Speedrunning Naruto to the Top

"Hokage-sama, the messengers who delivered the invitation letters have all returned."

Dressed in a small black business suit, Karin—her beautiful eyes smiling—spoke with a deliberately respectful tone to Izayoi, who was seated on a sofa conjured by his Chakra Orbs.

Izayoi did not notice Karin's expression; his gaze was fixed on a scroll in his hands. Without looking up, he asked, "How did those people respond?"

"Third Tsuchikage Ōnoki and acting Kazekage Chiyo both politely declined on account of their advanced age, but they will send their sole candidates for the next Tsuchikage and Kazekage to observe the Konoha Chūnin Exams," Karin reported. "The Fifth Mizukage accepted the invitation and will arrive in Konoha before the official matches of the Exams' third stage begin."

"Nothing unexpected there." Finally looking up, Izayoi asked, "What about Kumogakure and Amegakure?"

"Kumogakure refused," Karin said with an amused smile. "They're very angry, claiming we 'insulted' them—because in the second stage of the Exams, Hanabi ended up killing all of Kumogakure's shinobi. The Fourth Raikage is furious."

"And the messenger we sent was unharmed?"

"Yes, they wouldn't dare act against our messenger even if they had a hundred times the nerve." At this point, Karin's spine straightened with unmistakable pride.

"Seems those blockheads have gotten the point." Izayoi let out a cold laugh.

"Heh-heh… If they ever learn the whole truth, their reactions will be quite a spectacle." Karin giggled.

Learning the truth about Izayoi being "Ōtsutsuki Toneri," both Karin and Shion were full of admiration for Hinata.

One might think that a birthday gift of Margaret's necklace was already impressive—but, it turns out that what happened to Kumogakure was the truly unforgettable "gift."

"And what about Amegakure's reply?" Izayoi asked again.

"They also accepted. The leader of Akatsuki will personally visit Konoha to watch the Chūnin Exams," Karin replied, expression suddenly turning serious. She looked at Izayoi with some concern. "Hokage-sama, do we really want to invite a powerful man like that here?"

Karin's worries were understandable. An ultra-elite combatant was on a different level than a Kage. The short visit Madara Uchiha made to Konoha had already stirred no small chaos; the Fire Daimyō had pressed Tsunade to abdicate earlier than she wanted. A super-tier fighter like the Akatsuki leader stepping into the village—if a battle erupted, even in the best-case scenario, it could lead to something like what befell Kumogakure. If the worst happened, the entire village could be razed, along with all its inhabitants.

The battlegrounds of the Valley of the End, the Land of Rain, and the Land of Fire's forest—once arenas for super-elite confrontations—still had not recovered fully, remaining permanent scars on the world's map.

Hearing Karin's concern, Izayoi merely gave a faint smile and said, "Don't worry; that clansman of yours is a decent person—he won't make trouble."

After all, Izayoi had set up teams of his Wood Clones to keep a constant watch on Nagato and Madara. No one understood these two better than he did. Nagato, no longer extreme, and Madara, with his 'Infinite Tsukuyomi' delusion broken, had both recovered from their 'chūnibyō' impulses.

Their dreams were to save the world and bring peace; they wouldn't raise a hand against others unless obstructed. Rather, if someone was in need, they might actually help.

Otherwise, Izayoi wouldn't have left them alone.

Madara Uchiha, after his second defeat, had long since healed up and was traveling the whole world, even going into other dimensions with Obito in search of Ōtsutsuki Isshiki's whereabouts.

Meanwhile, Nagato, thoroughly awakened from his old ways, was managing Amegakure with Konan, letting the civilians live in peace. He even found himself enjoying that tranquil life. To maintain such a peace, Nagato would never start a conflict.

Thus, Izayoi had no worries about inviting him.

"Mm!"

Recalling Izayoi's power and his alternate identity as "Ōtsutsuki Toneri," Karin became confident again, nodding firmly.

Just then, a noise sounded—bang! The door to the office swung open.

In walked Hinata, still dressed in her usual white kimono rather than a black business suit, leading Uchiha Sasuke.

"Hokage-sama, Sasuke is here," Hinata announced politely.

"Thanks for your efforts, Hinata."

Izayoi smiled as he took in Sasuke's arrival, then lifted a hand, indicating a seat on one of the sofas. "Take a seat."

Sasuke did not go to sit, nor did he ask immediately why Izayoi had summoned him. Instead, arms folded, he remarked with a half-smile, "So, should I call you Hokage-sama now?"

"Up to you. Or better yet…" Izayoi said with feigned calm, "just call me 'Father!'"

"You… you haven't changed a bit, you jerk!" Sasuke grit his teeth in exasperation.

If he were strong enough, he would have wanted to smack Izayoi. But he couldn't beat Izayoi, plus Izayoi had so much blackmail material on him. His main recourse was to collect himself, let out a grunt, and say, "Just tell me what you want, if you're calling me here."

Izayoi relaxed into the chair, took a cup of water from Hinata and sipped, then calmly began, "You guys in Team Seven haven't done any missions for quite a while, have you?"

"A few months, yeah. What of it?"

"Do you know why Team Seven hasn't been assigned anything all this time?" Izayoi paused, then continued without letting Sasuke reply: "Because both you and Naruto have already reached elite status in terms of strength—once you activate Sage Mode, you surpass even Kakashi. It'd be a waste to send three top-level fighters out on lesser missions."

He let that sink in, then said, "Fifth Hokage Tsunade had planned that once you fully became a 'jack-of-all-trades Jonin,' she'd dismantle Team Seven (the same as what was done for Team Eight) and have you all contribute where you're really needed."

Izayoi took another sip and then resumed. "I summoned you because I have a great opportunity for you."

At that, Izayoi's mouth curved into a smile. "As my 'foster son,' you ought to stand just below me, and above everyone else. So I've specially created a post of 'Head of the Anbu'—responsible for the entire Anbu force. Are you interested?"

Sasuke's eyes widened. "Head of the Anbu… are you serious?"

"Of course," Izayoi replied, smiling. "No one else can take on that job. You're the only one I trust."

The look in Sasuke's eyes shifted, a surge of warmth welling in his chest. Scenes from the past flashed through his mind—Izayoi raising him, training him, mocking him sometimes, but always guiding him.

After a short mental replay, Sasuke tried to hide his feelings behind an indifferent scowl. "Hn… guess you can't find anyone else, so I might as well help you out."

Seeing him put on this awkward face, Hinata and Karin had to stifle laughter at the side. Izayoi made no snarky remark in return.

But then Izayoi straightened, expression turning serious: "Besides that, there's something else I need to tell you—about the Uchiha clan massacre."

The sudden heaviness in the air, even in the Hokage's office, was palpable. Hinata and Karin quickly fell silent. Sasuke's eyes narrowed, his voice trembling slightly:

"The truth of the clan's destruction… what… do you mean?"

"It's something only a Hokage is authorized to know," Izayoi said gravely. "I've hesitated these past few days over whether to tell you, but… thinking it over, you're alive, not some tool to be used by others. So I'll tell you everything I know."

With that, Izayoi cast a genjutsu, drawing Sasuke and Hinata into an illusory space and showing them the entire lead-up to the Uchiha's demise.

From the Nine Tails' attack onward—how the Uchiha were suspected by the higher-ups, forced to move from central Konoha to the banks of the Naka River, then placed under surveillance… the plotting of a coup, Shisui's death, Itachi's double-agent role, and finally Danzo's use of Sasuke as a bargaining chip to trigger that night of carnage.

Hinata and Karin emerged from the genjutsu with watery eyes, half stunned at how cruel it all was.

As for Sasuke, his mind reeled, looking utterly blank.

Seeing how Itachi, who had acted as if Sasuke were worthless, had in fact annihilated the clan to spare him, the boy felt his brain buzz as if something snapped. A torrent of dark chakra surged from Sasuke's mind, converging in his eyes.

The three tomoe in his Sharingan spun like pinwheels, so fast that only the blur could be seen.

Crack!

A sound like fractured glass broke through the hush—then the illusory world collapsed into shards of light.

In the real Hokage's office, a terrifying aura raged around Sasuke, though the special barrier prevented anyone outside from sensing it. For a long while, the three tomoe in his eyes spun madly until they finally stopped. Blood tears spilled from the corners of his eyes.

When he raised his gaze again, the three tomoe had vanished. In their place was a six-pointed black design resembling a solar disk—the Mangekyō Sharingan.

"W-What immense ocular power and chakra!"

Even Hinata, normally calm, gasped. With her White Eye, she sensed a terrifying aura. Ever since she awakened her own unique Dojutsu, she had rarely felt such oppressive energy.

Izayoi looked at Sasuke's Mangekyō pattern with mild surprise.

It's not a six-pointed star? he thought.

Another butterfly effect, apparently. If it's not the six-lobed star design from the original story, then Sasuke's awakened ability surely isn't the same Amaterasu and Kagutsuchi from the manga.

He couldn't help but wonder what new jutsu might emerge from this "solar disc" Mangekyō?

But the shape, for some reason, struck him as oddly familiar—except it shouldn't be. In the original timeline, only Shisui, Fugaku, and Itachi had Mangekyō patterns, none resembling a sun. Then Izayoi suddenly remembered:

It was Sarada Uchiha's Mangekyō design in Boruto—a sun-like pattern.

So ironically, the father awakened the design that would have belonged to his daughter in the original continuity… just one more example of how drastically the butterfly effect had altered fate.

~~~

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