Chapter 35: Naruto's Parents
Naruto was still in a daze, but the voice that echoed in his mind aligned perfectly with his thoughts. Without hesitation, he unleashed his Sexy Jutsu. His alluring posture and flawless figure instantly caused Iruka to fall under the spell and collapse to the ground.
The hearts in Iruka's eyes and the slow trickle of blood from his nose left Franklin deeply shocked. He had thought that was just an exaggerated anime trope — but now it seemed Naruto's natural talent was far beyond ordinary.
This Sexy Jutsu even carried a trace of charm in it. No wonder even Ōtsutsuki Kaguya had once fallen victim to it and been left dazed.
Seeing that his self-created technique had such an unexpected effect, Naruto froze for a moment before breaking into laughter. "Iruka-sensei, how's the Sexy Jutsu I created?"
Coming back to his senses, Iruka hurriedly got back to his feet. Faced with Naruto's prank, he was furious.
"You big idiot! Can't you stop coming up with such useless techniques? You fail! Go back."
As Naruto trudged back to his seat in resignation, Franklin's voice spoke up again.
"He's wrong. Your talent is exceptional. That Sexy Jutsu could even fool some jōnin. If you practice it diligently, it could be quite effective — in an emergency, it could distract an enemy for a crucial moment."
At those words, Naruto's expression shifted slightly, though he quickly masked it. Back at his seat, he spoke softly,
"Who are you, really? How do you know so much? Do you know who my mom and dad are? Where did they go? What did you mean by what you said before?"
"You have a lot of questions. I'm sure you've asked your Third Grandpa before, haven't you? And I'm sure he didn't tell you much. That's why I can't answer those questions yet either.
"You're still too young. If you knew too much, it would be easy for you to slip up — and if you were exposed, you'd have no way to protect yourself. For now, you only need to remember one thing: you are not a fox demon, and you're not a monster.
"You are the son of heroes. Your parents were the great heroes who saved Konoha. The rest, I will tell you piece by piece once you've grown stronger and can protect yourself. For now, you must endure — and grow."
Though young, Naruto's mind was already mature enough. He didn't say anything more, only sat silently in his seat, lost in thought.
It wasn't until the exam ended and the dismissal bell rang that Naruto slowly snapped out of it. By then, most of the students had already left, leaving only Iruka standing at the podium, reviewing the results.
Recovering from his daze, Naruto put on his usual innocent smile. Then he opened the window and prepared to leave the classroom.
At that moment, Iruka's voice called out,
"Naruto, I've decided to let you pass this exam. That silly jutsu you invented might be pointless, but it's still a type of Transformation Technique."
Naruto froze mid-step, pulling his foot back inside. He stared at Iruka in disbelief, but before he could say anything, Iruka appeared in front of him in a blur.
"You passed the exam. But the Hokage Rock — you'll be cleaning it up yourself."
Iruka grabbed him, and Naruto struggled with all his might. "No, I don't want to! I don't want to!"
Franklin sighed in exasperation, his voice echoing in Naruto's ear once again.
"Iruka's right. You made the mess, so you'll clean it up. And if you do, I'll tell you who your mom and dad are."
Naruto immediately stopped struggling. "Okay, sensei, I'll clean it up. It was my fault for painting the Hokage Rock."
Iruka, who had just pulled out some rope, froze mid-motion. "You… agreed?"
"You're right, sensei. Those faces on the Hokage Rock belong to the village's great predecessors — heroes of Konoha. What I did was really disrespectful."
"You're not lying to me, are you?"
"Sensei, don't you believe what I'm saying?"
Iruka awkwardly loosened his grip, though it was obvious he was still watching Naruto closely in case he tried to bolt.
"Let's go then, sensei. I told you, I know I was wrong."
From his perch in Naruto's shadow, Franklin could sense it — Naruto had grown. He had grown tremendously. Or perhaps he had simply been hiding his true thoughts all along.
After gathering the necessary tools, the two of them spent a long time climbing up to the Hokage Rock. Once the rope ladder was lowered, Naruto slowly began cleaning off the paint, starting from the First Hokage's face.
"I can already see your growth. Should I tell you who your parents are now, or after you finish cleaning?"
Franklin's voice came again, but Naruto remained silent. He didn't respond, as if Franklin had never spoken at all.
Just as Franklin began to wonder, he suddenly felt as though someone was watching him — not Naruto, but him specifically.
Franklin's phantom projection fell silent. That power of observation likely meant that the Third Hokage was keeping an eye on his grandson-in-spirit to see what he was up to.
Time ticked by, and dusk slowly settled over the village. As Naruto reached the Third Hokage's face, Iruka's voice called from the top of the cliff,
"You're not going home until you finish."
Naruto shot back defiantly, gazing at the distant sunset,
"Doesn't matter. There's no one waiting for me at home anyway."
After a long silence, Iruka's voice came again. "Naruto…"
"What?" Naruto replied impatiently.
"When you're done cleaning, I'll treat you to some ramen."
Naruto said nothing, but Franklin saw the hesitation in his expression and spoke for him again.
"Eat it. Why wouldn't you? The villagers owe you. Eat as much as you want — you're still growing. Look at you — skin and bones, exhausted. With your body like that, how can you ever increase your chakra reserves?"
Franklin's words had their intended effect. Naruto slipped back into his usual cheeky grin, and the matter was settled. When he finally reached the Fourth Hokage's face, Iruka returned to the cliff's edge.
"Hey, the Third Grandpa isn't watching anymore. I'm almost done here too. You can tell me now."
After a long silence, Franklin finally spoke. "You've probably guessed a little already, haven't you? He's a hero. He's your father. He even shares your hair color. The only person who fits all those descriptions… is the man whose face you're cleaning right now — the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze."
The moment the words left his lips, silence fell once more. After a long while, Naruto's trembling voice broke it.
"You're lying, aren't you? Even if my hair looks like his… my surname is Uzumaki, and his is Namikaze. How could he be my dad…"
Since he had already started, Franklin decided to explain everything.
"Your mother's name was Kushina Uzumaki. You took her surname. Your parents were the great heroes who sealed the Nine-Tails — and the Nine-Tails is sealed inside you. That's the real reason the villagers call you a fox demon."
Naruto's hands froze. They trembled slightly, and tears began to fall from his eyes, one heavy drop after another.
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