Time flew by. In the blink of an eye, two years had passed since the Sand Gold Incident.
Even though the incident had happened so long ago, and most of the ninja villages, including Iwagakure, had severely condemned Sunagakure, with Yuki Yoru's guarantee, Sunagakure was able to recover from the pressure.
The shinobi world had returned to peace, but the surface calm could not hide the undercurrents. Silently, some things were changing.
The most terrifying of these was the 'Demon Fox's Curse'!
Two years ago, on a certain night, the Nine-Tails manifested in human form and rampaged through the Fire Temple, even shattering the legendary Sealing Iron Wall, a gate said to have never been breached since the temple's founding.
That night was catastrophic.
The temple monks suffered heavy casualties. Nearby villages were utterly destroyed.
Even Chiriku, one of the Twelve Guardian Ninja, and every high-ranking monk ninja of the Fire Temple had perished. The head monk himself died beneath the claws of the demon fox.
The Daimyō of the Land of Fire was furious upon hearing the news. He immediately ordered a thorough investigation to find the culprit and requested the Hokage's assistance.
Fifth Hokage, Fugaku Uchiha, also dispatched Konoha's elite forces to search the surrounding area for a hundred miles.
The conclusion was that the perpetrator did indeed have Nine-Tails chakra!
Fugaku immediately rushed back to the village to check on Naruto's condition. After confirming that there was nothing abnormal about Naruto and that the seal hadn't been touched, he realized the seriousness of the matter.
Could it be... that there's another Nine-Tails in the world?
"There's only one Nine-Tails," Yoru explained, mildly surprised at Obito's methods.
"But the power of a Tailed Beast can be divided."
Yoru carefully broke it down for Fugaku:
"Back then, Minato Namikaze split the Nine-Tails in two.
One half he took with him into the belly of the Shinigami, and the other was sealed inside Naruto.
That's a classic case of the Nine-Tails' power being split."
"Legend has it that Kinkaku and Ginkaku of Kumogakure were once swallowed by the Nine-Tails. They survived by eating the Nine-Tails' flesh inside its stomach, and after being spat out, they also gained the Nine-Tails' power. If I'm not mistaken, the attacker this time is in a similar situation."
As long as it was just a split of its power, things were manageable.
Fugaku breathed a sigh of relief after hearing Yuki Yoru's explanation. As long as there wasn't a second Nine-Tails in the world, the problem was still within an acceptable range.
But what Fugaku hadn't expected was that, even before the Fire Temple investigation could conclude, another disaster struck.
This time, it was the Land of Fire's bustling Tanzaku Quarters—a thriving commercial hub.
It was suddenly attacked.
Dozens of casinos and taverns were destroyed, and the shinobi squad stationed there was completely annihilated.
Their bodies bore the same signs as those slain in the Fire Temple:
Shredded limbs, deep gouges from razor-sharp claws, and a lingering miasma of savage Tailed Beast chakra in the air.
By the time Fugaku and his team arrived, the perpetrator had long vanished, leaving behind only devastation and screams.
Both the Fire Temple and Tanzaku Quarters were public places with many witnesses. By the next day, the entire shinobi world had heard about the attacks.
Such brazen provocations shook the ninja world to its core.
Everyone wanted to know:
Who dared challenge Konoha and the Land of Fire so blatantly?
The Sand Gold Incident had already shown the Kirigakure Alliance's non-aggressive and protective political stance, and it was common knowledge in the shinobi world that Konoha was Kirigakure's favorite.
So who would dare provoke Yuki Yoru?
But it didn't stop there.
Soon, it became clear that the Nine-Tails impostor wasn't just targeting Konoha—it was striking at every prosperous location across the shinobi world.
Besides the Land of Water, the other four great nations, as well as smaller countries like the Land of Iron and the Land of Grass, were also invaded and destroyed by the 'demon fox.'
The most crucial thing was that the demon fox came and went without a trace, making it impossible to capture.
Even setting up a massive net was useless. Not a single trace could be seen, just like a demon fox from a myth or legend, wreaking havoc on the world.
For a time, the hearts of the shinobi world were in turmoil. Countless people, fearing the demon fox's harm, began to migrate to the only unaffected country, the Land of Water.
In response, the Fourth Mizukage—Yoru—opened his arms without hesitation.
"They say when you're weak, you should take care of yourself.
But when you're strong, you should help others.
If the world is in crisis, how could I, Yuki Yoru, stand by and do nothing?"
"Anyone who comes is now one of us."
Under this open immigration policy, the Land of Water's population exploded.
Countless civilians and merchants poured in, leaving the surrounding nations stunned.
Some even began to suspect that this entire "Demon Fox's Curse" was a scheme orchestrated by Yoru himself.
However, they quickly remembered Yuki Yoru's terrifying power and influence. If he truly wanted these things, he could simply start a war and take them.
Why would he need to go through all this trouble?
What, you're saying Yuki Yoru wants to have his cake and eat it too, wanting both a good reputation and a great profit?
In that case…
You're hopeless, kid. He's unbeatable.
The Demon Fox's Curse has continued to this day. In the past two years, while the Land of Water has prospered even more, countless other cities have suffered from the curse.
Nearly ten thousand people have died at the hands of the demon fox, and the massive losses incurred are immeasurable.
This also meant that a certain young boy in Konoha who was once called the 'demon fox's vessel' was gradually forgotten as this incident unfolded, and he was finally able to integrate into Konoha.
"Naruto!"
"Sasuke!"
On the Academy's training field, two figures—one in orange, one in black—clashed dozens of times in mere moments.
Kunai and shuriken rang out, steel on steel, as flashes of light burst from their exchanges.
The spectators—other Academy students—stood dumbfounded.
After nearly a hundred moves, the cool-looking boy in standard Uchiha gear—Uchiha Sasuke—began to fall behind.
"Damn it!"
Sasuke furrowed his brows, panting heavily.
As an Uchiha, his physical endurance was no match for a monster like Naruto Uzumaki. The reason he could maintain such a high-intensity clash was, firstly, because they were both still children, so their strength was not high.
Secondly, the two had been clashing since they were little, which had allowed Sasuke to gradually adapt to fighting with Naruto.
"Here I come, Naruto!"
His arms numb from the last exchange, Sasuke inhaled deeply and began forming hand seals.
"That hand seal—!"
Iruka, the supervising instructor, saw Sasuke's starting hand seals, and his pupils suddenly shrank: "As expected of the Fifth Hokage's son! He hasn't even enrolled yet, and he's already mastered a jutsu of this level?"
"Fire Style: Great Fireball Jutsu!"
Sasuke stepped forward and leaned back, then unleashed a roaring fireball from his mouth, aimed directly at Naruto.
His dramatic pose had all the girls cheering.
"So cool, Sasuke!"
"He's amazing—such a powerful jutsu!"
"Sasuke-kun, please be in the same class as me."
"Sasuke-kun, I want to have your babies!"
The fiery flames illuminated Iruka's shocked face with a reddish glow.
"So this is what genius looks like… Wait—this is bad!"
He turned toward Naruto in alarm, ready to leap in if needed.
But Naruto's stance froze him in place.
He stood there calmly—seemingly stunned by the incoming fireball—then suddenly grinned.
With a puff of smoke, his body vanished.
"A clone technique? No… That's—Shadow Clone Jutsu?!"
Iruka was in shock.
That was a forbidden jutsu, sealed in the Scroll of Seals itself.
Even he hadn't mastered it!
"A clone?" Sasuke's expression changed. His eyes scanned the surroundings: "Then where's the real one, where did the real one go..."
"Right here, you idiot Sasuke!"
Naruto appeared below him, grabbing Sasuke's wrists without flourish.
Sasuke reacted instantly, swinging a kick at Naruto's stomach—but Naruto caught it with his leg.
BANG!
Naruto delivered a fierce headbutt. His hard skull slammed into Sasuke's nose, making Sasuke cry out in pain as blood trickled from his nose.
"You bastard!"
Sasuke snarled, refusing to back down. He headbutted Naruto's nose back, immediately causing Naruto's nose to bleed too.
Naruto responded with a punch to Sasuke's chest, making Sasuke stagger.
Sasuke refused to yield, kicking Naruto in the stomach and sending him flying.
The two briefly separated, but then they charged at each other again. Fortunately, Iruka was quick to intercept and stop them, otherwise, a ninja duel would have turned into a street brawl!
"Alright, alright! It's just the entrance assessment, calm down and finish your reconciliation seal!"
Iruka snapped out of his shock, deeply impressed by the genius level of these two.
Were these the two geniuses from the Fifth Hokage's family?!
Yes, besides Sasuke, Naruto had moved into Fugaku's house two years ago and was adopted as his godson.
These two 'sons of the Hokage' had been fighting each other since they were kids!
Iruka grabbed both boys by the head and forced them to make the reconciliation seal.
Naruto puffed out his chest.
"So, Iruka-sensei, my entrance score totally beats that dumbass Sasuke's, right? I'm number one, right?!"
"Screw you, you Shadow Clone-using idiot! No way your score's better than mine!"
"Baka, Sasuke!"
"Naruto!"
Just as the two were about to go at it again, Iruka sighed and pulled out the results sheet.
"You're both undeniable geniuses.
Naruto's taijutsu and use of the Three Basic Techniques are already at genin level.
Sasuke can already use a C-rank ninjutsu and has excellent timing and combat sense.
Across all entrance exams this year, you two are at the top."
Naruto beamed with pride.
Sasuke smirked and looked away.
"Therefore…"
Iruka smiled, pointing at the sheet.
"You're both tied for second place!"
"Second?!"
Both boys turned their heads sharply.
"That's right.
First place goes to Hinata Hyūga!"
"Hinata Hyūga…?" The name sparked a wave of curiosity.
Everyone had assumed Naruto and Sasuke's battle was the pinnacle.
Even members of the Ino-Shika-Chō trio were stunned by their level.
But someone beat them?
"Hinata… who?" Naruto scratched his head.
"Idiot, over there—the girl with the white eyes."
Sasuke pointed, and Naruto followed his gaze.
When he saw her, a flicker of recognition crossed his face—and his expression turned odd.
Everyone else looked too.
There, under a large tree, sat a small girl, motionless.
She wore a pure white outfit, her bangs trimmed neatly above a delicate porcelain-like face.
Her eyes were completely white, a rare trait that often startled first-time onlookers.
That girl was none other than Hinata Hyūga, heiress of the Hyūga clan, personal disciple of the Fourth Mizukage.
Thanks to Yoru's influence, Hinata had been well-fed and cared for from a young age.
Her Byakugan princess physique was perfectly nurtured, making her the most gifted Hyūga in a thousand years.
She was their shining jewel.
Due to the intricate political ties between the Hyūga and Uchiha, Naruto and Sasuke had met her early on—and even sparred with her.
They were soundly defeated.
Even without using her Shinigami powers, Hinata's refined Gentle Fist overwhelmed both of them.
Their egos, freshly boosted from Fugaku's training, were shattered.
That was the extent of their interaction.
Hinata was outwardly gentle, inwardly firm—even in the original timeline, she showed zero interest in Sasuke, unlike the other girls.
And since there had been no "Naruto saves Hinata in the snow" incident, she held no special feelings for him either.
Her world was simple. Small.
To her, there were only two kinds of people: family and strangers.
Of course, there was one person who was the most important and special—her teacher!
"Hinata, that concludes the entrance assessment.
You're the top scorer!"
Iruka stepped up with a smile.
"An outstanding result!
Class officially starts tomorrow at 8 a.m. Don't be late!"
"Thank you."
Hinata gave a quiet nod.
She didn't show any exaggerated emotion, even upon being named first.
She simply bowed gently to her future classmates—then turned and walked away.
"This year really is full of monstrous prodigies," Iruka muttered.
Looking at the stunned crowd of future shinobi, he clapped his hands.
"Alright, that's it for today!
First day of class starts tomorrow at 8 a.m.—don't be late!"
"Got it!"