The Third, Danzo, and a group of ninja hurried toward the Fourth's residence. Yet when they reached the door, they all slowed down in unison, as if afraid of disturbing whoever was inside. After stopping at the entrance, the Third personally stepped forward and knocked. After a short while, the door opened, and Naruto appeared before them.
Seeing the crowd outside, Naruto looked completely confused. He looked at the Third at the front and asked,
"Third Grandpa? Why are you here?"
The Third showed a kindly smile and said gently, "Naruto, you have a guest at home, don't you?"
"A guest? You mean Carl?"
At the mention of Carl's name, the ninja behind the Third all shuddered involuntarily. They had just witnessed Carl's godlike power and still hadn't recovered from the shock.
The Third quickly nodded. "Yes, I came to… ah, to pay my respects to Carl-sama."
Naruto blinked, suddenly realizing something. The Third shouldn't even know Carl, right?
"Third Grandpa, you've met Carl too?"
As soon as he said this, cold sweat broke out on everyone present. Even though they had only met him once, the impression had been far too deep.
Danzo stepped forward, forcing a smile onto his face.
"Naruto, we've all met him. Could you let us go inside first?"
Although Danzo tried his best to appear friendly, the chilling aura about him still made Naruto instinctively uncomfortable. Naruto immediately stared at him warily.
"And who are you? Carl likes a quiet environment. I think it's better if only Third Grandpa goes in."
At that moment, one ANBU couldn't help blurting out, "No! That would be too dangerous!"
Naruto froze for a moment, then misunderstood completely, thinking that his "demon fox identity" was being rejected again. He said coldly,
"Dangerous? Are you talking about me?"
As he spoke, Naruto's azure-blue pupils slowly turned crimson. Wisps of faint red chakra began to drift from his body.
For Naruto at this stage, ever since learning the truth about his origins, it was impossible for him not to feel conflicted. In the past, being isolated as a demon fox was one thing—but now, he wouldn't just let it slide.
He was no longer alone. Behind him stood Carl, and he was no longer the dead last from the ninja academy. In fact, with the power Naruto now possessed, his former classmates couldn't compare to him at all.
The ANBU who had spoken was stunned by the strange phenomenon around Naruto. From his perspective, it was as if a massive Nine-Tails phantom had appeared behind Naruto, staring at him with a ferocious expression.
His eyes widened as his hand instinctively grabbed a kunai. He cried out in shock,
"It's the demon fox!!"
Those three words directly ignited the emotions Naruto had suppressed for so long. His eyes completely transformed into an icy crimson, and a layer of red chakra cloaked his forearms. With a sudden swing, a sharp claw formed purely from chakra slammed toward that ANBU.
Everything happened far too suddenly for anyone to react. With a loud bang, the ANBU was sent flying, crashing heavily into the trunk of a large tree.
He slid down the trunk and collapsed on the ground. Half his mask shattered as he spat out a mouthful of blood, his face instantly turning pale.
Naruto—who wasn't even a proper genin—had seriously injured an ANBU in a single blow.
Looking at Naruto again, after releasing that strike, his eyes immediately returned to their usual blue, and the red chakra cloak faded away. If not for the icy expression on his face, anyone would have thought he was still the same bullied Naruto as before.
The Third and Danzo exchanged a glance, both seeing shock on the other's face.
The entire exchange had been brief, but they had clearly grasped one crucial fact: Naruto could already control the Nine-Tails' chakra.
Even the remaining ninja, whether they knew Naruto well or not, were stunned by the power he had just displayed.
Kakashi, one of the very few who knew Naruto's true identity, looked at him with an extremely complicated expression. He had been strictly ordered by the upper ranks of the village not to reveal Naruto's identity, all to protect him. Kakashi himself avoided contact with Naruto, afraid that seeing him would remind him of his teacher, the Fourth Hokage. Over the years, their interactions had been almost nonexistent. But now, seeing Naruto standing before the Fourth's old residence, Kakashi's thoughts drifted back to his days as the Fourth's disciple.
Danzo knew very well that Naruto's relationship with Carl was anything but shallow. He suppressed the urge to restrain Naruto and shot a look at the Third, signaling him to step in and take control of the situation—after all, the ANBU were under the Third's command.
The Third turned and angrily reprimanded the ANBU who had just gotten back to his feet.
"What nonsense were you spouting just now?! What demon fox?!"
Realizing he had caused serious trouble, the ANBU hurriedly bowed in apology while supporting his injured body. The Third's expression softened slightly. After having someone take the injured ANBU away, he turned back to Naruto and said gently,
"I'm sorry, Naruto. You've suffered a lot all these years. But please believe me—everything Grandpa did was truly to protect you."
That single sentence couldn't possibly erase all the grievances Naruto had endured, but it did ease his heart somewhat.
Naruto let out a soft breath and said quietly, "Third Grandpa, I acted impulsively just now."
That was simply Naruto's nature in this world—his chances of falling into darkness were almost zero. Hearing this, the Third smiled, about to speak—
Carl's voice came from inside the house.
"Hiruzen Sarutobi and Shimura Danzo, come in."
Being called by name directly by Carl, the Third and Danzo didn't dare show the slightest displeasure. Naruto had already stepped aside at the door upon hearing Carl's voice, and the two hurried inside.
When they entered the room, they saw Carl reclining on the sofa, while Lily sat nearby, resting her chin on her hand, lost in thought.
At this point, Carl smiled slightly and said, "I assume you won't refuse, right?"
Facing Carl's eyes—burning like twin suns, imbued with the power of the Tenseigan—the Third and Danzo didn't dare utter a word of refusal. Having witnessed Carl's strength, the two shared the same understanding: as long as Carl didn't move against Konoha, no matter what he wanted, they would do their utmost to satisfy him.
This was the compromise born of absolute power. Before Carl, they had no bargaining chips whatsoever.
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+90 chapters on p@treon/tambeerg