I don't know you got the idea that this is happening all the way back then. Sasuke felt when Naruto boosted up and started handing out chakra again thanks to Kurama. That and basically putting Sasuke and his crew at some point in some of the recent chapter verifies that this is happening the exact same time as the war, meaning Naruto is getting some off screen fighting time.
When we return, it probably won't be at the same point as when we left. (I mean, this is DBZ)
There are answers to these question, but the answer is do you care to accept them?
I could argue that Naruto never questioned his heritage nor cared to know. Even when he was younger, he never seemed curious at all about who is father and mother was let alone his clan heritage. Mostly because I believe he never thought that "clans" made anyone better or worse. Unlike say the Uchiha who thought being a clan was everything. Even the Uzumaki clan sort of "disbanded" and just mixed in with all other cultures and clans.
And who says he didn't come across the ruins? Maybe he just didn't care to explore.
I was thinking about that, but something so important, I think it would definitely have been touched on.
Naruto said he always wanted to meet his parents didn't he? Or, at least he said something similar when he met Kushina. Also, with the flashbacks we have seen, Naruto has always wanted some sort of family. He wants a family so much, he's willing to accept someone like Sasuke to be his brother.
I think this was most evident when he was training for the rasengan with Jiraiya, he saw the boy and his father being happy and wanted to do the same with Jiraiya, but Jiraiya was a bit of a hard @ss (but later, softening up and getting Naruto some icecream, makes me wonder if Jiraiya knew what Naruto was thinking and what he wanted)
Then there's other things like watching children go home with their parents at the playground, but no one coming for him. And then when Iruka watched over Naruto cleaning the Hokage's faces, Naruto stating he didn't care because he didn't have anyone to go home to.
Sure, Naruto accepted the fact that he was alone and had no family, but it obviously bothered him throughout most of part 1. I wish Kishi had touched on it more because it was interesting to see Naruto struggle with finding people he could call "family" and wishing he had a family. I don't mean to say that Naruto only wanted a family/clan because he could have some blood limit or special family jutsu's, just the idea of having a place where your family/clansman once lived I'm sure would have given Naruto some comfort in his young life.
Maybe I've been reading too many fanfictions, but I can imagine Naruto considering that place a secret sanctuary, although it is destroyed. (Not because of the hidden super powered stuff they have in their apparently, but the idea that that place belong to HIS family)
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After all the village has been through you're surprised it was destroyed? We also have the fact that Mizuki might have told him how to get it which he might have the prowess to or alter it so they Naruto could get it easier. We also have that the Konoha are very...trusting people. Almost too trusting at times. This is both a strength and a weakness.
I imagine Konoha of the past to be much more secure and powerful than it is more recently. Back in the Mito days (which is when I assume that place was destroyed). But either way, that place being so close to Konoha and remaining in ruins like that just strikes me as extremely odd.
When the idea of an "Uzumaki village" was first introduced, it gave the impression that a bit farther away and Konoha couldn't have helped in their destruction. I know the main village was destroyed, but apparently these clan grounds were too?
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Maybe, but I still find this chapter better than 615 and I will continue to believe this.
How bad is chapter 615? Put it this way, some of you are pissed about how "off" this chapter is, but to be honest because of how bad 615 was IMO, I have accepted stuff like this even if it was totally forced which is why I am not pissed.
Better this than over forced Hinata "development" and stupid OOC Naruto stepping back ten steps.
I'm not exactly upset at this new random Uzumaki clan grounds idea, I'm not even too upset that Kishi is only introducing it now.
I WILL be upset if we see Sasuke and his gang of thieves all up in this place, yet we never see Naruto even knowing it exists.