Naruto, on the other hand, was living quite peacefully.
He wasn't as mischievous as in the original story. He listened attentively in class, and with Uzumaki Shuji sparring with him since childhood, Naruto had built a basic foundation in taijutsu.
He wasn't at the top of the class, but at least he was no longer at the bottom.
Although so students still excluded him, having two "future sisters-in-law" speak up for him gave him a lot of confidence.
"Looks like Hiruzen Sarutobi hasn't suspected ."
Uzumaki Shuji waited the entire night, but no one ca knocking.
Instead, there seed to be so movent outside the house—like soone was searching for sothing.
"That brother-obsessed Itachi is really troubleso… looks like I'll have to change my plan."
Uzumaki Shuji ate breakfast with a helpless expression.
Originally, he had planned to wait until the Uchiha clan was wiped out, then approach Sasuke and trick him into handing over the Uchiha clan's land deeds.
That would skyrocket his wealth—and his strength.
Lottery winnings were nothing. The highest prize he'd seen was only four hundred thousand ryo—far too little.
Even Asuma Sarutobi's bounty was thirty-five million.
Compared to that, the Uchiha clan's land—even at its lowest value—would be worth hundreds of millions.
From what he could foresee, buying into the Uchiha clan at its lowest point was the most profitable move.
His plan had been to farm points while waiting for the perfect mont to strike.
If he could obtain the clan's property from Sasuke—the sole heir—his strength would at least double.
At that point, he could finally wield the Sword of Rupture.
But now, things had changed.
The Chains of Heaven had been exposed, and Itachi Uchiha had taken notice of him.
Uzumaki Shuji felt a headache coming on.
All because of that overprotective brother .
"Ti to switch strategies. I originally wanted to stay low, but that's no longer possible."
"For safety, I'll go with a plan that has moderate risk and moderate reward."
Uzumaki Shuji decided to take a calculated risk.
The next day, Naruto went to school as usual.
Uzumaki Shuji followed his usual routine—wandering around the village while picking up a few household supplies along the way.
And just as expected, he "happened" to find a wallet filled with a large amount of money.
This wasn't unusual. He often ca across such things. After a few attempts, he realized it was too conspicuous to keep them, so he usually handed them over to the police force.
Today would be no different.
Except this ti, he planned to deliver it personally.
anwhile, the ANBU assigned to protect him had increased to three.
Their goal was to locate the mysterious figure hiding in the shadows.
Hiruzen Sarutobi would not tolerate soone secretly interfering within Konoha without his knowledge.
…
"Hello, uncle."
"I'd like to ask—where does Sasuke Uchiha's father work?"
Uzumaki Shuji walked straight into the police force headquarters, holding the wallet.
The three ANBU watching nearby felt uneasy.
But they didn't dare interfere directly here.
If it had been Naruto, they wouldn't have let him approach at all.
"You…!"
"Sasuke Uchiha's father? That's the clan head's son, right?"
"What do you need him for?"
The officer at the front desk was startled upon seeing Uzumaki Shuji.
In the village, aside from the Hokage, the most recognizable faces were the Uzumaki brothers—thanks to Danzo's relentless propaganda.
Still, Uzumaki Shuji's passive charm made him easily likable to adults.
"I fought with Sasuke yesterday. I ca to apologize."
"Oh, and I found this wallet on the road. Could you please return it to its owner? They must be very worried."
Uzumaki Shuji put on a pitiful expression.
His acting skills were honed from years of experience—practically the level of soone who had been playing the role of a "student" for over two decades.
"Of course. The clan head is in the office at the back. You can go find him yourself."
The officer accepted the wallet and spoke kindly.
Uzumaki Shuji nodded, then walked deeper inside, looking slightly hesitant.
"Apologizing, huh?"
The three ANBU outside read his lips and relaxed.
Even though the ANBU were powerful, they couldn't just barge into the police headquarters.
They could only wait outside.
…
Knock, knock.
Uzumaki Shuji found the office of Fugaku Uchiha.
As the head of the police force, Fugaku didn't patrol every day. He had plenty of administrative work to handle.
"Co in."
A deep voice responded.
Uzumaki Shuji entered.
Before stepping in, he appeared timid—but the mont the door closed, his expression turned calm.
"You."
Fugaku imdiately recognized him.
He knew the jinchūriki wouldn't be allowed near this place, so this had to be Naruto's twin brother—Uzumaki Shuji.
The one who had been beating up his son.
"Clan Head Fugaku, ti is precious. I won't waste it pretending."
"Are you interested in so information? Information that concerns the fate of the Uchiha clan."
Uzumaki Shuji casually sat down across from him, his tone steady.
"You?"
Fugaku frowned in confusion.
Then his expression changed drastically.
"Konoha plans to use you to fra the Uchiha clan?!"
The thought struck him suddenly.
He suspected that Hiruzen Sarutobi intended to use Uzumaki Shuji to impersonate the jinchūriki and fra the Uchiha.
It wasn't impossible.
After all, the Senju clan had already been wiped out. What was stopping them from doing the sa to the Uchiha?
"You've got quite the imagination—but unfortunately, that's not it."
"I don't have ti to chat. If I stay too long, the ANBU will grow suspicious."
"The one who attacked Konoha during the Nine-Tails incident will soon collaborate with soone within the Uchiha clan. With the village's approval, they will move against your clan."
"If you do nothing, the Uchiha will be annihilated—just like the Senju. Reduced to nothing more than a story people tell over tea."
After saying this, Uzumaki Shuji jumped off the chair and slowly walked toward the door.
He was waiting.
Waiting for Fugaku to stop him.
"Wait!"
Just as Uzumaki Shuji's hand touched the doorknob, Fugaku's stiff voice rang out.
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