There weren't many things that could shake Sarutobi Hiruzen to his core.
At eighty years old, he'd seen Konoha being built from the ground up. He was part of the first generation of Konoha shinobi, honored to serve under both the First and Second Hokage, who had trained him personally.
Eventually, he became the Third Hokage.
Hiruzen had lived through the First, Second, and Third Shinobi Wars, leading Konoha for decades since taking over after the deaths of the First and Second Hokage. He thought he'd seen it all.
But yesterday, Dragon's—no, Kagami's—repetition of Iruka's words was something else entirely.
The idea that the most secure place in Konoha had been compromised was indeed concerning. But what truly unsettled Hiruzen was Kagami's inability to speak about it, not even resorting to genjutsu if a traitor was nearby.
Why?
Hiruzen couldn't sleep last night, his mind consumed by these thoughts alongside the anxiety about how Naruto would be with him.
The Hokage sighed deeply, his shoulders slumping. He rubbed his temples, trying to ease the tension that had settled there.
Hiruzen had lied for so long, justifying the secret with increasingly flimsy reasons. He knew the truth would one day be revealed to the boy, but he had hoped… for something.
Maybe his old masked friend was right. Maybe age had made him cowardly.
Hiruzen sighed again.
No, not age. Age was an excuse. A part of him had always been like this.
He could lead and fight a war, slaughter countless souls, but when it came to people he was attached to, he couldn't face his mistakes. Tsunade, Orochimaru, his son, and now Naruto. A growing list of people he had been too afraid to face, for various reasons.
He just hoped Naruto would only be angry with him. He couldn't take it if the boy decided to hate him.
Hiruzen leveled a glare at the dragon-masked shadow standing in the corner of his office. All because some rowdy subordinate had seen fit to talk.
Despite the mask, the Hokage could feel the commander glaring back.
The two old men locked eyes in a staring contest.
It was heavily in favor of the cloaked man, as glaring at a blank mask was incredibly jarring.
Hiruzen averted his gaze first and sighed.
"I would like to apologize for earlier," the old man breathed out, like someone had ripped a tooth out of his mouth. "I was—"
"Tired, worried, and not thinking clearly," completed the masked commander. "There is not much to forgive. I will not retract my words, though, if that is what you are counting on."
"The boy will hate me now," Hiruzen almost whined.
Dragon shrugged. "You should've listened. Let Naruto know the truth from someone he trusts rather than someone who doesn't have the best intentions for him."
Hiruzen immediately noted the undertone from Dragon. He was going to talk using coded messages in this conversation due to the compromise that had happened. Hiruzen looked down as a signal that he understood Dragon's message.
"If that is the extent of your trust in him, then he would be right to do so," Dragon answered in a scathing monotone.
The Hokage winced and palmed his face. "You are right, of course."
Silence fell on the two ninja.
Dragon was perfectly still while the Hokage fidgeted with increasing intensity.
"What will you tell him?" the ANBU asked suddenly, stopping Hiruzen's flailing.
"What?"
"The boy will need answers, Hiruzen," chided the ANBU in a vaguely impatient tone. "The only questions are, what answers and who will give them."
"His father's name is a secret. That is non-negotiable," Hiruzen said.
"Why?" Dragon asked.
Hiruzen took a deep breath. "Jiraiya wanted to tell him about his father and mother, but someone took that mother spot, so Jiraiya is going to settle with telling Naruto about his father."
Hiruzen could practically feel the deadpan look from Dragon.
"You are afraid that the boy will hate you, yet you choose to keep the biggest secret of his life from him."
"Jiraiya begged for this," Hiruzen said.
"I know the logic behind that, and it is erroneous by now. It will do much more harm when the truth eventually comes out—"
"I said non-negotiable!" the Hokage boomed, his fist impacting his desk.
"Are your eyes still seeing straight, Hiruzen?" roared the ANBU in response, his own intent crashing against the Hokage's. "You're pushing the dirt under the carpet, hoping it won't explode in your face! In all of our faces!"
"He will hate us. He will hate me if I tell him this. Jiraiya... I..."
"Do you think so little of Naruto? And are you willing to risk his loyalty for personal feelings?"
The Hokage deflated.
"Hiruzen, don't tell me you aren't going to tell Naruto because you feel like you failed Jiraiya?"
"Did I not?" Hiruzen said, guilt-ridden. "I neglected Jiraiya when he was a Genin, giving my full attention to Orochimaru... Yet... Yet..." Tears filled the old man's eyes. His list of failures was vast, but the guilt of each weighed heavily on his shoulders, especially this one. After everything, Jiraiya remained loyal while Orochimaru betrayed them.
"Jiraiya never held it over your head," Dragon said.
"Jiraiya wasn't the type of person to do that. But that doesn't change my wrongdoings. I like to at least give Jiraiya his wish."
"Even if Naruto comes to hate you?" Dragon asked as Hiruzen didn't respond.
"Did I not sacrifice enough?" Hiruzen pleaded.
"And maybe Naruto didn't? Maybe I didn't? Maybe Jiraiya didn't? But that's the responsibility that comes with that hat. Tobirama-sensei knew that you could bear it. I know you can bear it. So, Hiruzen, do you still have the strength to bear the responsibilities of that hat?"
The Hokage chuckled humorlessly.
"I sometimes want to put the hat down, but who will replace me, huh? Tsunade, the wrecked drunk? Jiraiya, a man running from his problems from one brothel to the next? Kakashi, lost in his grief? Tell me, Dragon, who is strong enough to wear this hat?" Hiruzen spat.
"Groom him," said the ANBU slowly.
Hiruzen focused his eyes on the mask.
"I'm sorry?"
"Groom Naruto."
The Hokage's left eyebrow rose, but that was the extent of his surprise.
"I thought you wanted him?"
Dragon shrugged. "I am just giving you a lifeline. Naruto is going to hate you, or maybe he already does, considering 'Jiji' is now 'Hokage-sama.'"
Hiruzen winced at that.
"While Naruto is in the ANBU, he can do a cover job here at the tower, and you now have time to sort your differences out. And maybe you can see there are people in the next generation that can handle the mantle of the Hokage since clearly, you couldn't even listen to Iruka's suggestions."
"You want Naruto to be the Fifth Hokage," Hiruzen snorted, but deep down, he understood Dragon's code.
It was unconventional, really. The entire conversation was just an opportunity for the coded message to finally be delivered. With the cue about Iruka, Hiruzen understood that Dragon wanted Naruto to be the means of communication between them. If the Hokage's office was compromised, then Dragon frequently coming would alert them.
Hiruzen still wondered why Dragon was doing all of this and not just directly telling him via genjutsu or capturing the criminal since, clearly, Dragon knew more.
But he trusted his friend.
Hiruzen sighed, his shoulders heavy with the weight of his responsibilities and the knowledge he carried.
"Sometimes, Dragon, I wonder if anyone truly understands the burden of this hat."
Dragon didn't respond, his silence speaking volumes.
Hiruzen knew what he had to do.
"So, what will you tell him?" the ANBU asked, his monotone voice back.
The Hokage rubbed his eyes. "About his mother, everything I can. I do not know how he will take the news of his father."
"As well as we could reasonably hope he does."
"Meaning bad."
"Yes. Probably. But that's for Jiraiya to deal with."
A knock on the door interrupted the two. Hiruzen sighed but nodded slightly, and another ANBU appeared from the shadows to open the armored panel of fake wood. The Hokage's secretary, a petite brunette woman, stood in the frame.
"You summoned Naruto Uzumaki, Hokage-sama?"
"Indeed, Miki, thank you."
The woman nodded once and allowed a blond-haired, blue-eyed, whiskered boy to enter the office. The armored door was closed immediately.
"You asked for me, Hokage-sama," Naruto said in his best monotone.
Hiruzen felt his heart tighten at the address. Yesterday, the boy would have said a sonorous 'What's up, Jiji?' and Hiruzen would have smiled at the blond's brightness. Today, the usual sunny disposition of the boy was subdued, hidden by a veil of clouds. A veil of deceit.
Much like I veiled the truths of his life, thought Hiruzen sadly.
"Yes, Naruto, I did," answered the Kage eventually. "You are here to discuss your ninja career. Sit down, please."
Naruto nodded and took the offered seat, reigning in a jump when an ANBU—the same dragon-masked one as yesterday, as far as he could tell—spoke.
"Hello, Uzumaki-san."
The risk of cardiac arrest averted and after some choice curse words about sneaky cloaked freaks muttered under his breath, Naruto chose to answer.
"Hello, ANBU-sama."
"Dragon, Uzumaki-san."
Naruto nodded. "Hai, Dragon-sama."
"Dragon here has a proposal for you, Naruto. I want to be clear that you are in no way forced to accept. Am I clear?" asked Hiruzen.
It was the deal the Hokage and Dragon had agreed on, which pretty much amounted to following the normal rule of ANBU: potential recruits were scouted by the corps, but only those who volunteered could be considered for enrollment.
Naruto nodded. "Clear, Hokage-sama."
Hiruzen observed Naruto closely, trying to gauge his feelings. The boy was doing his best to mask his emotions, but the Hokage could see the tension in his shoulders, the way his hands gripped the armrests of the chair just a little too tightly.
"Naruto Uzumaki, born October tenth, year one thousand two hundred and fifty-three of the Fire Country calendar. Made genin yesterday by standard graduation. Failed the classic graduation process three times," the masked shadow enumerated.
Hiruzen paused as he saw Naruto lower his head in shame.
"Naruto, the academy only allowed you to take the exam for fun. It wasn't anything official because I have already banned early graduations."
Hiruzen felt Naruto's glare piercing through him, making him wish he could dig a hole and bury his head in it.
"What if I passed?" Naruto whispered, and Hiruzen felt a lump in his throat.
Dragon answered.
"Hypothetically speaking, you would have been given a test to see if you had the skills of a genin."
"Considering the sabotage by the teachers, I doubt it," Naruto said.
"Let me guess, I would have been sent back."
"Indeed," Dragon said slowly as he turned to Hiruzen, who had his jaw dropped.
"You knew," Hiruzen said, looking at Naruto.
"Hokage-sama, I noticed that my tests were sabotaged, and now I know why they did it." Naruto motioned to his stomach, and Hiruzen winced.
"I assure you that every teacher involved will get their due punishments for conspiring against Konoha," Dragon said.
"Against Konoha?" Naruto asked.
"Naruto, you are the future of Konoha and..." Hiruzen stopped when he saw that Naruto was barely listening.
"Maintain the dignity of a shinobi, Uzumaki-san," Dragon said, motioning for Naruto to listen to Hiruzen, who looked grateful as he said, "Naruto, you are important to Konoha."
"May I ask something, Hokage-sama?" Naruto asked.
"You may," Hiruzen replied.
"Is it me that's important to Konoha or the fox?" Naruto asked, looking directly into Hiruzen's eyes.
"You, always you," Hiruzen said.
"Then..." Naruto was about to ask something when Dragon interrupted.
"Excuse me, but let's push the questions until after I am done."
Hiruzen glared at his friend while Naruto nodded.
"Frequently prank the villagers with harmless stunts and outrun the ensuing chase party of chunin easily, often leading them into traps of his own making," Dragon continued.
The boy honestly had no idea whether he should feel proud or ashamed, so he settled for rubbing the back of his head.
Dragon looked at Naruto and said, "A few weeks back, a rumor started that you weren't attending the academy for some time."
Naruto nodded.
"Yeah, I was kinda training with my friend Tenten. Since the academy wasn't going to give me the proper training, working with Tenten was a good way to make myself stronger."
"A sensible call, but your disappearance led to an investigation by the ANBU," Dragon said, watching Naruto nod slowly.
"Because of the Kyubi," Naruto guessed.
"Well, that's one of the reasons. There are others, but they're irrelevant to this conversation. During the investigation, a couple of your skills caught the ANBU's attention," Dragon explained.
Hiruzen's jaw tightened. While Inoichi had requested an ANBU investigation, Hiruzen had issued no such orders. Did Dragon order the investigation? Or was it someone else? What are you trying to tell me here, Kagami?
"Wait, what?!" Naruto's brain did a double-take as he processed Dragon's words. ANBU agents spying on me? How much do they know about my skills? he wondered, his thoughts racing.
His eyes landed on Dragon's mask. The thing about an ANBU mask was that you could never read it. It could be thinking, "Wow, impressive skills," or "What a show-off," and you'd never know.
"If I told you I could find you a team that would trust you with their lives, would you be interested?" Dragon asked.
Naruto's jaw dropped slightly.
"If I told you that you could be away from the villagers, hidden from their view, would you be interested?"
"Yeah, but I doubt any of that is possible."
"A fair sentiment. That's why I'd like to offer you a trial run."
"A trial run?"
"A trial run in ANBU."
Naruto's mind raced as he thought of Hinata and Tenten.
"Can I tell my friends about this?"
Hiruzen sighed in relief. No one was ever allowed to tell anyone they were in the ANBU. That rule was never meant to be broken. Which means Naruto isn't going to join the ANBU.
Hiruzen felt his heart relax as if a weight had been lifted from it.
"You can tell Hinata Hyuga and Tenten Higurashi about your recruitment into the ANBU," Dragon said.
Hiruzen's heart skipped a beat. Why is Dragon breaking such an important ANBU rule?
This rule was vital because ANBU operatives worked in secrecy to protect their identities and ensure the success of their covert missions. If the identities of ANBU members were revealed, it could compromise missions and endanger lives.
Suddenly, Hiruzen's thoughts began to connect the dots. Kagami's coded messages. The ANBU investigation into Naruto. Dragon blatantly disregarding ANBU's rigid rules. It felt as if someone was ordering Dragon to recruit Naruto into the ANBU. Someone ordering Dragon…
That thought seemed so improbable that Hiruzen pinched himself.
Dragon's loyalty to Konoha was unquestionable, especially with those coded messages. Does that mean Dragon is in a position where he has to follow someone else's orders? Who could even be strong enough to make Kagami take such measures?
Hiruzen's mind went blank. Minato, Tobirama, Hashirama, and myself in my prime. Those were the only people he could even imagine being a match for Kagami.
Hiruzen felt his throat go dry as he glanced at Naruto and thought, I'm sorry, Naruto, but it looks like you've been pulled into a dangerous game.
To Naruto, like everyone else, the ANBU were a group of cool ninjas that everyone knew about, but little to no one ever saw them out in Konoha. Mothers would scare their naughty children using the name of the ANBU. Naruto could still remember how he would claim that once he became Hokage, he would make the ANBU prank all his classmates, which promptly got him laughed at.
Yet now, sitting here, Naruto couldn't help but chuckle. He was going to join the ANBU.
But did he want to join the ANBU? While the benefits of the ANBU were clear to everyone, it didn't matter that much since he had the system. Naruto's hands trembled slightly as he rested them on his knees. His thoughts shifted to his friends, to Hinata and Tenten. How would they react? Could he even tell them?
Even though he had asked Dragon if he could tell Hinata and Tenten, the thought of actually telling them and their reaction to it was daunting. What if telling them hurts them in some shape, way, or form?
Then the next quest prompt from his system appeared, making Naruto's jaw drop.
[ Alert: Chain Quest ]
[ Quest Title: Trial by Shadows ]
[ Description: Engage in the rigorous ANBU initiation trial. This month-long training is a mandatory requirement for all new recruits to become official members of the ANBU. ]
[ Objectives: ]
- Accept Dragon-sama's proposal for the trial.
- Complete month-long training.
- Join an ANBU team.
- Earn your ANBU mask and codename.
[ Rewards: ]
- Title: "ANBU".
- Dungeon Key.
- Temporary removal of Chakra Imbalance status during training.
- 20,000 Experience Points.
- ANBU-grade equipment.
- Skill Stone Rune × 2.
[ Penalty for Failure: ]
- Potential removal from ANBU candidate status and other undisclosed consequences.
[ Action Required: ]
- Confirm acceptance or declination of quest.
Naruto wanted to rub his eyes as he saw the reward list. Okay, I am so joining the ANBU, he thought. Technically, he could get all of these rewards individually by working his ass off for about a year, or he could just not look a gift horse in the mouth.
"Naruto," Hiruzen said, snapping him out of his thoughts.
"I want to join the ANBU," Naruto said to Dragon, expecting something big, something grand to happen. Maybe the shadows would twist and turn as he was judged by the eyes of the abyss. Or perhaps a dagger where he would have to take a blood oath.
Naruto's fantasies were shattered as Dragon pulled out documents. Naruto could see Dragon and Hiruzen enjoying his defeated self a little too much.
Boring-ass paperwork, he thought as he began filling it out.
An hour later, Naruto was so frustrated he was seconds away from headbutting the nearest wall.
"Sign here," Dragon commanded, and Naruto begrudgingly began scribbling on the ANBU paperwork.
Why in the world does a group as secretive as the ANBU even need paperwork?
Are they planning to file it in a ninja binder somewhere?
"Formalities for the Hokage," Dragon replied, almost as if he had plucked the question straight from Naruto's brain.
Naruto shot a look toward the Hokage, who offered him nothing but a sheepish smile in return.
Naruto's glare intensified, silently asking, Really? This is what we're doing now?
"Sign here," Dragon repeated, snapping Naruto back to the task at hand.
Naruto couldn't shake off the feeling that this whole paperwork ordeal was some sort of bizarre punishment. His hand felt like it was about to fall off. He could barely lift it as Dragon vanished into the shadows with the stealth of a ninja cat, leaving Naruto and Hiruzen alone.
Naruto glanced at his aching hand, then at Hiruzen, and couldn't help but wonder if all ANBU recruits were initiated through the dreaded trials of bureaucracy.
Naruto looked at Hiruzen and said, "I am angry at you, not the Hokage, but my grandfather."
Hiruzen could only hang his head in shame. Naruto's anger was rightfully so.
The Hokage could order the blond, now one of his ninja, to shut up. He could say he did not have to justify his decisions. He could throw a tantrum unbefitting of his age.
But all that would finish to alienate the boy, and for reasons both personal and political, he could absolutely not afford that.
Dragon was right.
Hiruzen had to face his mistakes and assume them, as disagreeable as it was.
The Hokage looked up to see Naruto in a posture eerily reminiscent of his mother. His arms were crossed on his chest, his weight on his left foot, while the right one impatiently tapped the floor. But it was the piercing blue eyes that made Hiruzen feel like a child being scolded.
"So?"
Hiruzen sagged in his chair. "I have no excuse."
"I wasn't looking for excuses. I wanted answers," Naruto shot back.
Hiruzen nodded, taking a deep breath. "Ask away."
"The Uzumaki Clan," Naruto said.
Hiruzen looked surprised before asking, "What do you want to know?"
"Why didn't you tell me that I had a clan?" Naruto asked.
Hiruzen noted the use of had and asked, "How much do you know about the Uzumaki clan?"
"They were famous for their red hair, kenjutsu, and fuinjutsu. They had a village called Uzushiogakure, and they were the reason for the Third Shinobi War," Naruto said.
"They weren't the reason for the Third Shinobi War; they were the last straw that broke the camel's back," Hiruzen corrected as Naruto listened. "Uzushiogakure was the sister village of Konoha, both created around the same time. Unlike the majority of the ninja villages, Uzushiogakure was just one clan while the rest of the village were civilians, unlike Konoha, which was founded by the Senju by uniting multiple clans together."
Hiruzen noted the starry eyes Naruto had, fascinated by the fact that the Uzumaki clan and some civilian families could be considered a ninja village, an indication of how strong the Uzumaki clan were.
"Most of the stuff about the red hair, kenjutsu, and fuinjutsu is true, but what you might not know is that the Uzumaki clan had very dense chakra reserves," Hiruzen paused, seeing Naruto's undivided attention. "These dense chakra reserves meant that Uzumaki could live longer than most humans. This made the Uzumaki clan members focus more on their skills and craft rather than anything else, so the Uzumaki clan were few in numbers."
Naruto raised his hand for Hiruzen to pause as he processed the information and then motioned him to continue.
"After the Second Ninja War, there was a decade of peace but not for Uzushiogakure, where the civilian families revolted against the Uzumaki clan," Hiruzen said in a somber tone.
"Why?" Naruto asked.
"We don't know the actual reason, but many have speculated that the civilians felt greed for power and jealousy of the vitality and ageless nature of the Uzumaki clan. The Uzumaki clan were, however, too strong for the rebels to do anything. During this time period, your mother was sent to Konoha," Hiruzen was about to continue when he was interrupted by Naruto.
"Why?"
"Pardon?" Hiruzen asked, confused by the question.
"Why was my mother sent if the rebels were not a threat?" Naruto asked.
"To become the next Kyubi jinchuriki," Hiruzen said, watching as Naruto's eyes widened in shock.
"M... Mom was also the Kyubi jinchuriki," Naruto muttered absently.
"Yes, the Kyubi isn't something that any normal person can hold. Only an Uzumaki is able to do so," Hiruzen explained.
Naruto smiled as he wiped a tear from his face. "Guess I am now sharing my mother's burden."
"Naruto, I am sure your mother didn't want you to bear this burden, but I am certain she would have been proud of the strong man you have become," Hiruzen said, his heart aching as he saw Naruto tear up.
"Thank you..." Naruto paused, and Hiruzen wasn't expecting much, but his heart fluttered when he heard Naruto say it after a pregnant pause, "Jiji."
Hiruzen saw Naruto wiping his tears away, tears that seemed to not stop. For a moment, Hiruzen's heart longed to reach out and give the boy the hand that should have been there for him all along.
But could he do it?
This time, Hiruzen chose to muster all the strength he could in his old body.
He placed his hat down on the table.
This time, it wasn't the Third Hokage that gave Naruto a shoulder to cry on, but Hiruzen, Naruto's Jiji.
Hiruzen moved slowly but deliberately, his old joints protesting as he reached out and placed a comforting hand on Naruto's shoulder.
"It's alright, Naruto. I'm here for you," he said softly.
Naruto looked up, his tear-filled eyes meeting Hiruzen's. The boy's lips trembled as he fought to hold back his emotions. Seeing this, Hiruzen gently pulled him into an embrace. Naruto hesitated for a moment before collapsing into the comforting arms of the old man.
As Naruto cried, Hiruzen felt a mixture of sadness and regret. He had failed to protect this boy from the harsh realities of his life, but at this moment, he vowed to do better.
A few minutes later, as they separated, Naruto asked, "But this still doesn't explain why you didn't tell me about the Uzumaki clan."
"I was slowly getting there," Hiruzen said as he sat down. "While your mother came to Konoha, a series of escalating attacks happened across Konoha's border. We thought the other nations were going to start a war, but it was a distraction. Three of the other villages attacked Uzushiogakure.
"Due to civilian rebels, the other villages were able to successfully infiltrate the whirlpools of Uzushiogakure, a natural defense. With how few the actual Uzumaki were, it was easy for the other villages to destroy the Uzumaki clan and indirectly Uzushiogakure because the Uzumaki clan was the only reason Uzushiogakure was able to stand. The destruction of Uzushiogakure was the last straw, and Konoha immediately retaliated, which caused the Third Great Ninja War. I am sure now you know why I didn't tell you," Hiruzen said.
Naruto nodded and said, "Yeah, telling a kid that his whole clan is gone decades ago and that he has no one."
"Well, I wouldn't say it like that, but yeah, there wasn't an Uzumaki clan to begin with in the present day. Most of the Uzumaki clan are either dead, hiding, or fake."
"Fake?" Naruto asked, confused.
"Yes, some of the Uzumaki clan members were able to escape, but that didn't mean they weren't in danger. The Uzumaki clan was powerful, and they were able to hide most of their fuinjutsu. Only a pure-blooded Uzumaki can access these treasures," Hiruzen said in a dark tone.
"The other villages targeted the remaining Uzumaki," Naruto replied.
"Unfortunately, yes. Your mother was actually targeted once by a squad of Kumo shinobi who planned to use her to access the legendary treasures of Uzushiogakure," Hiruzen said as Naruto's face contorted into one of anger. "Don't worry, she was saved before she could be kidnapped out of Konoha," Hiruzen added, and Naruto sighed in relief.
"So, because of this incident, the Uzumaki clan name was given to a lot of people—civilians, orphans, etc.—all to make sure that the actual Uzumaki members were safe?"
It made sense now that no one ever made a big deal about me being an Uzumaki or that I might be related to the S-rank Kushina Uzumaki because, to them, because of my blonde hair, I'm a fake Uzumaki.
Naruto sighed.
"Any more questions?" Hiruzen asked.
Naruto scratched his head and said, "Most of my questions were kinda solved by you retelling that story."
"Sorry, I have a habit of trying to make others figure out the answer rather than directly telling them. Hence why I was always called the teacher," Hiruzen said with a tinge of pride in his voice, and Naruto nodded.
"Why did they know about me being the Kyubi jinchuriki and I didn't?" Naruto asked.
"The Fourth Hokage's dying wish was for you to be treated like a hero for protecting Konoha by holding the Kyubi back," Hiruzen said. Naruto was shocked.
"I was originally going to let that decision fall on you, Naruto," Hiruzen confessed.
"What do you mean?" Naruto asked.
"The jinchuriki's status is a very big secret. Unless they are a famous ninja, the information of who a village's jinchuriki is is kept a secret. This was especially important since the Kyubi had caused many deaths in Konoha. The Fourth's wish was pretty much a dream, so I was going to honor his wish by letting the decision fall on you—whether you wanted such a big secret to be known or not. But..." Hiruzen paused.
"Things didn't go as planned," Naruto continued.
"Indeed. A high-ranking member of Konoha leaked your identity when you were about six," Hiruzen said.
"The time I got kicked out of the orphanage," Naruto said as Hiruzen winced, remembering how he had to station an entire ANBU squad just to protect Naruto. The memories made Hiruzen shiver, recalling the utter desperation people would go to just for revenge.
"What happened to the leaker?" Naruto asked.
"Banishment. They were banished from Konoha, their rank and privileges stripped. The only reason the punishment wasn't harsher was because of the Daimyō," Hiruzen replied.
Naruto nodded, absorbing the information.
"So why did they know but I didn't?" Naruto asked.
"To protect you, I made a law that civilians aren't allowed to talk about you to anyone, not even amongst themselves, or else they would be publicly executed," Hiruzen explained.
Naruto shifted uncomfortably. "Was that necessary?"
"Yes," Hiruzen replied, his voice heavy. "The knowledge of the jinchūriki is very valuable. So I made sure that while everyone, in a sense, knew you were the Kyūbi jinchūriki, they couldn't say it. I had hoped the civilians would be too afraid of death to do much to you physically and that it might give you a normal childhood."
Naruto snorted sarcastically. "Well, look how much of a great childhood that brought me."
"I'm sorry," Hiruzen said, his shoulders sagging.
Naruto sighed. "No, even if I want to be mad, I can at least say you tried to do your best, but things outside of your control made everything worse."
Hiruzen nodded, a flicker of gratitude in his eyes. He watched Naruto carefully, seeing a resilience and maturity that made him both proud and sad.
"Since you've been avoiding any mention of my father, I can assume that I'm not getting many answers about him," Naruto said, narrowing his eyes.
Hiruzen slowly nodded.
"Can I ask why?" Naruto pressed further.
"Someone else wants to tell you about your father, and I want to give them the honor," Hiruzen explained carefully.
"That's bullshit," Naruto grumbled.
"I'm sorry, it's just that..." Hiruzen hesitated, unsure how to explain Jiraiya's wishes. He took a deep breath before continuing.
"Okay, I don't care enough at this point why this someone wants to tell me. A much more important question is when?" Naruto asked, crossing his arms.
"Before the Chūnin exams," Hiruzen replied.
Naruto gave a curt nod before shifting his tone. "Um, can I ask for something? Maybe it's a bit selfish, but... is there a book on the Uzumaki clan I can get? Like about some customs or traditions or culture?" His desperation was evident, the longing for a connection to his family clear in his voice.
"I'll find a good book on this, don't worry," Hiruzen said with a reassuring smile.
"Hokage-sama," Naruto said, hesitating for a moment. Hiruzen pushed down a frown, sensing the boy's hesitation.
"Since my mother is an S-rank, did she leave me something behind? Like, I don't know, her famous ramen recipe?" Naruto asked, his tone shifting to curiosity.
Hiruzen snorted. "What?"
"Nothing," Hiruzen said, chuckling. "It's just that you and your mother share the same love for ramen."
"Well, it is the food of the gods," Naruto said with a grin, pleased to have found yet another connection to his mother.
"Here you go," Dragon said suddenly, his abrupt arrival almost making Naruto jump. He handed him a key and a slip of paper with an address written on it.
"This house belonged to your parents. While it's been cleaned out for a decade, it should take about a day or two to restore the majority of the stuff," Dragon explained as he tossed the key toward Naruto, who caught it and stared at it with the same level of love he reserved for ramen—maybe even more.
"Thank you," Naruto said sincerely.
"I did what I had to. Rest up, recruit, because the next few days will be ones where you're evaluated physically and mentally before your trial starts," Dragon said firmly.
Naruto nodded, then turned back to Hiruzen. "Thank you for your time, Hokage-sama. I'll go now."
Hiruzen nodded in return as Naruto moved toward the door. Just as he reached it, he stopped.
"I don't want to be mad at my Jiji, and even knowing the reasons, I don't think I can just forgive you like nothing ever happened. I... I just need time to think. Time to process everything."
"Take all the time you want, and I am sorry that I couldn't be better," Hiruzen said softly.
Naruto nodded once more and left, the door closing behind him with a soft click.
Hiruzen leaned back in his chair, feeling the weight of his years and the burden of his choices pressing heavily on him. I hope you find what you're looking for, Naruto. And I hope one day you can forgive me.
"I took the liberty to get Minato's house key," Dragon said as Hiruzen nodded.
"It's okay, and I am guessing Minato's items are going to be removed from the items that will be given to Naruto."
"Obviously, unless you convince Jiraiya to pop back in the next week or so," Dragon said.
"He is busy," Hiruzen replied.
"Writing smut in brothels," Dragon joked.
"No, there was a sighting of Orochimaru," Hiruzen said, as Dragon shook his head.
"I doubt Orochimaru is dumb enough to get spotted," Dragon said.
"You want to convince Jiraiya on this?" Hiruzen asked.
"I would rather kill myself," Dragon said as Hiruzen chuckled—until he heard a knock on the door.
"You summoned Chunin Iruka, Hokage-sama?" Miki, the secretary, asked as Hiruzen looked at Dragon.
"I believe that Chunin Iruka's mission can help us find our mysterious saboteur."
To Hiruzen's ears, the message was clear. Whoever was behind the sabotage was also the current hidden enemy.
Hiruzen straightened in his chair, feeling the weight of the situation pressing down on him. Looks like we have our first clue.