Naruto: Path of Uchiha

Chapter 5: To Convince An Uchiha

Naruto, now 5 years old, sat on top of the Hokage monument of his late father. Beside him sat the current Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi.

'Naruto,' Hiruzen began, his voice soft and warm, 'you're an exceptional boy. You hold a lot of power inside you, more than you know.'

Naruto tilted his head. 'Power? You're talking about the Kyubi's power?'

Hiruzen chuckled, 'That too, but a different kind of power, Naruto. The power I'm talking about is the power to protect, to help others, to make the world a better place.'

He paused, letting the words sink in. 'It's called the Will of Fire, Naruto. It's the spirit of our village, the belief that everyone deserves a chance at happiness, that we should always strive to be better, to help each other, to never give up.'

Naruto, his eyes full of understanding, leaned forward. 'Like how you protect the village, Ji-chan?'

Hiruzen nodded, his smile widening. 'Yes, Naruto. Like how I protect the village and how all the Shinobi before me have protected it. It's a chain, Naruto, a chain of strength and kindness that stretches back generations.'

He placed a hand on Naruto's shoulder. 'You, Naruto, have the potential to be a strong link in that chain. You have the power to make a difference, to carry the Will of Fire forward.'

Naruto looked at the Hokage with admiration. 'I will, Ji-chan. I'll be the Hokage, just like my father. I'll protect the village from every harm that comes its way.'

Hiruzen smiled. 'I know you will, Naruto. I know you will.'

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Naruto's POV

Talks with Ji-chan are always very inspiring. He teaches me lots of things and motivates me to be the best version of myself.

Deep in thought, I didn't realize someone was sneaking up on us.

'Aha! I finally managed to catch you off guard!' Turning my head, I see Jiraiya-sama with Kakashi Nii-san and Obito Nii-san in tow, who seem to be back from their mission.

Sighing at my lack of awareness, I plop on the ground. 'I guess I've gotten sloppy.'

Kakashi Nii-san, who's now wearing his forehead protector tilted to cover his left eye, smiles through his mask. 'Everyone makes mistakes, Naruto; that's part of life,' reassures me. I give him a warm smile back.

After killing Danzo, Kakashi Nii-san had lost his eye, so Papa offered him one of the sharingans, which they managed to retrieve from Danzo. Kakashi Nii-san gladly accepted the offer, as it would fix his new-found handicap as well as give him a chance to improve his ninja work. Although he has to conceal it because he can't deactivate it at will, he's still immensely grateful.

'You were talking about wanting to become Hokage? Naruto?' Obito Nii-san, who seems to have overheard mine and Ji-chan's conversation, inquires

'Yeah,' I retort.

'For that, you need to train,' Jiraiya-sama states with a look that nonchalant.

I think about his words for a moment: 'You're right. I do need to train'.

'Come on, Kakashi Nii-san and Obito Nii-san, we need to go see Papa,' I grab both of their hands and sprint off the monument, ready to go train.

***

Still on top of the Hokage monument, two men are shocked at the scene that just occurred.

'Fugaku's going to kill you',Hiruzen deadpans. 'You just gave the boy an idea that his father is not going to accept seeing as he is too young,' he adds, emphasizing that a mistake has been made, which Jiraiya will have to face the consequences for.

A shiver ran down Jiraiya's spine. 'Oh yeah, I should've kept my mouth shut.' The wrath of an Uchiha is scary, but a father who's worried about his child is even scarier. 'I screwed up'

Apart from the jokes, the two men knew this was just the start of Naruto's journey to wanting to be Hokage and were both eager to see what the future holds for the boy.

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At the Uchiha compound

Sasuke's POV

'No, absolutely not. You two are still very young', Papa says, shaking his head in denial.

I was just chilling in my room, enjoying the cold breeze, when suddenly Naruto, along with Obito Nii-san and Kakashi Nii-san, burst into the room, asking where Papa was.

I came to know that Naruto wants to train. So now we both, along with our brothers, except Itachi Nii-san, as he's gone on a mission, surround Papa at the table.

Originally, it was Naruto's idea to train, but I decided I wanted to as well, not wanting to miss out on the adventure.

'Please papa! Nii-sans have also trained since they were young!' I argue, and Naruto throws me a thankful look, clearly happy that I was the one doing the talking.

'I know, but you two are still too young to handle the rigors of training," Papa said, his voice firm but laced with a hint of concern. 'You need to focus on your studies and your development. Training can wait.'

Naruto nudges me, encouraging me to plead further. I roll my eyes at his ambi-vert personality but still comply: 'But Papa, Naruto, and I want to be strong! We want to protect everyone!'

'Fugaku-san, I agree with them. I think they are capable enough to start training.' Obito Nii-san takes our side.

Kakashi Nii-san nodded in agreement. 'They can start with the basic jutsus. If they master them, we can go higher, and if they do not, we'll stop the training.'

I look over to Naruto, who has been silently observing, for the audacity to stay silent when this was his idea. I couldn't help but roll my eyes. He noticed and smirked in return, making me send him a glare.

'I promise, Papa,' Naruto finally speaks up, his voice quiet but firm. 'I will train hard and become strong. But I will also focus on my studies and my development. I will not let you down.'

Papa paused, considering our pleas. He looked at each of us, his gaze lingering on mine and Naruto's somewhat determined face. 'Alright,' he finally conceded, 'I'll agree to train you all. But you must understand that this is a privilege, not a right. You must work hard, listen to your instructions, and never forget the importance of discipline and respect. We'll go forward with Kakashi's idea.'

'YES!' I celebrate and look over to Naruto, who has a smile on his face. We knew this was a chance we couldn't miss, and we were determined to prove ourselves worthy of Papa's trust.

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Author: I have finally decided on a posting schedule! It'll be every Monday and Thursday. Hoping you look forward to my stories xx