Konohagakure.
Just past noon, by the calm lakeside near the Uchiha district on the outskirts of the village.
Sasuke rested his chin on his hands, his brows furrowed deeply as he stared at the water in deep thought.
Right now, he was analyzing the differences between the world in his mind—the "past"—and the world he was currently experiencing.
After a long while, a look of shock flashed across his eyes, followed by disbelief.
It felt like a dream. In just a few days, he was already struggling to tell if this world was real or fake.
Especially since this world—without the existence of the Sun God Kingdom—seemed much more "normal." Everything was less exaggerated.
Compared to that dreamlike world, this one felt more logical, even though there were plenty of differences from what he remembered.
For example, after the Nine-Tails attack, his father hadn't sought help from the Hyuga clan. Instead, he had suffered repeated losses in his power struggle against the higher-ups, eventually being forced to move the Uchiha district to the outskirts of the village long ago.
And…
Sasuke had also noticed something strange about his brother's behavior.
Itachi didn't act like the son of the Uchiha clan leader. Instead, his actions resembled those of a spy monitoring the Uchiha.
But that didn't make sense—he had overheard his father saying Itachi was meant to see the village with his own eyes.
"The Nine-Tails attack… the village's conflict with the Uchiha… and somehow, Hyuga Hiashi is the Hyuga clan leader now? Not only that, but during the peace talks with Kumogakure years ago, the Hyuga clan was the one forced to make concessions…"
This was completely different from how he remembered it!
After the Nine-Tails attack, Konohagakure and Kumogakure did go to war, but in this world, Iwagakure hadn't gotten involved. Without Oonoki stirring up trouble, the peace talks didn't become an excuse to target the Uchiha. Instead, because of their strong performance in the war, the Hyuga clan became Kumogakure's main target.
Strangely enough, the then-leader of the Hyuga clan, Hyuga Hiashi, had chosen to sacrifice his own younger brother.
But one thing had stayed the same—in both the past world and this one, the villagers remained just as indifferent.
Even his own father, Uchiha Fugaku, hadn't spoken up for the Hyuga clan.
"That man, huh."
Thinking about the times he had occasionally gathered intel in the village and unexpectedly ran into that familiar, warm-hearted man, a look of relief finally appeared on Sasuke's face.
The Sun God was still present in this world. However, compared to his previous memories, this world's Sun God seemed more focused on enjoying life rather than engaging in power struggles. But that didn't matter— as long as that familiar man was here, Sasuke could distinguish whether this world was real and reaffirm his own beliefs.
"This is a trial!"
Clenching his fist, Sasuke took a deep breath. Once he had sorted out his thoughts, he started carefully analyzing the current situation, listing out possible solutions in his mind.
"What's certain is that the conflict between the Uchiha clan and Konohagakure's leadership has already reached an irreconcilable point. Fortunately, before Itachi took action against the clan, I had a conversation with my father to understand the reasons behind this."
"The problem with the Uchiha clan is a long-standing issue. Since the founding of Konohagakure, those people have never truly trusted the Uchiha. It's hard to imagine them ever seeing us as their own. Based on my talk with Itachi yesterday, my foolish brother seems quite dissatisfied with both our clan and our father. As for Father, despite being the clan leader, he doesn't have the same determination he had in the previous world."
"This… is a tough situation."
Letting out a bitter laugh, Sasuke rubbed his temples. He had to admit that he didn't inherit his father's strategic mind, but he was doing his best to think things through.
Feeling his thoughts getting tangled, Sasuke decided to start from the beginning.
"The Nine-Tails attack was just a trigger. Even if it hadn't happened, the Uchiha and the village would have clashed sooner or later. The key issue isn't Uchiha Itachi. Even if my foolish brother didn't act, someone else would. If I want to solve this problem at its core..."
He had two choices.
One was to overthrow the system and take the position of Hokage himself. But even if all the Uchiha elites were united and ready to fight to the bitter end, even if they somehow won, could they truly command the loyalty of Konohagakure's other clans?
It wasn't that he looked down on his father, Fugaku— but the truth was, his father simply didn't have the charisma to unite the entire village. Even if they won, they would only inherit a broken and divided Konohagakure, which wouldn't benefit the Uchiha clan at all.
So, while becoming Hokage was an option, even someone as powerful as Uchiha Madara had struggled to claim that title. The only way to do it was through sheer force.
As for the second option…
They could follow the example of the Hyuga clan from before— leave this decaying village and build their own nation.
"But no matter which path we take, we need time and strength. Before we grow strong enough, the key is to delay the conflict as much as possible."
Sasuke's mind started working at full speed. Given his experiences from his past life, he was now reliving his own story from a new perspective. His goal was to break free from the fate that had been set for him and achieve a mental breakthrough.
However, based on his current performance, he still hadn't met Hyuga Hitoshi's expectations.
Outside, reclining on a lounge chair, Hyuga Hitoshi stroked his chin, watching Sasuke thoughtfully, debating whether to give him a little hint.
To be honest, he had high hopes for this kid. He looked forward to seeing how Sasuke would grow.
But even now, Sasuke was still fixated on a single village and a single clan. His mindset hadn't expanded enough. If he could just take a step back and compare this small internal conflict with the Sun God Kingdom's ongoing struggle for planetary control against the Otsutsuki clan, he would see how laughable the Uchiha-village feud really was.
Of course, Hyuga Hitoshi also understood that he might be expecting too much. From Sasuke's point of view, without the overwhelming power to decide everything in an instant, he had no choice but to focus on surviving his brother's massacre before considering anything bigger.
At the end of the day, the difference lay in their perspectives. Even though Sasuke had grown in this world, he still couldn't be compared to a true traveler like Hyuga Hitoshi.
"If it were you, what would you do in this situation?"
On the other side, Naruto was still just a baby. His daily life consisted of little more than playing around, trying to win over Kurama so he could gain access to its power as soon as possible.
Kushina, however, hadn't expected Hyuga Hitoshi to be so ruthless with Sasuke— throwing him into such a difficult challenge right from the start.
She also couldn't shake the feeling that what Sasuke was experiencing inside the Tsukuyomi world was more real than her current existence as a chakra form conversing with Hyuga Hitoshi.
"There are many ways to break the deadlock."
Hyuga Hitoshi glanced at Kushina, speaking in a cryptic tone.
"Heh."
Kushina simply responded with a polite smile. Did he really think she was some clueless political novice? She had heard about the Uchiha-Konoha conflict from Grandma Mito when she first arrived in the village. It wasn't something that could be solved easily— not every Hokage was a Senju Hashirama, willing to be so accepting of the Uchiha.
"Even Minato didn't have a good solution for the Uchiha problem."
In other words, if even someone as capable as Minato hadn't been able to resolve it, she doubted Hyuga Hitoshi could either.
"So in your mind, the position of Hokage is higher than the ruler of the Sun God Kingdom— higher than the one who stands at the center of the ninja world's faith?"
Hyuga Hitoshi scoffed.
"Or do you think Fugaku becoming Hokage was purely his own achievement? That the reason your late husband couldn't do it, but I managed to pull it off soon after his death, was just a coincidence?"
That left Kushina speechless, though she still felt Hyuga Hitoshi was twisting the argument.
"I'm talking about solving the problem from Sasuke's perspective— without absolute power."
She was still trying to argue.
But Hyuga Hitoshi liked stubborn people. The ones who talked tough usually had the softest hearts.
"I'll just say one thing."
Hyuga Hitoshi spoke calmly.
"If you can understand why, after Senju Hashirama's death, Senju Tobirama only suppressed the Uchiha instead of pushing them into a life-or-death struggle like what Sasuke is facing now, then you'll have the key to solving this situation."
"I'll give you a hint—everything exists for a reason. Even the Uchiha clan has its value and purpose in the village."
Kushina was stunned. She only understood half of what Hyuga Hitoshi was saying.
But fortunately, the great Lord Sun God didn't bother arguing with her and directly offered his solution.
"The two ideas Sasuke thought of before aren't wrong. Whether it's flipping the table and becoming Hokage or breaking free like the Hyuga clan, both paths require strength. But right now, he doesn't have that strength. Still, that doesn't mean he has to abandon these paths."
"If I were him, I'd think about why the Second Hokage never took direct action against the Uchiha. Then, I'd recall that the First Shinobi World War broke out right after Tobirama took power. And from there, two key points come to mind."
Hyuga Hitoshi raised two fingers and gestured in front of Kushina.
"First, during wartime, there's no doubt that Konoha needed the Uchiha's strength. The conflict Sasuke is dealing with now—the tension between the Uchiha and the village—exists because there's no war. The higher-ups in Konoha and the Uchiha are just sitting around, picking fights out of boredom. In this kind of situation, if you create some chaos and make the Uchiha's value obvious—whether in battle or other areas—then people will start to see that losing the Uchiha would severely weaken Konoha. And if that happens, they won't dare to make a move!"
"That's exactly why Tobirama didn't act against them back then."
"During the First Shinobi World War, the Uchiha were an essential force for Konoha!"
"When the village is in crisis, the Uchiha's power becomes a bargaining chip for victory. Even if they don't get sent to the battlefield, they can stage a few spy infiltrations. Keeping the villagers in a constant state of tension—how hard could that be?"
"Showing their value will buy enough time to move on to the second step."
Hyuga Hitoshi continued.
"When thinking about the First Shinobi World War and Senju Tobirama, another thing comes to mind—Tobirama's forbidden technique: Edo Tensei!"
"The specifics of Edo Tensei are classified, but as someone of noble status in the Sun God Kingdom, Sasuke studied it long ago and understands the basics. Even if he forgot how to use it, he could find the Scroll of Seals in Konoha's archives using Tsukuyomi's world. And if that fails, he could check Orochimaru's old labs for clues."
"As long as he searches, he'll find something. That's one of the advantages I set up in this limited Tsukuyomi scenario."
Hyuga Hitoshi paused for a moment, then smiled slightly.
"Mastering Edo Tensei—even just using it to stir things up—would be enough to make Konoha, fresh out of war, extremely nervous."
"You have to realize that because of the previous negotiations with Kumogakure, Hiashi won't say it outright, but there's definitely some resentment within the Hyuga clan toward the village. At the very least, they'll put in minimal effort. On top of that, Konoha's main forces are still recovering from the war, whereas the Uchiha—who weren't given the chance to fight—are in peak condition and ready to make an impact."
"So, in this situation, would Konoha really dare to move against the Uchiha? Once you buy enough time, the only thing left is to get stronger. And when you reach a certain level of strength, you'll have the power to flip the table. Whether Sasuke wants to become Hokage or leave Konoha will be his choice at that point."
"Of course, the Uchiha will never be that obedient. Along the way, you'd have to make them understand that staying in the village means death. And that brings up another issue—Uchiha Itachi, the one born with a rebellious nature. Personally, I think if Shisui's Kotoamatsukami was used on Itachi, it would work even better. But for that to happen, Sasuke needs to gain Uchiha Shisui's trust. Shisui is someone who can be guided. And if nothing else, using Kotoamatsukami on Danzo would've been a much better use than just dying with his eye stolen."
Hyuga Hitoshi laid out a whole plan with ease, explaining a way to resolve the Uchiha crisis. But there was one thing that left Kushina both shocked and confused.
"The method itself is solid. If the details are refined, it could really save the Uchiha clan. But..."
She hesitated, sounding uncertain.
"But your plan never actually addresses the core conflict between the Uchiha and Konoha's leadership. Instead, it pushes things toward an even bigger confrontation. The only difference is that, in your version, the Uchiha come out as the winners, while the village suffers heavy losses."
"Shouldn't the real solution be about working toward an understanding between the village and the Uchiha? Helping both sides realize how hard things are for each other and fostering mutual respect?"
"Why would I want to solve the conflict?"
Hyuga Hitoshi looked at her like she had said something ridiculous.
"Don't tell me you've fallen for Jiraiya's 'mutual understanding' nonsense?"
"That guy stopped preaching about understanding after he realized he'd never understand why he couldn't bed Tsunade. I can't believe you still buy into that. People in this world will never truly understand each other. Any kind of 'talk-no-jutsu' without a solid foundation of power is just empty nonsense."
"It's like how rich people don't understand why the poor don't just eat meat, and if I flirted with you, Minato wouldn't understand my actions either."
Can you even compare those two things?
Kushina's face darkened, but in the end, she didn't bother arguing with Hyuga Hitoshi and continued watching the projection on the screen.
The time flow in this limited Tsukuyomi was different from reality. Hyuga Hitoshi wasn't interested in watching decades of someone else's life, so he fast-forwarded through the unnecessary parts.
As he skipped ahead, Sasuke finally came up with a strategy to save the Uchiha.
After failing to communicate with his foolish older brother, he shifted his focus to Uchiha Shisui—one of Danzo's targets within Konoha's leadership.
Compared to the stubborn and unapproachable Itachi, Sasuke felt that Shisui was the real man who truly wanted to improve Konoha and the village.
At the same time, he also started interacting with members of the Hyuga clan. Oddly enough, he ended up becoming friends with Hyuga Neji, using "innocent child talk" to gather intel on the Hyuga clan.
For example, many branch family members were unhappy with the decisions of the main family and still harbored silent resentment toward the village for how they were treated.
This gave Sasuke a new idea.
He began carefully planting thoughts in Shisui's mind, speaking in an innocent child's voice but saying things that hit hard—like how his father couldn't control the clan, and even if he did, it wouldn't stop the Uchiha from launching a coup.
This forced Shisui to start thinking deeply about the situation.
Day after day, time passed, and Sasuke finally experienced what it was like to lose his power. Without the Sun God Seal, he had to act weak and childish every day, and through this, he came to understand just how powerless he truly was. He realized the importance of strength, how difficult it was to obtain, and began to long for the feeling of having power once again.
Through repeated setbacks, he also saw how arrogant he had been in wielding his strength. As he reflected on his past, he underwent an unprecedented transformation in both mind and spirit. A moment of enlightenment brought him newfound clarity, elevating and changing him entirely.
And this—was precisely Hyuga Hitoshi's ultimate goal in crafting the Limited Tsukuyomi script.
The purpose of the script was to build a strong mindset in his subordinates, ensuring that when they eventually trained under the downgraded Chakra Fruit system, they would instinctively respect power and never take it lightly.
No matter how they performed inside the Limited Tsukuyomi, as long as they came to understand this principle and held reverence for the Sun God, it was already a great success.
Sasuke had his realization. With newfound respect in his heart, he discovered a new path within the Limited Tsukuyomi world. He recalled the Sun God's teachings and the battles against the Otsutsuki Clan. Compared to that, the political struggles he was entangled in now felt like nothing more than childish squabbles.
As his narrow perspective widened, the confusion in his eyes finally disappeared, and confidence returned to his face. He had finally found the true way forward.
At the same time, on the left side of the screen—where things were progressing much faster than on Sasuke's end—Naruto had finally reached the age where he could live independently.
His new home was a rundown place. Despite being the son of the Fourth Hokage, he hadn't inherited Minato and Kushina's wealth. But life wasn't too bad—at least he wasn't surviving on expired milk and instant noodles every day like a certain someone.
"But all these stares and whispers are really annoying, don't you think, Kurama?"
Following his mother's last words, Naruto embraced his peaceful daily life.
Eat well, sleep well, and grow up fast.
After all, only by eating properly and becoming strong could he knock down those who got in his way.
"It's the demon fox! Get him!"
A rock—though not too heavy—was thrown at him. In the distance, a group of kids who had been playing moments ago now stared at him. He had just been passing by, yet they called him a demon fox. That part didn't bother him much.
But why did they have to pick a fight?
"It's the demon fox! Demon foxes eat people!"
Naruto grinned, cracked his knuckles, and walked straight toward them.
Well, today was another day to teach these weaklings a lesson!