Chapter 128: The Fifth Generation's Iron Order: Anyone who dares to call him a fox demon will be killed without mercy!
Uchiha Akira looked down. The entire plaza was dead silent. Everyone knelt on the ground, in the humblest posture, welcoming the arrival of a new era.
"Just now, I abolished an old rule. Now, I am going to reveal a lie that has been hidden for 12 years."
A slight commotion came from the kneeling crowd below. A lie? What could be more shocking than the denial of the "Will of Fire" just now? Uchiha Akira ignored their doubts, raised his hand, and pointed distantly at the orange figure.
"That child." His voice was solemn. "Many of you call him… the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox."
In the crowd, Uzumaki Naruto trembled all over, instinctively shrinking his neck, his face showing his habitual fear and inferiority. Countless gazes instantly focused on Naruto. There was disgust, there was fear, but more than that, there was a suppressed feeling, unable to be expressed in the face of the Hokage-sama's absolute authority.
"How ridiculous, and how pathetic." Uchiha Akira's voice carried undisguised mockery. "A group of deluded fools, venting their hatred on an innocent child, and self-righteously believing they protected the Village."
Uchiha Akira paused, his voice suddenly rising. "Today, I will tell you the truth! He is the hero who saved Konoha, the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, and the princess from the Land of Whirlpools, Uzumaki Kushina… their only son!"
Boom—!!!! The entire plaza instantly erupted!
What?! The Nine-Tailed Demon Fox… is the Fourth Hokage's son?! How is this possible! Most of the uninformed people's minds went blank, their faces filled with disbelief.
Kakashi Hatake in the crowd, his body suddenly stiffened. Fifth Generation… How dare he… How dare he make this matter public like this!
"No! Impossible! How could the Fourth Hokage's son be the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox!" some villagers shrieked. "This is a lie! This is an Uchiha conspiracy!"
"Conspiracy?" Uchiha Akira sneered. "The real conspiracy was orchestrated by your once most beloved and trusted Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi! During the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox Incident, the Fourth Hokage and his wife both sacrificed themselves to protect the Village. Minato Namikaze, before his death, sealed the Nine-Tails inside his newborn son. He hoped… that the villagers would regard his son as the hero who saved the Village!"
"But!" Uchiha Akira's tone was full of rage. "Hiruzen Sarutobi, for his ridiculous power, and to more conveniently control the jinchuriki who was a weapon, deliberately concealed the truth! He allowed rumors to spread, he condoned your hatred, he reveled in the pleasure of regaining power, and watched, with a clear conscience, as the hero's descendant grew up amidst endless Byakugan and bullying! He is Konoha's greatest sinner! He is the one who defiled the Will of Fire… the Village traitor!"
The villagers who had bullied Naruto fell silent. They recalled how they had treated that child all these years. Those disgusted looks, those deliberate avoidances, those curses behind his back… If… if what Uchiha Akira said was true… Then what had they done? Some ninja who had received favors from the Fourth Hokage bowed their heads in shame, not daring to look at that thin figure anymore.
What Uchiha Akira wanted was precisely this effect: to completely shatter Hiruzen Sarutobi's halo, so that even after his death, he would bear eternal infamy. At the same time, he would completely bind Naruto to his own cause.
"Anbu."
A sudden sound of air being cut could be heard. Two masked Uchiha clan members instantly appeared behind Uchiha Akira, kneeling on 1 knee.
"Bring Uzumaki Naruto up."
"Yes!" The 2 Anbu disappeared instantly.
In the plaza, the crowd voluntarily made way for the 2 Anbu. At the end of the path was the blond boy. Naruto stood frozen, tears welling up in his eyes. The hero's… son? I… am the hero's son? He looked at the faces around him that had once terrified him; now, those faces only held complexity, guilt, and awe. Naruto was somewhat at a loss.
An Anbu walked up to him, his tone unprecedentedly respectful. "Naruto-sama, the Fifth Hokage-sama requests your presence."
Naruto nodded blankly. Under the gaze of the entire Village, Naruto walked step by step towards the Hokage Building, which symbolized Konoha's highest authority. Uchiha Akira watched the figure slowly approaching and made his final declaration.
"From today onwards, Uzumaki Naruto is my second disciple, Uchiha Akira!" He announced. "His daily needs will be fully handled by my Uchiha clan! I will say it 1 last time."
Uchiha Akira's gaze suddenly became as sharp as a knife, making everyone afraid to meet it. "Whoever dares to call Uzumaki Naruto the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox again… Kill. Without. Mercy!"
As the last word fell, a terrifying killing intent enveloped the entire Village. They had no doubt that the new Fifth Hokage would absolutely say it and do it.
Naruto's little head was still muddled. The Fourth Hokage… Minato Namikaze… is my father? Uzumaki Kushina… is my mother? I… am not an unwanted orphan? I am… the hero's son?
He walked past the ninja and villagers, those who had once wished him dead now bowed their heads deeply, not even daring to look at him. This feeling was very strange. And also… not bad.
Finally, Naruto stepped onto the rooftop. The dazzling sunlight made him instinctively squint his eyes. Naruto saw Uchiha Akira. Naruto was a little scared, instinctively clutching his clothes. This face, so familiar. Naruto's eyes suddenly widened.
"Is it…" Naruto's lips trembled, his voice carrying a hint of uncertain tremor. "Is it… the big brother who bought me ramen?"
This "big brother" instantly melted a trace of the cold and solemn atmosphere on the rooftop. Uchiha Akira looked at the little fellow in front of him, whose eyes were red, both expectant and scared. A very faint, but real smile appeared on his indifferent face.
Uchiha Akira slowly squatted down, putting himself at eye level with Naruto. This action stunned the Uchiha Anbu beside him for a moment. In their impression, the Clan Head-sama was always that high and mighty god, looking down on all beings. They had never seen him so… gentle.
"Naruto." Uchiha Akira's voice echoed in Naruto's ear. "Remember, you are not the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox. You are the hero's son. Your father, Minato Namikaze, is the Fourth Hokage! Your mother, Uzumaki Kushina, is the last princess of the Land of Whirlpools. They exchanged their lives for Konoha's peace."
[Inorin Note:
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