Seven months.
Only seven months had passed, yet everything inside Konoha had changed.
Shisui Uchiha buried his tired face in his hands. In the quiet of his room, the suffocating atmosphere of the village and the crisis hanging over it felt as heavy as lead. During these past two hundred days, he had watched Konoha slowly collapse from within. With every passing day, another layer of tension had settled over the village—heated arguments behind the closed doors of the Hokage Council, drawn blades in the ANBU camps, and frightened whispers spreading through ordinary streets.
Both sides had begun crossing the limits of their stubbornness and desperation.
The Hokage faction and Danzo's secret agents viewed every question raised against the authority of the village as an attack on Konoha itself. They believed that strict control was the only path to peace. To preserve that distorted stability, they were willing to erase pages of history, silence uncomfortable truths, and crush dissent through force.
On the other side, dissatisfaction within the Uchiha clan was reaching a boiling point. Years of isolation, distrust, and injustice had brought them to the verge of explosion. The Council's oppressive actions had strengthened their belief that they had no secure future under Konoha's protection.
And standing between these two enormous, colliding forces was a six-year-old child—Naruto.
Shisui closed his eyes and calculated countless possibilities. He searched for every path that might prevent the village from being consumed by civil war, but every road seemed to end in a sea of blood.
He knew what the Council was thinking.
If this child continued pulling at the foundations of the system, they would eventually silence him permanently.
And Shisui also knew exactly what his clan would do.
If the village laid a hand on Naruto, Uchiha blades would come out of their sheaths that very night.
If things reached that point...
Shisui clenched his fists bitterly.
If I have to become a villain in the eyes of the entire village to stop this destruction...
If I have to carry the burden of that sin upon my soul forever so that innocent lives can be saved...
Then I will become that villain.
There was no time left for hesitation or pity.
He tightened his shinobi gear and stood.
He had made his decision.
He would go to the Academy, confront Naruto, and bring an end to this open challenge to the authority of the village—through words if possible.
And if words failed...
He would use his power and authority.
---
Meanwhile, in the open veranda of the Yamanaka compound, Inoichi Yamanaka, Shikaku Nara, and Choza Akimichi sat together.
The tea on the table had gone cold long ago, but none of them had paid any attention to it. The seriousness hanging in the air felt like a warning of something terrible approaching.
Inoichi placed a folded intelligence report on the center of the table.
"This is no longer merely an internal political problem."
Choza frowned.
"What do you mean?"
"Other villages," Inoichi replied in a low, serious voice. "Over the past few months, the information our intelligence network has gathered from beyond our borders is alarming."
"The Cloud and Stone villages have already realized that a serious conflict has developed between Naruto and Konoha's higher leadership."
Choza exhaled heavily.
"How much do they know?"
Inoichi looked directly into his eyes.
"Enough that they're waiting for the right opportunity."
"Waiting for what?"
Inoichi's expression hardened.
"For a major explosion inside the village."
Silence filled the room.
Shikaku quietly picked up the report and began turning through its pages.
"And what about the ordinary people of Konoha?"
A worried smile appeared on Choza's face.
"Every street and crossroads in the village is filled with political discussions. Shopkeepers, civilians, even lower-ranking shinobi are openly asking why the Hokage's office is so disturbed by the questions of a little boy."
Inoichi nodded.
"And that is our greatest failure."
Shikaku placed the report back on the table.
"Because if ordinary people begin asking why Naruto is being stopped so aggressively..."
He paused.
"...their next question will naturally be: What exactly did Naruto ask?"
"And after that?" Choza asked.
"People will start searching for the answers themselves," Shikaku replied.
His voice became harder.
"And the biggest problem is that Naruto is not the kind of person who backs down."
"Nor is the Hokage Council willing to surrender its authority or allow its reputation to be damaged," Choza added.
Shikaku took a long breath.
"That's the root of the entire conflict. On one side, we have Naruto, who believes that if a system is just and righteous, it should have nothing to fear from questions."
"And on the other side, we have the established order," Inoichi said, "which seems to believe that some things simply must never be questioned if authority and stability are to survive."
"And neither side is willing to take even one step backward," Shikaku said.
Choza looked serious.
"If this continues to escalate, what happens next?"
Shikaku remained silent for several moments.
Then he spoke.
"Naruto will eventually do something big."
Inoichi looked at him.
"Why do you think so?"
"Because there is a very precise pattern behind everything he does."
Shikaku interlocked his fingers.
"He asks a simple question first. Then he observes the reaction of the person in authority. If he doesn't receive an answer that satisfies him, he brings the same question before a larger audience."
"And when the authorities pressure him into silence..."
Shikaku's eyes narrowed.
"...he turns that pressure itself into another question."
His expression became grim.
"I don't know what his next move will be. But one thing is certain. Whatever Naruto does next will be much bigger than everything he has done before."
Silence once again filled the room.
Shikaku slowly continued.
"And when that happens, Konoha's leadership will respond with an equally severe measure to suppress him."
Choza's expression darkened.
"And then?"
Shikaku looked through the window at the distant village.
"Then Naruto's response will be even more frightening."
Inoichi asked quietly,
"And eventually?"
Shikaku closed his eyes.
"Eventually, this conflict will reach a dead end from which neither side will be able to return."
---
The Academy bell rang, and children began pouring out through the gates in the fading afternoon.
Naruto, Ino, Shikamaru, Choji, Hinata, Sasuke, and Sakura walked together toward the main entrance as usual. The other students gradually separated and headed toward their homes.
Then Naruto's steps suddenly stopped.
His eyes fell directly ahead.
Shisui Uchiha was standing at the enormous iron gate of the Academy.
Sasuke also froze when he saw the older Uchiha.
"Shisui-aniki...?"
A faint, mysterious smile appeared on Naruto's lips.
He whispered,
"Looks like I'm visiting the Uchiha clan today."
Sasuke looked at Naruto in surprise but said nothing.
Naruto walked forward without hesitation.
Shisui greeted him with a faint smile.
"Naruto."
"Shisui-san."
"How was your day at the Academy?"
"Same as always."
"And those questions of yours?"
Naruto's smile deepened slightly.
"The questions are the same. Only the faces answering them keep changing."
Shisui let out a quiet breath.
"I need to talk to you about something very important."
Naruto continued walking past him.
"About what?"
"Somewhere private."
Naruto kept walking.
"Private? Why not?"
He didn't stop.
Shisui had no choice but to follow.
Behind them, Ino, Shikamaru, Choji, Hinata, Sasuke, and Sakura also continued walking at a certain distance.
After some time, Naruto looked back.
"Aren't you all going home?"
Shikamaru shrugged with his hands in his pockets.
"You're going somewhere, so we want to see what happens next."
Naruto smiled and continued forward.
They were heading toward the restricted territory of the Uchiha clan.
Shisui looked slightly uncomfortable.
"Naruto, I said I wanted to speak with you alone."
Naruto answered without stopping.
"Here on the road? This place is private enough."
Shisui shook his head.
"I mean... completely alone. Just you and me."
Naruto stopped and looked into Shisui's eyes.
"Why do you want to speak to me alone, Shisui-san?"
Shisui's steps stopped.
"Because what I'm going to say is extremely sensitive and serious."
Naruto began walking again.
"We aren't related. You didn't know my parents, and we don't have any personal connection."
He gestured toward the children following behind them.
"So if what you have to say is right and reasonable, why should you have a problem saying it in front of my friends?"
"If an idea is true, it shouldn't need to be hidden inside a closed room."
Shisui had no immediate answer.
They gradually entered the ancient and enormous training ground of the Uchiha clan.
At first, only a few young Uchiha children were practicing with kunai and training weapons.
When they saw Naruto and Shisui approaching, they stopped.
Then several teenagers gathered.
After that, young Uchiha shinobi began appearing around the edges of the training ground.
Eventually, several older members of the clan also arrived.
Naruto looked around at the growing crowd.
Then he turned toward Shisui.
"Now we're standing in the heart of your clan."
He smiled.
"Now this place is completely private."
Shisui repeated himself.
"That's not what I meant. I meant a conversation between only the two of us."
Naruto smiled.
"You can say whatever you came to say here."
Shisui's expression suddenly hardened.
Finally, he spoke in a serious voice.
"Naruto, you need to stop challenging the established order of the village."
Naruto didn't stop walking.
"Why?"
"Because this path is extremely dangerous."
"For whom?"
"For you."
Naruto stopped and faced him.
"If the system was created to protect us and the people of this village, then how can asking whether that system is doing its job properly be dangerous?"
Shisui raised his voice slightly.
"Because when you constantly challenge the village's highest authority, ordinary people lose faith in the system!"
"And if people lose faith in it?" Naruto asked.
"Then the entire village could descend into chaos and civil war!"
Naruto remained silent for several moments.
Then he spoke slowly.
"If merely asking basic questions and seeking the truth is enough to bring a system to the edge of collapse..."
His eyes remained fixed on Shisui.
"...then is the problem with the person asking the questions, or with the broken system?"
Shisui instinctively took a step backward.
Naruto turned completely toward him.
"You seem to have forgotten why this village and its entire structure were created in the first place."
Shisui opened his mouth, but Naruto continued.
"This village was founded to protect children. So they wouldn't be thrown into the flames of war before they even had the chance to grow up."
Naruto looked across the Uchiha gathered around the training ground before returning his gaze to Shisui.
"So did this system fulfill its first responsibility?"
"Or did the people sitting in positions of power become more concerned with protecting their chairs, authority, and influence?"
Several young Uchiha exchanged glances.
There was a weight to Naruto's words that was difficult to dismiss.
Shisui had no immediate answer.
Naruto stepped forward.
"If the system is truthful and fair, then it has no reason to fear my questions."
"And if it is wrong, silencing me won't make its mistakes correct."
Shisui took a long, painful breath.
"You're still very young, Naruto. You don't understand that sometimes painful truths have to be suppressed to prevent greater destruction and maintain peace."
Naruto's eyes sharpened.
"Whose peace?"
"The peace of the person being suppressed?"
"Or the peace of the authority doing the suppressing?"
Tension became visible in Shisui's eyes.
"If every person starts questioning every rule and decision, how will society and the village function?"
Naruto answered without hesitation.
"Perhaps it will function better than it does today."
Shisui shook his head helplessly.
"You're too young..."
A sarcastic smile appeared on Naruto's face.
"Using my age isn't an argument, Shisui-san."
Shisui closed his eyes.
He was approaching the final move.
"What if, instead of answering your questions, the authorities use their overwhelming power to stop you?"
Naruto did not answer with words.
The enormous and ancient chakra within his tiny body suddenly awakened.
BOOM!
There was no physical explosion.
But in an instant, the entire atmosphere of the training ground changed.
An enormous, invisible pressure erupted from Naruto's body and spread in every direction.
The weight pressing down on the air suddenly multiplied.
The ground itself seemed to groan beneath the invisible force.
Several experienced Uchiha shinobi immediately dropped to their knees.
Some of the younger warriors trembled violently, struggling simply to remain standing.
Yet a handful of people remained on their feet.
Shisui.
Itachi.
Fugaku.
And two other exceptionally powerful Uchiha elders.
Far away, hidden among dense trees and rooftops, the ANBU observers monitoring the area were stunned by the sudden pressure.
One of them held his breath.
This chakra...
What is this six-year-old child?
But the most astonishing part was that the children standing directly behind Naruto—Sasuke, Ino, Shikamaru, Choji, Hinata, and Sakura—were completely unaffected.
Not even the slightest pressure touched them.
Naruto had directed the force only toward those who had placed themselves before him as shinobi and guardians of authority.
Shisui stared at Naruto with wide eyes.
Naruto stood completely still.
There was no anger in his blue eyes.
No arrogance.
Only absolute resolve.
Shisui spoke with a trembling voice.
"So... you're using force too."
Naruto answered calmly.
"Yes."
Shisui's expression hardened.
"Then what's the difference between you and them?"
Naruto looked directly into his eyes.
"The difference is that I'm not using my power to silence anyone."
"I'm not using it to stop anyone from asking questions."
His voice remained calm.
"I don't want anyone to stop questioning."
"I want everyone to question everything."
The words echoed across the training ground.
"Question me."
"Question this great Uchiha clan."
"Question your Hokage."
"Question this entire shinobi system."
"And most importantly..."
His eyes swept across the gathered Uchiha.
"...question your own beliefs."
Naruto paused.
His gaze briefly moved toward Sasuke before returning to the Uchiha standing before him.
"Everything that happened to me in the past..."
His voice carried a deeper pain now.
"Everything that happened to this Uchiha clan..."
"And everything that happened to countless ordinary people who have silently suffered inside this village for years..."
"Do you know why all of it happened?"
The entire training ground was silent.
"It happened because nobody had the courage to ask the most basic questions at the right time."
"Nobody stood up and asked—Why?"
"Nobody asked—Whose interests does this order serve?"
"Who made this decision?"
"Who benefited from it?"
"And who paid the price?"
Naruto slowly shook his head.
"People surrendered their ability to think and their free will to others."
"They decided that if someone in authority said something, it must be correct."
"If the clan head said it, it must be correct."
"If the village leadership said it, then that had to be the final truth."
"And slowly, people stopped thinking for themselves."
His eyes hardened.
"They stopped thinking and questioning like conscious human beings."
"They simply followed others like sheep walking toward a slaughterhouse."
"And when a person gives up their ability to think, their conscience, and their fundamental right to question..."
Naruto's eyes locked directly onto Shisui's.
"...then they lose what makes them human."
For the first time in his life, genuine fear appeared in Shisui's eyes.
But Naruto wasn't finished.
"And that is why, Shisui-san..."
His voice became colder.
"...you are my greatest and most dangerous opponent in this entire game."
Shisui's entire body went numb.
"Me...?"
"Yes."
Naruto's voice was almost ice.
"Because you possess a power that almost no one else in this world possesses."
Shisui's breathing stopped.
"You possess a power that is far more terrifying than killing someone."
"You can change a person's will without killing them."
"You can implant an idea into someone's mind so perfectly that they can spend the rest of their life believing that the decision was their own..."
"...when in reality, it was your decision all along."
Shisui's eyes widened completely.
His mind screamed one terrifying thought.
He knows.
He knows about my eye's most secret ability.
Naruto spoke the name.
"Kotoamatsukami."
Shisui couldn't utter a single word.
"That is what makes you the most dangerous person to me."
Naruto continued.
"Killing someone can still, in some circumstances, be an act of mercy."
"But taking away someone's ability to think and their freedom of consciousness..."
"There is no greater violation than that."
"And if you use that power in your eye to change my will..."
"To make me quiet..."
"Then the world outside will believe that Naruto has changed."
"That he has become calm."
"That he has finally stopped challenging the system."
Naruto's eyes remained fixed on him.
"But that wouldn't be Naruto."
"It would simply be a living puppet created by Shisui Uchiha."
Shisui's heart hammered against his chest.
Naruto didn't merely know about Kotoamatsukami.
He had somehow understood the deepest conflict within Shisui himself—the conflict Shisui had hidden from the entire world.
And then Naruto spoke again.
"That's why you are my greatest opposition."
"Because you have the power to take away free will itself."
Shisui's pupils contracted.
For the first time, a terrifying thought entered his mind.
He knows.
He knows it too.
He understood what Naruto was saying.
The child standing before him wasn't merely afraid of being killed.
Naruto was afraid of something far more fundamental.
He was afraid of becoming someone who could no longer choose.
At that very moment, two figures appeared through the main arched entrance of the training ground.
Itachi Uchiha.
And directly behind him, the head of the Uchiha clan—Fugaku Uchiha.
Both stopped where they stood.
They saw the unprecedented scene before them.
Dozens of Uchiha shinobi were bent beneath Naruto's chakra.
Shisui stood frozen, his face filled with an emotion Itachi had rarely, if ever, seen on him.
And before him stood a six-year-old boy, completely calm, surrounded by an overwhelming presence.
Fugaku's eyes narrowed.
Itachi's gaze moved between Shisui and Naruto, deep astonishment visible in his expression.
Naruto turned toward the two newcomers.
Then his eyes returned to Shisui.
"Now tell me, Shisui-san..."
His voice was almost casual.
"...what did you come here to talk to me about?"