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Atop one of the elegant mansions within Konoha, a small girl with shining hair sat peacefully under the cold, beautiful night.
She sat with such grace, one might think her a mermaid about to sing.
Upon her head was short, bright pink hair, the very shade of the cherry blossoms for which this great city—Konoha—was famed.
A gentle breeze passed, causing the little girl to close her eyes in contentment, a small smile blooming across her face.
While her eyes were closed, a memory stirred.
A small blond-haired boy had been staring at her, somewhat absent-mindedly.
In response, she had simply smiled softly and waved at him, only for him to wave back with a pure, beautiful smile.
She placed her hand over her mouth and chuckled quietly.
That boy had been such a silly one.
She looked up again with a smile and murmured:
"What a strange thing that happened today…"
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Scene Three
The Uzumaki Family – (1)
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Returning now to the palace that Naruto had slowly entered, he sighed as he closed his eyes.
The time had come to uncover whoever was manipulating events from behind the curtain.
Naruto needed to regain his position—
Right now, he was in a pitiful state, nearly like that of a servant.
Despite having a degree of popularity among the branch family, the Great Matriarch, Mito Uzumaki, had little fondness for him.
His grandmother—his mother's mother—was currently the clan's ruler.
She had once been married to a man of great power: the former leader of the country, Senju Hashirama.
However, the two had divorced, and she later married another man from the Uzumaki clan—father to all her children except the eldest.
Naturally, Uzumaki Kushina was the daughter of the Uzumaki husband.
As Naruto recalled this headache-inducing family tree, he exhaled deeply.
At the moment, there were two people who likely wished to see his downfall—
foremost among them, the eldest son of Matriarch Mito, whose predatory intentions were obvious to everyone.
"Naruto–kun!!"
As the boy was lost in thought, a somewhat worried voice called out.
Naruto lifted his head, brushing aside his thoughts, and saw a man with thick, red hair—
one of his eyes hidden beneath his fringe, and a concerned look in the other.
"Uncle Yukiteru!!"
Naruto jumped up joyfully and hugged his younger uncle with a bright smile, which the man returned warmly.
"Thank goodness you're safe, Naruto–kun!!"
Tears poured down Yukiteru's face comically as he shouted:
"How can I face Kushina–chan if you die after I promised to take care of you!!"
He continued sobbing hysterically while squeezing Naruto with all his strength.
"I–I'm dying!!"
Naruto's face turned blue from the chokehold.
His head began to swell, as if it would explode at any moment.
Then Naruto opened his mouth, and—
Fwoooosh!!
A great puff of air burst from within him, as though he had released the final bit of breath in his body.
"Oh no!! Naruto–kun!!"
Yukiteru screamed in fright and finally let go of him.
He was, quite plainly… a complete fool.
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"So you were kidnapped last night before you left to visit the Namikaze clan for the annual remembrance of Minato and Kushina…
That means the kidnapper is someone from within the Uzumaki clan..."
Yukiteru spoke calmly, processing what Naruto had just said.
"Yeah… and I was poisoned too. But somehow, I survived."
"This is troublesome. My brothers are truly starting to lose their sanity."
Yukiteru placed a hand on his face, covering his eyes quietly.
He was the youngest among them—unable to act directly.
And with the Great Matriarch Mito so openly supporting the eldest son, any move against him would only bring calamity.
"We've planned a meeting. I was searching for you to inform you."
"I'll attend."
As Yukiteru walked away, he heard something from Naruto that shocked him so deeply that he spun around at lightning speed, stunned.
"What?!"
---
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The Uzumaki Family – (1) End
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"Onii–chan, look at this!"
A little girl called out with a smile as she picked a violet-colored flower she'd found in the garden.
She hurried over to her brother, who was sitting in a chair in front of their home.
The house was of modest size, but beautifully built in a traditional Japanese style—
A simple, elegant work of art.
A beautiful, humble home.
"My dear, what could this be?"
The boy feigned innocence, pretending to be surprised as he looked at his beloved little sister, trying to delight her in her discovery.
"It's a flower! It's so, so pretty!"
She twirled around like a princess performing onstage, laughing with joy.
"You're so full of energy, little one,"
the boy chuckled gently, watching his little sister bounce and frolic through the garden with overwhelming joy.
"How long do you plan on being this lazy, boy?!"
A thunderous voice shattered the young man's calm, descending upon him like a disgusting, vile curse.
(That damned old man...!)
The young man turned and said,
"What is it, Otou–sama?"
The disgust and scorn in his eyes vanished, replaced instantly with a sweet, respectful smile.
"You're old enough to find work. I don't want to see you in this house again until you do. You leave tomorrow."
The man's tone was harsh and unwavering as he stared at his son.
"Yes, Otou–sama."
The boy bowed his head obediently in reply.
"Good."
The man turned and walked back into the house.
The boy clenched his fist tightly and whispered:
"Damn it…"
---
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The Uzumaki Family – (2)
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Returning now to the Uzumaki Palace.
The meeting had begun.
The important members of the main family entered the great hall.
The branch family members were present as well—
but they held no power, no say, before the giants of the main lineage.
In the past, before Naruto was born, they might have had leverage.
But that was all gone now.
The branch family had no choice but to accept the reality.
At the large throne at the far end of the hall sat an elderly woman who appeared to be in her sixties.
Her hair was completely silver, styled high in a regal fashion.
Though her eyes remained closed, she could see more clearly than most.
Below her sat four chairs. The second chair remained empty.
In the first sat a man in his forties with dark red hair and a cold, indifferent gaze.
In the third sat a man in his late thirties, his hair slicked back in a stylish way, wearing a sly, cunning grin that he didn't even try to hide.
And in the fourth—
the youngest son, Yukiteru Uzumaki from earlier—
sat quietly, with great humility compared to his brothers.
"Well then, now that everyone—"
spoke the Great Matriarch, Mito Uzumaki, slowly—
—but she was interrupted by the sound of a door opening, a noise that startled everyone.
"You forgot about me…"
The mouths of the Uzumaki clan members fell open in surprise as they looked at the one who had finally left his room—
a room he had locked himself inside for years.
"Naruto–kun!!"
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#To_Be_Continued.