However, Naruto remained somewhat intrigued by the general direction of the plot.
Especially the arc surrounding the Uchiha Clan Massacre.
In the original work, there wasn't such a public spectacle, right? No—more accurately, there was absolutely no disturbance at all. That night, the Uchiha clan, once mighty and proud, was wiped out without so much as a whisper. Aside from three survivors, the entire clan was quietly slaughtered. At least within the borders of Konoha Village, not a single civilian noticed that one of its most powerful clans had been annihilated overnight.
It was the result of careful planning by the village's top brass—complicity, cover-ups, and a covert operation carried out by their chosen agent.
If such an execution could still have left any noise behind, then it wouldn't have been executed by a shinobi.
So, as depicted in the original manga, the entire village only learned of the massacre the following day—except, of course, for those directly involved.
Cause, process, consequence—Naruto remembered only the broad strokes. But one detail he could never forget was the deal that led to the Uchiha clan's demise. Uchiha Itachi had sacrificed everything: the lives of his clan in exchange for the safety of the village and his younger brother. He had turned his blade even on his own parents to protect what he believed in.
The massacre was largely carried out by Uchiha Itachi himself.
But Naruto was certain that before Itachi made his move, Konoha's ANBU—or more likely, members of Root—must have been stationed around the Uchiha compound. There must have been surveillance, seals, and barriers to suppress noise and movement. Only such meticulous measures could have ensured that no attention or panic would spread among the villagers. That was how the Uchiha died—silently, almost without a trace.
Yet, the scene before Naruto now was far removed from what he remembered.
This deviated drastically from the canonical events.
"Could someone in the Uchiha clan have uncovered Konoha's conspiracy and tried to resist?"
The thought struck Naruto like lightning. After all, this was the Uchiha clan—the most powerful family in the village, perhaps even the entire shinobi world. They couldn't have all been blind. Perhaps someone pieced things together?
And if they had, wouldn't a pre-emptive rebellion make sense?
Still, this idea only flickered briefly in Naruto's mind.
Too many elements still didn't add up.
The flames in the distance raged on without end. Konoha, normally so calm at night, had descended into chaos.
Naruto furrowed his brows. He was pensive, tense. Then, slowly, his expression loosened.
"No matter the reason… and no matter the outcome… What does it have to do with me now? I should just go to sleep."
With a self-deprecating laugh, Naruto shook his head, closed the curtains, and returned to bed.
Beyond the walls, the fire's glow spread across the sky. On the breeze, screams and sword clashes echoed faintly—pain and death drifting through the air.
But Naruto remained just a bystander.
And even then, only reluctantly so.
Whether due to lack of power or because of his place in the grand scheme, the Uchiha massacre had nothing to do with him.
On such a bloody night, the greatest original sin in this world was a lack of power.
Naruto shook his head once more. Through a gap in the curtains, he cast a final glance toward the burning sky—then lay back down and slowly closed his eyes.
Tomorrow, for Konoha—and perhaps even for the entire Land of Fire—would bring a new era.
The fall of a great clan.
A grim reminder of how even mighty villages fade.
---
The next morning, the news of the Uchiha Clan's destruction spread swiftly throughout the village.
The chaos from the previous night had been impossible to ignore.
The villagers, confused and frightened, whispered among themselves.
The scent of smoke, the explosions, the scattered screams—few could pretend they hadn't noticed. Rumors flew like shuriken. Was it an invasion? A declaration of war? Another shinobi world conflict?
Before these speculations could take root, the village leaders—led by the Third Hokage—made an official statement.
The narrative they pushed was exactly what Naruto had expected.
Uchiha Itachi, the clan's most gifted prodigy, had supposedly colluded with outside enemies to destroy Konoha. When his clan discovered his betrayal, he retaliated by wiping them out, only to be driven off by the village's ninja.
Now, Itachi was labeled an S-rank missing-nin.
The news sent shockwaves through Konoha. Ordinary citizens and even shinobi who didn't know the full truth were left in disbelief.
A genius who graduated the Academy at seven and became a Chūnin by ten had turned traitor? Joined with outsiders to destroy the village?
If that revelation hadn't stunned the village enough, then the next part did: the Uchiha clan had been nearly eradicated. Only one member remained—Uchiha Sasuke.
Konoha trembled with the weight of the news.
After all, the Uchiha had held tremendous power and prestige. As one of the two founding clans of Konoha, and the most formidable of all shinobi clans, their sudden eradication seemed almost impossible.
It wasn't that people didn't believe it—it was that they couldn't.
But the fallout would not be limited to Konoha.
It was obvious that as this news escaped the village, it would ripple across the Land of Fire—and soon, the entire shinobi world.
The destruction of the Uchiha would undoubtedly draw the attention of the other great ninja villages: Suna, Kiri, Iwa, and Kumo.
They would all be asking the same question—what had really happened?
Was Konoha's strength weakened?
Such details would matter deeply to the other Four Great Villages.
And Naruto—having knowledge of the overarching plot—was not fooled by the "official version" fed to the public.
Not even close.
What truth?
What role did Konoha's leadership—Hiruzen Sarutobi, Shimura Danzō, and the two elder advisors—really play?
Naruto knew all too well.
Of course, the Uchiha clan bore some blame for isolating themselves and nurturing their own ambitions.
But the Third Hokage and Danzō had been far from innocent.
And Naruto's personal view?
If the leadership had merely acted coldly for the village's sake, he might have accepted it.
But the Uchiha's destruction—especially with how Shisui and Itachi were manipulated—was pure idiocy.
Naruto couldn't help but feel bitter amusement.
If the First and Second Hokage could see how poorly their successors had handled things, they'd probably be turning in their graves.