"Clan Head Fugaku, what do you mean by that? "
The Third Hokage's eyes turned cold as he stared at Uchiha Fugaku.
"You hid Uzumaki Naruto's true identity, yet deliberately spread the rumor of him being the Nine-Tailed Fox.
Because of that, not only did Naruto suffer bullying from childhood, but other hidden villages were also able to easily deduce, from this so-called 'fox demon' title, that he was the current Nine-Tails' jinchūriki."
At this, Fugaku paused briefly before continuing.
"Such actions cannot be called protection. In my eyes, this is persecution—persecution of the Fourth Hokage's orphaned son."
"That other villages guessed Naruto was the Nine-Tails' jinchūriki from the 'fox demon' rumor is nothing more than your own speculation."
The Third Hokage's voice was cold.
"Had I not personally intervened, Uzumaki Naruto would likely have already been abducted to Iwagakure."
"And if it hadn't been for the 'fox demon' label exposing his status as jinchūriki, would Naruto have even been targeted by Iwagakure in the first place? "
Fugaku pressed sharply.
"It isn't necessarily the 'fox demon' rumor that exposed his identity. It could have been revealed in other ways."
Naturally, the Third Hokage would never admit it. After all, Fugaku had no concrete evidence to prove that the 'fox demon' title was what exposed Naruto as the Nine-Tails' host.
"Let us set this matter aside for now."
Fugaku did not press further, knowing there was no point in arguing without solid proof. Instead, he shifted the focus.
"Even the orphan of an ordinary shinobi who falls in battle is guaranteed basic provisions until they come of age.
And yet Uzumaki Naruto, the orphaned son of the Fourth Hokage, receives treatment worse than that of ordinary fallen shinobi's children.
He often goes hungry, wears tattered clothes, and eats expired food. I want to know why this is so."
Fugaku's voice carried an unmistakable edge of accusation.
"Wearing rags? Eating spoiled food? "
Several of the elite jōnin from the civilian ranks, who had only just calmed their anger, suddenly raised their heads and stared at Fugaku in shock.
The Fourth Hokage's only son… had lived like this all these years?
The fury they had only just suppressed reignited—this time even fiercer than before.
Even if his identity had to be concealed, there was no excuse to treat Naruto in such a way. This was no protection—this was abuse of the Fourth Hokage's child.
"Utter nonsense! Fugaku, do not slander me with baseless claims."
The Third Hokage barked in fury, feigning indignation.
"Baseless? The child himself is the best evidence. Shall I summon him here to speak for himself? "
Fugaku sneered coldly.
The Hokage fell silent. Fugaku's words were all true.
Before Minato became Hokage, Hiruzen had thought him to be a pliable puppet. But reality had proven otherwise.
After assuming office, the Fourth Hokage often clashed with Hiruzen in decision-making, and their relationship soured to the point of enmity.
When Minato died in battle, some of that resentment naturally fell upon his son.
"What's more, as I understand it, you only arranged a caretaker for Naruto until he was five years old.
That caretaker repeatedly mistreated him, yet you never dismissed her."
Fugaku continued relentlessly.
These were not baseless claims—Mikoto had heard them directly from Naruto himself. The information was true, not fabricated.
It was likely that the caretaker's abuse had been sanctioned by Hiruzen himself.
The Third Hokage would never allow Naruto to grow attached to anyone but himself, and so he would ensure that caretaker never treated the boy too kindly.
"You mean to say a child barely five years old was left to fend for himself? And the only caretaker he ever had before that routinely abused the Fourth Hokage's orphan? "
The eyes of several civilian elite jōnin burned red with fury.
A five-year-old child, forced to survive alone—and before that, abused by the one caretaker he'd been given?
This was what the Third Hokage called protection?
This was cruelty.
"Lord Hokage, how could you treat the Fourth Hokage's son like this?"
The head of the Shiranui clan glared at Hiruzen in outrage.
His clan had members who once served as Minato's personal guards, and he himself had been a direct subordinate of the Fourth.
Now, upon hearing how Minato's child had been treated, he could not contain his anger.
"Lord Hokage, why would you do such a thing? this? "
"Lord Hokage, even if you bore grudges against the Fourth, you should never have taken them out on his son! "
One after another, the Fourth Hokage's former subordinates spoke out in accusation.
Even those who had not served under Minato directly could not help but look upon Hiruzen with disappointment.
They had all vaguely known Naruto's treatment in the village was poor but never imagined it was this abysmal.
The orphan of the Hokage who gave his life for the village, treated in such a way—it filled them with bitter disappointment.
"…"
Under their voices of outrage, under their eyes filled with disillusionment, the Third Hokage could find no defense.
He wanted to claim it was all for Naruto's protection, but he knew no one would believe him.
As for the truth—that he wanted to keep the Nine-Tails' jinchūriki under his own control, ensuring others distanced themselves from Naruto—such a motive could never be spoken aloud.
To admit it would utterly destroy what remained of his image.
And so, though seething with humiliation at being forced into such a corner, he could only swallow his pride and concede.
"I admit… in arranging Naruto's care, there were shortcomings. From here on, I will—"
Crash!
The chamber doors were pushed open, and several figures strode inside.
The Third Hokage turned angrily toward the ANBU who followed them in.
"What is the meaning of this? Do you not see that a council is in session? How could you allow outsiders to enter? "
"They are envoys from the Daimyō. They carry a decree from him and insist it must be read at once, here at this meeting."
The ANBU replied hastily.
He had tried to stop them, but they were unyielding, declaring they bore an urgent decree from the Daimyō himself. If delayed, the responsibility would fall squarely upon him.
He was but a common ANBU—how could he dare shoulder such responsibility? He had no choice but to let them through.
The Third Hokage frowned as he looked at the newcomers.
"What business does the Daimyō send you for? "
For decades, Hiruzen had held the office of Hokage, and never had he regarded the Daimyō with much respect. His tone was naturally cold and dismissive.
Sensing this scorn, the envoys bristled with indignation. Without further ado, one unrolled the scroll and read aloud:
"By order of the Daimyō: Sarutobi Hiruzen, the Third Hokage, has slandered the Uchiha clan head, driven the head of the Hyūga branch family to his death, and abused the orphan of the Fourth Hokage, causing great resentment and grave harm to the village's reputation.
Unworthy of his position, he is hereby stripped of the title of Hokage. Until a new Hokage is elected, Uchiha Fugaku, head of the Uchiha clan and a man of great renown within the village, shall serve as acting Hokage."