Naruto: I am Uchiha Shirou

Chapter 411 - Naruto: I am Uchiha Shirou [411]

Inside the hospital ward.

"Hokage-sama, Lord Sasuke's injuries have stabilized, but his eyes have been gouged out, and it seems his chakra is severely depleted. Now..."

As the medical ninja reported gravely, Naruto finally breathed a sigh of relief.

But looking at Sasuke on the hospital bed, Naruto's expression grew heavy.

"We must transplant a pair of eyes for Sasuke. Even if they aren't Sharingan or Rinnegan, he needs to regain his sight quickly—and his arm, too! Immediately notify the ANBU to prepare an arm transplant, just like mine. Only then can we face the enemies ahead."

"Yes, sir!"

Naruto now was no longer the impulsive hotblooded youth of the past, but a mature and steady Seventh Hokage.

Sasuke's power was a rare combat asset. Even without his Sharingan and Rinnegan, he was still the second strongest after Naruto.

"Naruto!"

Lying on the hospital bed, Sasuke naturally heard Naruto's orders, and his lips trembled.

Why didn't he reattach his arm before? Besides atonement, the main reason was to weaken his power.

As expected, the only one in the whole ninja world who cared about him was Naruto.

"Sasuke! Don't worry. I'll inform Sakura and have her take care of you soon."

Naruto forced a casual smile, but there was a hint of guilt and awkwardness in his eyes.

Sasuke's return was too sudden. Right now, Sakura was already assigned to a top-secret mission at the hospital.

Indeed, upon hearing Sakura's name, Sasuke froze for a moment, even though he was trapped in darkness and couldn't see anything.

But with his sharp mind, he quickly realized the key point.

That is, after Tsunade, Sakura was the strongest medical ninja in Konoha, even in the entire ninja world.

Sakura was on a very important mission, or she would have already been here.

"Sasuke, rest assured. I'll make sure you regain your sight and your arm."

Naruto seemed to think of something, and his expression became firm as he nodded.

The next moment, he created a shadow clone and hurried off to the hospital. He needed to notify Sakura immediately and have her make all the necessary preparations. Not a single slip-up was allowed.

...

Hospital.

Department head Sakura, in a white coat, sat in a chair with a gloomy expression.

Standing opposite her was her rebellious daughter, Uchiha Sarada.

"Sarada, just look at yourself—earrings, lip rings, and these weird clothes—what are you even trying to do!"

Sakura spoke angrily but lacked confidence. A year ago, she'd have been much more forceful, but now...

Sarada, seeing her mother's expression, sneered, stuck out her tongue, and even sat with her legs spread, saying disdainfully:

"Didn't I learn it from you, Mom?"

"You—!"

"What, Mom? My dear mother, your so-called mission sure is great, huh!"

Sarada said angrily.

Who would have thought that the mother she once respected most... Six months ago, Sarada had gotten sick, taken leave from school, and come to the hospital to visit her mother.

But through a crack in the door, she'd witnessed another side of her mother with her own eyes.

Her dear mother was having an affair with someone.

"I—"

Sakura's face was full of grievance. She didn't know how to explain. But it was Naruto's mission that had ruined her.

"I've explained countless times—it's all for the mission! The Hokage's top-secret mission!"

Sakura said hoarsely, feeling aggrieved.

"The Jonin Keyaru—Hokage-sama said this man resembled a powerful enemy, maybe even identical, and ordered me to keep watch.

But no matter how I probed with genjutsu or other means, I found nothing suspicious. Naruto said the danger might be gone, but we can't drop our guard. I must keep watch!"

"And you kept watch... by having sex with him?"

Sarada sneered, stepping forward and mercilessly tearing away her mother's facade.

"Sarada, let me explain—it wasn't like that at first, but later..."

"Sakura-chan!"

Just as Sakura was about to explain, Naruto's voice suddenly came from outside.

Sakura's face changed. As the door opened and she saw Naruto, she was immediately furious.

"Naruto! Look at what you've done!"

But Naruto instantly grabbed Sakura's fist, his expression grave as he said:

"Sakura, I told you long ago that this mission was dangerous. You insisted on taking it. I never forced you. Besides, you don't want Sasuke to know, do you?"

"What!"

At that last threat, Sakura's pupils shrank. Someone might find out!?

If that happened—her mind flashed to the scene of her on her knees in the office with Keyaru. She looked away in panic.

Naruto glanced subtly at Sarada.

Sarada snorted and left, acting every bit the rebellious teenager.

"Sakura, Sasuke is back!"

After Sarada left, Naruto's words made Sakura's expression change drastically.

Sasuke was back!

If he learned what she had done, would she have any way out?

Sensing Sakura's worry, Naruto took a deep breath and said heavily:

"Don't worry. Just say you're too busy to come home for a while. Sasuke won't notice. And besides, he's injured. I need your help with something, and if you do it, he definitely won't find out."

"What is it?!"

Sakura's eyes darted around anxiously.

Naruto, thinking of Sasuke on the hospital bed, hesitated briefly, then said firmly:

"Sakura, you're the village's top medical ninja. If you make Sasuke like me, he won't discover your secrets—in fact, he'll avoid you.

Even if he does find out, he won't say anything. After all, he'll be just like me."

WHAT?

When the darkness in someone's heart is magnified, it breeds even more darkness.

At the same time, this emotional magnification made Naruto even more obsessively devoted to the village, willing to sacrifice anything to protect it.

This is the so-called principle that 'the righteous become even more righteous.'

You could say that now, Naruto's good qualities have been amplified, too.

Since Naruto's return a year ago, Konoha's development had grown ever more stable, showing just how upright a person he was.

But it was this very quality that revealed Naruto's inner darkness—he was lacking in private virtue.

This was why, after learning the truth, Sakura, Hinata, and others were angry, yet helpless.

The Seventh Hokage was still the village-loving Naruto, but with a small private vice—not enough to be a great crime.

"What! You want Sasuke to become like you?!"

Sakura knew well why Naruto had changed—purely due to a physical defect, which was why she was so shocked.

Naruto nodded firmly.

"Sakura, this is to protect you—and Sasuke, too."

This was Naruto's selfishness. If Sasuke became like him, they'd be equals, fighting side by side.

Sakura's mind buzzed, her eyes full of struggle.

Naruto had lost his lower body, and his personality had slowly changed. Clearly, he was too lonely—so lonely that he wanted a companion.

And Sasuke just happened to be that companion.

Sakura also thought of the things she'd done with Keyaru, feeling a surge of fear. If her dirty secrets came out, being killed would be nothing.

The most terrifying thing was that her secrets must never be revealed.

"Sakura! You don't want Sasuke to know what you've done, right? And anyway, Sasuke is away most of the year. You and I both know he has no real needs in that area..."

In this world, the Seventh Hokage Naruto's inner darkness had been amplified, and under his influence, the whole world had changed.

Butterfly effect!

After all, Naruto's identity was too special—as Seventh Hokage, his influence was huge.

"Sakura, these past six months, under your drug's effects, Shikamaru, Choji, Sai... they..."

Naruto's final trump card pushed Sakura to the brink of collapse.

No one knew how long their conversation went on, but finally, Naruto left the office with a long sigh of relief, while inside, Sakura's face was covered in tears.

She knew there was no turning back. After taking on this mission, she'd already done too many things she shouldn't have.

"Sasuke... Don't blame me. You hardly come home anyway."

Muttering, Sakura gazed out the window at the bustling Konoha. Who could imagine the filth hidden beneath its prosperity?

But compared to Danzo's old Root, Naruto's small vices were nothing.

Yet Sakura didn't know that outside the hospital, in the woods, her rebellious daughter was meeting with the Seventh Hokage.

...

Under the shade of a tree.

"Hokage-sama!"

Rebellious Uchiha Sarada now knelt respectfully on one knee—no longer a rebellious teen but a dutiful elite on a mission.

Naruto looked at her with a grave expression, then smiled approvingly.

"Sarada, thank you for your hard work."

"You're too kind, Hokage-sama. It's all for Konoha."

Sarada reported everything she'd learned in this period.

"Jonin Keyaru—after seducing him, I've confirmed he isn't very strong. And with your drug, Hokage-sama, he's been lost in lust these past six months, never leaving Konoha, always surrounded by women. The fluid samples show he's just an ordinary Jonin..."

As Sarada reported, Naruto relaxed inside. Had he just been too suspicious?

"Sarada, I can't help being suspicious. I nearly died at Uchiha Shirou's hands once. But someone in the village looked just like him, so I had to investigate.

For this, not only Sakura but even Hinata—my wife—was sent on this mission..."

Hearing this, Sarada showed admiration. Even the Hokage's wife had been sent, showing the Hokage's dedication.

At first, Naruto had only suspected Keyaru, with no other intentions.

But as the investigation went on, and his inner darkness grew, things started to go off track.

But even that had its benefits—not only was his spirit satisfied, but after long-term tests and investigations, it was clear that Keyaru was not Uchiha Shirou.

That was also why Shirou, after coming to this world for a year, could only hide as a regular person in Konoha.

Naruto's surveillance was too strict, and using the Fission Technique, Shirou's power was limited, so he could only endure.

He'd even sealed much of his power to avoid detection, leaving only Jonin-level strength.

Only after the Otsutsuki clan arrived did he risk revealing his power for a chance.

Indeed, he succeeded in ambushing Sasuke, who was already exhausted.

But a year of being tested left Shirou frustrated—his trap for Naruto had been used against him.

"Sarada, don't worry. When Sakura learns what you've done, she'll be proud of you."

Naruto's face, at that moment, overlapped more and more with that of the Third Hokage. He had truly inherited Hiruzen's will.

"Thank you, Hokage-sama!"

Sarada nodded excitedly. Even though she'd had to make sacrifices for the mission, she didn't regret it—everything was for the village.

As she watched Naruto leave, Sarada took a stack of photos from her ninja pouch.

They showed Sakura's various secret affairs in the office.

"All for the Will of Fire. All for the village!"

Sarada nodded firmly. At her age, she didn't even question whether this was right or wrong.

...

As Naruto left, he felt overwhelming guilt—mostly toward his companions, though he kept convincing himself.

"I'm not wrong. Keyaru and Uchiha Shirou look too much alike. I must fulfill my Hokage duties, but I can't go too far. Otherwise, I'd be no different from Root."

"And everyone is happy—Sakura, Hinata... they're satisfied. I didn't hurt Keyaru. If Grandpa Hiruzen knew, he'd approve."

"Yes! I'm not wrong! Everyone's satisfied! They're all happy!"

Naruto nodded to himself, feeling less guilty toward Keyaru.

Even though, as Hokage, he shouldn't doubt his ninja, he'd compensated them, after all.

While the ninja world was becoming more and more twisted, the enemies from space—Otsutsuki Momoshiki and Kinshiki—finally arrived, breaking the world's downward spiral.

At the same time, the largest Chuunin Exams in the five great shinobi villages were underway.