Hiruzen handed Honoka the album back.
"I have a question for you Sandaime-sama: Where will Naruto-kun and I be staying? From what he told me, there isn't enough room in his current apartment to accommodate two people and I very much would like to stay as close to Naruto-kun as possible, considering that I don't know the village very well," Honoka explained.
Hiruzen acknowledged where Honoka was coming from and said, "I'll work on that to the best of my ability."
"I have a few more questions, but I'd rather ask you them privately with Naruto-kun," Honoka requested.
Hiruzen turned to Kakashi and asked, "Is there anything further you need to discuss with me?"
"Actually, there is a matter that I wish to address with you. But I would rather do it later after you've taken care of your affairs with Naruto and his cousin," Kakashi said.
"In that case, you and the rest of your team may leave," Hiruzen replied. Sasuke said nothing as he turned and exited the office with Sakura following behind him. Kakashi pulled out his orange book and opened it, resuming his reading as he left the office and closed the door behind him. Having total privacy, Honoka and Naruto turned their attention back to Hiruzen.
"What's your question?" Hiruzen inquired.
"Why wasn't Konoha there when Uzu no Kuni was in its greatest time of need? And why is it that no one in Konoha knows the history about this village's ties with Uzu no Kuni and the Uzumaki clan?" Honoka asked with a displeased tone.
Hiruzen saw the look in Naruto's face showing that he also wanted an explanation. The aged man looked away as he walked over and stood in front of the window.
Hiruzen explained, "Konoha was battling Kumogakure, Sunagakure and Amegakure during the Second Shinobi World War. We had already lost many ninja and a great number of members from the Senju clan, your cousin clan, and many other ninja from other clans, mine being among them as well. I won't lie to either of you; we did receive word that Uzu no Kuni was being attacked by shinobi nations that joined forces against them. But we were still at war against two major ninja nations and a minor nation, and a third major nation, this being Iwa, formed tensions between us for territory, which later triggered the Third Shinobi World War. We were short on both manpower and supplies.
"Still, I tried to send what little help I could provide, but it didn't reach Uzu no Kuni in time. My band of ninja returned telling me that Uzu no Kuni was completely destroyed and that they had no idea what became of the rest of the people there. It was assumed that all the Uzumaki but Kushina were wiped out and Kushina herself was devastated when she learned what became of her homeland, family and people. It was Konoha's greatest disgrace that we were incapable of saving the country and clan that Shodai loved and held in very high regard.
"So bad was the disgrace that after Minato and Kushina's demise when I had to come out of retirement, the hierarchy of the Shinobi Council sought to cover it up by burying the truth about the ties Konoha had with Uzu no Kuni and the Uzumaki clan. They did this by changing what was taught at the ninja academy about Konoha's past and erasing any history of the existence of the Uzumaki clan. I did what I could to stop them, but they overruled me. They couldn't do this while the Yondaime and Kushina were still alive because they knew Kushina would have given them grief through both her husband and her own actions.
"Next to being unable to help Uzu no Kuni, by erasing our history with the Uzumaki clan, Konoha as a whole has committed a most despicable betrayal and dishonor against both the Uzumaki and Shodai's memories. In effect, this also undermined you as Minato and Kushina's heir especially for the burden you were forced to carry in protecting this village every day. I can only say that I'm truly sorry for what happened, but I know that it still doesn't pardon the vile scandal of the hierarchy."
The two Uzumaki saw that Hiruzen wasn't trying to make any excuses for what happened. As angry as both Naruto and Honoka were, they both knew that throwing a temper tantrum would do nothing to change what happened.
"By burden," Honoka interpreted, "you mean Naruto-kun being a Jinchuuriki of Kyuubi. Yes Hokage-sama, I know the story behind what happened with regards to Uzumaki Mito, Kushina, and Naruto-kun, and why only those of the Uzumaki bloodline can hold Kyuubi. I'm sure that if anything were to happen to my dear brother, I'd have no choice but to become the next Jinchuuriki of Kyuubi No Yoko for the good of the village because of my Uzumaki bloodline, correct?"
Hiruzen said nothing since he saw what she was implicating about Konoha.
"Three of my brethren were sacrificed for the good of this village! And two of them were married to two of this village's Hokage with Naruto-kun being the son of both the late Yondaime and the second Jinchuuriki! Their memories and sacrifices were spat on and shamed by your people's actions against my family and country!" Honoka said with cold indignation.
"Jiisan, the turbulent periods of war hindered whatever effort was attempted to help my brethren Uzumaki. I can accept that, though I can't personally speak for my neechan. But the thing that I will never forgive is how this village's hierarchy sabotaged the education system in wiping out as many traces of my clan's history as they could!
"The people of Konoha need to be appropriately reminded and taught about the Uzumaki's contributions to the creation of this village and know the significance of my clan's insignia which they wear on their shinobi uniforms! It's time to remind them of the past and how ungrateful they have been to my family and I in the present! It's high time that affirmative action be taken to correct this village's sins against the Uzumaki clan and Uzu no Kuni!" Naruto stated passionately.
There was a short silence in the office. The silence was broken after another minute.
"In my next council meeting with the Clan Heads and advisors I'll make that known as I'll properly introduce Uzumaki Honoka to the council, though you can expect resistance on the matter when it is brought before them," said Hiruzen with Naruto raising an eyebrow at him.
"And you?" asked Naruto with Hiruzen looking surprised by the question.
"What of me?" Hiruzen implored.
"Will you support my neechan and me regarding the matter when it comes to reinstating the history of our clan and making it public?" asked Naruto with the Hokage sighing and lowering his head.
"Such changes won't come that easily, as so many have already been conditioned to believe what they have been taught. I can push for the motion to reinstate your clan back into Konoha's history books, but I can't vote on the matter unless it comes down to a tie. Unless you and Honoka can get some of the council members to side with the motion to reverse the decision to the point of a tie…," Sandaime enlightened before let his answer hang in the air.
"You can't vote and my family gets screwed," Naruto finished with Hiruzen nodding his head. Naruto smirked, "That's fine by me. Honoka-nee and I have already set in motion how we'll force the council's hand to put our clan's legacy back in Konoha's history books. The very fact that Honoka-nee is here in the flesh with everyone soon to see her is a catalyst for the motion to be passed, especially since she was born in Uzu no Kuni."
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