The next second, Uchiha Hikaru's iron fist shot forward, slamming into Minato's abdomen with a brutal impact!
Minato staggered from the violent blow, pain shooting through his body. Even the chakra form of his clone flickered twice from the force.
It was as if he had been lifted and smashed down with a single punch.
Fortunately, Hikaru's control over his strength was incredibly precise. Aside from intense pain, the strike caused no real damage.
After all, Hikaru wasn't a cruel person. His goal wasn't to destroy Minato's clone—he just wanted Minato to feel it.
But Naruto, standing off to the side, froze in shock—then erupted with rage.
"Brother Hikaru, what are you doing!?"
He threw his arms wide to shield Minato, stepping in front of him. The trust and admiration he had held for Hikaru for so many years seemed to crumble in an instant.
"Why would you hit my dad for no reason?!"
Minato clutched his stomach, hunched over, struggling to maintain composure. He looked at Hikaru and spoke slowly.
"Hikaru, I don't know what I did that made you so angry. If I've offended you unintentionally…"
"I apologize. But Naruto is still a child."
"If you have a problem, bring it to me—don't involve Naruto."
As soon as Minato finished, Naruto burst into tears again. (｡•́︿•̀｡)
Hikaru stared at the emotional father and son, feeling fury and disbelief building inside him. He nearly laughed from sheer anger—it was overwhelming.
But after years of harsh training, Hikaru could restrain his emotions, controlling his expression, tone, and posture with precision.
Unless he truly lost control.
He lifted his right hand, pressing his fingers to his forehead, staring coldly at the pair before him.
"I swear, you really are father and son…"
"The way you both act together is unbelievable."
Minato and Naruto looked confused, though Naruto's expression mixed bewilderment with anger.
"What's so strange about that!? I'm his son—of course I'm going to protect him!"
"Why did you hit him!? Why did you hit my dad!?"
Minato listened, and although he was moved, he also understood Hikaru would never act without reason.
"Enough, Naruto. Hikaru must have had a reason."
"Anyone else could question him—but not you."
"If not for him, you would have already—"
He stopped abruptly. Naruto stared at Minato, completely lost.
Wait… did I just get betrayed? By my own dad?? Huh?? I defended him from Big Brother, only to get backstabbed by Dad?? My brain is melting… (x_x;)
Minato gently pushed Naruto behind him and faced Hikaru again.
"Hikaru, forgive my ignorance. I still don't understand why you acted like that."
"Please tell me the answer."
"Naruto and I both need to hear it."
Hikaru looked at Naruto's serious but confused face. Instantly, his demeanor hardened—expression cold, voice sharp.
"Minato Namikaze—you are Naruto's father. But beyond that, you are Konoha's Fourth Hokage and the husband of Uzumaki Kushina!"
"And I am Naruto's older brother, the assistant to the Fifth Hokage, Kushina's brother-in-law—your uncle! Tell me, what's wrong with me speaking to you like this!?"
Minato's mind blanked from the barrage of titles. And as much as he wanted to protest… Hikaru was right.
But Hikaru wasn't done.
"Obito Uchiha masterminded the Nine-Tails attack. That wasn't your fault—no one could have expected a student to become a traitor. Fine. Let's skip that."
"But afterward—when Obito was repelled—you, Kushina, Naruto, and Hiruzen were standing before the freed Nine-Tails."
"There were countless ways to reseal the Nine-Tails. Why did you choose to die with Kushina?"
"You were her husband. The father of her child. Was that the best you could do?"
"And Naruto—his parents dead, turned into a Jinchūriki the moment he was born. Did you think this was some heroic manga? Do you have any idea how much agony a child carries being born with that burden?!"
"And Hiruzen—your death left the Hokage seat empty, Kushina gone, and the Jinchūriki an infant who knew nothing."
"What if Hiruzen had been as twisted as Danzo? Did you ever stop to think about Naruto's future!?"
"Why was it that before I forced that old man to abdicate, everyone only saw Naruto as the demon fox—and never the son of the Fourth Hokage!?"
"Don't tell me your comrades would 'take care' of him. He was isolated. Hated. Ignored."
"Even ramen was a luxury. He drank expired milk to survive. If I hadn't appeared, what future do you think Naruto would have had!?"
Hikaru's words tore into Minato's conscience like blades. His body trembled. From Naruto, he had only seen fragments—never the full truth.
He didn't dare guess the rest. If he did, everything he believed in might collapse.
Naruto stood frozen, speechless, his world turning inside out.
Hikaru stepped forward, placing his hand on the Eight Trigrams Seal, turning it counterclockwise.
Crack… click…
The seal began to loosen.
"Minato—since you can't answer me, then let someone else answer you."
"Let her tell you what she was thinking that night."
A red-haired figure formed slowly, materializing before Naruto and Minato.
...
...
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