Naruto : a hero's journey

Over the next few weeks, Satoru continued training diligently with Hiten. Whenever Hiten wasn't off on missions, he used his Sharingan to spot and correct every small flaw in Satoru's chakra control.

Around this time, Miku finally returned from his three-month-long undercover mission. After catching up with his family, he visited the orphanage grounds only to find it had become a construction site. Confused, he turned toward the Zen'in compound, knowing that Satoru was usually there.

When Miku arrived, he spotted Satoru sparring with Hiten. Standing off to the side, he quietly watched as the two clashed. Satoru's movements had grown, a far cry from the boy who once struggled to keep up. His chakra flowed better, his attacks more precise. Miku's chest swelled with pride as he observed the growth in Satoru.

'He's come so far,' Miku thought, a proud smile forming on his lips. Satoru had transformed into a formidable fighter, and seeing him now, Miku knew the boy's potential was just beginning to bloom.

Miku walked toward Satoru and Hiten with a calm smile. Noticing him, Satoru paused his training, and Hiten turned in the same direction.

"Senpai!" Hiten greeted with a small bow, recognizing Miku immediately.

Satoru looked between them, confused. "You two know each other?"

Miku nodded, ruffling Hiten's hair. "Yeah, this guy's my junior. He's younger than me."

Hiten tilted his head, curious. "What brings you here, Miku-senpai?"

Miku grinned, glancing at Satoru before replying, "I came to see my little brother. Been three months."

Both Satoru and Hiten froze, shocked by the words. Hiten's eyes widened in disbelief, but Satoru didn't outwardly react, except for a quiet chuckle. He muttered something Hiten couldn't quite hear, looking away with a small smile.

Miku laughed heartily, noticing Satoru's shy reaction. He walked over and pulled him into a side hug, ruffling his hair affectionately. "I heard about Aunty Hana on my way here. I'm sorry, Satoru."

Satoru offered a brief nod, swallowing the lump in his throat. "Thanks, Miku."

Changing the subject, Satoru asked, "How long are you staying in the village? Got another mission soon?"

Miku shook his head with a sigh. "Honestly? I've been struggling to keep up with the chunin missions lately. I talked to the Hokage and Elder Danzo, and I've been granted time off to train and get stronger."

He paused before grinning mischievously. "And guess what? I'm going to train you too while I'm at it."

Satoru raised an eyebrow, waving a hand dismissively. "You should focus on training yourself. Don't worry about me."

Miku smirked and reached out, placing a hand over Satoru's face, effectively silencing him. "I'm your brother, Satoru. You need your family around, especially during tough times like these."

Satoru blinked, taken aback, but the warmth in Miku's words settled into him. He nodded slightly, knowing that Miku's presence was exactly what he needed right now, even if he didn't admit it aloud.

Satoru, Tatsuo, and Dai stood side by side at the training ground as Miku handed them each a chakra paper. The moment of truth had arrived, and Miku was eager to see their affinities.

Satoru went first, and the paper in his hand split apart, burnt at the edges, and crumbled lightly. "Wind, lightning, and fire," Miku remarked with pride. "That's a strong combination."

Next was Tatsuo, whose paper burned and split slightly. "Fire and wind," Miku observed. "Good for offense."

Dai's paper stayed intact, but he wasn't fazed by it. He gave a thumbs-up. "I didn't need an affinity anyway. I'm aiming to be a taijutsu specialist."

Miku began formulating a training plan that would suit each of their strengths.

---

Six months passed, and each of them had grown stronger under Miku's rigorous training.

Satoru was currently focused on his wind-style training. He gripped a coin between his fingers, infusing it with his wind chakra. The coin was harder than a leaf or rock, but Miku pushed him to new levels. With a sharp release of chakra, Satoru cut through the coin. It clinked to the ground in two clean halves.

Nearby, Tatsuo was concentrating hard, attempting to dry a leaf with his fire chakra without incinerating it. A pile of scorched leaves lay at his side as evidence of his struggle, but this time, he managed to dry the leaf, watching the moisture evaporate without a single burn.

Dai, meanwhile, had a massive boulder balanced on his back as he powered through his push-ups. His muscles strained, but his resolve was unwavering. "Youth!" he shouted, his motivation never faltering.

Keiko and Miku were sparring with wooden swords nearby. Their movements were fluid and precise, each strike met with a quick parry. The clash of wood echoed throughout the training ground until Miku found an opening and struck Keiko's arm, disarming her.

"Good fight," he said, offering her a nod before walking over to Satoru. "My holidays are over," Miku announced with a sigh, looking between the trio. "I have to go back."

Satoru paused, looking at him with a twinge of sadness, but nodded. He knew Miku couldn't stay forever.

Miku glanced at the Anbu ninja lurking in the shadows, assigned by Danzo to monitor him. He knew that if he let his guard down or slacked off for even a day, he would send him back to the battlefield, doing missions until the day he fell.

"You've all come a long way. Keep training hard," Miku said. "I'll see you when I return."

In the Uchiha clan compound, the air was tense as the clan members gathered in the shrine room for an routinely discussion. Elders sat in a semicircle, the clan head, holding his infant daughter Mikoto, positioned at the center.

One elder, his face lined with worry, cleared his throat and addressed the clan head. "A minor clan, the Yotsuki, has been getting too close to the daimyo. They're gaining favor and progressing at an alarming rate."

The clan head barely glanced up, his attention on the tiny fingers of Mikoto tugging at his robe. "And what does that have to do with us?"

The elder's tone grew more serious. "Missions and business once entrusted to the Uchiha are now being transferred to them. This shift is... troubling."

The clan head's relaxed posture shifted. His hand stopped playing with Mikoto, and his gaze sharpened on the elder. "You're saying the daimyo is moving business away from the Uchiha? Which sectors?"

"Medical supplies, medicines, and the poison trade," the elder replied solemnly.

The clan head's eyes darkened. The Uchiha had a reputation for crafting complex poisons that few could rival, thanks to their mastery of the Sharingan. It was their second most lucrative venture, just behind ninja tools.

Losing such a profitable sector meant not only a blow to their finances but a weakening of their political standing in the village.

His Mangekyō Sharingan activated instinctively, casting an oppressive aura over the room. The elders flinched under the weight of his anger, the pressure making the air thick with tension.

Just then, his daughter Mikoto, oblivious to the gravity of the situation, began to cry, startled by the sudden change in atmosphere. The clan head's fierce expression softened immediately, and he turned his attention back to her, trying desperately to calm her down. "Shh, shh, it's alright, Mikoto, daddy's here with you," he whispered, bouncing her gently in his arms, though his efforts were in vain.

The elders, still feeling the aftershocks of his Mangekyō's intensity, watched in silence as their usually composed leader now struggled with something far more delicate than clan politics—his crying daughter.

As the clan head continued his attempts to pacify Mikoto, Hajime seized the moment to address the elder who had delivered the troubling news.

His voice was calm but sharp with intent. "What is the reputation of this Yotsuki clan? Have they been involved in any controversy, anything that could discredit them?"

The elder shook his head. "No, their reputation is mostly positive among the general public, though few know much about them. They've kept their affairs clean and out of any controversy."

Hajime pondered for a moment, an idea forming in his mind, though he kept it to himself. "Create a team for information gathering on this clan," he instructed the elder. "Wait for me before proceeding."

As Hajime stood and made his way toward the exit, the clan head looked up from his now calmer daughter, frowning slightly. "Where are you going in the middle of the meeting?"

Hajime glanced back, his tone resolute. "I'm going to solve this problem."

---

Meanwhile, Satoru lay beneath the shade of a tree, resting after a rigorous training session. His eyes lazily followed Keiko as she practiced her clan's secret technique in the distance—the same technique he had traded away to Danzo in exchange for him to send shinobi to massacre the Zen'in clan. He tried to piece together the intricacies of it, to understand what made it so valuable.

Lost in thought, he suddenly felt a presence behind him. Instinctively, he turned, ready for anything, only to find Hajime standing there.

Hajime greeted him with a calm nod. "Satoru."

Satoru raised an eyebrow, still slightly on guard. "Hajime. What brings you here?"

Hajime's expression remained serious. "I need a favor from you."

Satoru's curiosity was piqued, but he remained composed. "What kind of favor?"

Hajime explained the situation about the Yotsuki clan, detailing how their growing influence posed a significant threat to the Uchiha. He made it clear that they needed to be dealt with, one way or another.

Satoru, however, showed disinterest, leaning back under the tree. "I don't know what you are talking about."

Hajime wasn't fooled. "I know about what you did. That atrocity. You've walked in the dark before, and this won't be any different." His tone was firm, but it held a subtle promise. "You'll be compensated for it."

Satoru's eyes flickered with intrigue. He could see Hajime wasn't playing games, and the Uchiha's knowledge of his past made him wary. "I want to negotiate with the man in charge," Satoru responded, pushing boundaries.

Hajime's lips twitched into a half-smile, clearly both amused and slightly offended. "You don't think I'm the man in charge?"

Satoru didn't respond, merely meeting Hajime's gaze in silence.

After a brief pause, Hajime gestured for him to follow, leading him through the Uchiha compound. They walked through several hallways, passing members who bowed their heads slightly in respect to Hajime. Eventually, they arrived at a secluded room within the compound.

Inside, an elder sat at a low table, waiting. He was an older man with sharp features and thinning hair, a look of intense focus on his face.

This was Elder Shingen Uchiha, one of the clan's key strategists, and a man who handled the more delicate matters of the Uchiha's internal affairs.

Shingen gave Satoru a brief nod. "So, you're the one Hajime brought to handle this Yotsuki situation," he said, his voice steady and firm. He then produced a scroll from his sleeve, placing it on the table. "This contains all the information we have gathered about the Yotsuki clan so far."

Satoru stepped forward, taking the scroll and carefully unrolling it. His eyes scanned the details, absorbing the layout of the clan's strengths, their growing influence with the daimyo.

He couldn't help but smirk slightly. There were many opportunities hidden within these pages, opportunities that he could use to his advantage. "Interesting," Satoru said, his voice laced with curiosity. "But if you want results, you'll have to offer more than just compensation. There are certain...things I'm interested in."