Koharu Utatane quickly warned, "Naruto, make sure you don't rip that seal off, okay?"
Mitokado Homura chimed in too, "Yes, yes. If you ever go back into that space again, don't move around too much—and don't talk to the Nine-Tails. Got it?"
Naruto was already getting irritated by their nagging.
He didn't come here for this.
"You guys are so annoying!"
He turned back to Hiruzen Sarutobi, furious. "Old man! You still haven't answered me!"
"Why did you hide who I am?!"
"My dad was the Fourth Hokage—and that means I'm his son!"
"Why did you let people watch me like I was a criminal?! You knew how everyone treated me—like I was some monster—and you didn't care!"
The three-year-old Naruto pointed directly at Hiruzen, shouting one question after another, all his pent-up anger finally spilling out.
The older council members exchanged glances, their expressions serious.
This was exactly what they were worried about: Is Naruto turning against the village?
They all looked at Hiruzen, expecting him to handle it.
Hiruzen understood the pressure on him. He took a deep breath and softened his expression. "Naruto... we kept your identity a secret to protect you."
"There's a lot you don't understand yet. You already know now—the Nine-Tails is sealed inside you."
"If the other villages found out you were the Fourth's son and the Jinchūriki, they'd come after you. I made a promise to your father to keep you safe, and that's why I had to make that choice. I hope you can understand why I did it."
For a moment, Naruto just stared at him, stunned by the explanation.
But then, a voice inside—Toji—reminded him not to trust it blindly.
Naruto snapped back. "Liar!"
"You said you were protecting me—but everyone in the village already knows I'm the demon fox! So what's the point of hiding my identity anymore?!"
"Do you even know how they treat me? Like I'm a monster!"
"I can't live like this anymore!"
Everyone in the room could feel it—Naruto wasn't holding back. He didn't care who they were. He was done being quiet.
Koharu and Homura narrowed their eyes.
But before things could escalate, Hiruzen stepped forward quickly, clearly sensing danger in the air.
He bent down to Naruto's level and said gently, "I'm sorry, Naruto. You're right. I was too caught up in everything else... and I ignored how you felt."
"You're right. If everyone already knows about the Nine-Tails... then there's no point in hiding your identity anymore."
"I'll gather the whole village. I'll tell them the truth—that you're the Fourth Hokage's son. What do you think?"
Naruto's eyes widened in disbelief.
"Y-You mean it?"
"You're not lying?! You'll really tell everyone?"
Hiruzen smiled and nodded.
Naruto practically exploded with joy. "Hahaha! That's awesome! Finally! I can make friends! I can play with other kids!"
He jumped and danced around the room, grinning from ear to ear. Then he dropped down, ran up to Hiruzen with bright eyes. "Old man, hurry up! Tell everyone already!"
Hiruzen patted his head gently. "Calm down, Naruto. It's not that simple."
"People are busy, you know? These things take time. But don't worry—just give me three days."
"In three days, I'll call everyone together and make the announcement."
Naruto looked at him, skeptical. "Really? You're not tricking me?"
"I promise," Hiruzen said.
Naruto finally relaxed and ran out of the room, practically skipping. "Yay! I can finally make friends!"
Once the door closed behind him, the atmosphere in the room shifted back to tension.
Danzo didn't waste any time. "Hiruzen, this is dangerous. That kid knows too much. He's unstable. If we keep letting him act out, he's going to become a threat. You should hand him over to Root—I can make sure this doesn't become a problem."
But Hiruzen shot him a hard glare, and Danzo went quiet. Everyone in the room knew exactly who caused this situation in the first place.
Danzo looked away for a moment, then muttered to himself, "Everything I did... I did for Konoha. I wasn't wrong."
He looked back, trying to appear confident again.
But Hiruzen didn't let up. "That's enough."
"I admit it. I didn't do a good job watching over Naruto before."
"But things are different now. Everyone already knows he's the Jinchūriki, so there's no point in keeping secrets anymore."
"In three days, I'll make the announcement publicly."
"And about that 'threat' you're worried about... did you not see him just now? He's just a child. All he wants is to be accepted. He doesn't hate the village."
"If we let him connect with others and build friendships, that will only help protect the village in the long run."
The others didn't argue.
Koharu and Homura exchanged a glance, then nodded silently. Hiruzen had a point—and they all knew the power of bonds and the Will of Fire.
Even Danzo, though clearly still against it, stayed quiet. He wouldn't push the issue for now.
And so, the meeting ended—tension unresolved, thanks to Naruto's sudden interruption.
True to his word, Hiruzen didn't backtrack.
Soon after, word spread through Konoha: in three days, the Third Hokage would make a major announcement in front of the entire village.
When Naruto heard, he was over the moon. He couldn't stop smiling, even lost sleep for two nights from the excitement.
He kept thanking Toji in his mind, repeating how once people knew who he really was, they'd stop hating him.
Again, Toji said nothing. He let Naruto enjoy the moment.
But whether things would really go the way Naruto imagined...
Hehe. I'm a patient man
Let's just say—everything was still going exactly as planned.