Chapter 15: Sasuke Returns HomeThe old man secretly observing them was none other than Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Third Hokage—revered as the "Professor" for his mastery over countless ninjutsu.
Now well past sixty, he had been forced to reassume the position of Hokage after the death of Minato Namikaze. In the earlier era of the shinobi world, he stood at the absolute peak, capable of utilizing all five basic chakra natures and even confronting reincarnated legends like Hashirama Senju and Tobirama Senju in battle.
Yet, as the world's scale expanded and more monstrous powers emerged, his standing seemed to fade in comparison.
The First Hokage—God of Shinobi.
The Second Hokage—Master of Forbidden Techniques.
The Fourth Hokage—Yellow Flash of the Leaf.
The Fifth Hokage—Legendary Medical Ninja with monstrous strength.
The Sixth Hokage—Copy Ninja of the Sharingan.
The Seventh Hokage—Hero of the Fourth Great Ninja War.
Compared to them…
It almost felt as if Hiruzen had been gradually overshadowed.
Still—
At this point in time, he remained one of the strongest pillars of Konohagakure.
"Hokage-sama, we have been monitoring that girl for some time. According to our findings, her personality has undergone a drastic change, and she appears to be concealing her true strength. Should we intervene?"
An ANBU operative knelt respectfully.
Hiruzen exhaled slowly.
"…No. Not yet."
"Since Itachi Uchiha left her alive, I will not act rashly after making that agreement. However… if she becomes a threat to the village, we will have no choice."
For Hiruzen, the village came first.
Always.
That was his strength—
And also his flaw.
With a wave of his hand, he dismissed the ANBU.
Then, turning back to the crystal ball on his desk, he resumed his surveillance.
Within the sphere—
The images of Chinatsu, Sasuke Uchiha, and Naruto Uzumaki appeared clearly.
Chinatsu followed behind the two boys, casually guiding them back toward the Uchiha Clan Compound.
Hiruzen showed no intention of stopping.
Until—
Chinatsu suddenly turned her head.
And looked directly toward the direction of the surveillance.
"…!"
Hiruzen's expression changed instantly.
He cut off the technique at once, cold sweat forming on his forehead.
This was the first time—
His observation technique had been noticed.
That girl…
Something was definitely wrong.
Meanwhile—
Chinatsu blinked, her gaze lingering briefly in that direction.
Then—
She shifted her attention to a small bird perched on a nearby branch.
"…Cute."
"If I ever learn the Summoning Technique, maybe I'll go for a bird-type summon."
She paused, thinking.
"Toads… yeah, no."
Somewhere far away—
The toads of Mount Myōboku would probably feel deeply offended.
As the trio walked through the streets, they attracted considerable attention.
Two survivors of the Uchiha Clan Massacre—
And the village's most infamous troublemaker.
An unusual combination.
People who passed by couldn't help but glance back.
Soon—
They arrived at the gates of the Uchiha compound.
Naruto stared up, stunned.
The sheer scale of the place dwarfed anything he had ever known.
"…It's huge…"
His own apartment wasn't even comparable to a single section of this estate.
"Stop standing there. Let's go."
Sasuke spoke casually, hands in his pockets, before walking inside.
Naruto hesitated—
Then hurried after him.
Inside—
Naruto's first impression was overwhelming.
Spacious.
Silent.
Empty.
A residence once meant for an entire clan…
Now inhabited by only two people.
"Amazing…"
"There's more where that came from."
Sasuke lifted his chin slightly, pride evident in his voice.
Even after everything—
He was still an Uchiha.
"Sasuke. Training time. Get ready."
"…Huh? Sister, we have a guest today…"
Chika tilted her head slightly.
"So you don't want to train?"
"…No! That's not it! Let's start!"
After a brief internal struggle, Sasuke immediately corrected himself.
Naruto blinked in confusion.
Training?
Then—
"AHHHH!!!"
A loud cry echoed throughout the compound.
Naruto froze.
Watching in disbelief.
"Your stance is unstable. Your strikes lack precision. Your movement is sloppy. At this rate, even if you graduate from the Academy, you won't pass my standards."
Chika spoke bluntly.
Sasuke stood there, exhausted, breathing heavily, his face pale.
Strict.
Incredibly strict.
And yet—
Sasuke gritted his teeth.
"Sister… again!"
The intensity wasn't forced.
It was his own choice.
He wanted power.
Power to defeat that man—
Itachi Uchiha.
At only six or seven years old, his current strength already surpassed what he had originally displayed at Academy graduation.
But—
Only slightly.
Not enough.
Bell training.
Taijutsu sparring.
Basic ninjutsu—primarily the Great Fireball Technique.
Endless chakra control through tree climbing and water walking.
Naruto watched everything.
Silently.
Sasuke…
Did this every day?
A strange excitement began to rise within him.
Finally—
During a short break—
He rushed forward, raising his hand.
"Can I join too?!"
Chinatsu smiled.
"Of course."
Sasuke crossed his arms.
"…Do whatever you want."
Naruto's face lit up instantly.
"This is it! My first step toward becoming Hokage!"
Sasuke scoffed lightly.
"Hmph. Let's see how long you last."
Only he knew—
Just how brutal this training truly was.