"You let Naruto drink alcohol?"
As soon as the two Anbu ninjas entered, they saw Naruto lying on a soft chair, peacefully asleep. They furrowed their brows and asked.
Naruto is still young, and yet, Genya made him drink!
"It was just regular fruit wine, not intoxicating. The problem is, Naruto drank too much!" Genya explained, also finishing a cup of fruit wine.
This was to prove that he hadn't drugged Naruto!
In fact, he had encountered these two Anbu ninjas a few times before. Every time, it was either when Naruto was fast asleep or when he had temporarily left. The purpose was to warn Genya.
It was probably the Third Hokage who gave them orders to always keep an eye on him.
"Since Naruto is drunk, we'll take him back!" The leader, Kimura, said to Genya, speaking slowly and deliberately.
"Yeah, it's time for him to rest," Genya nodded, not trying to stop them any further.
He stepped forward to help Naruto.
"Huh? How did Naruto's hand get injured?" Suddenly, Kimura felt something was off. He noticed a wound on Naruto's wrist, which had been bandaged.
It seemed like a small piece of flesh was missing!
"Oh, that? Naruto got drunk and accidentally bumped into a hook. I've already done a simple bandage for him!" Genya explained with a smile, then continued, "It's just a small wound. It will heal soon!"
Kimura didn't suspect anything. After all, Naruto was mischievous, and it was normal for him to get bumps and bruises.
They didn't think much of it and picked Naruto up to leave.
After watching them leave, Genya took a small glass bottle from his sleeve. Inside the bottle was a small amount of fresh blood and a tiny piece of flesh.
This was Naruto's blood and flesh.
No, this was from the Uzumaki clan, a small piece, but enough to grow more cells.
"Tonight, I'll give this blood and flesh to Hikari, and let her study it in the new underground lab!" Genya muttered softly as he put the glass bottle back into his sleeve.
It's best if fewer people know about these experiments. Only the closest ones should be aware.
"Itachi, do you know why I asked you to come here?"
Uchiha Fugaku looked at Uchiha Itachi, his eyes heavy with emotion.
He had originally wanted to ensure the survival of the Uchiha clan in Konoha, but the Third Hokage's injustice had shattered his resolve.
Thinking back on the struggles the Uchiha clan had faced in recent years, he had come to understand many things.
So, today, he decided to talk things through with Itachi.
"I don't know!" Itachi replied firmly, shaking his head. He didn't understand why his father had called him over at night.
Uchiha Fugaku didn't respond but continued asking, "Do you know about the history of our Uchiha clan, and about Madara?"
Itachi shook his head again, decisively.
Uchiha Fugaku spoke slowly, "When Konoha was first established, our leader, Madara, planned to start a rebellion to fight for control of the village against Hashirama. But the clan members, tired of the fighting, refused to join the rebellion. After Madara fought Hashirama, the First Hokage, he left Konoha!"
"Why are you telling me this?" Itachi's expression turned serious. He knew that his father must have a reason for bringing it up today.
"We Uchiha don't like war, and our eyes are not evil!" Fugaku suddenly said. Then he continued, "But the village blamed our clan for the Nine-Tails incident. The truth is, no one in the Uchiha clan left the village at that time!"
"It's very likely that it was Madara's doing!"
"But why did Konoha blame the entire Uchiha clan for the actions of a traitor? And we didn't even join Madara in his rebellion!"
"I've realized now... they didn't want our clan to grow stronger, because if we did, they would lose control over us!"
"They fear that the Uchiha clan will produce another Madara!"
Fugaku spoke passionately, as if trying to release all the pent-up frustration he had been carrying.
Itachi silently listened, his face expressionless. It was hard to tell if he felt anything about the injustice his clan had faced.
"Itachi, do you know what I regret most?" Fugaku asked after a while, his gaze turning toward Itachi with deep sorrow.
Itachi remained expressionless, asking, "What is it?"
"It's that when I competed for Hokage, I gave up without a fight and let Minato have the chance!" Fugaku's face twisted in a bittersweet smile. It was unclear whether he was regretting it or something else.
He even wondered if he had become Hokage, would the Uchiha have been forced to the outskirts of the village after the Nine-Tails incident?
(The Uchiha were only sent to the village's edge after the Nine-Tails attack.)
"Father, the past is over," Itachi tried to console him.
"Heh... in the past, our Uchiha clan has been suppressed for so long!" Uchiha Fugaku said, somewhat angrily.
"Why was that old man allowed to continue being Hokage after the Fourth Hokage's time? Why wasn't there a new election? If that old man can be Hokage, why can't I?"
In Fugaku's view, becoming Hokage would restore the Uchiha clan, just like how the Sarutobi clan is now respected.
"Father, you're not thinking straight today; your mind is in chaos," Uchiha Itachi said calmly, his expression unchanged.
Itachi thought that the Uchiha clan had improved, and he didn't want any more upheaval. Moreover, the village couldn't withstand more chaos.
"I'm not confused, I've just figured it out!" Fugaku said, looking at Itachi seriously. "Itachi, I have something to ask of you!"
Itachi grew serious and looked at his father.
"The position of Third Hokage should be given up!" Fugaku's eyes flashed with determination. "You're already in the Anbu. I need you to uncover more of the Third Hokage's secrets, so I can take the position of Hokage!"
[Note: The Uchiha clan is not evil or war-hungry; Fugaku's coup was a bloodless revolution to make the Third Hokage step down, but the clan was ultimately destroyed.]
"Itachi, it's not your time to act yet," Fugaku noticed his son's hesitation and added, "For now, focus on your Anbu duties. When the time comes, I'll call on you."
This plan might take years of preparation, and Itachi was a key piece in it.
"Everything must be in place before we can act," Fugaku said, his resolve firm.
Itachi didn't respond, bowing his head in thought.
Naruto woke up from his sleep with a yawn. "Finally had a good sleep! I feel so light and refreshed!"
He didn't know why, but every time he met with Genya, he felt incredibly light. It seemed like Genya was his good luck star.
From now on, he wanted to spend more time with him—and that drink was really good too.
Naruto was still lost in his happy thoughts, not realizing that it was because Genya had absorbed the Nine-Tails' chakra, reducing the amount of chakra leaking from the Nine-Tails itself, which naturally lessened its impact on Naruto.
Uchiha's newly built hospital:
Genya walked in with Hikari.
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