In Konoha village, the sky was clear, casting light on the buildings. It was morning, and the civilians were busy with their chores. Some of the children headed to regular school, continuing their education as normal civilians.
For the students of the Shinobi Academy, today was the day of the genin exams—an event filled with both nervousness and excitement. After years of training, they were on the verge of graduating as shinobi and getting closer to their goals, whether it be fame, wealth, or even revenge, as long as it didn't negatively affect Konoha, since losing a shinobi was seen as losing a valuable asset to the village's economy.
At least, that's how it was supposed to be for the students. Many shinobi were bustling about the village and running across the rooftops.
"What's wrong with them today?" one villager asked.
"Didn't you hear? There's a rumor that the demon fox has been missing since yesterday," another responded.
That was what everyone in the village was talking about.
"Why don't they just let him go? His presence was already dangerous to us."
interrupted a woman, expressing her discontent with the shinobi's efforts to search for the demon fox... Naruto Uzumaki. She wasn't alone in her thoughts; many civilians believed that this day should be a celebration.
However, the council and the elders had a very different perspective. They viewed Naruto as a potential weapon for the village and were anxious to locate him as soon as possible. The only ones searching for Naruto out of concern for him were Iruka, his teacher, and Hatake Kakashi.
"Naruto, where the hell are you?!"
***
A whole day had passed, and they still couldn't find him. The Third Hokage, council members, and shinobi were gathered in one hall.
It was customary for the council members and the Hokage to meet only in the council room, but the urgency of the situation required a larger meeting space and the presence of all possible shinobi.
Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Hokage, stood on the platform. Behind him were the clan heads and the elders: Danzo, Homura, and Koharu.
Hiruzen addressed the shinobi and Anbu gathered before him.
"Our current information is limited, but that won't stop us from completing our search! Everyone will search without exception—whether shinobi or Anbu! It doesn't matter if you have to bring him back from the depths of hell. Young or old, if it leads to your death, do it for the sake of the village!"
Everyone nodded in agreement, including the 13- and 14-year-old shinobi. They didn't fully understand why the council wanted Naruto so desperately, but if it was for the village, they were willing to do it. What honor could be greater than sacrificing themselves for the sake of the village?
Kakashi leaned against the wall, observing the determination in the children's eyes while recalling the death of his teammate during the war. He remembered how the system had compelled him to kill Rin—not an innocent girl, but a young soldier—under the justification of protecting the village.
'This damned shinobi system might one day be the cause of their deaths.' he thought grimly.
No shinobi from Konoha understood the darkness of the system as deeply as he did. His father had committed suicide after being insulted for saving his comrades and abandoning the mission.
The village claimed to protect bonds in the name of the will of fire, but in reality, it was quite the opposite—the bonds became worthless if they served the village's interests. Isn't the village meant to protect these bonds? This contradiction troubled Kakashi.
He even questioned the narrative that Itachi had gone mad and killed his entire clan. As a former ANBU member, Kakashi knew that Itachi truly loved and cared for his family. He had always suspected that there was something deeper to Itachi's act, especially considering that he had left his brother Sasuke alive.
Hiruzen continued his speech.
"You will be divided into teams to search several kilometers outside the village! You have only one week!"
***
Afterward, Hiruzen sat in his office and leaned back in his chair.
"Damn it," he muttered.
Danzo entered, his expression as emotionless as ever, but there was anger in his voice.
"Didn't I tell you years ago to hand him over to me? I could have turned him into a useful weapon. We even had to cancel the genin exams today."
"How many times have I told you that I wanted him to have a normal childhood?" Hiruzen responded, his tone filled with seriousness.
"Look where your softness has led us," Danzo snapped. "We've lost our village's jinchuriki, and now we have to find a way to hide this from the other villages so they don't attack us."
"Okay, I was wrong," Hiruzen admitted. "The will of fire disregards any sense or feeling to protect the village."
"It's good that you still remember Hashirama-sama's ideals. He would do anything necessary, even kill his own son, to protect the village, even if his son was innocent."
***
A few kilometers away from the village, a search party was assembled that included Tsume Inuzuka, Kurenai Yuhi, Anko Mitarashi, and Yugao Uzuki.
The leader of this team was Tsume, the clan head of the Inuzuka clan and the eldest member at nearly thirty-eight years old. She had short brown hair and an expression reminiscent of a wild beast, giving her a tomboyish demeanor.
"Kei smelled something," Tsume said as she observed her dog change direction, leading the rest of the team to follow him.
"Are you sure Kei is leading us to Naruto?" Kurenai asked. With her black hair, clear skin, and striking red eyes, she was renowned for her beauty and her mastery of Genjutsu in Konoha.
Yugao, an Anbu member who specialized in Kenjutsu, replied on Tsume's behalf. Her long purple hair reached the middle of her back, and she was considered one of the beauties of Konoha, alongside Kurenai.
"Tsume-san used a piece of the cloth she cut from Naruto's bed, so there's no doubt about it."
Tsume nodded.
"Get ready. We don't know what we might face. He could have been kidnapped or escaped on his own. In any case, we need to be cautious."
Anko chuckled as she licked her kunai. "Come on, he's just a kid we need to bring back because he went missing from his home."
Anko was a slender young woman with short, spiky black hair that had a blue tint, styled in a ponytail. She was famously known as a former student of Orochimaru, one of the most notorious traitors in the village.
Yougao sighed and said, "Anko, take it seriously."
A moment later, Kei stopped and looked up at the tall tree in front of him. The rest of the group followed his gaze.
Perched on the highest branch of the tree sat a 13-year-old boy. He wore a long coat and a hood that obscured most of his face, revealing only his chin, mouth, and eyes, which glowed with a purple aura.
Their eyes widened in surprise. "Is that… him?"
Tsume glanced at Kei, who growled in response
"It's him..."
They instinctively fell into a defensive stance, sensing the danger.
Naruto perched on the branch, and a purple and black fox with nine tails appeared as an avatar beneath his hood.
"Will you kill them?" the fox asked.
They couldn't see or hear him as their communication was telepathic. "If they want to kill me. Edward told me to avoid killing whenever possible."
"The ducal butler really influenced you."
"Could you be quiet and go back to rest, Kurama? If it weren't for him, I wouldn't have discovered that my father was the lost heir to Duke Baskerve. I'm also struggling with the issue of mana mixing in this world, and the process is accelerating every day."
Kurama had returned to rest within Naruto's consciousness.
'He is really strong. Despite having his consciousness trapped in the dark realm for a thousand years, fighting demons and beasts to survive, he still retains a bit of his humanity.'
Those thousand years were just one night in the real world. Naruto's strength grew as he fought for one goal: survival, which allowed him to rise to the top of the food chain.
'Unfortunately, my little body can't handle all this strength.'
"Damn it. Are we just going to stand here? Let's take him back to the villa—"
[ Darkness Authority ]
Gloves made of black and purple energy formed around Naruto's fists and arms, and boots around his legs and feet.
The r party remained shocked, their minds racing.
'What the hell...?'