I'M NARUTO UZUMAKI

Is the law and order in the village truly this bad?

Sitting comfortably on the sofa, Naruto couldn't help but suppress a laugh as he looked at Sasuke, whose face was flushed with embarrassment. Naruto had simply repeated Sasuke's words, yet the latter was practically burying his head into the sofa. Naruto thought it would have been far more entertaining to defeat Sasuke in a duel instead.

However, the gap in strength between them was vast. The competition would have been overwhelmingly one-sided in Naruto's favor. For Sasuke to close the gap quickly, it would take nothing less than awakening the Three-Tomoe Sharingan and receiving the tutelage of Orochimaru, one of the Sannin.

Sasuke, expressionless and clearly sulking, regretted his decision to invite Naruto to his house. Yet, deep inside, he still harbored a flicker of hope—hoping for his older brother Itachi to return soon and introduce Naruto to him.

"Kids are really full of energy," Mikoto Uchiha thought, glancing at the two boys in the living room while she prepared food in the kitchen. She debated how many meals to prepare. As Kushina Uzumaki's close friend, Mikoto was well aware of her preferences, but she wasn't certain about Kushina's son's. Should she ask Naruto directly or prepare based on what she knew of Kushina and Minato's tastes?

Fugaku Uchiha, however, was wrestling with more serious thoughts in the study next door. He hadn't anticipated that the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki would actually accept Sasuke's invitation. Seeing Naruto in their home triggered countless scenarios in Fugaku's mind.

Should he unite the Uchiha clan's elite jonin to subdue Naruto, seize control of the Nine-Tails, and force the village elders to meet the Uchiha's demands? Yet, such a move could easily be part of the Third Hokage's plan—to bait the Uchiha into taking action and use it as justification for further suppressing the clan. Worse, there might already be ANBU and Root forces lying in wait outside.

His spiraling thoughts were interrupted by movement outside. Instantly, Fugaku appeared by the rock garden, where he found several radical Uchiha clan members.

"Captain Fugaku, have you finally decided to lead us in attacking the village?" one of them asked, smiling eagerly.

Fugaku frowned, his voice low and stern. "What are you doing here? The time to act has not yet come. Leave now, and don't stir up trouble."

"But Captain, isn't bringing the Jinchuriki into the clan grounds already a declaration of rebellion?" they asked, perplexed.

Fugaku's expression hardened, and he sighed. "Sasuke invited him over as a friend from school. That's all this is. If there were a plan, I'd inform you beforehand."

The radicals looked deflated but nodded begrudgingly. As they prepared to leave, one of them hesitated, recalling something. "Captain, a young fool from the clan has tried to interact with the Jinchuriki. He might have acted recklessly."

Fugaku's face darkened. "Leave this to me!" He vanished with a flicker of the Body Flicker Technique.

Back in the living room, Naruto, bored, glanced around until his gaze settled on the rock garden outside. His eyes locked onto a single-tomoe Sharingan staring at him.

"Genjutsu: Sharingan!"

Naruto felt the familiar distortion of his chakra and senses. Yet, the genjutsu barely affected him, like a light breeze brushing his face. Was this the power of a single-tomoe Sharingan?

Before he could explore the sensation further, Kurama stirred within him, unleashing a torrent of malice through his chakra. The oppressive wave of negative energy caused the attacker to suffer a severe backlash, collapsing on the ground.

"Honestly, Naruto," Kurama's voice rumbled with pride. "At this level, I don't even need to intervene. Your chakra alone is more than enough to withstand their pitiful attempts."

Naruto ignored the taunt and asked, "Big Fox, what happened to the person who used genjutsu on me?"

"Not my concern," Kurama replied indifferently. "But their chakra is scrambled enough that they'll be out cold for days. Performing ninjutsu in the future? Good luck with that."

Naruto sighed—not out of pity for the fallen Uchiha but at the realization of Kurama's overwhelming power. It wasn't just about resisting the Sharingan; it was about the ability to cripple an opponent's ninja career with a mere glance.

Just then, Mikoto called out, carrying dishes to the living room. "Sasuke, Naruto, it's time to eat. Go wash your hands."

Naruto hopped up enthusiastically, heading to the kitchen to wash his hands, curious to see Sasuke's mother up close. Meanwhile, Fugaku returned to the front yard, finding the comatose Uchiha lying by the rock garden.

After inspecting the fallen ninja, Fugaku deduced the genjutsu backlash to be the cause—an extremely rare occurrence for a Sharingan user. Was it due to the Nine-Tails' chakra, or the sealing techniques binding it? Whatever the cause, it confirmed his suspicions: trying to control the Jinchuriki was a trap, and they had narrowly avoided disaster.

Fugaku handed the unconscious ninja over to the radicals with a stern warning. "This was a test from the higher-ups, designed to provoke us. Cease any reckless actions."

Feigning calm, Fugaku reentered the house and sat at the dining table.

Naruto, however, hadn't missed any of it. His sensory skills had tracked Fugaku's movements from the study to the front yard and back.

At dinner, Naruto couldn't resist asking Mikoto, "Aunt Mikoto, I saw someone climbing the fence earlier. Does your house get thieves often?"

"Thieves?" Mikoto asked, puzzled.

Fugaku coughed lightly. "There was a thief, but I already sent him to the security force."

Naruto raised an eyebrow. "Uncle Fugaku, Sasuke said you're the head of the security force. Don't these thieves know better than to target your house? How bad is the village's law and order?"

Fugaku forced a smile. "It's not ideal lately, but I'll ensure it improves starting tomorrow."