I'm not that Naruto Uzumaki

Time passed like a shuttle weaving through fabric. It had been three months since the evening when the Third Hokage personally came to visit Naruto.

During these three months, Naruto had completely "cleared" Kamizuki Izumo and Hagane Kotetsu.

The reward was still a bit awkward—he still hadn't developed chakra of other natures and could only absorb the two men's training experiences.

However, his chakra growth during this period shocked both Minato Namikaze and Kurama. At the same time, he had fully mastered the Uzumaki clan's sensory abilities.

As a result, Kurama found himself with nothing to do.

Because Naruto discovered that his sensory range had already surpassed that of Kurama, who was confined by the seal.

Of course, Kurama insisted that if it weren't for the seal, he would have shown Naruto what true sensory prowess really looked like.

Now it was May. After finishing lunch, Naruto stepped out of the house. Today, he didn't use the Transformation Jutsu and instead walked directly to a secluded area on the outskirts of the village. At this time of day, no one else would be around.

Everywhere he looked, fields of crops resembling young rice stretched before him. The azure sky carried a gentle breeze.

Without stopping, Naruto soon arrived at a wide river. Crossing a wooden bridge, he followed a few crisscrossing paths before finally halting in a small forest.

There was an abandoned training ground here. It had all kinds of equipment for taijutsu training, but most notably, numerous targets for kunai and shuriken practice.

He stumbled upon this place yesterday while wandering around with Gekkō Hayate, who had been trailing him.

Ever since he learned that the Third Hokage was using a crystal ball to personally monitor him, he decided without hesitation to come here daily. He would train his body while putting on an act to deceive those watching him.

And he discovered something unusual about his body.

Yesterday, upon finding this place, he spent over two hours doing parallel bar exercises—movements akin to those of Olympic gymnasts.

Yet, he wasn't even out of breath. He didn't feel the slightest bit tired. His stamina was unbelievably strong.

Minato explained that this was normal. Naruto's mother had been the highest-ranked in taijutsu scores at school, and even after training at high intensity from morning till night, she never got exhausted.

This was simply the natural physique of the Uzumaki clan. Their baseline physical capabilities were incredibly high, so it was only natural that Naruto was the same.

Of course, Minato also emphasized that the reason Naruto and his mother possessed such powerful endurance wasn't just because of their Uzumaki lineage—it was also due to the presence of Kurama's chakra, which provided an additional energy source.

Understanding this, Naruto felt that there was no immediate need to focus on taijutsu training. Too many people were watching him, and he couldn't afford to reveal his true abilities. Playing around like a child would be pointless.

Today, he wanted to try throwing kunai.

However, the moment he approached the targets, he sensed something was off.

The training equipment showed signs of recent maintenance, and all the targets fixed to the tree trunks had been replaced with brand-new ones, each bearing marks of precise hits.

Scanning the area, his gaze locked onto a stone platform where a bamboo basket had appeared—one that hadn't been there before.

Walking up to it, Naruto's eyes narrowed slightly.

The basket was filled with kunai and shuriken.

"Father, what do you think?"

Naruto touched his ninja pouch, which only held six kunai, and directly shifted his consciousness into the sealed space to ask Minato.

Minato pondered for a few seconds before replying, "It's likely left behind by the original owner of this training ground."

Naruto nodded. "That means the owner has noticed my presence. But this doesn't seem like a warning..."

Suddenly, Kurama spoke up. "Naruto, that guy standing in the tree just left in a hurry."

"I know. But the three people stationed farther away are still there." Naruto had sensed them as well. Calmly, he continued, "Most likely, he rushed back to report to the Hokage. After all, seeing a bunch of ninja tools suddenly appear here today would be unusual. The way he left in such a hurry suggests he doesn't even know who the owner of this place is."

"Did I just cause trouble for the original owner?"

Hearing this, Minato realized Naruto had a point. He also knew that the one shadowing Naruto was Gekkō Hayate. After analyzing the situation, Minato said, "Naruto, maybe we should leave."

"Why should I leave?" Naruto spread his hands nonchalantly. "I swam all the way across the river after learning how to swim just to get here."

"Besides, I have a feeling that the owner of this place deliberately left these tools behind after training. Otherwise, why weren't they here yesterday? Judging by the maintained equipment and targets, it seems the owner doesn't mind me using them."

Minato still felt uneasy and reminded him, "Naruto, these things belong to someone else..."

"That just means I shouldn't leave without meeting them." Naruto picked up a shuriken from the basket. "I should at least apologize to the owner."

"Besides, I get the feeling that the owner of this place isn't an ordinary person..."

As soon as he finished speaking, Naruto flicked his wrist.

Thunk!

The shuriken hit the bullseye.

Konoha, Hokage's Office

"Hokage-sama! That's the situation. Those ninja tools definitely weren't there yesterday! We don't know who put them there!"

The Third Hokage adjusted his hat. "What is Naruto doing there today?"

Gekkō Hayate, coughing weakly, answered with a pale face, "The target seems to have given up on taijutsu training. Today, he brought the six kunai he collected over the past few months, so he's probably practicing throwing techniques."

"And it looks like he plans to visit that place regularly. Should we investigate the owner to prevent any issues..."

"No need." The Third Hokage stood up and paced around the office. After a moment, his gaze sharpened. "I know who the owner of that place is. Also, from now on, you don't need to follow Naruto outside. Just continue monitoring him from around his home."

"Understood!"

Without hesitation, Gekkō Hayate accepted the new order.

After sitting back down, the Third Hokage pondered for a moment, lit his pipe, then took out his crystal ball. Seeing the scene within, he smirked slightly...

Back at the forest training ground

"Naruto, what was that move just now?"

Inside the sealed space, Minato's expression twitched slightly.

After discovering how easily he could hit the targets, Naruto had muttered something about "the call of an era" before breaking into a series of energetic jumps.

At first, Minato thought it was some kind of taijutsu movement, but soon realized—it looked more like a dance he had never seen before.

A few minutes later, as Minato stared in stunned silence, Naruto suddenly stopped.

"Father, the people monitoring me just left."

Hope flickered in Minato's eyes. "It must be because the Third Hokage gave them new orders. Maybe you won't be watched anymore!"

"That's impossible." Naruto's sharp eyes gleamed coldly. "Father, don't be so naive."

Minato's face darkened. Deep down, he knew the truth but still clung to a sliver of hope in the Third Hokage.

"Ever since I was born, they took everything from me and wove a web of fabricated lies that made everyone avoid me like the plague."

"They've controlled my life for so long..."

Retrieving every kunai and shuriken, Naruto spoke in an eerily calm voice that sent a chill down Minato's spine.

"But they don't know one thing—I'm a very patient person."

"And patience will help me reclaim everything that's mine."

Minato hesitated but found himself at a loss for words.

"As long as I live in Konoha, most people here will feel as if they're living under an ever-present shadow of terror. And honestly... I kind of like that."

Minato's expression changed drastically. "Naruto, they don't know the truth..."

"The truth doesn't matter." Naruto walked home with an indifferent expression. "Because from a practical standpoint, those ignorant of the truth are the ones truly in the wrong."

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