"Naruto… most of the people in the village are innocent…"
Minato's voice trembled, carrying a plea.
"I know."
That was Naruto's last response before leaving the seal space. His tone was flat, void of emotion, as if the words were carved from stone.
Minato was left behind, staring at the icy gaze his son had shown him. Pain twisted in his chest. He began recalling every moment since he had first met Naruto inside the seal.
How had things come to this?
Memories of the village from his lifetime flickered by, and in the end only one image lingered in his heart: her, with hair like flowing scarlet flames.
"Kushina… do you blame me? I could not protect you, nor our son. And even now, I cannot protect this village…"
Tears ran silently down his face. He bit hard into his lip, forbidding himself from sobbing aloud.
Regret devoured him. He regretted sealing the Nine Tails inside Naruto. If he had not chosen that path, perhaps things would not have become like this. He was wrong. He was utterly wrong.
Meanwhile, Naruto left the seal space because he sensed the Third Hokage approaching. Moonlight Hayate was at the lead.
Stepping to his window, Naruto peered at the snowy streets below. What could bring the old man here now?
Had Xuan Weng already been exposed?
No… his chakra still lingered quietly in that poor district. Then why?
A dark realization cut through him. Anyone who interacted with him in Konoha would inevitably fall under suspicion. That was unavoidable.
Except at the Ninja Tool Shop.
Naruto had already confirmed that the owner's ties to the Fire Daimyo ensured discretion. The Hokage had never discovered what he had bought there. But with others… the risk was far greater.
I must be more careful. Always.
A faint irritation surged, but Naruto forced his expression calm. He closed the window slowly, eyes sharpening. The Hokage would arrive any moment. Soon, all would be revealed.
Knock. Knock.
"Naruto, are you home?"
The Hokage's strong voice carried into the small house.
On the second floor, Naruto's lips curled into a cold smile before he descended. By the time he opened the door, surprise and gratitude painted his face perfectly.
"Lord Hokage, what brings you here?"
The Third's face softened into his well-known grandfatherly smile. "I happened to have time today to walk around the village. I thought I would stop by and see you."
Naruto's eyes shone as if touched. "Thank you, Hokage-sama."
"No need to be so formal," the Hokage chuckled warmly, stepping inside. He glanced about the room, then seated himself. Suddenly he asked, "You once mentioned making a friend from the Nara clan, did you not?"
He says you mentioned it, as if it came from me.
Naruto mocked inwardly, but outwardly he nodded. "His name is Shikamaru. Recently he even introduced me to another friend."
A flicker of surprise crossed the Hokage's face, quickly replaced with a smile. "And have you been playing with them often?"
So he came to probe my circle of friends. As if he doesn't already know. Moonlight Hayate has been shadowing me every day.
In the space of a breath, Naruto's mind spun. Then his face dimmed with carefully crafted melancholy. "They come from great clans. Spending too much time with them… I feel we don't really fit together. So I stopped seeking them out."
The Hokage's eyes flashed, though his smile did not waver. "Why do you feel this way, Naruto?"
"They can use incredible techniques," Naruto said, filling his gaze with envy. "And when they fight together, they are unstoppable."
The Hokage chuckled kindly. "But you can use ninjutsu too, can you not?"
Naruto shook his head. "Mine are useless. Transformation Jutsu can't help in a fight. My taijutsu can barely hold its own. The only thing I lack is a clone with substance. If I had a real, physical clone, I could face them both at once."
The Hokage nodded inwardly. Just as Shikamaru's reports suggested, Naruto's frustration came from his weakness. Perfect.
He drew out a scroll from his robes. "Creating physical clones is not so difficult. This is the Shadow Clone Jutsu. The bodies it creates are real. They can think, act, and fight as you do."
Naruto's eyes lit up. His heart pounded with feigned excitement. "Such a jutsu exists? A clone that can fight?"
The Hokage, satisfied, placed the scroll in his hands. "It is yours. Next month, I must travel to the capital to report to the Daimyo. I will be gone nearly two months. Study the scroll carefully. If you cannot understand something, wait until I return and ask me."
Naruto clutched the scroll as though it were treasure, bowing deeply. "Thank you, Hokage-sama!"
The Hokage rose with a benevolent smile. "Work hard. I shall take my leave."
At the door, he paused and looked back. "Naruto, do not stay shut in. Go outside, walk with friends, train with them. You will enjoy it far more."
"Yes!" Naruto bent low, his voice ringing with sincerity.
The Hokage waved and departed.
Only when his chakra had faded down the street did Naruto straighten. Hayate still lingered above.
He shut the door and gazed at the scroll, a faint grin tugging at his lips. The old man had given him Shadow Clone Jutsu. And he would be leaving the village.
This was perfect. With clones, Naruto could scout the locations of Xuan Weng's traps while his real body pursued the Flying Thunder God technique.
Opportunity had come knocking.
The Hokage's trust meant only one thing: his act had worked flawlessly. The Five Elements Seal had blinded him. He truly believed Naruto was trapped.
Kurama had once planned to leak its chakra through the seal to erode it. If Naruto gave in to enough hatred, they might break free together. But now there was no need. Naruto and Kurama were at peace.
Kurama promised to withhold every drop of its power. The Five Elements Seal was already useless.
Inside the seal, Naruto turned to his father. "Tell me, after all you've seen from within me… what kind of man is the Third Hokage?"
Minato hesitated. In life, he had admired Hiruzen. He had been Konoha's gentle father, a guiding light. Minato himself had idolized him, had taken the mantle of Hokage dreaming to shine as he did.
But after watching Naruto's suffering all these years, his certainty was gone.
Naruto's gaze was cold as steel. "I will tell you instead. The Third Hokage is a good man. So good that he makes everyone in Konoha feel moved without knowing why."
"What?" Minato and Kurama both spoke at once.
Naruto raised a hand. "You heard me. He is a good man. He preaches the Will of Fire, gives emotional speeches about comradeship, about peace. For the sake of the village, he toils endlessly. With that serene smile, he becomes the protector of all Konoha. Adults and children alike are touched, inspired. Many live their lives chasing the dream of becoming Hokage, driven by the glow of his words. Was I wrong?"
Minato lowered his head. He had been one of those children. His whole life had been shaped by that light.
Naruto's eyes glinted. "But have you noticed? He has never shown his darkness. He lives only in light. Do you not wonder where his shadow has gone?"
Minato faltered.
"Tell me, Father," Naruto pressed, "is a man without darkness worthy of trust?"
Minato shook his head weakly. "I… I don't know. But please, reconsider your plan with the explosive tags. The people of this village are innocent. They suffered through wars and yearned only for peace."
Naruto smiled faintly. "I have considered. When the time is right, I will detonate Xuan Weng's traps. Otherwise, how else will I shatter the crystal ball that spies on me from the Hokage's office?"
His voice was calm, chilling. "Everyone deserves happiness. But the question is not whether they deserve it. It is whether they are capable of keeping it."
He turned his gaze upward, eyes gleaming with dangerous resolve. "Whether they survive… will be left to fate."
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