Leaving Konoha?
Haruto Saito had considered it, but he had never truly wanted to leave Konoha. His situation in the world of Naruto was far too complicated—he was a Genin from Amegakure, yet also a prisoner of Konoha.
Given the opportunity, pledging allegiance to Konoha was the best choice! After all, Konoha was the most powerful of the Five Great Shinobi Villages, the dominant force in the ninja world. If he had to align himself with someone, it had to be the strongest!
Once he joined Konoha, there was no turning back. Betrayal was not an option.
He had already defected from Amegakure. If he were to betray Konoha as well, he would become a complete outcast, labeled as utterly untrustworthy. No village would ever take him in. He would be alone, hunted by both Amegakure and Konoha—the Village Hidden in the Rain, known for its assassins, and Konoha, the greatest shinobi village. That kind of life wasn't just difficult; it was a death sentence.
Of course, leaving Konoha wasn't necessary.
Yes, Konoha had internal conflicts. It had its bright side, but also its dark side. However, no place was perfect. Every village had its struggles. This was the nature of the world—wherever there were people, there would be conflict.
Haruto hadn't chosen his identity when he arrived in this world. Because of this, no matter where he went, he would always be viewed with suspicion.
"I believe that, in time, I will earn their trust." Haruto responded calmly to Hiruzen Sarutobi's question. He didn't answer directly, but it was a response that satisfied the Hokage because Haruto was already proving himself.
"Hah." Hiruzen let out a small chuckle, his smile barely visible. He turned his gaze back to the lake. "It's rare to see someone with your level of intelligence, your mindset, and your approach to life. Very mature for your age. But… you're still too impulsive. Not steady enough."
Haruto had the mind of an adult but was too bold and outspoken, which led to such an evaluation from Hiruzen.
"Thank you for your praise, Lord Hokage," Haruto replied naturally.
The corner of Hiruzen's mouth twitched slightly. That wasn't exactly praise—being called impulsive and lacking stability wasn't a compliment. But Haruto had chosen to ignore those parts.
"I have a question. Would you be willing to answer?" Hiruzen asked again.
"Please, go ahead, Lord Hokage," Haruto responded promptly, feeling that Hiruzen was being overly polite.
"How exactly were you able to learn Super Strength in just one day?" Hiruzen's gaze locked onto Haruto.
It was a sharp question. If Tsunade had asked him, Haruto would have just laughed it off and claimed to be a super genius. But with Hiruzen, it was different. The Hokage was approaching this with a 'let's be honest' attitude. If Haruto simply claimed to have exceptional talent, Hiruzen wouldn't believe him—otherwise, he wouldn't have asked.
"A unique ability to replicate techniques," Haruto finally said after a brief pause. "By observing an instructor closely and continuously replicating their moves over time, I can eventually succeed… Since I lost my previous memories, I'm not sure when I gained this ability."
"That's it?"
"That's it."
Hearing Haruto's confirmation, a trace of disappointment flashed in Hiruzen's eyes.
Compared to other abilities, this one seemed rather ordinary.
After all, the Uchiha clan existed in Konoha!
A Three-Tomoe Sharingan could copy most jutsu instantly! As long as a technique wasn't a forbidden or secret art, or something extremely unique, the Sharingan could replicate it effortlessly. Compared to that, Haruto's ability seemed unimpressive.
However, what Hiruzen didn't know was that Haruto's replication ability had no limits. No matter what technique it was, as long as someone was willing to teach him, he could master it! And learning from an instructor was just one aspect of his ability.
Of course, Haruto wasn't about to tell Hiruzen the full truth.
"Even with this ability, I advise you not to overuse it," Hiruzen continued. "Copying too many jutsu is pointless. It's a waste of time. A ninja only needs to master a few essential techniques—having more doesn't necessarily make one stronger. Many jutsu you learn will never be used. Take me, for example—I regularly use less than 2% of all the techniques I've mastered. I learned so many because I needed to research them and create stronger techniques. But what you're doing is fundamentally different from that."
Haruto wasn't sure why Hiruzen was advising him like this, but he nodded—it was a lesson worth considering.
Because Hiruzen was absolutely right!
There was a famous example in the original Naruto story of someone with too many techniques who barely used them—Kakashi Hatake, the Sixth Hokage.
Nicknamed the Copy Ninja, Kakashi had used Obito's Sharingan to copy over a thousand jutsu. Yet in actual battles, he relied on only a handful. In the later stages of the original series, where powerful shinobi were everywhere, Kakashi was only considered an average Kage-level ninja.
Quality over quantity.
Haruto had understood this principle long ago. He had never abused his learning ability.
"I hope you take my words to heart. Rely on your natural talent to train—it will help you gain deeper insights along the way. It will be beneficial for your future growth." Hiruzen's voice suddenly stopped.
At the same time, Haruto turned his head toward the small forest path behind the wooden house.
Someone was coming!
That was why Hiruzen had suddenly stopped speaking.
Haruto watched as four figures emerged from the trees—a young man and woman, accompanied by two other men. They were Uchiha Fugaku, Uchiha Mikoto, Uchiha Iwa, and Uchiha Tohu!
Haruto had only been back for about two hours, and they were already visiting him!
"Remember to be polite when we meet him. Haruto is already…" Fugaku was saying as he walked, but his voice trailed off when he saw Haruto standing by the lake—with none other than the Third Hokage.
All four of them froze, their expressions shifting.
The Hokage was here? Speaking with Haruto? And not the other way around?
Haruto noticed their hesitation and waved his hand dismissively, gesturing for them to leave.
"Let's go," Fugaku quickly whispered, leading his group back into the trees.
Hiruzen remained standing on the grassy hill, hands behind his back, gazing at the lake. He hadn't even turned around. Only after Fugaku's group had left did he finally speak.
"You mentioned 'calculating fate' before. Can you explain what you meant by that?"
"A kind of unpredictable sensing ability," Haruto replied vaguely.
"Hmm." Hiruzen nodded, not pressing further.
"How did you manage to kill the elite Jonin from the underground black market while underwater?" Hiruzen asked again.
"Uh…" Haruto hesitated. Previously, he had claimed that Uesugi Kama had drowned. Anyone could tell that was nonsense, yet it was impossible to disprove.
Now that Hiruzen was asking again, Haruto didn't know how to respond. He couldn't reveal his Shikotsumyaku (Dead Bone Pulse) ability.
"He really did drown!" Haruto insisted, bracing himself. This was his way of telling Hiruzen he didn't want to answer.
"I understand. Everyone has their secrets," Hiruzen said calmly, showing no sign of frustration. He had no intention of prying further.
After a brief silence, Hiruzen finally said, "I have made a decision."
"Please, tell me, Lord Hokage," Haruto said, looking at him.
"I intend to take you as my personal disciple. Would you be willing?" Hiruzen asked, his tone calm, as if he were discussing something trivial.
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