush of memories flooded back.
Naruto's brows twitched slightly.
Shikamaru had subtly hinted that the Third Hokage would return to the village tonight.
That was unexpected.
Despite knowing Nara Shikamaru for some time, Naruto had always considered him suspicious. Shikamaru had never hidden the fact that he was sent by Sarutobi Hiruzen to get close to him.
And yet…
Lately, Shikamaru genuinely seemed to be trying to become his friend.
Naruto re-entered the seal space.
"Father," he asked calmly, "you were once Hokage. What's your opinion of the Nara Clan?"
Minato was taken aback by the seriousness in Naruto's expression. He thought back to his time in office.
"The Nara Clan has always been the most trusted clan of the Hokage—without exception," Minato replied slowly.
"They are loyal only to the Hokage and willingly act as the Hokage's shadow."
As soon as the words left his mouth, Minato's expression shifted.
Something didn't sit right.
Naruto noticed it instantly.
"Most trusted… loyal only to the Hokage…"
He repeated the words silently.
Then his eyes sharpened.
The Third Hokage was already extremely old.
After Minato's sacrifice, logic dictated that a Fifth Hokage should have been elected.
Instead, Hiruzen had returned to power almost immediately—reclaiming full authority without resistance.
That alone was strange.
It wasn't just Konoha's civilians who found it hard to accept—even other hidden villages across the shinobi world must have been shocked.
Even in official discussions, the question of Hokage succession had repeatedly surfaced.
And yet, the excuse remained the same:
"The Fourth died too suddenly."
"The village is in crisis."
"There are no suitable candidates."
What a farce.
At the time, Hiruzen, Shimura Danzo, and the two elders already held complete political control.
Minato, despite his title, had functioned more like a symbol than a decision-maker.
And what about Jiraiya?
What about Tsunade?
Jiraiya might have been difficult to locate—but Tsunade?
She was a notorious gambler. Tracking her down would never have been difficult.
Later, during the Chūnin Exams, Orochimaru launched the Konoha Crush.
Despite being hailed as the strongest Hokage of his era, Hiruzen still died abruptly.
And yet—
The village continued functioning.
No one claimed there was "no suitable Hokage" then.
The moment Hiruzen was buried, the elders immediately pressured Jiraiya to take the position.
When he refused, Tsunade was found without difficulty and installed as Hokage.
To outsiders, Nara Shikaku appeared to be a steadfast supporter of the Third Hokage.
But now?
Shikamaru hadn't even entered the Ninja Academy yet.
This wasn't the era where Sarutobi Asuma would later lead Team 10.
Shikamaru was not yet a shinobi.
He still had a choice.
He understood his position clearly.
The Nara Clan might be loyal to the Hokage—but Hiruzen had already served too long, across two eras.
And he was old.
Would the next Hokage really still be a Sarutobi?
Shikamaru wouldn't bind himself to a single tree forever.
He would carry out the Third's orders—
—but he would choose how he did so.
Night fell.
Konoha lay silent beneath a calm, star-filled sky.
Inside the Hokage Tower, Sarutobi Hiruzen stood by the window of his office.
Without alerting anyone, he had already returned from his journey and was reviewing accumulated documents.
Two months had passed.
It was early spring.
And his meeting with the Fire Daimyō had gone poorly.
"Lord Hokage!"
A figure appeared on the exterior platform.
"Hayate?" Hiruzen's eyes sharpened.
"Any updates on Naruto while I was away?"
Gekkō Hayate handed over a small notebook.
"This is a detailed report covering the past two months."
Hiruzen flipped it open.
"…Naruto rescued someone on the very day I left?"
His brow furrowed.
"But he was misunderstood by the villagers again…"
"And simply told them to move aside before going home?"
"He didn't get angry?"
Hayate shook his head.
"There were too many people to read his expression clearly, but on the way home, he showed no signs of anger or resentment."
"Good."
Hiruzen exhaled softly.
Naruto had taken the initiative to save someone—and hadn't erupted despite being blamed.
That meant his guidance was working.
Naruto was still on the right path.
Flipping through the rest of the report, nothing stood out.
No Shadow Clone mastery.
No abnormal behavior.
"Is Naruto asleep?" Hiruzen asked with a gentle smile.
"He was just about to—"
Whoosh!
A masked ANBU dropped to one knee.
"Lord Hokage! The Barrier Division has detected another abnormal chakra fluctuation in the Forest of Death!"
Hiruzen's eyes narrowed.
"Another one? You mean this has happened before?"
"Yes!" The ANBU handed over a report.
"These are all recorded abnormal chakra events in the Forest of Death during your absence."
Hiruzen scanned it.
His expression turned icy.
"We leave immediately."
Back at Naruto's home, he sensed it as well.
He had remained indoors all afternoon. With his heightened perception, he had felt the moment Hiruzen re-entered the village.
But now—
An unfamiliar, eerie chakra had appeared deep within the Forest of Death, moving along the exact routes Naruto had once used for training.
"The Third is rushing there with so many people…" Naruto murmured.
"So it's not someone from Konoha?"
Minato had once explained the barrier system in detail.
Konoha's chakra barrier detected all unauthorized chakra entries instantly—unless the intruder knew the seal passcode.
At some point, the Forest of Death had been added to the surveillance network—without Minato's knowledge.
"If it's not a Konoha shinobi," Naruto narrowed his eyes,
"why wasn't the alarm triggered immediately?"
"…Interesting."
"Whoever this is—they've stopped."
"…They're waiting."
Deep within the Forest of Death—
Hiruzen and more than ten ANBU surrounded a lone figure shrouded in darkness.
"It's been a long time, Sensei."
The figure stepped forward.
Pale skin.
Long black hair.
Golden, slit-like pupils.
Orochimaru.
"Yes… Orochimaru," Hiruzen replied coldly.
"You should never have returned."
"But since you're here…"
"…you won't be leaving."
Orochimaru smiled faintly.
"You want to fight me, Sensei?"
"Perfect."
"I've recently gained insight into one of the Second Hokage's forbidden techniques."
Hiruzen's pupils shrank.
Orochimaru had uncovered another of Tobirama Senju's forbidden jutsu.
Spreading his arms, Orochimaru laughed softly.
"Let me become the wind—"
"The wind that blows through this rotting windmill called Konoha."
"And let us see…"
"…whether it can still turn."
(End of Chapter)
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