Naruto: The Clanless Prince

Sora walked through the streets of Konoha, heading toward the Ninja Academy.

He had no other choice—his home was so remote that getting to the academy required passing through the main streets of Konoha.

He was no masochist; the harsh words and scornful looks from others made him feel deeply uncomfortable.

After arriving at his classroom, Sora sat down in his usual corner seat.

No one sat in front of him or to his right—no one wanted to be his deskmate.

For the past three years at the academy, Sora had diligently focused on his studies.

After all, if he wanted to change his current situation, there was no path forward except to become stronger.

When Sora first began learning to refine chakra, he dedicated himself to mastering it as quickly as possible.

It seemed he had a natural talent—while most students needed one or two days to refine chakra for the first time, Sora succeeded within just half a day.

Yet, there was someone even more talented than Sora: Namikaze Minato, a civilian-born ninja.

Over the past three years, Minato had consistently outperformed students from prominent ninja clans like the Uchiha, Hyūga, and Nara, earning the top spot at the academy.

With his sunny personality and handsome appearance, Namikaze Minato was immensely popular at school.

In contrast, despite being handsome himself, Sora was shunned and disliked by everyone.

Sora rested his head on his desk, waiting for class to begin.

At this point, all he could do was attend school and wait for Uzumaki Kushina to appear.

Sora's thoughts wandered.

Having seen the falsehoods and hypocrisy of Konoha, he started reviewing his memories, finding Uzumaki Kushina's experiences particularly peculiar.

He recalled how, during their time as Genin, Uzumaki Kushina had been kidnapped by three Kumogakure shinobi who were at least special Jōnin.

When she was nearing the border and beginning to despair, Namikaze Minato followed a trail left by her and miraculously rescued her. Despite being only a Genin at the time, he defeated all three Cloud shinobi and saved her.

This story seemed far-fetched.

Setting aside whether Minato could actually defeat three special Jōnin as a Genin, it was suspicious that Konoha—a village filled with skilled shinobi and perception experts—failed to track three invading Kumogakure ninjas.

Were Konoha's sensory ninjas simply incompetent?

Sora's thoughts spiralled into darker possibilities until a sudden realization struck him. He lifted his head, his gaze fixing on Namikaze Minato, who was chatting with someone nearby.

The Nine Tails container.

Uzumaki Kushina wasn't the Nine Tails' Jinchūriki at the time.

After Uzumaki Mito, the First Hokage's wife and the first Nine Tails Jinchūriki neared the end of her life, Konoha had chosen Kushina to become the next Nine Tails Jinchūriki for strategic purposes and to maintain the balance of the Tailed Beasts.

She had been brought to Konoha for this very reason.

Uzumaki Kushina had no say in the matter.

Sora remembered Kushina's words about the suffocating loneliness and despair she felt after arriving in Konoha.

She had been unwilling to accept this cruel fate, but she had no choice but to endure it.

And why did Uzumaki Kushina say this? 

The first reason was that she could not change the outcome. 

The second was likely her bond with Namikaze Minato. Uzumaki Kushina loved Namikaze Minato, and to stay in Konoha, she had to accept this cruel reality. 

It was highly probable that Konoha's higher-ups had been orchestrating this bond since Namikaze Minato rescued Uzumaki Kushina from the three Kumogakure shinobi. 

Perhaps Konoha had planned this long in advance. 

By encouraging Uzumaki Kushina, the orphan of the Uzumaki clan, to form a bond with Namikaze Minato, they could use that bond as a chain to bind her willingly to the role of Konoha's Nine Tails Jinchūriki. 

The outcome was clear: Konoha succeeded. 

If Sora's suspicions were correct, then Uzumaki Kushina had been treated as a tool from the very beginning. 

Namikaze Minato, sensing Sora's gaze, glanced in his direction. 

Sora quickly shifted his gaze elsewhere. 

Seeing that Sora wasn't looking at him, Namikaze Minato assumed he had imagined it and resumed chatting with his classmates. 

Sora's heart pounded. 

If his suspicions were true, Konoha was far darker than he had imagined. It was even possible that Namikaze Minato, the future Fourth Hokage, was just another pawn in the grand scheme. 

Sora took a deep breath to calm himself. 

Whether his guesses were correct or not didn't matter to him right now. He intended to leave Konoha eventually. For now, improving his strength is his top priority. 

The upcoming Third Ninja World War would be a critical period for earning witness points. Without sufficient strength, he wouldn't just fail to earn points—he might lose his life. 

Suddenly, the classroom door opened. 

Sora's teacher, Masada Hayame, entered the room. 

Sora's eyes lit up as he noticed the small figure following behind Masada Hayame. 

After three long years at the Ninja Academy, it had finally happened! 

Uzumaki Kushina had arrived. 

Uzumaki Kushina stood beside Masada Hayame, looking slightly shy. 

Masada Hayame addressed the class, "This is the new transfer student who will be joining us today..." 

Uzumaki Kushina took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and mustered the courage to introduce herself loudly: 

"I am Uzumaki Kushina! Wow!" 

Realizing she had added an unexpected "Wow," Uzumaki Kushina quickly covered her mouth, looking shy and uneasy. 

Sora thought Uzumaki Kushina looked rather cute. 

However, the other students laughed at her. 

"Look at the colour of her hair! It's unbelievable." 

"How can someone's hair be that red?" 

"It's so weird." 

... 

Uzumaki Kushina scratched her red hair, feeling self-conscious. 

Masada Hayame scolded, "Alright, quiet down! Everyone, be quiet!" 

Hearing the ridicule, Uzumaki Kushina's body trembled slightly, her small fists clenching tightly. 

She suddenly declared loudly, as if making an oath: 

"I... I want to be the first female Hokage of this village!" 

The classroom fell silent, everyone staring at Uzumaki Kushina in disbelief. 

At that moment, Namikaze Minato stood up, flashing his bright, sunny smile. 

"I also want to become an outstanding Hokage recognized by the villagers," he said. 

Uzumaki Kushina pursed her lips, looking at Namikaze Minato. She thought he seemed a bit too delicate and unreliable—how could someone like that become Hokage? 

Masada Hayame then began arranging a seat for Uzumaki Kushina. 

Most of the seats in the classroom were already occupied, except for the area near Sora. 

Seeing this, Masada Hayame frowned, a trace of disdain crossing his face. 

"Well, there's no other choice. Sit over there for now," he said. 

Uzumaki Kushina looked toward Sora's corner. Although the classroom was large, no one sat near him—it was clear he was isolated. 

At the same time, Uzumaki Kushina noticed the schadenfreude in the eyes of several classmates. 

Irritated, she stomped over to Sora's corner and plopped into the empty seat beside him.