In the principal's office, Uzumaki Raiden sat on the sofa, holding Namikaze Yoriichi and explaining the history of the ninja world to him.
Rather than simply recounting history, it was more accurate to say that Raiden was telling Yoriichi about the ninja world as he understood it.
"One day, chakra suddenly appeared in this world. Before that, the natural energy of this world was known as the force of nature."
"Then, a sacred tree grew on the earth. This tree absorbed the world's power and bore a fruit, known as the Chakra Fruit."
"It is said that whoever eats this fruit will gain invincible power and live forever."
"The legendary forbidden fruit was taken by someone, and that person became the ancestor of chakra—a woman called Kaguya Hime."
"Kaguya Hime possessed unrivaled power, overwhelming the entire world, and later gave birth to two children with the blessing of humanity."
"Hagoromo and Hamura."
Uzumaki Raiden held Yoriichi, his eyes filled with nostalgia as he spoke slowly. This was actually the first time he had shared such information with anyone—not even his close relatives, like Kushina, had heard this from him. However, in front of Namikaze Yoriichi, Raiden did not hold back, knowing that the four-year-old child before him could properly analyze the information.
"Uncle, are you telling me a story?"
"Miss Akina told me that the ninja world was created by the legendary Sage of the Six Paths, but she never mentioned anything about Kaguya Hime being the ancestor of chakra."
Namikaze Yoriichi scratched his head, looking at Raiden with a puzzled expression. He thought his uncle was simply telling him a story to entertain him.
"What I'm telling you are the deepest secrets buried in the ninja world. Akina doesn't know about these things."
"Only your uncle and I understand matters at this level!"
Hearing this, Uzumaki Raiden smiled and continued his explanation.
"The Sage of the Six Paths you are familiar with is actually one of Kaguya Hime's sons, Hagoromo."
"I told you earlier that the sacred tree absorbs the original power of this world and produces fruits. But do you know what this 'original power' really is?"
"It is the vitality of human beings and the natural energy that permeates this world."
"As Kaguya's sons, Hagoromo and Hamura were born with immense chakra. By chance, the two discovered the truth about their mother's immortality."
"Kaguya's eternal life was sustained by depriving ordinary people of their lifeforce."
"These two brothers had lived among humans since birth and had developed deep feelings for them. To protect the people, they challenged their mother, ultimately defeating and sealing Kaguya."
"According to legend, the moon in the sky was created by Hagoromo and Hamura as the prison where they sealed Kaguya Hime."
"And the Sage of the Six Paths you mentioned—that was the name Hagoromo was known by in the ninja world."
"As for certain unique abilities you may possess, they are called bloodline limits—powers inherited through one's lineage."
As he spoke, Uzumaki Raiden pointed to the sky. However, it was daytime, and the sun hung high rather than the moon.
[My uncle is definitely just telling me a story. How could something like the moon be created by humans?]
[Forget it, I'll just listen to it as a story. If I try to debate the nature of the moon with him, he might think I'm odd.]
Namikaze Yoriichi thought to himself, nodding silently instead of refuting his uncle's words. Raiden, believing the child had accepted his explanation, nodded in satisfaction.
"After Kaguya Hime was sealed, no supreme powerhouse dominated the world anymore. People, driven by their own selfish desires, began endless conflicts."
"Hagoromo, now the Sage of the Six Paths, traveled the world and founded the Ninja Sect during this period."
"He believed that chakra could connect people's hearts, allowing opposing sides to understand one another and thus end conflict."
"But his vision was too idealistic. Understanding alone cannot stop war."
"One's position determines one's perspective, and social class defines one's stance. Instead of bringing peace, the spread of chakra across the world only intensified conflicts after Hagoromo's death."
"Before, battles relied on cold weapons and hand-to-hand combat. But after the rise of chakra, ninjutsu became the new form of warfare."
"This was the beginning of the Warring States Period."
As Uzumaki Raiden finished speaking, Namikaze Yoriichi fell into deep thought. Though his uncle was telling him a story, the ideas within it carried truths that were worth pondering.
"Uncle, if the Sage of the Six Paths was called an immortal, why didn't he live forever? Wasn't his mother immortal?"
"And if beings like that exist in this world, are there also Demons? I mean... the kind of Demons that are also immortal but eat people!"
Yoriichi's eyes shone with curiosity. He had asked this question to many people—his father, his mother, and even Akina, who cared for him—but they all gave the same answer: Demons did not exist.
However, he felt that his mysterious and powerful uncle might know things that others did not.
"The Sage of the Six Paths wasn't literally immortal—he was just a man with incredible power."
"As for Demons."
"The kind you're talking about doesn't exist, but there is a God of Death!"
"It is said that when people die, they enter the underworld. Every soul has its own destination."
"So, there are no Demons in this world!"
"And even if Demons did exist, they wouldn't stand a chance against your uncle!"
Uzumaki Raiden ruffled Yoriichi's hair with a smile. Hearing this, Yoriichi nodded thoughtfully. Even though he had not yet trained in chakra or learned to use it, he could sense the immense strength within Uzumaki Raiden.
To Yoriichi, the aura his uncle radiated was beyond comprehension. The Demons he had seen in his past life, even the most powerful ones, were as insignificant as grains of sand before Raiden.
Even the Demons King who once escaped from him did not exude the same level of intimidation. If he had to compare, the Demons King was merely a distant star, while his uncle was a blazing sun.
And before the sun, the stars fade into nothingness.
Namikaze Yoriichi stayed in Uzumaki Raiden's office until evening. When it was time for Naruto to go home from school, he arrived at the office to pick up Yoriichi. Compared to Yoriichi's polite demeanor, Naruto was much more energetic.
"Boom!"
Without any prior announcement, Naruto pushed the office door open and strode in.
"Yoriichi! Let's go! We're going home!"
Naruto grinned widely, his hands resting behind his head. As the saying goes, sluggish at school, but a dragon after class.
Yoriichi, hearing Naruto's voice, stood up from the sofa, closed the book in his hand titled Konoha History: Uzumaki Raiden, The Man Who Saved the Land of Fire, and placed it on the coffee table.
After bowing deeply to Raiden, he walked toward the door.
"My lord uncle, your nephew takes his leave!"
"See ya!"
The first line was spoken by Yoriichi, while the second was from Naruto. It was hard to imagine how two brothers could have such different personalities.
After they left, Uzumaki Raiden's office returned to its usual tranquility. With some free time, he resumed studying the sealing techniques he had retrieved from the Uzumaki ancestral land years ago.
That night, the wind howled, causing the windows in Raiden's office to rattle. As he flipped through a scroll, he suddenly sensed someone approaching the door.
Lifting his head slightly, he turned his gaze toward it.
"Lord Raiden, the Fifth Hokage has an urgent matter to discuss with you."
"Please proceed to the Hokage Building immediately."
"The Third Hokage and the two advisors have already arrived, and the other jōnin in the village have also been notified."
Outside the door, a young ninja's voice called out. Hearing this, Uzumaki Raiden gathered the scrolls on his desk, activated the office's barrier, opened the door, and stepped out.
(End of Chapter)