"Shisui, speed up the process. I've heard there's a shinobi village in the Land of Snow. I want you to take control of it. The people there should have developed a rather unique technique."
Naruto's words referred to the Chakra Armor used by the Snow-nin in the original tale. The Land of Snow itself was also an ideal candidate for a long-term base of operations.
Its industrial development was advanced, and its perpetual snowfall, combined with its remote location, made it difficult to attract attention from the other nations.
"The Land of Snow?" Shisui frowned in thought. "I've heard of it. That village was established by the country itself. Compared to Konoha, it's only a minor hidden village."
He hesitated, then asked, "Is there something you require from there, Naruto-kun?"
Naruto's eyes gleamed. "Don't underestimate them. Their Chakra Armor technique is something we need. Even if it isn't perfected yet, it still holds tremendous potential. And besides, the Land of Waves is far too small for us to expand much further."
He looked out over the horizon, his expression firm.
"The Land of Waves is difficult to defend, while the Land of Snow—with its geography and year-round blizzards—is naturally fortified. Remote as it may be, it's the perfect stronghold."
Shisui nodded slowly. "I'll keep an eye on it."
He pondered Naruto's words carefully. By now, Shisui had come to treat Naruto's judgments as absolute. The boy clearly carried secrets far beyond his years, yet Shisui no longer questioned them. After all, didn't everyone have secrets of their own?
"Still," Naruto continued, "we can't ignore the smaller countries. We'll move to take control of them, one by one. Replace their daimyō with our people."
Naruto's voice hardened.
He had no fondness for the daimyō of this world. What baffled him most was how much blind reverence people gave them. Even the appointment of a Hokage required a daimyō's approval.
And the smaller hidden villages were not even permitted to use the title 'Kage.' The so-called Hoshikage of the Star Village, for instance, was nothing but arrogance—a man daring to challenge the Five Great Nations with nothing but a meteorite. Ridiculous.
Shisui froze at Naruto's words. "Replace… the daimyō? Naruto-kun, that's—" He hesitated. "Those are nobles. Even if they're only rulers of small nations… this is an upheaval against thousands of years of order."
The Uchiha had been part of that noble class themselves, and Shisui had been raised within that mindset. Though Naruto's ideology had already reshaped much of his thinking, the suggestion still shocked him.
"Isn't it too soon?" he asked carefully.
Naruto thought for a moment, then smiled faintly. "Perhaps. Replacing them directly might be too bold. It would draw attention from neighboring powers. Then let's take another approach… control them with genjutsu."
Shisui: "…"
That's not what I meant…
Naruto chuckled knowingly, reading Shisui's expression.
"Listen, Shisui. Many nobles are the very reason commoners live in misery. This world is chaotic, yes—but those in power are often the true culprits. Some daimyō levy crushing taxes, seize farmland, and expand their estates at the expense of the people. It leaves countless families destitute and wandering."
He gestured around them.
"Wars between shinobi may be devastating, but they usually affect only certain regions. For ordinary people across most of the world, life is no less harsh under the so-called nobility. What we need to do is spread Umbrella's light across the entire shinobi world. You've seen the Land of Waves. Don't you wish other nations could be just as happy?"
His voice softened, but carried weight.
"It's a long and arduous road."
Shisui met Naruto's gaze. For a long moment, he said nothing. Then, slowly, his eyes brightened, a spark of conviction growing within them.
...
Konoha Village…
Hyūga Neji had been restless these past few days. Naruto's words continued to echo in his mind, striking him harder each time.
Uzumaki Naruto… A peer his own age, yet with a strength far beyond the ordinary. He carried himself with a maturity and presence that set him apart—an aura Neji could not explain.
And then there was his identity. The son of the Fourth Hokage. A truth hidden from the village while the people whispered only of the "Demon Fox Brat."
Why had the higher-ups concealed it? Why had they let the people curse the hero's son as a monster?
Neji frowned. If Naruto's words were true—if his father's death had ties to Konoha's leadership—then what path was Naruto walking? Was he planning to sever ties with the village… to become a rogue shinobi?
The thought sent a chill through Neji.
If Naruto truly turned against Konoha, the fault would lie not with him, but with the village itself. How could the son of a hero be condemned so harshly?
His hand rose unconsciously to the Caged Bird Seal on his forehead. His curse. His cage. The symbol of his so-called destiny.
Uzumaki Naruto… can he really help me? Can fate truly be bent to one's will?
For a moment, Neji wavered. Then his gaze sharpened, and his voice dropped to a whisper.
"I don't want to yield to fate…"
Hyūga Neji slowly stepped out of his room and made his way toward the training grounds where Naruto, Sasuke, and Rock Lee were waiting. Today was the third day since Naruto had given him that challenge—and Neji wasn't about to ignore it.
By the time he arrived, the other three were already in the middle of battle.
Naruto and Sasuke had skipped classes by leaving behind Shadow Clones, while Lee, as always, had used Might Guy's name to get away from the Academy's restrictions.
Naruto noticed Neji approaching, but he didn't call for a pause. The fight was too intense.
Sasuke weaved through hand signs, his fingers moving quickly. Fire roared to life as he exhaled a torrent of flames toward Lee.
"Fire Release: Fire Dragon Flame Bullet!"
Lee darted aside with blinding footwork, Taijutsu carrying him clear of the scorching heat. Sasuke's eyes narrowed, the crimson glow of his Sharingan spinning—one eye bearing a single tomoe, the other already at two.
Knowing Lee's close combat was deadly, Sasuke quickly shifted tactics, chaining signs again.
"Lightning Release: Thunder Net!"
Blue-white lightning burst forth, spreading into a crackling electric lattice. It engulfed the training ground in an instant, and Lee's body stiffened as currents surged around him.
Sasuke didn't hesitate. His fingers blurred through another set of signs, and a blazing dragon of fire tore from his mouth, snaking toward his immobilized opponent.
But Lee's eyes flashed determination. He forced his body into motion, pushing past the paralysis with sheer will. With a powerful leap, he shot into the air, his legs cutting through the sky.
"Tempest Kick: Sky Slicer!"
A compressed blade of wind cleaved downward, colliding with Sasuke's fire dragon. For a moment, the two forces struggled, fire and wind tearing at one another—but Sasuke poured in more chakra, holding his flames steady.
At the same time, his hand slipped into his pouch, and kunai flew out in a deadly spray.
Lee vanished in a blur. "Soru!"
He reappeared a heartbeat later, narrowly avoiding the fiery serpent as it smashed into the ground, carving a smoking crater several meters wide.
But Sasuke wasn't done. More kunai hissed through the air, their steel glinting under the sun.
Lee clenched his fists, his body hardening.
"Iron Body!"
Metallic clangs rang out as the kunai struck him, sparks scattering. Though he deflected them, pain rippled through his muscles. His Iron Body technique wasn't yet at full mastery—each impact burned.
"Enough, Sasuke!"
Naruto's voice cut through the clash from the sidelines, firm and commanding.
...
TN:
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