Kushina Uzumaki visited Chihiro in the hospital.
Although he was unconscious, Chihiro's mind was awake—trapped in a motionless body, but fully aware.
He heard every word Kushina said. Her voice, usually fiery and bold, was now surprisingly gentle.
She said she didn't care what others thought. She wanted to be friends with him—despite the rumors, the isolation, the strange aura he carried. That defiant kindness pierced through the fog of loneliness.
Chihiro's heart thudded violently in his chest.
Damn it... This was the feeling of falling in love.
Besides those four precious years with his parents before their deaths, Kushina Uzumaki was the first person to ever show him such genuine warmth.
She made up her mind, so how could he refuse?
Even while stuck in a coma, Chihiro's thoughts spiraled. He had a plan to survive—and thrive.
Based on what he knew, "Witness Points" were earned by observing pivotal figures or events in the shinobi world. And Kushina Uzumaki? She was a lynchpin in history. The future of the shinobi world would orbit her son—Naruto Uzumaki.
So, if he stayed close to her now, he could rake in a fortune of Witness Points.
But there was a catch. A dangerous one.
If his suspicions were right, Kushina had already been caught in the web of Konoha's political machinations the moment she stepped into the village. She was brought in as the next Jinchūriki of the Nine-Tails—an unspoken, cruel fate.
To be her friend... truly her friend... Chihiro would have to change her destiny.
And if Kushina lived? That might mean Naruto never exists. No Naruto, no Fourth Great Ninja War, no alliance... no massive Witness Point windfall.
Still, the system made it clear—these Points were his currency for survival in this brutal world. Chihiro had originally planned to bide his time in Konoha until the Nine-Tails attack, then follow Naruto's rise and cash in on the chaos.
But now? That timeline was toast.
He had to pivot. Leave Konoha earlier than planned. Chase other significant events. Gather Witness Points from different arcs of history.
There was another factor—the Nine-Tails itself.
If Kushina willingly accepted her role as Jinchūriki, maybe he could stay the course.
But if she rejected it? He'd need contingency plans. Fast.
She was about to defy the world for his sake. The least he could do was be someone worthy of that choice.
Then, like thunder cracking through the calm—
> [System Notice: Clarification. Witness Points are not strictly granted for witnessing events.]
Chihiro's thoughts paused. "What do you mean?" he asked mentally.
> [Events that influence the shinobi world—whether caused, changed, or observed—can yield Witness Points. But scale and impact matter. If you declared war on Konoha now, it wouldn't count. You're too weak. No one would care. But if you become a threat Konoha takes seriously? Then that becomes a world-shifting event—and a rich source of Witness Points.]
Chihiro's eyes lit up.
"So I can forge my own path... carve out events myself?"
> [Correct. But be warned: some major events are inevitable.]
Chihiro's heart sank.
"...You mean Naruto will still be born?"
> [Yes. But it may not be the Naruto in your memory. He could be someone else's child. But history will still find its way forward.]
Chihiro was quiet for a moment.
"So the name may change, the face may change... but someone will still carry Naruto's role?"
> [Exactly.]
Oddly enough, that comforted him. The world had a way of fixing itself. So he didn't need to force things. He just had to stay sharp, take the right chances, and ride the wave of history.
He would save Kushina—and still build a legacy.
As he let that realization wash over him, Kushina kept chatting beside his bed. Her voice was animated, full of stories from her wild days around the village.
Chihiro hung on every word. Each laugh, each little confession tugged at his heart.
When she talked about being cornered by bullies, he bristled with anger.
But when she described how she beat them down, red hair flying like wildfire, Chihiro wanted to cheer.
"Okay, Chihiro," she said at last, rising from her chair. "It's getting late. If I don't head back, Granny Mito will worry. I hope next time I see you, it's at the Academy, not here in this bed. See you tomorrow."
As she left, Chihiro whispered in his heart: "See you tomorrow, Kushina."
Then, something stirred.
His finger twitched.
His eyes widened—mentally, anyway. That wasn't a dream. That was real.
He could move.
A rush of hope surged through him as sensation crept back—fingers, toes, limbs. Slowly, painfully, Chihiro forced his body to respond.
His eyes finally fluttered open, blinking against the blinding white light of the hospital lamp.
He grimaced. His body ached everywhere. But he was awake.
Then—movement.
From the corner of his eye, outside the hospital window—branches shifted unnaturally.
Anbu.
His vision was still blurry, but he knew.
The destruction he caused in the forest—when he used Thunder Breathing—was too extreme for someone his age. Hiruzen Sarutobi would've definitely taken notice.
And sure enough, within half an hour, the Third Hokage himself walked into Chihiro's ward.
Chihiro froze.
He never expected Hiruzen to visit him directly. A chūnin, maybe. An ANBU interrogator, sure. But the Hokage?
Why?
This wasn't just about concern. It was a test. An evaluation.
Whatever came next—Chihiro had better be ready.