By relying on the Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu, Naruto racked up experience at lightning speed. His days were packed: guiding Little Uchiha in his training, teasing him now and then, and forcing himself to endure the nausea while pretending to be obedient and dependent in front of the ever-lurking, death-flag-waving Danzo Shimura... Naruto's daily life was full to the brim. The fast-paced, fulfilling routine made it hard to notice just how quickly time was flying by.
And so, on the very day Naruto fully mastered the Flying Thunder God Technique, the date he had arranged with Danzo to return "home" quietly arrived—just in time for the grand and festive Lunar New Year.
"Huh? Kakashi Hatake? Raikiri? What's that?"
As usual, Little Uchiha clung to Naruto, begging to learn the Rasengan, but suddenly froze upon hearing this strange jutsu name from Naruto's mouth. Although unfamiliar, it sparked a faint sense of recognition. He frowned, crossed his arms, and searched his memory. Then, with a slight pout of dissatisfaction, he muttered, "Never heard of that one before... Hey Naruto, are you seriously just trying to fob me off with some random C-rank jutsu?"
Seeing Little Uchiha's expression of contempt and suspicion, Naruto couldn't help but chuckle. He was reminded of the original timeline—how Sasuke had begged Kakashi to teach him Chidori after seeing it shine in the Chūnin Exams. Now, with their roles reversed, the jutsu being scorned... was Raikiri.
"Of course not, Sasuke. I told you before, there's a lightning-style jutsu more suited to you than the Rasengan, right? That would be Raikiri, an S-rank jutsu. It's even more powerful than my Rasengan! But if you ask Kakashi-sensei to teach you, he'll probably make you start with the basics—Chidori."
Naruto turned his head slightly to hide his smirk and spoke in a soft, reassuring tone while gently rubbing Sasuke's now-skeptical cheeks. "Don't underestimate Chidori just because it's ranked lower. It's an A-rank jutsu, on par with my Rasengan! Besides, Raikiri is a modified version Kakashi adapted to suit himself—it's stronger, yes, but it has less room for further development. Chidori, though... has potential. You can shape it to fit your own path. Make something entirely unique that's yours."
"...R-Really? Is it really that amazing, Naruto?"
Despite his grumbling tone, Little Uchiha clearly trusted Naruto. The name Raikiri resonated with him somehow, drawing his curiosity even further. He paused, folded his arms again, and narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "Wait a second. If this Raikiri thing is really S-rank, why haven't I heard of it before? My dad's lightning-style scrolls never even mention it. You sure you're not making it up?"
"Of course not," Naruto replied without missing a beat. "Raikiri isn't well-known because it's a one-of-a-kind jutsu created by the personal student of the Fourth Hokage—Kakashi Hatake."
Naruto understood Sasuke well enough to know he wasn't actually uninterested in Chidori—he just hadn't let go of the Rasengan yet. With a calm smile, Naruto continued, "So it's no surprise most people haven't heard of Raikiri or Chidori. Only Kakashi, its creator, truly knows it."
Naruto wasn't lying. Sure, Kakashi had dazzled the battlefield during the Kannabi Bridge Incident with Chidori, but nowadays? Anyone who'd witnessed him use it was either:
Dead (like Rin Nohara, Minato Namikaze, or Uchiha Obito, who was currently faking his death and wreaking havoc under a mask),Or killed by Kakashi or Minato on the spot during battle,Or so distracted by Minato's blazing brilliance as the Yellow Flash that they paid no mind to Kakashi,Or too ashamed to admit they lost to a kid and kept their mouths shut.
In short, Chidori had never made it into the spotlight—it vanished from the war like a passing comet.
"This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity I begged for on your behalf, you know! You miss this chance, there won't be another!"
Naruto paused, waiting for Sasuke to respond, but the boy stayed silent. Just as Naruto was about to use reverse psychology, he turned his head—and froze.
"Wha...?"
Sasuke, beaming from ear to ear like a different person entirely, was already gripping Naruto's shoulders and shaking him with joy.
"You mean Kakashi-sensei is the personal student of the Fourth Hokage?!"
Sasuke had clearly picked up on that key detail and was now sparkling with excitement—literally. Stars seemed to twinkle in his eyes as he rattled off questions:
"Learn? Of course I want to learn! You're the best, Naruto! So when are we meeting Kakashi-sensei? I mean, Kakashi-sensei! Is this outfit okay? Should I go change? Should I bring my dad to say hi too? Naruto, come on, answer me!"
"St-stop shaking me—I'm gonna pass out!" Naruto gasped, putting on a weak, exaggerated expression. But he couldn't help asking, "Weren't you just saying you didn't want to learn this jutsu? Why the sudden change?"
"Naruto, don't you realize how amazing the Fourth Hokage is?! How are you not excited?!" Sasuke let go of Naruto's shoulders with a sigh, then returned to his fanboy mode—fingers intertwined in awe.
"The Fourth Hokage is the hero who saved the Hidden Leaf Village from the Nine-Tails! If Kakashi-sensei was his personal student, then of course he's powerful too! There's no way this is fake! I have to learn it! Hehe, and that means... I'll technically be the granddisciple of the Fourth Hokage!"
"...Ahaha... I see... Y-Yeah, that is kind of... impressive."
Naruto's smile twitched slightly, his body stiffening. He muttered under his breath, "...I didn't know my dad had that much street cred... And seriously? You're this hyped about being my dad's granddisciple? Once I become the Pervy Sage's apprentice, I'll be my dad's junior, you know. Heck, even the Rasengan was something he personally invented after being inspired by the Tailed Beast Bomb..."
In the end, Naruto had underestimated just how deeply the heroic image of the couple who sacrificed themselves to save the village—Minato Namikaze and Kushina Uzumaki—was etched into the hearts of the younger generation.
In fact, when Danzo chose to conceal Naruto's lineage instead of killing him off as a child, it wasn't just because of his Jinchūriki status or Third Hokage's protection. More than that, Danzo feared the immense legacy left behind by Minato Namikaze.
If Danzo had dared kill the orphan of the village's fallen hero, he wouldn't have needed the Hokage's hand to stop him—there would've been plenty of people in the Hidden Leaf Village ready to tear him apart in outrage.
Honestly, if the Third Hokage had ever publicly declared that Naruto was the son of Minato and Kushina, the entire village's attitude toward him would've done a complete 180. With just one call to arms, Naruto would've had the village's support behind him—and the Fifth Hokage's title would've been all but guaranteed.
That, right there, was the real reason the ever-cunning Danzo decided to recruit Naruto instead of eliminating him—he'd become too valuable to oppose.
As one old saying from Naruto's past life goes:
Some people are alive, but already dead.
And some are dead... but still alive.