Uzumaki Raiden returned to Konoha Village to take charge of the Ninja Academy. Once the news spread, it didn't take long for the entire ninja world to take notice. As the information circulated, Iwagakure and Kirigakure, which had ongoing tensions with Konoha, immediately ceased hostilities.
The borders of the Land of Fire stabilized in an instant, ushering in a period of rapid development for Konoha Village. However, as the external chaos subsided, another hidden threat lurking within the Land of Fire began to reveal itself.
Konoha Year 58, Summer.
Four years had passed since Uzumaki Raiden's return to the village.
That year, Uzumaki Naruto had just turned ten, and his younger brother, Namikaze Yoriichi, was four years old.
At noon, students at the Ninja Academy returned to their classrooms after lunch, settling into their assigned seats for a midday rest under the teacher's supervision.
The chirping of cicadas outside filtered into the quiet classroom, lulling the children into their dreams.
In the principal's office on the top floor, Uzumaki Raiden sat behind his desk, quietly reviewing the latest intelligence reports from Kisame and Shisui.
Four years ago, under his strong advocacy, Konoha established a new organization named Kun. Initially, it consisted of only three members, but after four years of development, its numbers had grown to seven. While Raiden remained the leader, Uchiha Shisui handled daily affairs, with Kisame Hoshigaki as his trusted lieutenant.
Apart from the three of them, Might Guy, Hatake Kakashi, Morino Ibiki, and Hyuga Hizashi had also joined the organization, taking on responsibilities for its daily operations.
At this stage, Kun's primary mission was gathering intelligence on Akatsuki. Except for Raiden and Guy, the rest of the members were skilled in reconnaissance and information gathering. To optimize their efficiency, Shisui and Kisame, Guy and Morino Ibiki, and Kakashi and Hizashi were paired into three teams, each assigned to monitor the Land of Grass, the Land of Birds, and the Land of Rivers, respectively.
These nations, like the Land of Rain, lacked strong hidden villages, making them ideal locations for reconnaissance. More importantly, they had direct connections to the Land of Rain. Given that Akatsuki's headquarters was based there, any significant movements from the organization would inevitably ripple into these regions.
Uzumaki Raiden deliberately refrained from sending Shisui and the others into the Land of Rain itself. There was no telling how much Akatsuki had grown by now, and infiltrating their territory would be too risky. Moreover, Raiden had no intention of confronting Nagato and his group at this stage. He needed to wait—wait for Black Zetsu to expose himself.
Blindly launching an operation in the Land of Rain, even if he managed to defeat Akatsuki, the remnants of the Uchiha who had mastered space-time ninjutsu, and Black Zetsu, had a high chance of escaping. If that happened, tracking them down again would take years, if not decades.
While instructing Shisui and the others to monitor Akatsuki, Raiden also ordered them to search for ancient relics and report any findings immediately. After all, he had never forgotten that in this world, the greatest threat was not Uchiha Madara or any native force—it was the Otsutsuki Clan, who hailed from beyond the stars.
If an opportunity arose, he would ensure that threat was eliminated before it could take root.
Just as Uzumaki Raiden was reviewing the reports, a knock sounded on the office door. Stretching his body, he called out,
"Come in!"
The office door slowly opened, revealing a small figure. A young boy, only four years old, stepped inside. His fair skin contrasted sharply with the blood-red flame-like markings covering almost his entire face. He approached Raiden, bowed deeply, and spoke softly.
"Uncle, I'm here."
At the door, Raiden's housekeeper had escorted the boy in and gently closed the door behind him.
Over the years, Akina Uehara had served as the housekeeper for Uzumaki Raiden. With little to do at home, she had taken it upon herself to assist Kushina in caring for her children as a token of gratitude toward Raiden. Over time, she had become Namikaze Yoriichi's exclusive nanny.
"Yoriichi, I've told you many times, you don't need to be so formal. Come here."
Uzumaki Raiden smiled warmly.
Yoriichi's way of addressing people was surprisingly traditional. No one knew where he had picked up such formal speech, but he always used honorifics when speaking to elders, addressing his parents as "Father" and "Mother" like a noble child from the Warring States period.
"Yes!"
Yoriichi nodded and walked over. Raiden pushed his chair back and lifted the boy into his arms.
Not long ago, Minato and Kushina had started basic ninja training with Yoriichi. Though it was only simple physical conditioning, the talent the boy displayed left them astounded.
Yoriichi possessed an extraordinary aptitude for taijutsu. Minato merely needed to demonstrate a technique once, and Yoriichi could replicate it with near-perfect precision. But what shocked the couple most was his natural combat awareness.
Despite being only four years old, Yoriichi fought with an uncanny level of composure and strategy, as if he had already experienced countless battles. Each movement was precise, methodical—something only seasoned warriors could achieve.
Alarmed by their son's unnatural talent, Minato quickly informed Uzumaki Raiden. His response was simple:
"Extraordinary talent."
With those four words, Raiden acknowledged Yoriichi's abnormal abilities. From that moment on, Namikaze Yoriichi became his next disciple.
His own nephew.
"Yoriichi, what do you want to learn today?"
Raiden had observed that Yoriichi was an independent thinker. From the first moment he met the boy, he knew that Yoriichi was unlike ordinary children.
After spending time with him, it became clear that Yoriichi possessed an intelligence far beyond his peers. His dedication to etiquette was also deeply ingrained, making it apparent that his sense of decorum was more than just a learned behavior—it was instinctual.
Because of this, Raiden hadn't rushed into teaching him ninjutsu. Instead, he spent most of their time talking, helping Yoriichi understand the world. For a child with such a gift, there was no need to rush his ninja training.
"Uncle, I want to learn ninjutsu!"
"I want to understand… what exactly is chakra?"
"You may not believe this, but I feel like the world I see is different from what others see. At the very least, it's different from the way Miss Akina perceives it."
"I want to know… what makes me different from other people."
Yoriichi lowered his head slightly, his voice tinged with uncertainty.
Raiden's suspicions were confirmed—Yoriichi indeed possessed past-life memories. However, they seemed limited to his experiences before the age of twenty.
Even so, he was aware that his parents were not ordinary people. They were ninjas—but ninjas vastly different from the ones he had encountered in this world.
His early exposure to ninja training had already made him realize that this world was far beyond his previous understanding. His curiosity drove him to seek answers.
"You see the world differently from others…"
"So, you've awakened a Kekkei Genkai!"
Uzumaki Raiden knew full well what Yoriichi had unlocked.
However, in this world, he couldn't simply call it Transparent World.
So, he gave it a different name.
(End of this chapter.)