Early the Next Morning
After a quick wash-up, Naruto was just about to head out for a stroll when he suddenly remembered the house arrest order given to him by the Third Hokage the day before. Looking disappointed, he returned to his room, glanced at the snow-covered street outside, and passed the time doing some light morning exercises.
Due to his age, Naruto's morning routine only involved simple stretches, without any intense training.
First, because he was still too young, and second, because he didn't have any effective physical training methods. Blindly pushing his body could potentially hinder his future physical development.
He didn't know how much time had passed when he heard the sound of something heavy hitting the door. Opening it, he saw several boxes in the hallway.
Remembering what the Third Hokage had said the previous day, Naruto figured these must be the "reading materials" and supplies for his period of house arrest that the ANBU had delivered.
He brought all the boxes inside and eagerly opened the one filled with books.
There were about a dozen books inside. Naruto glanced at the covers—titles like Geography of the Shinobi World, History of Konoha, and The Will of Fire stood out.
He immediately skipped over The Will of Fire and History of Konoha, and picked up Geography of the Shinobi World instead.
While he knew a lot about the plot of Naruto, he was completely unfamiliar with the cultural geography and customs of the shinobi world. These books were the perfect opportunity to fill in that gap.
The book was fairly short. Naruto finished reading it in about an hour and gained a general understanding of the geography of the shinobi world.
But the geography struck him as odd—completely at odds with what he had learned in his previous life.
For example, the Land of Rain and the Land of Wind were on the same latitude, yet one had constant rainfall while the other was an arid desert. Perhaps this had something to do with chakra—after all, this was a world imbued with supernatural powers.
After a few internal complaints, Naruto picked up History of Konoha, a mysterious smile appearing on his face. He was confident he knew more about Konoha's history than even the Third Hokage.
But after reading a few pages, Naruto's expression froze. The content had been heavily edited.
While the Senju clan was portrayed fairly objectively, the importance of the Sarutobi, Shimura, and Ino-Shika-Cho clans during Konoha's founding was grossly exaggerated. Meanwhile, the Uchiha clan's contributions were downplayed or barely mentioned at all…
Speechless, Naruto set the History of Konoha aside and turned his attention to The Will of Fire.
Though unfamiliar with the book, he decided to read it anyway—after all, it was the very reason the Third Hokage had sent him this whole stack of reading materials.
If he didn't read it, who knew if the old man would stop sending books to pass the time?
---
Hokage's Office
After finishing some paperwork, the Third Hokage lit a cigarette and used his crystal ball to switch the view to Naruto's room.
As he watched Naruto begin reading the book he had sent, The Will of Fire, the Third smiled with satisfaction.
Looking after the jinchūriki and ensuring they didn't go astray was part of his daily duties as Hokage.
He still didn't know exactly who had spread the rumor that Naruto was the Nine-Tailed Fox—but the impact was real. It had caused widespread prejudice against the boy and had destabilized the jinchūriki's mental state.
But as long as the Will of Fire prevailed, Naruto would surely find his way back to the right path and grow into a ninja useful to the village.
Just then, a shadow flashed across the room. An ANBU tasked with a special investigation knelt before the Hokage.
The Third put away the crystal ball and looked at the ANBU.
"How did it go? Did you find out who spread the rumor about the demon fox?"
The ANBU hesitated, seemingly uncertain. "Lord Third…"
The Hokage gave him a calm look. "Speak freely."
After choosing his words carefully, the ANBU replied, "According to my investigation, the rumor was spread not only by foreign spies, but also by people within the village—including members of the higher-ups…"
The Third Hokage narrowed his eyes and motioned for the ANBU to stop.
If it was someone from the high command, there was only one person it could be—his old 'friend,' Danzo.
Since returning to the position of Hokage, he had already given Root enough authority, yet Danzo still insisted on interfering with Naruto, trying to manipulate him.
This was far beyond what he could tolerate. It was time to send a message.
The ANBU on the floor cautiously asked, "Lord Third, should we clarify the rumors about the demon fox?"
The Third Hokage looked at him deeply and slowly shook his head. "Not for now. If we address the rumors directly, it may only confirm Naruto's identity as the jinchūriki in the public's eyes."
"…Understood, Lord Third."
The Hokage once again turned to the crystal ball, falling into deep thought as he watched Naruto read.
By all rights, he should immediately issue an official clarification.
But once again, he hesitated. Maintaining the current situation was actually the most beneficial path—for him.
The more hardship and loneliness Naruto endured, the more admirable and fatherly he himself would seem in Naruto's eyes.
Still, letting Naruto remain isolated forever wasn't ideal either, and he didn't have much time to keep Naruto company.
Maybe it was time to help Naruto make a few friends.
With that thought, he turned to the ANBU and said, "Have the head of the Nara clan come to the Hokage Building. I need to discuss something with him."
---
Back in Naruto's Room
After spending most of the day, Naruto finally finished reading The Will of Fire.
To be honest, he didn't feel particularly hostile toward its content—but he wasn't fond of it either.
The central message of the Will of Fire could be boiled down to a single line:
"Where the leaves dance, so too does the fire. The fire's shadow will shine upon the village and allow new leaves to grow."
In essence, the message was:
The youth are the hope of the future. The older generation must trust and protect them. The sacrifices of the past are not meaningless—they inspire the younger generation to shoulder the future.
To Naruto, it sounded more like a slogan meant to rally people, rather than a concept with real substance.
During the First and Second Hokage's eras, their actions naturally embodied the Will of Fire. But the Third had relied on the ideology to win hearts and keep the ninja clans united and under control.
Naruto wasn't sure how many people in the village truly believed in or practiced the Will of Fire.
But he was sure there were more who paid lip service to it than those who genuinely lived by it—and even more who used the phrase as a means to further their own interests.
Naruto wouldn't become a diehard supporter of the Will of Fire, but he also wasn't dumb enough to openly oppose it.
After all, there was nothing wrong with the slogan itself—only with the ridiculous people hiding behind it.
Having sorted out his thoughts, Naruto found himself a little bored. He casually tossed The Will of Fire aside and laid down on the sofa for a nap.
It was only the first day of his house arrest. Who knew how long it would last?
But for him, it didn't matter. He had food, clothes, and plenty of books to pass the time.
However, just as Naruto drifted into
a deep sleep, a faint trace of crimson chakra began to leak out from the Four Symbols Seal on his stomach.
(End of Chapter)
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