THE EMINENCE OF THE SHINOBI WORLD

After Naruto returned to his apartment, where he and his sister lived, he acted as if nothing had happened. He handed his sister the herbs she wanted, and she told him to come to the hall because dinner was ready. They enjoyed a meal together, and afterward, both siblings headed to their respective bedrooms to sleep.

Once in his room, Naruto entered his mindscape to seek advice from Kurama regarding his future plans.

"NARUTO: Hello, Kurama."

"KURAMA: Oh, hello, kit. Why are you here?"

"NARUTO: I'm here to ask for your advice. I'm still confused about where to start."

"KURAMA: You need to begin with your own village first. After that, you can start expanding your influence to other villages. You can even take advantage of those who tried to kill you earlier."

"NARUTO: How? They're dead now; I buried them alive." A shiver ran down his spine.

"KURAMA: Even if they are dead, you can gather information from their bodies—like their identities and who they worked for. You can also read their minds."

"NARUTO: Really? Thank you, Kurama. But why are you helping me?"

"KURAMA: I'm helping you because when you declared that you would change this shinobi world, I saw my father's image in you. I thought I would give my faith to this shinobi world one last time. But why are you doing this? You're just six years old; at your age, kids usually dream of becoming powerful shinobi or respectable adults living their lives without tension."

After Kurama's question, Naruto recalled a conversation with the Third Hokage when he was given their apartment.

FLASHBACK

Naruto, at age three, was walking with his twin sister Akane and the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, whom they called "Jiji."

"HIRUZEN: So, Naruto-kun, Akane-chan, do you like your new house?"

Both twins replied in unison, "Hai, Jiji!"

"AKANE: Thank you, Jiji! You gave us this house, so I don't have to beat up those bullies who pick on Naru-chan or prank those matrons who ignore our complaints." Her red hair floated wildly, her eyes turned white like Byakugan, and a murderous aura surrounded her.

Hiruzen had a flashback of a red-headed woman who could kill anyone for her precious people.

"HIRUZEN: M-Ma-ma, calm down, Akane-chan."

"NARUTO: Ah, Jiji, can I ask you a question?"

"HIRUZEN: Of course, Naruto-kun. What do you want to know?"

"NARUTO: What is Hokage, and what is the Will of Fire you often talk about?"

Hiruzen was first shocked by the question but then smiled and explained.

"To be Hokage is not a job for the faint of heart or those who are not completely dedicated. Everything that happens in the village is somehow your responsibility. Every business, merchant, food vendor, and civilian falls under your jurisdiction. Most of the time, you will be doing paperwork related to these matters. Every decision you make affects everyone in this village."

He continued, "Then there is the military. You are in command of every ninja in this village. They must obey you and follow your orders. You will be sent on missions, and you need to know which team specializes in what area and which team is better prepared for each mission. You need to know the weaknesses of every team, as their lives rest on your shoulders. If you send the wrong team into a dangerous situation, good men and women will die because of your mistakes. You may have to order some ninjas on missions that are more like suicide missions if necessary. You will eventually make mistakes, and the deaths of your comrades will weigh on you, but you must persevere and not let the loss of life deter you from leading the village."

Naruto looked at the Hokage and saw pain in his eyes, realizing that the old man had seen and made his share of mistakes and was still paying for them.

"Come here, you both," Hiruzen said as he gestured towards the Fourth Hokage's head. When Naruto joined him, he asked, "What do you see?"

Naruto looked in front of him and saw the everyday life in the village. Families were walking around, shops and stores were open, and friends conversed. "It sounds much more peaceful than back home," he remarked.

"That's right, Naruto. When you are Hokage, every man, woman, and child is your responsibility. Their lives depend on the decisions you make. You bear the burden of carrying and protecting every person in this village, even if it means giving up your life."

He continued, "There may come a time when you must make the ultimate sacrifice to protect the village. You are the guiding light for the village, and everyone looks to you for guidance and leadership. To view everyone under you as precious, to place their lives on your shoulders, to protect them with your life—that is what it means to be Hokage."

Naruto looked at him in awe. He had never realized that being Hokage came with such immense responsibility. After hearing the old man's words, he felt ashamed of himself for always claiming he would be Hokage without understanding what it truly entailed. He learned that the Will of Fire is a philosophy created by the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju, which all Hokage follow. It emphasizes that the entire village is like a large family unit, and every Konoha shinobi with the Will of Fire loves, believes in, cherishes, and fights to protect the village, as previous generations had done before them.

"Sorry, Jiji, I didn't fully understand this before, but I promise that when I do, I will become the best Hokage ever."

"HIRUZEN: Don't worry, I know one day you will understand this."

FLASHBACK END

"NARUTO: For a long time, I couldn't grasp what Jiji said, but slowly I began to understand. Now I realize that not only Konoha needs my help, but the whole shinobi world does. That's why I decided to do this. So let's go."

After that, Naruto disguised himself in darker clothes and leapt from his window to the alley behind his house, making his way toward the forest. After twenty minutes of running, he reached the spot where he had buried those men.

He commanded the tree roots to pull the bodies from the ground. Instead of bodies, several white cocoons emerged. He asked Kurama if he knew about this, and Kurama replied that those men had turned into White Zetsu. According to the Sage, when Kaguya released the Infinite Tsukuyomi on the whole world, half of the people turned into Zetsu. Naruto could send his chakra into their bodies and control them; they could transform into anyone and read minds easily.

Naruto channeled his chakra into the Zetsu with the help of the roots and began scanning their memories. "What do you think, Kurama?"

"KURAMA: I think Danzo and his organization, Root, are behind many incidents. Naruto, send these Zetsu to their base and command them to gather as much information as they can. After that, tell them to summon you because there are many things they can't retrieve, and with your new powers, you can easily get them."

"NARUTO: Okay."

Naruto commanded the Zetsu to return to their usual form and head back to their base. After two hours of waiting, he suddenly felt a pull and recognized that he was being summoned.

Upon appearing in the base, he found it heavily fortified and technologically advanced, hidden beneath the earth's surface. It served as the headquarters and operational hub for Root, featuring hidden entrances and exits, advanced security systems, high-tech laboratories, command centers, living quarters, and secure storage.

Naruto asked his Zetsu puppets where the archives or vaults were. They informed him that they were on the second floor. As he approached the second floor, he noticed it was locked, and touching the lock would trigger alarms.

He inquired who had the keys to the vault. They told him there was a guard room on this floor where he could find the key. After approaching the guard room, he sensed that only one person was inside, reading a scroll.

Root member 76 was reading a scroll of new orders from Danzo when tree roots emerged from the ground and bound him. A figure stepped from the shadows, eyes blazing red. The moment the guard saw the figure's eyes, his mind went blank, as if he were a puppet. The figure asked him where the archive and vault keys were. He revealed that a drop of blood was also needed for the blood seal.

Naruto approached the archives and unlocked the room. Four more figures arrived from the shadows, and he commanded them to copy everything in the archives, needing every piece of information stored there. He then entered the vault, which contained various types of scrolls, including a tri-pronged kunai.

He instructed them to copy these scrolls and document what each one was and what it did. After everything was completed, he told them to signal him so he could summon them. He exited the room and ordered them to lock it, ensuring no one could discover their activities, and instructed them to provide him with any future information regarding Root.

After that, he asked them to show him an exit point where no one could see him, which opened into the forest. After appearing in the forest, while waiting for his puppets, he entered his mindscape and saw Kurama looking impressed.

"KURAMA: Well done, kit. At first, I thought someone would catch you, but you handled everything perfectly. I have to tell you that your body didn't adapt to your new powers, and you will need to enter a hibernation-like sleep for a few months."

"NARUTO: WHAT?! But how can I manage these things? What will I tell Aka-nee-chan and Jiji?"

"KURAMA: There are some complications in your body due to my chakra. You will fall into a coma, and while you try to prevent me from taking over your body, you should order your Zetsu puppets to read all the information you collected from that base."

After hearing Kurama's suggestion, Naruto nodded. After three hours of conversation with Kurama, he sensed that his Zetsu puppets were sending him signals, so he exited the mindscape and summoned them.

He created a thousand wood clones and asked them for a storage scroll, sealing his clones within that scroll.

"NARUTO: Take this scroll and find a place where no one can find you. After that, summon five hundred clones and return to your previous posts to maintain your façade. Am I understood?"

The Zetsu clones replied, "Aye, Naruto-sama."

After everything was done, he decided to enjoy time with everyone because he wouldn't be able to see them for a while.

The next day, after waking up, Naruto spent the entire day enjoying time with his close friends and family, wearing a happy smile as he went to bed to sleep for a few months.

AKANE POV

The following day, after waking up, Akane completed her morning routine and headed toward Naruto's room to wake him up. Upon entering, she found him still sleeping. After an unsuccessful attempt to rouse him, she thought he must have exhausted himself the previous day. She left the room, deciding to let him rest a bit longer.

After eating breakfast, she went for some training and did some grocery shopping. By the time she returned, it was evening. Not seeing Naruto, she went back to his room and saw that he was still sleeping.

Panic set in as she tried to shake him awake, but he didn't respond. She rushed to the Hokage Tower. Standing in front of the secretary's desk, she asked to see the Hokage.

The secretary sneered at her and told her that Hokage-sama was busy. Ignoring her, Akane pushed past and entered the Hokage's office.

"Jiji, please come with me! Something happened to Naruto; he won't wake up!"

Hiruzen, who was busy with paperwork, looked up as Akane entered. Before he could greet her, she blurted out that something was wrong with Naruto. He summoned his Anbu, specifically Inu, and headed toward their apartment.

Upon arriving, he rushed to Naruto's room. There, he found Naruto still sleeping in his bed. After checking Naruto's vitals, which were normal, he used a small medical jutsu to examine his chakra. He discovered that Naruto's chakra was more potent than his own.

He ordered Inu to bring Naruto to Konoha Hospital. After a few hours of medical checkups, a medic-nin emerged from the ward and reported, "Hokage-sama, his vitals are normal, but he is acting very strangely. Our mind scans indicate some unusual activity in his mind, and when we checked his chakra system with our Hyuga expert, she couldn't activate her Byakugan for more than two seconds, or she would go blind. It's as if his body is adapting to something."

"HIRUZEN: Do you have any idea what it is? Do you think it's the Kyuubi?"

"MEDIC-NIN: No, sir. Youkai chakra is present in his system, but this is not due to it. We need to admit him to our observation ward for further monitoring."

"HIRUZEN: Okay, admit him and provide daily reports on his condition. All of his medical expenses will be covered by the Hok age office." He then exited the room and sat beside Akane, reassuring her that everything would be alright. He ordered Inu to take Akane back to her home.

Meanwhile, in his mindscape, Naruto found himself surrounded by the souls of his parents, Minato and Kushina. Initially overwhelmed by the sudden influx of new powers and abilities, he began to adapt and familiarize himself with them under their guidance. They conversed like a family, reminiscing about Akane and the life they missed.

He spent most of his time learning to control and harness the powers of the Sharingan, Rinnegan, and Byakugan, practicing the Wood Style—a powerful and versatile jutsu that allowed him to manipulate and control wood, along with many other kekkei genkai.

Month 3-4: Exploration and Discovery

As Naruto grew more comfortable with his new powers, he began to explore the depths of his Rinnegan. He discovered a hidden pocket dimension where time flowed at a much slower rate; one minute in the real world equated to one hour in this dimension.

He spent hours navigating this pocket dimension, learning to understand its unique properties and limitations. He also focused on developing his physical strength, speed, and agility, pushing himself to his limits within this realm.

Month 5-6: Mastery and Utilization

In the final two months of his training, Naruto concentrated on mastering the pocket dimension and utilizing its power to enhance his abilities, naming this dimension the Celestial Citadel.

He learned to manipulate the dimension's time flow, using it to his advantage in combat and training. He developed new strategies and tactics, incorporating the pocket dimension's power into his existing fighting style. By the end of the six-month training montage, Naruto had become an incredibly powerful and versatile ninja, capable of wielding the powers of the Sharingan, Rinnegan, and Byakugan with ease. He also mastered the pocket dimension, using its power to gain a significant advantage over his opponents.

In his final days of training, he mastered Kurama's chakra. Through the information he gathered from the Root base, he uncovered many dark secrets, including the truth behind Sakumo Hatake's suicide, the fall of Uzushiogakure, and Danzo's sinister plans for the Uchiha clan.

Time Skip: 6 Months

Naruto slowly opened his eyes, groggily taking in his surroundings. He was met with the familiar sight of a hospital room, but something felt off. The last thing he remembered was... was... he couldn't quite recall.

As he struggled to sit up, a figure rushed to his side, helping him back onto the bed. It was his sister, Akane. Her eyes were red-rimmed, and her face was etched with worry.

"N-Naruto, you're awake!" she exclaimed, tears of joy streaming down her face.

Naruto's gaze drifted around the room, taking in the various machines beeping and whirring around him. He spotted a figure standing in the corner, watching him with a warm smile.

"H-Hokage-sama?" Naruto croaked, his voice hoarse from disuse.

The Hokage, Hiruzen, stepped forward, his eyes shining with relief. "Naruto, it's good to see you awake. You've been in a coma for six months."

Naruto's eyes widened in shock. "Six months?!"

Akane nodded, taking his hand in hers. "You were in critical condition."

As Naruto's memories began to flood back, he recalled the intense training he had undergone in his mindscape. He remembered the Sharingan, Rinnegan, Byakugan, Wood Style, and the pocket dimension.

The Hokage's expression turned serious. "Naruto, we need to talk about what happened to you. Your body underwent some... unusual changes while you were in the coma. We're not entirely sure what's going on, but we'll do everything we can to help you adjust."

Naruto's eyes locked onto the Hokage's, a fierce determination burning within him. "I'm ready, Hokage-sama. I'm ready to face whatever challenges come my way, and I have certain things to discuss." He rubbed his belly where the Kyuubi's seal existed.

The Hokage understood, a hint of concern in his voice. "Okay, Naruto. After you recover, we will talk in my office."

As the Hokage and Akane helped Naruto sit up and begin his rehabilitation, he couldn't shake the feeling that his journey was only just beginning. The six months in his mindscape had changed him, and he was eager to see what the future held.

Over the next few weeks, Naruto underwent intense physical therapy, working to regain his strength and mobility. The Hokage and Akane were by his side every step of the way, supporting him through the tough times.

As Naruto's body healed, he began to notice strange occurrences around him. His senses seemed heightened, and he could feel the chakra flowing through the air. He could sense the emotions of those around him, and his intuition had become almost uncanny.

The Hokage and Akane exchanged worried glances, unsure of what to make of Naruto's newfound abilities. But Naruto knew that he had been changed by his time in the mindscape. He was no longer the same kid he had once been.

And he was ready to face whatever challenges lay ahead.