"But... I have a feeling that if I had forcibly acted against him today, we... would have truly become enemies until death."
That kind of outcome was something Uzumaki Naruto could not accept no matter what; he couldn't accept it even if he died.
Sakura Haruno was equally irritable. She rubbed her brow, forcing herself to analyze calmly: "I understand. I think the key to truly helping Sasuke right now isn't forcibly stopping him, but first figuring out what the truth behind the Uchiha Clan Massacre really was! What kind of 'truth' made him hate so much that he wants to destroy the entire Village!"
Naruto's eyes lit up upon hearing this, as if he had found a direction: "That's right! The truth! Leave it to me, I'll go ask Grandpa Third right now! He must know something!"
Just then, Hiruzen Sarutobi walked over under the protection of a group of Anbu.
The expression on his face had returned to its usual composure, even carrying a hint of deliberate kindness, as if the soul-stirring conflict and those bloody accusations from just now had never happened.
He looked at Naruto and Sakura, asking in a gentle tone:
"Naruto, Sakura, are you two alright? It was really thanks to you just now. Hmm... where is Sasuke? Isn't he with you?"
"Lord Third, Sasuke... he's gone," Sakura spoke first, her voice carrying an imperceptible heaviness.
She looked at Hiruzen Sarutobi; her gaze no longer held just the reverence a junior has for a Hokage, but an added layer of scrutiny.
Naruto could no longer contain himself. He lunged forward, anxiously grabbing Hiruzen Sarutobi's sleeve, his voice trembling slightly with excitement: "Grandpa Third! What exactly is going on? What did Sasuke go through? Why does he hate Konoha so much that he even said he would... destroy the Village? Wasn't the Uchiha Clan Massacre done by Itachi Uchiha alone? Why did Sasuke say the Leadership also..."
"Naruto!" Hiruzen Sarutobi interrupted Naruto's rapid-fire questioning.
He let out a deep sigh, his face filled with helplessness and gravity.
He lowered his voice, speaking at a volume only the few people nearby could hear: "This matter... involves a lot and is very complex. It's not convenient to discuss in public. Once the current chaos is handled, later... later I'll find an opportunity to tell you."
Having said that, without waiting for Naruto to speak again, he patted Naruto's shoulder and said in a tone that mixed exhaustion with an air of finality: "Right now, the priority task is to rescue the injured and stabilize the people. You've worked hard too; go back and rest first."
Immediately, Hiruzen Sarutobi stopped lingering and turned to leave under the strict guard of the Anbu.
Watching the Third's receding back, Naruto clenched his fists tightly, his face written with unwillingness and confusion: "Why can't he say it now..."
Sakura's gaze became even more profound as she whispered: "Naruto, it seems... the truth is even more complicated than we imagined. Lord Third... he's evading."
Watching the Third's departing back, Naruto scratched his head in confusion and muttered: "Is he? I think Grandpa Third just feels it's inconvenient to talk with so many people around."
Optimistic by nature, he preferred to believe in the good side of others. He soon cheered up again and pumped his fist: "It's fine! I'll go find him tonight to ask clearly! He'll definitely tell me!"
Sakura nodded and said nothing more, but the doubts in her heart did not dissipate.
She also desperately wanted to know what the truth hidden in the shadows of history actually was.
Time soon reached evening.
Naruto went to the Hokage Office alone.
After being announced, he saw Hiruzen Sarutobi, who was processing documents.
"Oh, it's Naruto. Coming here so late, is something the matter?" Hiruzen Sarutobi put down his pen, a kind smile appearing on his face as if the conflict during the day had never happened.
Naruto got straight to the point and asked: "Grandpa Third, you said during the day you'd tell me about Sasuke's situation later. He says the Uchiha Clan Massacre was ordered by the Konoha Leadership. Is this true? Did you... have a part in it?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi seemingly hadn't expected Naruto to ask so directly. He froze for a moment, then shook his head with a chuckle: "Naruto, how could you think that? I am the Hokage. I should treat every clan and every person in the Village equally and strive for justice. How could I possibly order something as cruel and dark as a clan massacre?"
His gaze was open and his tone earnest.
Naruto looked closely at his expression, and the slight doubt in his heart vanished instantly. A smile of trust bloomed on his face again as he nodded vigorously: "Yeah! I believe you, Grandpa Third!"
However, just as Naruto said the words "I believe you," the people of the Ninja World, who were closely watching everything through the heavenly screen, clearly captured it.
A flash of extremely subtle unnaturalness appeared on Hiruzen Sarutobi's face.
Immediately after, Hiruzen Sarutobi shifted the topic trace-lessly, his tone carrying just the right amount of curiosity and concern: "Speaking of which, Naruto, the power Sakura showed today was truly astonishing. That definitely wasn't ordinary Taijutsu, right? How did she become so powerful?"
The simple-minded Naruto didn't suspect a thing and almost blurted out: "Oh! That's because Sakura obtained a very powerful 'Divine Technique'! It's super strong! But..."
Remembering Sakura's instructions, he hurriedly added, "Sakura said it can't be taught to others."
Hiruzen Sarutobi's expression remained unchanged as he nodded with a gentle smile: "I see. It's a good thing to obtain a powerful inheritance. Since she specifically instructed you, just be obedient; you must respect your comrade's secrets."
His words were full of care and understanding for a junior.
Hiruzen Sarutobi then briefly asked about Naruto's recent daily life, told him to train hard and take care of his health, and then smilingly, almost ushered Naruto out of the Hokage Office door.
The office door slowly closed, separating the inside from the outside.
Outside the door, Naruto felt a heavy stone fall from his heart, becoming even more convinced that Grandpa Third was innocent.
Inside the room, Hiruzen Sarutobi sat back in his seat, his smile gradually fading. He picked up his pipe and took a deep puff. Amidst the swirling smoke, his eyes became deep and complex.
"Divine Technique..." He repeated those two words in a low voice, his fingertips rhythmically tapping on the desk.
In the Ninja Academy!
Thud!
A muffled sound was followed by a cry of pain.
The real Sakura Haruno, her face flushed with anger, knocked the Naruto beside her—who was still scratching his head and laughing foolishly—straight to the ground with a punch!
"Naruto! You idiot! You're going to get me killed!!" Sakura roared, her voice filled with lingering fear and rage.
She didn't care about any Demon Fox or being the son of the Fourth Hokage; she just wanted to hit someone right now.
This loose-lipped idiot might have already pushed her into a situation from which there was no return!