"Quiet!"
The massive hall fell completely silent.
Everyone was stunned by what the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, had just revealed.
The crowd looked around in disbelief, as if trying to make sense of what they had just heard.
There was no way it could be true. No way Naruto—that kid everyone whispered about, looked down on, avoided—could actually be the son of the Fourth Hokage.
People tried to tell themselves it was a mistake, a misunderstanding. That Hiruzen was lying for some reason. Anything to avoid facing what that truth would actually mean.
Because if Naruto really was Minato's son… then everything they'd done to him over the years—every cold stare, every insult, every time they told their children to stay away from him—wasn't just cruel. It was unthinkable.
And now, in that heavy silence, everyone's eyes were on the same boy.
Three years old.
Standing alone.
Naruto looked so small in the middle of it all.
Sarutobi Hiruzen continued, his voice quieter now:"Back then, we changed his last name to 'Uzumaki,' the surname of Minato's wife, Kushina. We thought it would protect him. We believed if we kept his identity a secret, he could live a normal life."
He paused, glancing at the crowd.
"But I was wrong. So many people misunderstood him. Treated him unfairly. And I didn't do enough to stop it. This is on me."
The words hit hard.
The truth was right there, and no one could deny it anymore. Naruto's last name, his mother's identity—it all added up.
The villagers looked crushed. Some avoided looking at the Hokage Monument now, ashamed to face Minato's stone face.
For years, they had respected the Fourth Hokage, told stories of his bravery. But all the while, they had hated his son without even knowing who he really was.
They remembered the way they'd talked about Naruto, the way they'd looked at him like he didn't belong.
Now… they didn't know what to say.
How could they?
How do you make up for treating a hero's child like he's a curse?
Naruto looked around at the silent crowd. He didn't understand everything, but he could feel the change.
The hatred in their eyes was gone—but it wasn't replaced with kindness.
Instead, there was something even harder to take: confusion. Guilt. Awkwardness.
He had imagined this moment so many times. That once people knew who he really was, everything would change. They'd smile at him. Welcome him. Want to be friends.
But none of that happened.
Instead, they just stared.
Some looked like they didn't care. Others seemed more upset about their own guilt than about him.
No one stepped forward.
No one said his name.
After a long, painful silence, Sarutobi Hiruzen sighed and announced the end of the meeting.
People slowly began to leave the hall, walking past Naruto without a word. No one made eye contact. No one reached out.
The excitement from earlier had completely vanished.
Naruto stood there, watching the villagers walk away one by one, until the square felt huge and empty.
He didn't move.
He didn't speak.
His eyes were blank, his mouth slightly open.
Then, a voice echoed in his mind—Toj's voice.
"Everyone's gone. Let's go home."
Naruto flinched, like he was waking up from a dream. Still dazed, he slowly turned and walked home in silence. He didn't feel the cold. Didn't notice the snow. Just kept walking.
When he got back, he closed the door behind him and stood there for a while, still confused, still hurting.
Then he finally asked the question that had been tearing at him inside:
"Why… why are people like this? I'm the child of a hero. They loved my dad. So why do they still hate me? Why didn't that change anything?"
Toji answered in a calm, quiet voice.
"Because Naruto… people can be cruel. They only care about themselves. Even when they know the truth, that doesn't mean they'll suddenly become better. Some of them already knew who you were—and they still treated you like garbage."
Naruto felt like his chest was caving in.
He didn't want to believe it.
He wanted to believe the world was better than this. That people were better than this.
But how could he explain what just happened?
His dream of being accepted had been crushed.
And just when it felt like it couldn't get worse—there was a knock at the door.
Knock.
Knock.
Knock.
Naruto froze.
No one ever came to visit.
Maybe grandpa Hokage, sometimes—but it wasn't time for his allowance yet.
So, who was it?
Still lost in thought, he slowly walked to the door and opened it…