Minato Namikaze had begun to wake up, but his mind was still clouded.
Medical ninja were actively trying to bring Minato back to consciousness.
Half an hour later, the medical ninja looked excited one after another.
"It worked! Minato-sama is about to wake up!"
Minato's dazed eyes slowly regained vitality.
Hearing that Minato was about to wake up, Hiruzen asked the medical ninja to step out for a moment.
He needed to speak with Minato alone—there were things that could not be said in front of others.
After the medical ninja left, only Hiruzen and Minato remained in the hospital room.
Hiruzen sat beside Minato's sickbed, waiting patiently.
A short while later, Minato let out a weak groan.
Hiruzen stood up and leaned forward, calling softly, "Minato... Minato..."
Minato's consciousness finally returned. Seeing it was Hiruzen, he rasped, "Third... Third Hokage..."
Hiruzen looked at Minato with tear-filled eyes. "Minato, you've finally woken up."
Minato, still very weak, asked hoarsely, "Third... How is Konoha? Was the damage severe?"
Minato's memory stopped at that night during the Nine-Tails' Rampage.
Hiruzen's voice choked slightly. "Konoha is fine, everything is okay. That day, thanks to you, Minato. Without your timely intervention against the Nine-Tails, Konoha would have suffered greatly. Minato, we all owe you our gratitude."
Minato managed a slight smile. "That's good... It's my duty, because I am Konoha's... Fourth Hokage."
Seeing that Minato's first concern upon awakening was Konoha, Hiruzen felt a complex mix of emotions, including some guilt.
However, for Konoha's sake, he had no choice but to do this.
Hiruzen sighed. "Minato, I'm sorry."
Minato asked in confusion. "What happened?"
Hiruzen's expression turned grave. "Miyuki... she left Konoha."
When Hiruzen mentioned that Uzumaki Miyuki had betrayed Konoha, Minato froze momentarily, then suddenly started coughing violently.
Hiruzen quickly patted Minato's chest gently, helping him recover his breath.
After catching his breath, Minato asked urgently, "Why did Miyuki leave Konoha?"
Hiruzen replied seriously, "Because of Chinya."
Minato frowned deeply. "Chinya?"
Hiruzen answered, "It's been 12 years since you fell into a coma..."
Minato looked stunned. "Has it really been 12 years?"
Hiruzen nodded. "Yes. You've been unconscious for 12 years. I officially announced your passing because if other villages knew Konoha's Fourth Hokage was in a coma, countless ninja would attempt to assassinate you. For your own safety, I had no choice but to do this.
As for Miyuki's betrayal, she couldn't accept Naruto becoming the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki. Chinya took advantage of her grief and manipulated her. Not long after you fell unconscious, Chinya helped Miyuki defect and flee Konoha."
At that time, we didn't know Chinya had assisted Uzumaki Miyuki in defecting from Konoha. I kept sending people to search for Uzumaki Miyuki, but unfortunately, I couldn't find her.
Minato Namikaze, don't worry. I haven't declared Uzumaki Miyuki a missing-nin. Officially, I've stated that Uzumaki Miyuki was abducted by an unidentified ninja, so there's still hope."
Thinking back to the night when Uzumaki Miyuki wore that desperate expression, Minato Namikaze felt heavy-hearted.
Uzumaki Miyuki's defection was his fault because he chose to make Naruto Uzumaki the Jinchuriki.
Then Minato Namikaze asked gently, "So... what about Naruto Uzumaki?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi offered a faint smile and said, "Naruto Uzumaki is currently on a mission with Kakashi. Kakashi abandoned his previous path and chose Konoha over Chinya. He has been contributing to Konoha all along, and his strength is quite impressive. I believe he's capable of protecting Naruto Uzumaki, so I appointed Kakashi as Naruto Uzumaki's team leader.
Also... Naruto Uzumaki doesn't know his true background. Because Uzumaki Miyuki defected and you were in a coma, I worried Naruto Uzumaki might develop extreme personality traits if he learned the truth.
Moreover, Naruto Uzumaki is not only a Jinchuriki, but also your son—Minato Namikaze, the Fourth Hokage. If Naruto Uzumaki's identity became public knowledge, many would target him, and he'd constantly be at risk. Therefore, I chose to keep him low-profile, hiding his existence so he could stay safe, living like a normal ninja going on missions outside the village.
However, since Naruto Uzumaki was born on the same day the Nine-Tails attacked, many villagers associated Naruto Uzumaki with the Nine-Tails. Although I later suppressed these rumors, it was too late—they had already spread widely. Many now believe Naruto Uzumaki is the Nine-Tails incarnate.
But don't worry, Minato Namikaze. Although Naruto Uzumaki's life has been rather difficult, I have constantly watched over him, and he's grown into a strong and mentally resilient ninja of Konoha. And through his experiences all these years, Naruto Uzumaki has become even stronger-willed."
The Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi lowered his gaze slightly, then sighed deeply, filled with regret.
Minato Namikaze felt an overwhelming sadness. He never imagined he'd been in a coma for twelve long years, waking up only to learn that his wife had defected from Konoha, and that his child had lived such a harsh life.
He gave a slight shake of his head and said gently, "Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi, this isn't your fault. I believe you've made great efforts as well. Please don't blame yourself. This is my responsibility. I will definitely find Uzumaki Miyuki and bring her back to Konoha.
Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi, tell me about the events that have taken place in Konoha during these years."
Hiruzen Sarutobi wiped away his tears, inwardly feeling relieved.
He had already told Minato Namikaze everything about Uzumaki Miyuki's defection and Naruto Uzumaki's life, and Minato Namikaze had remained composed, showing no signs of breaking down.
Minato Namikaze's memories were stuck in the past—twelve years ago. Back then, Minato had devoted himself entirely to Konoha. If Minato could come to believe that his actions were also for Konoha, for Uzumaki Miyuki and Naruto Uzumaki, then he wouldn't blame him.
As for the truth, aside from Chinya and a few others, plus Konoha's highest leadership, almost no one knew about it.
Chinya was a rogue ninja from Konoha. Naturally, Minato, standing on the opposing side, wouldn't believe Chinya. Uzumaki Miyuki had been influenced by Chinya. As long as they insisted that Uzumaki Miyuki had been deceived and manipulated by Chinya, there wouldn't be much of a problem.
Sarutobi Hiruzen selectively retold to Minato the events that had taken place in Konoha over recent years—the death of Hizashi Hyuga, the massacre of the Uchiha Clan, Chinya's desertion, along with various scattered incidents—after carefully editing the details.
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