Naruto: The Strongest

Naruto's poverty truly shocked Shuuzawa. From what he remembered, Naruto should have received a pension, right? How did he end up with so little?

"Huh?" Naruto shivered upon hearing a voice behind him. 

He turned in confusion, looking at Shuuzawa and Yugao before suddenly realizing something and instinctively taking two steps back. 

"W-Who are you guys?"

"We were heading to Ichiraku for some ramen and just happened to see you." Shuuzawa shrugged indifferently. 

He rubbed his chin while glancing at the frog-shaped coin pouch in Naruto's hand. 

"Originally, I thought we could get to know each other and maybe have you treat us, but—"

Naruto's eye twitched as he glanced at his nearly empty pouch. 

That wouldn't even be enough if he sold his soul. But he didn't dare voice such complaints. 

He had already suffered countless 'heavy-handed lessons' from the villagers of Konoha. 

He quickly lowered his head in a mix of honesty and grievance. "Sorry, I spent my money on other things, so I don't have any left."

Seeing Naruto like this, Yuugao was at a loss. She had spent most of her time training in the Anbu. 

Though she went home occasionally, she had almost no interactions with Naruto, only hearing rumours about him. 

Truthfully, even if she had encountered him before, she wouldn't have approached him—her heart harboured deep resentment toward the Nine-Tails. 

Yet, the kid in front of her seemed different from the rumours.

"I see," Shuuzawa wasn't particularly surprised by Naruto's reaction. 

Though part of him wondered if a Kotoamatsukami had hit Naruto, he had to admit—Naruto truly was the sun of the ninja world.

"You're ridiculously poor. What on earth did you spend all your money on?"

"..." Naruto remained silent. 

He didn't understand why the entire village seemed to hate him. Under these circumstances, just being able to buy something was a blessing. 

Because of that, he tended to buy in bulk, leaving himself broke soon after. But he didn't dare complain—he feared another 'heavy-handed lesson.'

He didn't expect the older boy before him to suddenly speak up.

"Forget it. Since you're an orphan too, I'll treat you today. But remember—you owe me."

"Eh—what?!" Naruto looked at Shuuzawa in disbelief. He never expected to hear such words. "You're treating me?"

"Yeah. Coming or not?" Shuuzawa shrugged and turned toward the ramen stand without waiting for Naruto's answer.

"It's fine if you don't. I'll save some money."

"I'm coming! I'm coming!" Naruto shouted before Shuuzawa could finish, quickly following after him. 

His heart was bursting with happiness—he had met someone who didn't hate him and was willing to treat him to food. That was a rarity in Konoha!

Seated at Ichiraku, the three had already ordered their meals. Teuchi was as warm as ever while his daughter, Ayame, curiously observed them. 

On one hand, they were unfamiliar faces. 

On the other, she found it interesting that someone besides her father was willing to treat Naruto to a meal.

"Big brother, big sister, are you both ninja?" While waiting for the ramen, Naruto couldn't help but ask.

"Us?" Shuuzawa glanced at himself, then at the unusually quiet Yuugao. 

Noticing that neither wore a forehead protector, he decisively shook his head. "No, we're not ninja."

Yuugao nearly choked on air. As an Anbu, she wore a mask instead of a forehead protector. 

Naturally, they weren't wearing one after leaving Hokage's office. But to claim they weren't ninja?

"You're not ninja? That's too bad." 

Naruto, the little blond ball of energy, didn't doubt him. He pumped his fists and grinned. 

"I'm definitely gonna be a ninja! And not just that—I'm gonna be Hokage!"

"But forget Hokage—you need money just to be a ninja, don't you?" Shuuzawa poured cold water on his enthusiasm. 

"Not to mention, ninja training requires money for equipment, and you need food to stay healthy." 

"Right now, you can't even afford your ramen—I'm paying for you. You—"

"Ugh!" Naruto pouted, refusing to back down. "I'll definitely have enough money! In the future, I'll treat you to ramen every day!"

"Pay me back for this meal first before making big promises." 

Shuuzawa chuckled, crushing Naruto's spirit once again. Seeing the dejected look on Naruto's face, Yuugao finally intervened.

"Alright, enough teasing. Once he joins the academy, things will be fine."

She then turned to Naruto, pausing momentarily before curiously asking, "Why do you want to be a ninja? And why talk so big about becoming Hokage?"

"I'm not just talking big!" Naruto pouted, rubbing his grumbling stomach before answering seriously. 

"I don't know why, but it feels like a lot of people in the village don't like me. I don't want that. I want them to like me, notice me, acknowledge me." 

"I heard from Old Man Hokage that if I become Hokage, I'll earn everyone's recognition—so I have to become Hokage!"

Yuugao was stunned. She never expected such an answer.

"A desire... to be acknowledged?"

For the first time, she wondered if the village had misunderstood this kid.

Meanwhile, Shuuzawa pursed his lips. Then why, after joining the academy, did you start messing around with pranks just like the other brats? 

You got attention, but that's not how to earn recognition.

"Hm?"

Lost in thought, Shuuzawa suddenly sensed something and lifted his head. Yuugao noticed it, too. 

They turned toward the entrance and saw a silver-haired man in a mask approaching while another figure remained hidden in the shadows.

"Kakashi-senpai?" Yuugao immediately recognized him—it was Hatake Kakashi. Kakashi discreetly glanced at Naruto before casually shrugging.

"There you are. Hope I'm not interrupting, but I figured you should meet your new teammate."

"Teammate?" Yuugao curiously peeked toward the hidden figure.

"Then let's go, senpai," Shuuzawa said as he stood up, while Naruto looked utterly confused.

"Teammate? Wait—you guys are ninja? Didn't you say you weren't?!"

"Kid, consider this your first lesson," Shuuzawa smirked. 

"Being a ninja isn't a game. You need to observe carefully, and sometimes, you shouldn't blindly trust what people say."

"But—"

Naruto tried to argue, but Shuuzawa cut him off.

"No buts. You lost the moment you failed to notice. As punishment, you have to eat all three bowls of ramen by yourself."

"Huh?" Naruto blinked. Wasn't that a reward?!

But then he quickly realized—this was deliberate. In that instant, he truly felt the warmth of being accepted, which made his eyes sting slightly.

"Oh no! I forgot to ask for their names!"

As Kakashi silently watched, he turned and left, not wanting to get caught up in Naruto's endless questioning. 

His feelings about Naruto were complicated, but deep down, he found himself thinking—

"That kid... he's not bad."

Just as he stepped away, Teuchi suddenly rushed out.

"Wait, Kakashi-san!"

"Hm? What is it, Teuchi-san? That'll be three large bowls of extra ramen, please."

Kakashi's uncovered eye twitched. Maybe his impression of Shuuzawa had been a little too generous.

....

"Hello, everyone. I'm the newly assigned Anbu. My name is Uchiha Shisui. It's a pleasure to work with you." 

Standing by a riverbank within Konohagakure, Uchiha Shisui introduced himself with a warm smile. 

However, Shuuzawa wasn't surprised at all by his arrival. 

After meeting with the Third Hokage, he was certain that his boss, Danzo, had already reached an understanding with his old friend. 

After all, he had already been sent to the Anbu. Wouldn't that mean Shuuzawa was sent in for nothing if Danzo couldn't achieve his goal? 

For someone like Danzo, who took pride in his ruthless nature, he would never allow himself to suffer a loss—even in a fight between dogs. 

"Shisui-senpai, I didn't expect it to be you." Yuugao looked at Shisui with mild surprise. 

He was only a little older than her but had entered the Anbu with the genius title. 

Unlike other Uchiha, he lacked their arrogance and had a good reputation within the Anbu. 

But why had such a prodigy been assigned to their squad? 

Yuugao had assumed that after the team's reformation, someone like Hayate or another shinobi with similar experience would join instead. 

"It must be for team composition reasons."

Shisui responded with a smile. "The Hokage said this squad is highly skilled but suffered casualties due to missions." 

"Since I could work well with both of you, I was chosen." His words were humble, even making Shuuzawa raise an eyebrow. 

In Shuuzawa's memory, this so-called 'hero' of the Uchiha wasn't particularly sharp. 

He always backed down at crucial moments and stood firm when it was unwise. 

Like during his suicide—that was truly an irreversible decision. But for now, he seemed decent enough.

"Senpai, my name is Shigenari Shuuzawa. I look forward to working with you." 

Despite his internal doubts, Shuuzawasmiled politelye and nodded at Shisui. 

No matter what Shisui's true nature was, Shuuzawa's assignment from Root was secured. 

He only needed to go through the motions, and that would be enough to 'express his gratitude for Danzo's nurturing.' 

Moreover, Shisui had the Mangekyō Sharingan. If they ever encountered trouble, at least someone could cover their retreat. 

After some casual conversation, the three became more familiar with each other. 

Though Yuugao appeared cold on the surface, she was warm at heart.

Meanwhile, Shisui was the kind of Uchiha that the Second Hokage would have 'favored'—down-to-earth, lacking arrogance, and incredibly enthusiastic. 

However, it seemed he was still curious about something. 

After hesitating for a moment, he finally asked in a soft, inquisitive tone, "Yuugao, Shuuzawa, I noticed earlier that you two were with that kid?" 

"You mean Naruto?" Shuuzawa blinked while Yuugao sighed slightly. 

Though their interaction with Naruto had been brief, she didn't think he was as bad as the rumours suggested. 

"Yes." Shisui had no idea what they were thinking.

Recalling the Third Hokage's words and the rumours within Konoha, he felt compelled to warn his teammates.

"You must have heard some of the rumors. That boy is said to be a bad omen." The same rhetoric again. 

Shuuzawa and Yuugao exchanged glances. Shuuzawa's eyes were filled with amusement, while Yuugao looked awkward. 

Their expressions didn't escape Shisui's notice, making him wonder if he had said something wrong. "Shisui-senpai, can I ask you a question?" 

"Of course, go ahead." 

"Senpai, don't you think you're being a bit excessive? Are you questioning the Hokage's decision?" 

"!?" Uchiha Shisui's expression changed instantly.

—

Konohagakure, Root's underground base. The place was cold and eerie, exuding an oppressive atmosphere upon entry. 

Even though towering, elaborate buildings and large training grounds had been constructed within, and numerous Root trainees were practising, the ominous air remained. 

However, Danzo thrived in such an environment. He believes Root should exist in Konoha's shadows, deeply entrenched in darkness.

And by any means necessary, eliminate those who threaten Konoha. Whether or not this belief was truly justified was irrelevant. 

He didn't care what others thought as long as he believed in it. 

"That brat should have handed the package to Orochimaru by now, and he should also be teamed up with Uchiha Shisui." 

Danzo muttered within an office inside the base while flipping through a scroll. 

"Hmph. Brat, you'd better perform well. I've paid a considerable price for this." 

Danzo found the idea of a Uchiha in Anbu completely absurd, even though he once had a fellow disciple named Uchiha Kagami.

Shisui, coincidentally, was Kagami's descendant. Danzo absentmindedly touched his blind eye, contemplating. 

He could take out Kagami's preserved eye and use it himself. He had kept it in storage all this time. 

However, the fact that Kakashi could use Uchiha Obito's eye suggested that either the eye itself was unique or Kakashi was special. 

Regardless of the reason, Danzo was determined to retrieve Obito's Sharingan.

At the same time, this would serve as a test of 'Ko's' combat abilities. 

When Kinoe was sent to assassinate Hiruzen Sarutobi, Kakashi defeated him in a single move. 

Did this mean Wood Release couldn't match the Sharingan? Danzo couldn't accept that. 

"This time, Kinoe must achieve results." With that thought, Danzo's gaze returned to the scroll. 

Aside from being the leader of Root, he was also the Hokage's advisor. 

He had access to an endless stream of intelligence, allowing him to strategize for Konoha's benefit.

"The Land of Rain… still at war. Hanzo, that bastard, set me up and forced me to rebuild Root, yet now he's hiding like a coward?" 

"The Land of Earth… Ōnoki still wants to expand southward? It seems tensions between them and Sunagakure are escalating." 

"I wonder if I can fan the flames further?" 

"That Yakushi Nonō sure is excellent at gathering intelligence. No wonder they call her the 'Wandering Witch.'" 

"But she remains a potential threat. She's requesting photos again?" 

"The Land of Wind… according to Yakushi Kabuto's report, Kirigakure is harassing Sunagakure?"

"We can't infiltrate the Land of Water, but this intel is valuable." 

"That Scorch Release user, Pakura, seems to be holding her ground against Kirigakure." 

"But how will Rasa deal with being caught between Kirigakure and Iwagakure?" 

"We need to figure this out. If possible, eliminating her would be ideal—Scorch Release is too dangerous." 

"The Land of Lightning… Kumogakure remains as ambitious as ever. What a pack of wolves!" 

Regarding the other hidden villages, Danzo had a consistent attitude. He despised them all equally and wanted them eradicated. 

Unfortunately, his old 'friend' Hiruzen Sarutobi didn't share his views. Thus, he had to operate from the shadows, scheming and plotting. 

Whether through alliances or assassinations, everything he did was for Konoha. 

Of course, he was also paving the way for his rise to power. One day, he would conquer the shinobi world. 

"Hiruzen, you're far too soft." He let out an involuntary sigh as he thought this.

However, to his shock, a familiar voice suddenly echoed beside him. "Is that so? Perhaps. But I also think, Danzo, that you've gone too far."