Mastermind of the Akatsuki

Byakuya and Black Zetsu talked for a long time, from the current state of the Jinchuriki to how to properly cultivate them.

After listening to Byakuya's training plan, Black Zetsu had big question marks all over his small head, but due to his recognition of Byakuya's abilities, Black Zetsu chose to believe him.

After all, in the past thousand years, he had never had a subordinate as reliable as Byakuya.

Not wanting to waste any more time, after bidding farewell to Byakuya, Black Zetsu burrowed underground and quickly headed toward Konohagakure (Hidden Leaf Village).

Just a day later, Black Zetsu arrived at Konohagakure.

He first searched around the Sarutobi clan's residence and the Anbu base for Naruto, but found no trace of him.

Just as Black Zetsu suspected whether the Third Hokage had sent Naruto elsewhere for training, he unexpectedly bumped into the poor little Naruto on the street.

Little Naruto appeared to be only about three or four years old, struggling to carry a plastic bag as he made his way toward the wilderness.

The bag contained not much—just a few buckets of instant ramen and some cartons of milk, which seemed enough to fill his stomach.

But was it really okay for Konoha ninja to be so indifferent? They actually allowed a Jinchuriki to wander around the streets freely.

Moreover, if he heard correctly, the few villagers watching from a distance were discussing Naruto, saying that he seemed to be the child of a demon fox, who once brought misfortune and calamity to the village.

Although Black Zetsu didn't understand the ninja's way of thinking, he felt that this situation was somewhat off.

According to Byakuya, shouldn't a Jinchuriki be carefully nurtured to foster their sense of belonging to the village? Why would they let such a small child live alone?

If he were truly an orphan with nothing, it would be understandable, but this was the son of the Fourth Hokage.

Soon, Black Zetsu noticed the Anbu members hiding in the corners monitoring Naruto and silently rejoiced that he hadn't revealed himself recklessly. Otherwise, if the Anbu found him, it would be even more challenging to approach Naruto in the future.

Continuing to lurk underground, Black Zetsu witnessed Naruto's entire day.

Compared to the children in orphanages, Naruto's life was undoubtedly happy; not only did he have his own small house, but even his fridge was always stuffed full, with some food even going bad from being piled up too high.

However, due to the lack of guardians, Naruto lived a largely unrestricted life, but this also brought endless loneliness.

Naruto had no friends and didn't know what he wanted to do in the future.

With nothing to do, Naruto could only wander around the village, enjoying the solitude and loneliness that belonged to him alone.

Unbeknownst to him, he had left the Konohagakure urban area and, with a fishing rod and bucket in hand, arrived at the river outside the village, beginning to fish by himself.

He didn't lack food, but he enjoyed the process of fishing.

After all, no one paid attention to him on the street so it was better to fish in the wilderness. At least there were no cold stares from villagers, nor those annoying peers.

He never understood what he did wrong that always drew their ire.

He could take on one or two of them, but couldn't fight against the united front of his peers and ultimately had to leave in shame.

It was a significant matter for the Jinchuriki to leave the urban area, and the Anbu secretly protecting Naruto exchanged glances; one went to report to the Hokage's building, while the other stayed behind to monitor Naruto.

Unaware of all this, Naruto continued to fish, casting his line again and again.

Before long, his small bucket was full, so he stopped fishing, took out his lighter, and searched for wood to light a fire.

After scraping the fish scales and gutting them, Naruto made a few cuts in the fish meat before he began to grill the fish.

Under the flames, the fish quickly started to sizzle and release oil. Naruto, seeing this, didn't rush as he liked the charred flavor, as it brought him a sense of satisfaction when he ate it.

At that moment, an elderly figure walked from the dusk, slowly approaching Naruto.

This person was none other than Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Third Hokage, who had recently received reports from the Anbu. After the war ended, he suddenly had a lot of free time and finally had the opportunity to visit Naruto.

Naruto is the child of Minato and Kushina. He is also the Jinchuriki of the Nine-Tails in the village.

Every time he sees Naruto's smiling face, he always recalls Minato and Kushina, as well as the prosperous days in Konohagakure.

Hearing footsteps, Naruto instinctively shrank back, but when he saw it was the Third Hokage, he hesitantly said,

"Grandpa Hokage, what brings you here?"

"I came to visit little Naruto, to see how you are doing. If you need anything, you can tell Grandpa Hokage," he replied.

"Grandpa Hokage, I'm doing well. I never lack food or clothes, but the adults in the village always target me, and my peers don't want to be friends with me…"

After a pause, Naruto hesitated before asking, "Grandpa Hokage, do you think it's because I don't have parents that they bully me and don't want to play with me?"

What Naruto said shook the Third Hokage's heart. He sighed gently and replied, "That may be part of the reason, but I can issue an order to them to stop discussing you."

When it came to his origins, Naruto asked with confusion, "Grandpa Hokage, who exactly are my parents, and what did they do before?"

The Third Hokage looked at Naruto and said, "Your parents were ninjas in the village and offended many enemies. To protect you, I cannot reveal their identities, not even to you."

"Oh, I see…"

Naruto was silent for a moment before saying, "Then, Grandpa Hokage, you don't need to issue an order. Let them say what they want; it doesn't matter to me. I don't want to trouble you anymore."

After speaking, Naruto took out a skewer of grilled fish and handed it to the Third Hokage. "I may not have other friends, but as long as I have Grandpa Hokage, that's enough!"

(AN: This precious lille thing ☹)

The Third Hokage took the grilled fish, took a bite, and frowned.

Due to the lack of seasoning, the grilled fish didn't taste good, but the Third Hokage's heart was filled with mixed emotions.

His visit was not only to check on Naruto's living conditions but also to test Naruto's character and see if he inherited Minato's excellent lineage.

It seemed that Naruto had passed the test and was fully capable of becoming a qualified Jinchuriki, but the Third Hokage felt a bit sad about his own shortcomings; he felt somewhat guilty toward Naruto.

Throughout the ninja world, all Jinchuriki face discrimination from the villagers.

On one hand, this is due to the Tailed Beasts having previously harmed ninjas; on the other hand, it's also a fear of the Jinchuriki's power. Before they become perfect Jinchuriki, they can easily turn into rampaging beasts.

Most importantly, the discrimination Jinchuriki face actually facilitates their control.

In an environment where everyone discriminates against the Jinchuriki, if just one person stands up for them, the Jinchuriki will feel grateful and become a valuable asset to protect the village.

As a qualified Hokage, there are things he cannot do but must do.