"Naruto's father is the Fourth Hokage!?"
Sakura gasped so loudly she nearly stumbled backward, while Naruto stood frozen, the weight of the revelation struggling to register.
After a long pause, Naruto's lips finally moved, voice cracked and dry.
"Then... why is my last name Uzumaki and not Namikaze?"
Chiga's tone was calm, but edged with disdain. "Uzumaki is your mother's surname. Her name was Kushina Uzumaki. As for why you weren't given the Namikaze name... well, that's something you'll have to ask the elders. Unfortunately, Hiruzen Sarutobi is already dead."
There was no attempt to hide the bitterness in Chiga's voice, and a thin trace of killing intent lingered in the air.
Yamato's expression darkened. So this Chiga-sama has no love for Konoha's leadership...
If anyone else had made such a statement, Yamato, as a member of the ANBU, would have taken immediate action. But Chiga had just effortlessly crushed Orochimaru, and he bore the Mangekyō Sharingan—he wasn't someone Yamato could even dream of arresting. Not even Lady Tsunade, the current Hokage, could be guaranteed to win against him.
Orochimaru and Tsunade were both Sannin. And yet Orochimaru was effortlessly defeated. Tsunade might not fare any better...
Naruto remained rooted to the ground, his mind racing.
Chiga shook his head, activated his Mangekyō Sharingan, and looked Naruto directly in the eyes.
Suddenly, the two of them stood within Naruto's mental realm, deep within the seal. The atmosphere was thick and oppressive.
The Nine-Tails, Kurama, lay sprawled in his cage, pretending to sleep. As he sensed the intruders, his ears twitched. Slowly, he opened one eye.
Upon seeing Chiga's crimson Mangekyō, Kurama's expression turned sour.
"Damn Uchiha... what are you doing here?"
Chiga gave a slight smirk. "Relax, Kurama. I'm not interested in hurting you. Just behave."
"Nani!? How do you know—"
But before Kurama could finish, Chiga's eyes spun hypnotically. The Sharingan pattern flared, and in an instant, the beast fell silent, entranced.
Naruto gasped. The Sharingan... it reminded him of Sasuke. Unable to stop himself, he blurted,
"Chiga-san, do you know Sasuke?"
Chiga nodded, eyes still locked on the Nine-Tails. "Yes. But this isn't the time to talk about him."
With a casual wave of his hand, Chiga peeled the talisman from the prison gate. Immediately, the seal began to destabilize, and Kurama's chakra flared wildly.
Just as the final layer of the talisman came undone, a figure appeared in a flash of light, slamming one hand against the cage to reinforce it.
A cloak fluttered as the words "Fourth Hokage" shimmered on the back.
Naruto stared, eyes wide. "Is that...!?"
It was Minato Namikaze, the Fourth Hokage—his chakra avatar that had been sealed within Naruto.
Minato resealed the talisman, then turned around with a bright smile. But his face froze the moment his eyes fell on the man standing beside Naruto.
"C-Chiga!?"
Chiga crossed his arms, clearly annoyed. "What, is that how you greet an old friend?"
Minato landed gently on the ground, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. "Uh… sorry, it's just...I wasn't expecting you."
He walked up to Chiga, squinting at his face, then locked onto the Mangekyō Sharingan. His eyes widened with shock.
"You awakened Mangekyō!? Chiga… what happened to you all these years?"
As Hokage, Minato knew the truth of the Uchiha: the Mangekyō Sharingan was born from extreme emotional trauma—usually the death of someone dearly loved. It was a curse tied to the Uchiha's deep capacity for love and grief.
He asked quietly, "Was it... because of my death?"
Chiga's eyes softened just a little. "No. I awakened the Mangekyō long before you died. During the last war, I watched every one of my comrades—Uchiha—slaughtered in battle. I was a survivor."
Minato looked away, guilt creeping across his face. But before he could speak, Chiga's expression hardened again.
"How many times did I tell you that the news of Kushina's delivery had to be top secret? And above all—don't tell Kakashi! And yet you told him, didn't you?"
Minato looked nervous. "I... I thought it would help. Kakashi was still grieving over Rin and Obito. I figured making him Kushina's guard might give him a sense of hope. A new life coming into the world might have helped him heal..."
"You absolute idiot!" Chiga snapped. "The secret jutsu I entrusted to you... and you just gave it away like it meant nothing!"
Minato bristled. "How was I supposed to know it would get leaked?! Besides, you never explained why Kakashi couldn't be trusted in this situation!"
Chiga's Sharingan glinted dangerously. "Because Kakashi visited her grave. Obito found him there. That's how he learned about the birth. He used that moment to destroy everything."
Just as tension thickened between them, Naruto, who had been silent this entire time, finally spoke up.
"Um... Chiga-san? Lord Fourth Hokage? Could you maybe... argue later? There are some things I really need to know."
Both men turned, startled by Naruto's interruption.
Minato stared at him. "What did you just call me?"
Naruto gulped. "L-Lord Fourth Hokage."
"And?" Minato raised an eyebrow.
"Chiga-san said you're my father. But I still... can't really believe it. So…"
Minato looked at Chiga, who nodded slightly.
"Do you really need him to tell you?" Minato said softly. "I'm your father, Naruto. Didn't Hiruzen tell you?"
Naruto's fists clenched at his sides. "No. All I ever knew was that I was an orphan. That people hated me… called me the Fox Demon."
His voice cracked.
"So you really are my father? Why didn't anyone ever tell me?!"
Minato was speechless. His lips moved, but no sound came out.
Chiga sighed. He stepped forward and gently placed a finger against Minato's forehead.
In that instant, a flood of images surged through Minato's mind—memories of Naruto's lonely childhood, the stares, the whispers, the cold nights and empty birthdays.
Minato's hands trembled. When the vision ended, his eyes were glistening.
He opened his arms and pulled Naruto into a tight embrace.
"I'm sorry, Naruto... I'm so sorry..."
But the words caught in his throat. All he could do was hold his son.
Naruto trembled in his arms, tears falling silently.
And for the first time in years... he felt warmth.
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