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Hiruzen Sarutobi narrowed his eyes thoughtfully. Maybe… well, like father, like son, he mused. Then he simply shrugged it off. The boy had graduated without even properly attending a single day at the academy, and his own family didn't even know the extent of his knowledge or mastery of techniques. Now, Naruto had even created his own original speed technique—so fast, it left only a blur.
Impressive, Hiruzen thought, though he quickly dismissed the thought. I'm retired. This isn't my concern anymore. He returned to watching his grandson Konohamaru play nearby. Retirement really is peaceful, he thought, allowing a small smile to form.
Meanwhile, deep within the training forest, Naruto was pushing his limits. He had increased the gravity around his body to 100 times normal gravity. His movements were a blur, and yet, despite the immense pressure holding him down, the world around him still felt like it was slowing down.
It wasn't as slow as before—gravity was clearly holding his speed back—but the effect was still present. And it was working. His body was growing stronger, adapting, becoming faster and more refined. His training was yielding results faster than even he had anticipated.
Back at home, Menma and Mito were still outside after sparring with each other. They had trained with intense aggression, and now stood, panting, as the rest of the family—Minato, Kushina, Jiraiya, and Tsunade—approached, noticing the tension in the air.
Minato frowned, exchanging a concerned glance with Kushina. "What's wrong with them?" he muttered.
Jiraiya finally broke the silence. "Hey, Menma, calm down a bit. Can you tell me what's wrong? If something happened at the academy—if someone teased you or made fun of you—you can tell us."
Both Menma and Mito turned their gazes toward their parents and godparents. Minato stepped forward, his voice calm. "Menma, Mito… what's going on? And Mito—you left when we were celebrating your brother's graduation. Why? What's bothering you?"
Menma clenched his fists. His voice cracked as he shouted, "This only proves what we suspected all along!"
Minato was caught off guard. "What do you mean by that?"
"You told us we were special—that we were being trained because we had potential. But it was all a lie," Menma yelled. "You only trained us because you think we're weak. That we need help. But Naruto-niisan… you let him take the graduation exam without even telling us it was an option!"
He continued, voice rising in anger, "He passed! Not just passed—he became Rookie of the Year. That just shows what you really think. That Naruto is strong… and we're just weak, useless freeloaders."
Mito nodded silently beside him, her expression clouded with resentment. The outburst hit everyone hard.
Minato and Kushina were stunned. They had never imagined their children felt this way. Jiraiya narrowed his eyes and looked away, guilt washing over him. This is my fault, he thought grimly.
Tsunade, however, simply let out a heavy sigh. She had seen it coming.
Jealousy among siblings was almost inevitable—especially when from the very beginning, Menma and Mito had been told they were "special." But it wasn't explained properly. No one had told them the full truth. And now, Naruto had unintentionally shattered that illusion by surpassing them in every way—defeating them, graduating ahead of them, and proving his superiority with no help.
Everything they had been told about being special had been undone in a single day.
Minato had also considered the possibility that this might happen. But he hadn't expected the anger and frustration to run this deep. He sighed and glanced at Kushina, who nodded, her expression somber. She, too, was feeling the weight of their children's pain.
"Menma, Mito, come here," Minato said gently.
Menma looked like he was about to argue, but a sharp glance from Minato silenced him. Slowly, both siblings came inside.
Minato took a deep breath. "I was planning to tell you when you were older—maybe when you were about to graduate or when we started helping you master your power. But I think now is the time."
He paused before continuing.
"Menma, Mito… you both know what happened eight years ago, right? When the Kyūbi attacked our village? It caused massive destruction."
Both children nodded. Mito then spoke up. "But Dad… you killed it, didn't you?"
Minato shook his head. "No… you see, the Kyūbi—Kurama—is one of the nine Tailed Beasts, the Bijuu. They range from the One-Tail to the Nine-Tails. But here's the thing… none of the Bijuu have true physical bodies. They're beings made entirely of chakra."
He looked at them seriously.
"You can't kill chakra. Even if I had destroyed its body, it would've simply reformed over time. The Bijuu are immortal in that sense. There's no way to truly eliminate them."
He let the words sink in for a moment before continuing. "There is only one way to stop a Bijuu: sealing."
The room fell silent.
Menma's eyes widened. "You… you sealed it inside us, didn't you?"
Minato nodded slowly. "Yes… that's the reason we began training you from an early age. We wanted you to be able to handle that power—so it wouldn't consume you."
He turned serious. "The Kyūbi's chakra is rooted in hatred. If you lose control, it will take over. And that is something we never wanted to happen to either of you."
Menma and Mito glanced at each other, then back at their parents.
"So… that's the reason, huh?" Menma said softly. "That's why you've been training us from such a young age. But then… why didn't you include Naruto-niisan?"
Minato sighed. "When we began your training, we believed there was a risk the Kyūbi's chakra might leak out. During your fight with Naruto in the preliminary tournament, that didn't happen—but he was still able to handle it. And for that, I'm truly thankful."
He gave them a small, proud smile.
"Your brother is… a prodigy. Even without our guidance, he achieved remarkable power. I honestly don't know how to explain it—he's just… gifted."
Menma and Mito exchanged glances again, this time with softened expressions. They sighed and nodded.
"…All right, Dad," Menma said, his voice quieter now. "We… probably overreacted."
"Yeah," Mito added. "We were just… angry and confused."
Minato gave them a gentle smile, visibly relieved.
But deep within the minds of Menma and Mito, doubt had already taken root.
Even with the Kyūbi's power… they were beginning to feel like they would never catch up to their older brother. That no matter how much they trained, they would always remain in Naruto's shadow—a shadow that would grow so vast that even the entire village might not be able to contain it anymore.
[Time Skip – Shortly After]
Minato sat at his desk, going through a stack of files. He glanced up and said, "Well, Kakashi… I've made my decision." He then turned to Itachi, who stood silently nearby.
"I've decided how we're going to proceed with Naruto. Since the graduating class had an odd number of students, Naruto ended up without a team. There are no other genin available to complete a standard three-man squad."
Minato paused, then continued, "So, I've decided to appoint him as an apprentice. The only thing left to determine… is who will take him under their wing."
Kakashi leaned back with his usual indifferent expression. Meanwhile, Itachi narrowed his eyes slightly. He had been watching Naruto closely. He had seen the spark in him—the strength, the potential, the composure far beyond his years.
To be honest, Itachi wanted to take him.