A person's personality might be set from the start, but for a mentally sound person, it's hard to understand forgiving the enemy who killed your own parents.
Yet in some worlds, this kind of behavior is called righteousness and greatness. It's almost laughable. But for Hitoshi, his enemies never had a good ending. The only difference was that some got a chance to be reincarnated, while others were erased completely.
Outside the ninja world, on the Sun God Star—
There was no doubt about it. Right now, Hyuga Hitoshi was watching Naruto, watching the young man in the projection make his decision, and he felt completely at ease. Beside him, Kushina had a bit of pride on her face, but more than that, she was deeply worried.
Of course.
For most parents—aside from those with messed-up minds who constantly pressure their children, forcing them to do things they don't want in the name of "it's for your own good"—all they really want is for their child to grow up healthy and happy.
Inside the Infinite Tsukuyomi world, Naruto didn't compromise himself. He was kind-hearted but not naive. He gave everything for his friends but also put himself in danger. Any normal parent would be worried for their child.
That's why it's hard to imagine what Minato was feeling when Naruto forgave Obito in the original story. Was he proud of his son, or was it something else? Hitoshi didn't know Minato well, but he did know the woman beside him. She would probably feel frustrated at first, then do her best to understand her son's choice.
"I don't get it—what's so special about that Sasuke kid? Naruto's not falling for guys, is he?"
But then again, this was Kushina. She was worried, sure, but this was just a trial. Once it was over, her son would only grow stronger. Naruto was handling the situation well, so there was no need to overthink things.
Still, Naruto's attitude toward Sasuke made Kushina suspicious.
Honestly, if Sasuke were a girl, Kushina could understand why Naruto would go to such lengths. But Sasuke was just another boy! Yet for the sake of this one male friend, Naruto went out of his way to investigate and clear the Uchiha clan's name, even if it meant turning against his own village and exposing its dark side. He even became a rogue ninja because of it!
Was that really necessary?
Even Minato back in the day was just doing a simple "hero saves the beauty" act. But to be honest, Kushina still wondered how, despite being heavily guarded, she managed to get kidnapped by Kumogakure ninjas. This was Konohagakure! Did the village's security just stop working that day?
"Sometimes, friendship is more reliable than love."
Hyuga Hitoshi wasn't bothered by any of this. Naruto and Sasuke's bond—setting aside their reincarnations of Asura and Indra—was the most compelling story in the ninja world.
Besides, Kushina was so focused on Naruto that she didn't notice Sasuke's actions in the space on the right.
One-sided effort doesn't last, even in friendship. But friendships are easier to maintain than romantic relationships. Sometimes, all it takes is a single look to understand.
Just as Naruto was willing to leave the village for Sasuke, in the world on the right, Sasuke was trying his best to save the Uchiha clan. He never forgot Naruto.
Especially when he learned what kind of life Naruto had lived and how much rejection he had faced. At first, Sasuke was furious, but he quickly calmed down and started planning.
First, he revealed to the public that Naruto was the Fourth Hokage's son. Then, using the same tactics as his father, Hyuga Hitoshi, he pinned the blame on Danzo. Next, he fueled the theory that the Third Hokage had deliberately let the Fourth die. These actions caused an uproar in the village and made Sarutobi furious at Danzo.
Sasuke, being smart, used this chance to stir up more conflict between Danzo and Sarutobi, making them fight like mad dogs. While they were busy tearing each other apart, Sasuke finally got a chance to meet Naruto.
But he realized that this version of Naruto was more clueless than before. He didn't know how to fight for his own rights.
Sasuke wasn't discouraged, though. He figured this world itself was the problem. If Naruto had been affected by it and changing his mindset was too hard, then Sasuke would just change the world instead!
He knew that if things kept going this way, Naruto would not only be led astray but would also suffer even more unfair treatment. Those so-called "righteous" Hokage would take advantage of Naruto's kindness and make bad decisions. Whether it was the reinstated Third Hokage or the deceased Fourth, their treatment of Naruto was wrong and unjust.
At that moment, Sasuke had an awakening.
He realized that the conflict between the Uchiha clan and Konohagakure's leadership was beyond reconciliation. He knew he had almost convinced Shisui, and with a bit more effort, he might gain the same power as his "cheap old man"—the Mangekyou Sharingan.
Then, glancing at the Edo Tensei scroll, he made up his mind—
"I'll become Hokage! I'll protect that idiot myself!"
At that moment, Sasuke's resolve was set.
At that moment, a flawless plan was put into motion.
He knew he was too young to gain everyone's support, and with the Uchiha's reputation, seizing power directly was impossible. So, without hesitation, he used Edo Tensei to fuel more chaos.
Knowing that Konohagakure had just fought with Kumogakure, and Kumogakure was in no condition for another war, he shifted his focus to Iwagakure, which was always easy to provoke. He even boldly stirred up Kirigakure.
But through the information from his Edo Tensei spies, he made a shocking discovery—
The real power behind Kirigakure was none other than the masked man who started the Nine-Tails attack!
This was ridiculous!
What right did some coward who didn't even dare to show his face have to control Kirigakure?
At that moment, Sasuke felt like he had discovered a gold mine. He had just found a new way to get revenge for Naruto and solve the Uchiha's problems!
If Uchiha Obito could control the Mizukage of Kirigakure…
Then why couldn't Uchiha Sasuke do the same?
Well, maybe not yet. But he had his brother, Shisui!
As long as they eliminated Kirigakure's Jonin Ao, there would be no one left in the entire village capable of detecting Kotoamatsukami's influence on the Mizukage!
As for convincing Shisui? Easy.
For Shisui, anything done "for the village" and "for the Uchiha" was absolute justice. All Sasuke had to do was make him understand the reasoning behind it and make sure he didn't go reporting to the higher-ups like an idiot.
Then, it was a done deal.
Of course, making Shisui realize that the higher-ups couldn't be trusted took a lot of effort from Sasuke, but in the end, it was worth it. Thanks to Sasuke's persistence in painting a grand vision, the Mizukage and Kirigakure Village became solid allies of the Uchiha clan. Under Obito's unwilling gaze, Kirigakure finally ended its Bloody Mist policy and joined the fight against Iwagakure and Konohagakure.
This three-way battle dragged on for a long time. On the surface, it looked like a free-for-all, but because Kirigakure had spies within the enemy ranks, both Iwagakure and Konoha's leadership were constantly frustrated.
The reason was simple.
Since it was a three-way war and Konoha had already suffered major losses in previous battles, the Third Hokage had no choice but to finally allow the Uchiha clan to take the battlefield after several failed attempts to resist it. However, spies are called spies for a reason—Kirigakure played their role far better than expected. Every time Oonoki tried to wipe out the Uchiha, Kirigakure would ambush him from behind.
To make things even more infuriating, after attacking, Kirigakure would suddenly act as if they were too weak to continue fighting, leaving the Uchiha to easily crush the retreating enemy.
As a result, the Uchiha clan racked up an insane number of battle achievements. They weren't just the Uchiha anymore; they became "Konoha's Sharingan Uchiha." It might seem like just a small title change, but in Konoha's history, only the strongest clans and warriors were given the village's name, like "Konoha's White Fang" or "Konoha's Three Sannin." Now, "Konoha's Sharingan" carried the same weight.
With that kind of recognition, the Third Hokage and the higher-ups could no longer openly suppress the Uchiha.
Sasuke was certain that as long as the war continued, the Uchiha clan's position would remain stable. Eventually, their reputation alone would completely overshadow the Third Hokage, who still refused to take the battlefield.
But endless war wasn't a good thing either, and Sasuke knew that well. If he truly wanted the Uchiha to surpass the Third Hokage in every way, he needed a turning point.
"Can you be a good Hokage?"
Thanks to Sasuke's interference in the Infinite Tsukuyomi world, the Uchiha had avoided their tragic fate. But the underlying problem hadn't been solved—Sasuke had only delayed it by using the war as a distraction for a few years.
That day, the young Uchiha heir had grown up. Using the need for more fighters as an excuse, he graduated early. But instead of rushing to the battlefield, he stood before his older brother, Uchiha Itachi, and asked him that simple question.
"If you can't, then just support me."
Itachi was still Itachi. The war had been unpredictable, and the battles had played out in strange ways, but he had managed to trace the oddities back to Sasuke.
Now, standing in front of his brother, Sasuke didn't even bother making excuses. He simply asked if Itachi could handle being Hokage. If not, then step aside.
Itachi didn't answer with words. Instead, he activated his Mangekyou Sharingan. His meaning was clear—his little brother must have lost his mind. Itachi firmly believed the Uchiha had no right to become Hokage. Even now, when they were war heroes, his stubbornness hadn't changed one bit. This was exactly the same Itachi that Sasuke remembered.
And Sasuke knew this battle was inevitable.
Even though years of battlefield experience had allowed Itachi to awaken his Mangekyou, Sasuke had also changed the course of history significantly and had even sensed a trace of the Sun God Seal's power.
Just like the night of the massacre in the original timeline, Itachi was completely overpowered by Sasuke.
Still, Itachi was his brother. Sasuke didn't kill him. Instead, using what he knew from the previous world, he deliberately triggered a series of intense emotions, awakening his own Eternal Mangekyou. Then, without hesitation, he swapped eyes with Itachi.
Once it was over, the young Uchiha finally set foot on the battlefield.
The rest was history. With his Eternal Mangekyou Sharingan, he crushed Iwagakure and Kirigakure, bringing an end to the war. Uchiha Sasuke had become the great hero of the conflict.
And when both strength and reputation were on his side, he didn't even need to fight for the Hokage position—it was practically handed to him.
As Sasuke put it, the only person who could stop him now was Uchiha Itachi. But since Sasuke was the one who ended the war, Itachi wouldn't interfere. If it had been their father aiming for Hokage, Itachi would've killed him without hesitation. But for Sasuke? He'd let it slide.
And just like that, Sasuke had finally fulfilled his promise—he had gained absolute power to protect Naruto's future.
"If you are kind, then I will protect that kindness."
No words were needed. Despite all the dangerous moves he had made over the years—using Edo Tensei to stir up chaos, manipulating Mizukage with Shisui's Kotoamatsukami to boost the Uchiha's reputation, tapping into the faint power of the Sun God Seal to defeat Itachi—he had succeeded.
But just like when he questioned Itachi, he knew he needed a partner. And despite all of Itachi's past blind loyalty to Konoha, Sasuke believed his brother would make the perfect right-hand man. If he could just get rid of Itachi's bias against the Uchiha, his strategic mind would be invaluable. At the very least, he would ensure true fairness in leadership.
Even Itachi would never have guessed that, before meeting this world's naïve and foolish Naruto, Sasuke had never wanted to be Hokage.
At one point, he had even considered wiping everything clean—erasing the higher-ups through pure force and rebuilding from scratch.
But in this world, where Naruto was just as crazy as always, some of the darker plans had to be handled more discreetly. Becoming Hokage and creating the future Naruto wanted—that was the better way.
That was true friendship. And Sasuke had not only completed his mission in the Infinite Tsukuyomi world, but he had also gone above and beyond.
He became the Uchiha clan's first ever Kage, saving them from destruction.
And during his time in power, with Itachi by his side ensuring fair governance, the Uchiha still maintained their pride, but at least now they followed some rules. They had avoided being hated by the village again.
Now, his focus had shifted once more—just like Naruto in this world, he had set his sights on Akatsuki and Obito.
After all…
The Uchiha were blamed for the Nine-Tails attack. Naruto suffered because of it. Someone had to take responsibility.
Uchiha Obito—that was the real enemy.
Just as Naruto had revealed the truth about Nagato's Rinnegan, Sasuke, who understood Nagato's true nature, also believed Akatsuki had only gone astray because of Obito's influence.
The rest followed a similar path to the original timeline. After learning the truth, Nagato almost lost control, but Sasuke's way of handling things was much simpler—he let Naruto work his usual magic with words.
And sometimes, you really could trust in Naruto's ability to talk people down.
Sasuke didn't listen in on their conversation, but the result was clear: Nagato chose to return to his original ideals. He made peace with Konoha, forming an alliance to unite smaller nations and create a peaceful world, following the model of the Sun God Kingdom. It wasn't likely to succeed, but at least it was a step forward.
And finally, just like Naruto, Sasuke turned his attention to the ultimate mastermind—Otsutsuki Black Zetsu.
"I will help you cast Infinite Tsukuyomi!"
At that moment, in their respective Infinite Tsukuyomi worlds, Sasuke and Naruto spoke in perfect unison. Their sincerity was undeniable.
Black Zetsu was completely stunned.
For the first time in a thousand years, he had encountered such absolute madmen. Indra and Asura were actually fighting over who got to help revive his mother.
Well… Sasuke and Naruto did know a few things about Infinite Tsukuyomi.
And if the great Sun God took an interest in Kaguya… then she couldn't be a bad person, right?
So why not revive her?
The Infinite Tsukuyomi plan completely left Obito out of the picture.
Thanks to Naruto and Sasuke's efforts, in every possible world, Obito would inevitably lose control over Kirigakure Village and the Akatsuki. In the end, he'd be cast aside by Black Zetsu, left all alone. At some point, he'd even lose his last Sharingan in a sneak attack, turning into nothing more than a useless shell.
But in a way, this actually fulfilled Obito's wish—a world where only he suffered. Everyone else was happy… except for him.
That said, if everything went as planned, the Kaguya revived inside the Limited Tsukuyomi world wouldn't be the one tamed by Hyuga Hitoshi.
Outside that world, Hyuga Hitoshi glanced down at the innocent-looking Moon Goddess. But from the subtle amusement in her eyes, he could tell—Naruto and Sasuke were in for a rough time. It was obvious what would happen. If Kaguya was revived without being properly "trained," the first thing she'd do would be to reclaim all chakra. A fight was unavoidable.
But this was also the turning point in the Limited Tsukuyomi world.
While preparing for the Infinite Tsukuyomi plan, Sasuke and Naruto suddenly had an idea. Coincidentally, they both ended up in the ancient kingdom of Roran.
To them, there was only one reason to come here.
"This is a world where bloodlines are everything!"
Naruto clenched his fist and unsealed the Dragon Vein. When he reappeared, it was at the exact moment Uzumaki Kushina was about to be kidnapped by the ninja from Kumogakure Village!
Then, he pulled off a crazy move.
"Forgive me, Father Minato. This will be the last time!"
Taking a deep breath, Naruto smartly threw a shuriken toward the hidden place where Hyuga Hitoshi resided.
On it was a simple message:
"Someone is trying to harm the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki!"
And sure enough, the "fake" Hyuga Hitoshi inside the Limited Tsukuyomi world didn't disappoint Naruto. In just a few flickers, he was already at his mother's side.
In the end…
Under the moonlight, the man holding Little Chili was no longer the one she originally knew.
He was even more handsome than the "Little Sun" in her memories.
More importantly, he seemed… a lot more eager? Or maybe…
Glancing at his blushing mother—who had just been saved but also seemed to have been taken advantage of—Naruto quickly averted his eyes and smiled in satisfaction.
Yes.
He had come here purely to switch dads.
The truth was, Minato had never been part of his childhood or his life. Naruto didn't really have any deep fatherly connection with him. He had never even truly understood what that kind of bond was supposed to feel like.
So if it made no difference… why not pick a father with a stronger bloodline?
Besides, looking at it from every angle, if his father was Hyuga Hitoshi—the same Sun God who unified the ninja world in other realities—then he would never have abandoned his wife and child to die in the middle of a crisis. He would have taken care of Kushina properly.
"Operation Switch Dad… a complete success!"
Watching Minato scratch his head and walk away, Naruto smiled.
He had really swapped out his dad!