Back then, Minato had believed that the Third Hokage acted with good intentions.
As an elder, perhaps he simply wanted to keep an eye on things for him.
But now… in hindsight…
Was it really just that?
At the time, Minato didn't even have control over the Anbu Black Ops—they were firmly in the hands of Hiruzen Sarutobi.
He had understood how disadvantageous that was to his own administration.
He had planned to gradually take control of the Anbu.
But…
His time as Hokage was far too short.
Before his plans could fully take shape…
The Nine-Tails' attack struck.
And everything ended there.
"Heh… That cunning Third Hokage… in my thousands of years of life, I've only seen one like him~"
Kurama couldn't help but sneer at this moment.
As Naruto's companion,
He had witnessed firsthand how Sarutobi treated Naruto.
He understood the injustice far more than even Minato or Kushina.
Upon hearing Kurama's words,
Minato and Kushina both turned to look at the Nine-Tails.
Naruto, however, remained calm.
He continued speaking:
"The reason I'm bringing this up…"
"…is because if nothing changes…"
"…if Sarutobi Hiruzen remains Hokage…"
"…if those self-serving, corrupt elders keep controlling the village…"
"I've seen it. The destruction of Konoha."
"Even the fall of the entire ninja world!"
The moment those words left Naruto's mouth—
"What!?"
Kushina and Minato's expressions turned grim.
Minato's thoughts raced.
Could it be that Konoha in the future…
…is also destroyed by that masked man who caused the Nine-Tails' rampage?
Could the ninja world fall into ruin because of him?
If Naruto had known what Minato was thinking at that moment,
He would have partially confirmed it.
The masked man behind the Nine-Tails' attack was Uchiha Obito.
And in many ways, Uchiha Obito did bring the ninja world to the brink of annihilation.
But Obito…
…was merely a proxy of Uchiha Madara.
And Madara himself was just a pawn of Black Zetsu, the will of Kaguya Ōtsutsuki.
In truth, both Obito and Madara were manipulated—puppets dancing on the strings of Black Zetsu.
"If Konoha stays on this path, without change, it's heading for disaster."
Naruto declared with unwavering determination.
"That's why I must overthrow the Third Hokage."
"It's not just about revenge…"
"I want to change the future itself!"
At those words,
Kushina and Minato fell silent.
But after a moment—
Kushina had no doubt about Naruto's words.
Because he was her son.
And at this moment, even Minato—who had always been calm and cautious—found himself agreeing with Naruto's vision.
To him, Naruto's thinking was far more mature than he had ever imagined… even more advanced than his own had been at that age.
Given that—
There was no reason to second-guess Naruto anymore.
"…Naruto, I support you too."
Minato nodded solemnly.
Naruto nodded back.
But Minato couldn't help asking the question that lingered in his mind:
"Still… Naruto, are you saying you're going to take on the entire Hidden Leaf Village by yourself, not just the Third Hokage?"
Naruto might have exposed Sarutobi Hiruzen's actions.
But the rest of the village…
They didn't know.
And even if they did, they might still side with the Third Hokage out of self-interest.
At the moment, Naruto's 'alliance' consisted only of himself and Kurama.
As for Minato and Kushina—they could speak with him, yes—but they were nothing more than chakra remnants left behind in the seal.
If their chakra wasn't replenished soon…
They would vanish completely.
They couldn't help Naruto in battle.
He would have to face the entire village on his own.
Even with Sage Mode and Wind Release: Rasenshuriken, Minato couldn't imagine how Naruto planned to pull this off.
Hearing his father's concern,
Naruto completely understood.
It was a natural question.
But—
A confident grin slowly formed on Naruto's face. His eyes glinted with assurance as he said:
"Dad, Mom… do you know why the Third Hokage has always remained Hokage?"
Minato and Kushina blinked, surprised by the sudden question.
"Isn't it because he's strong?" Kushina tried answering hesitantly.
Minato stayed silent.
He realized, somewhat embarrassed, that he didn't actually have a clear answer himself.
Naruto shook his head.
"No."
"It's because the Third Hokage has strength, reputation, status… and support."
"He spent decades cultivating power in the Hidden Leaf."
"He used the 'Will of Fire' as a tool to influence and manipulate countless shinobi."
"Almost everyone in the village stands behind him."
"To take down the Third Hokage…"
"…is to challenge the entire Hidden Leaf."
At that moment, Naruto paused—
Then his grin widened, and his voice turned light, almost playful:
"But."
"There's a simple solution."
"All I need…"
"…is more people than he has."
Minato and Kushina were caught off guard.
That was it?
The solution was simply to have more people than the Third Hokage?
And yet—
They couldn't deny it.
If Naruto had the support of more people than the old generation's power structure…
That alone could shift the tide.
But there was still one problem.
Naruto was alone.
Where could he possibly gather people?
The major clans of the Hidden Leaf—the Hyuga, Nara, Aburame, and others—all still stood with the Third Hokage.
Even if they harbored doubts—after what happened to the Uchiha and the Hyuga—they wouldn't rebel outright.
Not for one person.
Not for Naruto.
"…Naruto, what do you mean?" Minato asked, confused and concerned.
At that—
Naruto's eyes sparkled.
He didn't answer directly.
Instead, he turned to the figure standing calmly beside him—
Kurama, the Nine-Tails.
He said calmly,
"Kurama, please explain the current progress to my parents."
Upon hearing this, Kurama looked toward Kushina and Minato with a sense of smug pride.
Even if they were Naruto's biological parents—he, Kurama, was the one truly helping Naruto right now!
Then, Kurama began to report, his deep voice echoing with confidence:
"As of now, there are over 780 chunin in Konoha Village. Among them, more than 70% have mastered at least two chakra nature transformations—meaning they're eligible for promotion to jonin."
"In other words, we currently have the support of over 500 jonin-level shinobi in the Hidden Leaf."
At that moment—
Both Kushina and Minato were stunned.
Over 500 jonin-level shinobi were backing Naruto?
How was that even possible?
And on top of that, there were still a large number of chunin supporting him too?
Minato turned to Naruto with disbelief in his eyes.
"…Naruto?"
Just moments ago, he thought Naruto was fighting this battle alone.
But now—
His son had gathered more than 500 jonin, and countless others at his side.
Even Kushina's face froze in amazement.
She was utterly shocked…
Yet undeniably proud.
"…Naruto, how in the world did you manage this?!" she asked, both bewildered and beaming.
Seeing their reactions, Naruto smiled slightly, his tone casual.
"It's pretty simple."
"Kurama has a special ability—he can share his chakra with others."
"And for many shinobi, their biggest obstacle to advancing is a lack of chakra."
"But once they have enough…"
"…they can reach jonin-level strength through training and mastery."
"So—we handpicked a group of Konoha's shinobi."
"Then we gave them Kurama's chakra…"
"…in exchange for their loyalty."
As he finished, both Kushina and Minato were at a loss for words.
They never would've imagined this approach.
Naruto hadn't just thought of it—
He'd done it.
He'd used his power and strategy to win over a significant portion of the village's strength.
Kurama continued his report:
"More than half of them are civilian-born shinobi."
"The rest are from Konoha's major clans—including the Hyuga, Nara, and others."
Kushina and Minato's eyes widened again.
Not only the civilian forces…
Even the ninja clans?
And just when they thought the surprises were over—
Kurama added calmly:
"The other four great shinobi villages—Kirigakure, Sunagakure, Kumogakure, and Iwagakure—"
"We've already recruited over 300 chunin-level operatives from them."
"Nearly half are capable of advancing to jonin."
Hearing this—
Kushina and Minato were completely floored.
This wasn't just about Konoha anymore.
The other four great nations were involved too?
All of them had people siding with Naruto?
"…Naruto, what are you planning?" Minato asked, his voice low, trying to piece it all together.
Minato couldn't help but ask Naruto, his brows furrowed in confusion.
"The plan to overthrow the Third Hokage is something internal to Konoha… So why are the other four great shinobi villages involved?"
Kushina, too, looked puzzled and curious.
Sensing their doubts, Naruto didn't hesitate. With calm confidence and a heavy tone, he declared:
"Of course—my goal is to unify the entire ninja world."
The words dropped like thunder in the air.
Kushina and Minato froze.
They had never imagined their son's ambition would reach so far.
Overthrowing the Third Hokage…
Becoming the next Hokage…
Even that had already shaken them.
But now, Naruto wanted to unify the ninja world?
"…Naruto," Minato murmured, momentarily speechless.
Overthrowing a single Hokage was already a daunting challenge.
But unifying all five great nations?
That was an entirely different level of difficulty—one that had never been achieved before.
Even Hashirama Senju—the First Hokage, the man once called the God of Shinobi—had failed to unify the world, despite founding Konoha with Madara Uchiha.
And now, Naruto wanted to go further than even them.
The weight of it was staggering.
Kushina couldn't hide her concern.
If Naruto truly intended to unite the shinobi world, it would almost certainly trigger a Fourth Great Ninja War.
And once a war like that began, there was no telling who would live to see its end.
"...Naruto." She looked at her son, eyes filled with unease.
Naruto saw the worry on both his parents' faces.
He understood.
Compared to removing the Third Hokage, unifying the entire ninja world was something on a completely different scale.
For as long as the shinobi world had existed, no one person had ever managed to rule over all five great nations.
But…
Naruto was different.
He looked into his parents' eyes and said with quiet resolve:
"Mom. Dad. Don't worry."
"There's a lot about me you still don't know."
"But you'll understand in time."
"Unifying the ninja world won't happen overnight. I have a plan. I have the strength. And I have a goal."
"If I don't take this step…"
"…then the future of the shinobi world will only lead to ruin."
"I have to do this."
His tone was calm, but every word was filled with determination.
Kushina and Minato exchanged a look, unsure what to say.
But they could see it.
Naruto wasn't speaking out of delusion. He had thought about this—deeply.
He was serious.
Naruto continued:
"Kurama's efforts are still ongoing."
"We're not starting anything just yet."
"Right now, we don't have the manpower."
Hearing that, Kushina and Minato both nodded.
It was a relief to know that Naruto didn't intend to act recklessly.
So long as he advanced one step at a time, his chances of success would only grow.
Minato glanced at Kushina. Their thoughts aligned silently, and he turned back to Naruto with a faint smile.
"In that case…"
"Your mother and I will support you completely."
From that moment on, both Minato and Kushina made their decision—
No matter what lay ahead.
They would stand behind Naruto.
Seeing his parents' unwavering support, Naruto smiled sincerely.
But Minato, ever the strategist, still had concerns.
To ensure Naruto's plan had no weaknesses, he asked the crucial question:
"Naruto… are you sure you can fully control the shinobi who are supporting you?"
From what he had heard, Naruto and Kurama had been distributing the Nine-Tails' chakra in exchange for allegiance.
But such loyalty could waver at any time.
Had Naruto considered that?
Had he prepared a safeguard?
Naruto responded calmly—completely unfazed.
"Yes. Kurama can fully monitor and control the chakra he gives out."
"If anything goes wrong, he can instantly reclaim all the chakra he's distributed."
"No chakra. No power."
"And without power…"
"…they're no threat."
Hearing that, Minato and Kushina finally let out a breath of relief.
But Minato wasn't done yet. Another thought struck him, and he asked:
"Kurama… with such a massive operation…"
"Hasn't the village caught wind of what you're doing?"
"The sudden power surge in hundreds of shinobi… the village must have noticed it, right?"
Minato narrowed his eyes.
"And if those shinobi talked to each other, it wouldn't take long for them to figure out that Kurama is the one behind it."
Naruto, however, had anticipated this concern.
"Of course they noticed," he replied calmly.
"But the Third Hokage and the others never imagined what the real purpose behind it was."
"On the surface, those shinobi didn't do anything suspicious. They simply grew stronger. As long as their strength doesn't harm Konoha, even the Third Hokage and his supporters can't justify interfering."
"Even if the Third tries to interrogate them with genjutsu, he won't find any trace of Kurama."
"In this kind of concealment and control… Kurama is unmatched."
"They know Kurama exists—but they have no idea what he's planning."
Minato listened and slowly nodded.
He understood now.
Naruto wasn't hiding in the shadows.
Everything he did was in plain sight—but layered with purpose.
He was openly strengthening these shinobi, yet keeping his true intentions buried too deep for the Third Hokage to uncover.
Those who received Kurama's chakra had done nothing to threaten the village.
If anything, they were improving Konoha's overall strength.
There was no reason for the Third Hokage to act against them—no just cause.
That was the brilliance of it.
Still, one question lingered in Minato's mind.
Since Naruto had put so many preparations in place… when would he act?
"...Naruto."
Minato looked at his son with a calm, serious gaze.
"When do you plan to begin?"
At those words, a spark lit up in Naruto's clear blue eyes.
The corners of his mouth curled into a sharp smile.
"For something like this…"
"I'll overthrow the Third Hokage in broad daylight, in front of everyone."
"I want to expose everything he's done—right there, for the whole village to see."
"I'll turn him into a sinner before the people of Konoha."
"I'll erase every shred of honor and achievement he once had in this village."
"As for when…"
Naruto's voice deepened.
"It won't be long now."
Hearing this, Kushina couldn't help the flicker of relief that passed across her face.
Just imagining the old Third Hokage suffering—even a little—felt satisfying.
She hadn't forgotten.
It was him—the man they had once trusted—who had allowed Naruto to suffer alone, unloved, and treated like a monster throughout his childhood.
...
TN:
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