"Hiss… Konoha just released a new bounty—fifty million ryō…"
"That's the equivalent of three jōnin-class bounties…"
"Hohoho, and it's coming from the strongest hidden village too. For them to issue a bounty, the target must be no joke…"
"There's no name. No photo. Just a vague written description…"
"Pfft, and that's what they call a bounty?"
…
News of Konoha's latest bounty quickly spread across the shinobi world.
Missing-nin, bounty hunters, and shinobi from the major villages were all paying attention, but one detail caught everyone off guard.
"A thief who uses space-time ninjutsu!?"
In the Raikage Tower of Kumogakure, the Fourth Raikage frowned deeply at the intel in his hand.
"A pair of hands using space-time ninjutsu… stealing and relocating huge supplies in seconds. It sounds even more dangerous than the Hiraishin no Jutsu (Flying Thunder God Technique)…"
The more he thought about it, the deeper his frown grew. A golden figure from the past briefly flashed in his mind.
With a firm slap of the paper in hand, the Fourth Raikage issued an order:
"Mobilize our intelligence network. I want this guy found."
"Yes, sir."
His secretary, Mabui, nodded and left.
Out of fear of space-time ninjutsu, the entire shinobi world erupted into a frenzy.
But oddly enough, even under such pressure, no one could uncover the identity of this so-called space-time ninja.
…
Within Konoha, on a branch near Satomi Hill Villa, a golden-haired boy sat against a tree, reading the bounty slip with amused interest.
"Only fifty million ryō, huh? What a joke."
Still, he knew that in the shinobi world, fifty million was practically the ceiling.
After all, in the world of ninja, shinobi were mere tools of the daimyo—far cheaper than the Marines in the world of pirates.
"Which is why I'll never understand… why shinobi choose to serve such trash."
Naruto casually tore the bounty slip to pieces and turned toward the interior of the hilltop villa.
It was a luxurious estate, yet completely deserted. Dust coated the walls, and cobwebs clung to every corner.
But near the center room of the mansion, a figure could faintly be seen.
A girl.
Naruto leapt down from the branch and resumed his taijutsu training under the trees. Punches and kicks cut through the air like thunderclaps.
…
Half a month passed in the blink of an eye.
Every day, Naruto's real body came to train outside the Satomi Hill Villa.
He never once stepped inside. He just practiced taijutsu, occasionally testing out the Rasengan.
But the girl inside the villa watched him every day.
And today, she couldn't resist any longer. She stepped out toward the entrance and curiously called out to him:
"Um… would you like to rest and eat something?"
She held out some cookies shyly.
Naruto stopped, wiped the sweat from his brow, and smiled.
"Thanks. Why don't you come bring them over?"
The girl lowered her gaze, looking a little dejected.
"There's a barrier at the entrance. I can't get out…"
Raising an eyebrow, Naruto walked toward her—and in her astonished eyes, conjured an air door and stepped through.
"Whoa… what is that? Amazing…" she gasped.
"It's the Doa Doa no Mi (Door-Door Fruit)—my kekkei genkai," Naruto said, tapping the air door with a grin. "But it's a secret, okay? Don't tell anyone."
The girl nodded obediently. "I won't tell. There's no one who'd listen to me anyway…"
Naruto found a seat and nibbled on the cookies she baked as they chatted idly.
The innocent girl quickly opened up to him, telling him her story:
"My name is Kurama Yakumo. I'm from the Kurama Clan. That awful Hokage… he had my parents assassinated…"
Naruto quietly listened, never interrupting.
Of course, he already knew her real story—but it was different from what Yakumo believed.
The Kurama Clan was an ancient and rare bloodline, gifted with a terrifying kekkei genkai—the ability to manipulate the five senses.
Young Yakumo awakened it early, much to her clan's delight.
But due to her frail health, she couldn't control the power. A malevolent spirit—the yami—was born from within her.
One day, when her parents tried to stop her from becoming a shinobi, the darkness exploded—Yakumo unknowingly burned the entire Kurama Clan to the ground, including her parents.
But due to misunderstandings, the young Yakumo believed it was Hiruzen Sarutobi who had them assassinated—and that he now sought her death as well.
All this flickered through Naruto's mind.
He smiled and gently patted Yakumo's head.
"Yeah, that Hokage's really awful…"
When Yakumo heard him agree, her eyes lit up with joy.
No one had ever believed her. Some had even scolded her.
"You believe me, Naruto-kun… you're the only one!"
Yakumo looked at him with heartfelt gratitude.
Naruto smiled.
"That's because I understand how you feel. My name's Uzumaki Naruto. My parents were Namikaze Minato and Uzumaki Kushina—the Fourth Hokage and an elite jōnin…"
"Eh!?" Yakumo covered her mouth in shock.
"The Fourth Hokage's child…"
Even though she'd been confined to this estate her whole life, she'd heard of the Fourth Hokage—a true hero.
"Then… you…"
Yakumo hesitated, looking at Naruto.
He grinned.
"My identity was kept secret. Hiruzen Sarutobi made sure of that. The villagers all think I'm just a monster…"
He told her everything.
And he wasn't worried about her spilling the truth—Konoha had locked her away to prevent another incident. She never saw anyone but Yūhi Kurenai, who delivered her supplies once or twice a month.
By the time he finished, Yakumo's eyes were red with tears.
"That damn Sarutobi! How could he let you suffer like that? You're the Fourth Hokage's son!"
As she began to cry, Naruto smiled and reached out his hand.
"In that case, that makes us friends, right?"
(End of Chapter)
[Check Out My Patreon For +20 Extra Chapters On All My Fanfics!!][[email protected]/zaelum]
[+500 Power Stones = +1 Extra Chapter]
[Thank You For Your Support!]