Konoha was in chaos, buildings burning as Sound and Sand ninja clashed with Konoha's forces. Naruto sprinted toward the arena, his grin wide to mask his fear. "We got this, guys!" he shouted to Sakura and Shikamaru, who followed, their faces grim. The invasion was Orochimaru's doing, and Naruto's distrust burned hotter. Orochimaru knew he was a Jinchuriki—how many others did? The Hokage, Kakashi, Jiraiya—all of them were hiding something, and Naruto's victory over Gaara only deepened his resolve. Power was his path to the truth, and he'd need it now more than ever.At the arena, they learned the Third Hokage was battling Orochimaru on a rooftop, sealed within a barrier. Naruto's heart sank, but his grin stayed. "The old man's got this!" he said, but doubt gnawed at him. The Hokage was the key to the village's secrets, and if he died, those answers might be lost. Naruto summoned clones to help fend off Sound ninja, their numbers bolstered by the Nine-Tails' chakra. He fought fiercely, his cheerful facade hiding his desperation. He needed the Hokage alive.Kakashi appeared, his Sharingan blazing, directing them to protect civilians. Naruto obeyed, his clones scattering to rescue trapped villagers, but his eyes kept drifting to the rooftop. The barrier glowed, and he felt a surge of the Nine-Tails' chakra, unbidden, as if the fox sensed the danger. "Not now," he muttered, forcing it down. He needed control, not chaos.The battle ended with a sickening silence. The barrier fell, and the Third Hokage lay dead, Orochimaru gone. Naruto's grin vanished, his chest tight. The old man was gone, and with him, a piece of the puzzle. "No," he whispered, his voice breaking. He'd fought for Konoha, but the truth—why he was the Jinchuriki, why the village hated him—felt further away. He forced a smile, shouting, "We'll get that snake guy next time!" but his heart wasn't in it. Power had saved the village, but it hadn't saved the Hokage. He needed more.As they helped the wounded, Naruto's mind raced. The Scroll of Sealing, Jiraiya's training, the Nine-Tails—they were his tools, but they weren't enough. The village was rebuilding, and a new Hokage would rise, someone else to guard the secrets. Naruto's distrust hardened, but Gaara's pain lingered in his mind. Another Jinchuriki, another outcast. Maybe he wasn't alone—but he couldn't trust that yet.
