I'm not that Naruto Uzumaki

"Shikamaru, I have no other choice. The Hokage himself believes that only you can accomplish this task. You've read Naruto's file. Even though he's a Jinchūriki, he has never harmed anyone in these past years. It shouldn't be dangerous, so..."

"Sigh~ Father, I'm not worried about that. I'm just telling you—this is an impossible mission."

Night had already fallen. After repeatedly discussing a plan to approach Naruto with the Third Hokage, Shikaku had just left the Hokage's office and returned home with his son, Shikamaru.

Both of them sat on the tatami mat, their faces filled with concern. Though Shikaku was trying to reassure his son, his own expression looked even more troubled than Shikamaru's.

"Hmm?" Shikaku frowned at his son's words. "Why are you so certain this mission will fail?"

Shikamaru shook his head, closed his eyes, stretched his arms, then pressed his hands together in a peculiar gesture.

"It will fail. One hundred percent."

"You've never even interacted with Naruto before. How can you be so sure?"

Seeing his son's unusually calm demeanor, Shikaku's worry deepened. He knew this wasn't just some casual remark—Shikamaru had given this serious thought and reached a conclusion.

But he needed to understand the reasoning behind it.

Otherwise, he wouldn't be able to explain things properly to the Third Hokage. Their Nara clan had long been regarded as the Hokage's trusted advisors, his shadow strategists. Ever since the Third Hokage had taken office, their clan had received significant favor and their standing in the village had steadily risen.

"Take a closer look."

Shikamaru opened his eyes, reached into his clothes, and pulled out two photographs. "These are pictures of Naruto. One was taken when he was three years old, stepping outside for the first time. The other is the most recent one the Hokage had someone capture."

"Both show his real face."

"The first one was taken when he was surrounded and verbally attacked by villagers on the street. The recent one is from when he escorted Miss Hinata home. Look at his expression, especially his eyes."

Shikaku took the photos from his son, examining them carefully. After a long pause, he frowned. "Is there something wrong? His gaze doesn't seem any different in either picture..."

"Exactly! That's the problem!" Shikamaru replied firmly. Then, pointing at the photographs in his father's hand, he continued:

"Father, from the first photo, we can see that Naruto was standing alone, facing the entire village's hostility. But in his eyes, I see no fear, no hatred, no desire to escape."

"Anyone standing against an entire village would find that terrifying—even an adult. But Naruto's expression was disturbingly calm. If it were any other child, they would have already burst into tears."

"His eyes hold nothing but cold indifference, which makes me feel as though Naruto himself is the one isolating everyone else."

Shikaku remained silent, his gaze turning solemn as he carefully studied the first photograph again. After a while, he spoke. "And the second photo? What do you see there?"

Shikamaru pressed his hands against the tatami mat and stood up. "Normally, the eyes are the windows to the soul, and facial expressions reveal a person's true emotions in a given moment."

"But, Father, look closely. Although Naruto is smiling in the second photo, his eyes haven't changed at all. You noticed it immediately—his gaze in both photos is exactly the same: empty, indifferent, completely devoid of emotion."

"Have you ever seen eyes like these?"

"And what's more, Miss Hinata was probably the person most likely to become his friend. But, Father, you've read the reports—after escorting Miss Hinata home, Naruto didn't even say his own name before leaving."

Shikaku listened to his son's analysis, his eyes fixed on the smiling Naruto in the photograph. Those deep blue eyes and that familiar blonde hair stirred old memories within him. After a long silence, he let out a heavy sigh.

"Sigh... Shikamaru, this is going to be a real problem..."

Half a Month Later

Time passed quickly.

That morning, Naruto was walking alone along a path beside a small river. Before long, a dense forest appeared in front of him—a quiet, natural green barrier.

Since his encounter with Uchiha Shisui, he hadn't visited the Uchiha district again. The ongoing tensions between the Uchiha clan and the Hokage's administration made it too risky. Their presence was too conspicuous, and it was no longer a suitable place for him to be.

This forest, however, had been recommended by his father, Minato Namikaze. Today, Naruto was here specifically to set up a personal training ground.

"Is that the Nara clan's emblem?"

As Naruto walked along a dirt path, he noticed a stone monument standing on a nearby slope, engraved with the Nara clan's family crest.

"Yes, Naruto. This forest doesn't have any dangerous wild animals. The only creatures here are the Nara clan's domesticated deer, raised for harvesting antlers used in medicine. But no one should be around during this season."

Minato explained from within the sealed space.

"I've heard that the Nara clan members are incredibly intelligent, with exceptionally high IQs?"

"That's what people say. However, my time as Hokage was too short, so I didn't have many dealings with them."

Naruto thought for a moment before stepping into the forest. After finding a suitable clearing, he sat down and let his consciousness enter the sealed space. Minato and Naruto touched fists, and Minato began transferring the foundational knowledge of the Flying Thunder God Technique.

Minato had finally agreed to teach him the technique!

Hokage's Office

"Haha! What a coincidence—Naruto just so happens to be in the Nara clan's forest!"

The Third Hokage chuckled as he watched through his crystal ball.

Sitting in front of the desk, Shikamaru was visibly surprised. Lately, he had been struggling to find an opportunity to approach Naruto naturally.

Ever since Naruto was injured that day, he had only been leaving his house once a day, and his outings were unpredictable in both time and location.

This had completely foiled all of Shikamaru's carefully planned "accidental encounters."

Just moments ago, while he was playing shogi with his father at home, an Anbu operative suddenly appeared and summoned him without explanation.

"Hokage-sama, are you suggesting that I go now?"

Shikamaru looked at the smiling Third Hokage.

"Shikamaru, you must understand—this is a rare opportunity. Naruto might not return to your clan's forest tomorrow."

The Third Hokage's face turned serious, his gaze sharp and commanding.

Shikamaru's heart tightened—he could sense the Hokage's dissatisfaction.

"I'll leave immediately."

Meanwhile, Naruto remained seated on a rock, waiting.

As soon as Shikamaru stepped into view, Naruto recognized him instantly.

It was obvious that Shikamaru was here for him.

The moment Shikamaru spotted him, he walked straight in his direction.

As he approached, his usual lazy demeanor faded, replaced by a look of uncharacteristic seriousness.

"Hello, my name is Nara Shikamaru. The Hokage sent me to be your friend!"

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