Chapter 47: End of Volume Message
First of all, a heartfelt thank you to all the readers who have stuck with this story up to this point! Even though there are many flaws and issues along the way, your patience and support have been a huge encouragement to me!(ˊωˋ*)
The first volume has now come to an end. This volume mainly served as the beginning and groundwork for the story—it wasn't meant to have major twists or climaxes. The next volume will firmly establish the protagonist's role and set the overall tone for the entire series. I sincerely hope it won't disappoint you! ╰(︶`)╯
Regarding the first volume, I'm aware that, for many readers, the biggest issue was how Naruto's situation was handled. Some readers may have even dropped the story because of that particular chapter. However, I chose not to revise it.
In truth, Naruto's placement doesn't affect the main plot of the novel at all. Originally, I wasn't going to explain it in detail, but considering that many of you continued reading even if you didn't fully agree with my decision, I thought it was only right to share my reasoning.
When writing Naruto's placement, I did consider letting Hiruzen (the Third Hokage) or someone else temporarily adopt him. However, I ultimately decided against it based on two main points:
First, from a subjective standpoint: whether Hiruzen chose to adopt Naruto had nothing to do with whether Minato (the Fourth Hokage) survived or not. If Hiruzen had wanted to, he could have adopted Naruto himself or arranged for Kakashi or someone else to do so. But in the original work, he did not make that choice.
Second, objectively: Hiruzen had little reason to hesitate even if Minato was alive. In the original manga, it's clear that many high-ranking individuals in Konoha knew Naruto was the Fourth Hokage's son. Kakashi and Jiraiya—Minato's disciple and mentor respectively—were both still alive, yet Hiruzen did not seem particularly concerned about their opinions. Naruto was left in an orphanage and subjected to discrimination regardless.
Thus, considering both subjective and objective factors, I decided to follow the original storyline's logic and had Hiruzen send Naruto to the orphanage.
Of course, this topic is quite ambiguous. It would have been just as reasonable if Hiruzen, out of concern for Minato's survival, had chosen to personally raise Naruto. I simply followed the thought process that aligned with the canon portrayal.
Additionally, regarding the idea that Hiruzen might treat Naruto differently out of respect for Minato still being alive—this is something I also considered. In this novel, Naruto will indeed be treated better and will not suffer from discrimination. However, because Naruto is still a baby during Volume One, there was no opportunity to show this yet.
All of the above is just my personal analysis. It's perfectly normal if some readers disagree—after all, at the end of the day, it's just a manga, and even Kishimoto himself probably didn't think that deeply about every detail.
That's all for now. Once again, thank you to everyone who has read this far!!
—
"The Scorched Blade of the Remnant Flames [VOL. 2]" is now available!
Unlock advanced chapters and dive deeper into the story:
patreon.com/collection/1484226