"He is the Yondaime Hokage's son, isn't he?" Sasuke pressed further, "Why wasn't his true identity revealed?"
Hiruzen felt a headache coming on and instinctively avoided his gaze.
"You learned all this from Minato, didn't you? What was his attitude towards the village?"
Sasuke recalled Minato's state at the time, "He was a qualified Hokage. Even under those circumstances, he still seemed to care about the village."
"Is that so." Hiruzen's expression was complex, his thoughts unreadable.
Sasuke stared intently at Hiruzen.
He could clearly sense the inner turmoil within the old man before him.
"Why not tell him his true identity?"
"I'm sorry, Sasuke. I can't tell him now, and you mustn't tell him either from now on." Hiruzen sighed, took a few more puffs of his pipe, and exhaled thick white smoke, "It's for his protection."
Sasuke found this utterly ridiculous.
If he were a spy from outside the village, and he learned there was a 'demon fox' everyone feared, constantly followed by Anbu... wouldn't that make this so-called 'demon fox' a prime, high-value target?
"His identity is very special. It cannot be known, not even by himself."
As he said this, Hiruzen instinctively reached out and patted Sasuke's head, a gentle smile appearing on his face.
"You care about Naruto, and you have great talent. Grow up quickly."
"When you are strong enough to protect your comrades, when you become a great tree that can shelter the village, his identity can be revealed."
Sasuke's eyes remained cold and unmoved.
Hiruzen wanted to continue persuading him.
But Sasuke, claiming he was tired from training, simply hoisted Naruto onto his shoulder and left.
…
The night was deep, but the Hokage's office was still brightly lit.
Hiruzen sat alone behind his desk. The mountains of documents remained untouched as he silently smoked his pipe.
'Minato, you know everything now...'
'You must be... very disappointed.'
Just then, a voice suddenly emerged from the corner of the room, "Hiruzen, it seems you've encountered trouble."
Hiruzen narrowed his eyes, concealing his emotions, and asked flatly, "What do you want now, Danzo?"
"It's about the Kyubi's Jinchuriki, of course."
Danzo stepped out of the shadows, his single eye fixed intently on Hiruzen, "The Jinchuriki nearly lost control today and alarmed the entire Anbu."
"Won't you reconsider handing the Jinchuriki over to me?"
"Give it up. I will not hand Naruto over to you." Hiruzen refused softly, "Danzō, I already regret my hesitation back then. I regret not stopping you from spreading the rumor that Naruto is the demon fox throughout the village."
Danzo roared angrily, "Such a violent loss of control from the Jinchuriki might indicate the seal is loosening."
"I have my considerations." Hiruzen's voice was calm.
"Considerations?" Danzō let out a cold laugh. "Are you counting on that Uchiha brat to keep an eye on him?"
He changed the subject, a greedy glint flashing in his single eye.
"Speaking of Uchiha Sasuke, he was there today too, wasn't he?" Danzo's tone became meaningful, "To emerge unscathed from such a disturbance... perhaps the seal incident was his doing."
"Since you refuse to hand over the Kyubi, surely handing over Uchiha Sasuke to me is acceptable?"
He recalled the intelligence report from his Root operatives: an Uchiha who had awakened the Three Tomoe Sharingan at seven years old. Such a dangerous element couldn't be allowed to remain outside his control.
"Impossible. That child would never do such a thing." Hiruzen flatly denied.
Danzo took a step forward, standing beside him, his voice dropping even lower.
"That child is the last orphan of the Uchiha Clan, his heart filled with distrust for the village."
"I will discipline him. You know I have my methods in this regard."
Hearing these words, the image of Sasuke from earlier involuntarily surfaced in Hiruzen's mind.
That young boy, carrying the unconscious Naruto on his shoulder, his eyes cold, yet his steps remarkably firm.
That young boy, who clearly held the village in contempt, yet questioned him about why Naruto's identity was kept secret.
He bit down on his pipe, his tone resolute, "Say no more, Danzo."
"I believe in them. They are both good children."
"Today, I saw something in that child that you will never understand."
Hiruzen stood up and walked to the window, looking down at the village that had returned to peace.
"Though his words are cold, he is protecting the companion he sees as a 'nuisance' in his own way."
He turned his head, looking directly at Danzo, a light shimmering in his eyes.
"This is the embodiment of the 'Will of Fire'! It isn't cultivated by erasing emotions and memories, but grows naturally through the bonds between people."
"I will not hand him over to you. I will not let him become one of those emotionless tools in 'Root'."
Hiruzen's voice was firm and clear, "I will let him grow up together with Naruto. I believe that even a seed born in darkness, if given enough sunlight and companions, can eventually grow into a great tree that shelters the village."
Danzo narrowed his eyes, staring at Hiruzen, at this Hokage who was the same age as him but looked so much older.
"Hiruzen, you've been in this position for too long. You've become naive. You will regret this one day."
"Is that so?"
Hiruzen exhaled a cloud of smoke, completely obscuring his face, "I hope I don't live to see that day."
Danzo said nothing more. His face gloomy as he left.
When their ideologies clashed, they often ended up arguing.
But it was always like this. Hiruzen would always deny everything he did.
There was nothing Danzo could do. After all, in the village, the Hokage held the highest authority.
Because of Itachi's existence, Hiruzen couldn't actually hand Sasuke over to him anyway. This demand was merely Danzo's ploy to gain concessions from Hiruzen in other areas.
…
Konoha Hospital, inside the ward.
The quiet night was broken only by the drip of the IV and the occasional chirp of insects from outside the window.
Naruto lay on the pristine white hospital bed, breathing steadily, out of danger, though a trace of pain still lingered between his brows.
Kakashi sat in a chair by the bed, holding an orange-covered copy of 'Icha Icha Paradise', but his gaze never actually fell on the pages.
He stared blankly through the window at the waning moon in the sky, lost in thought.
On the other side of the room, Sasuke leaned against the wall, arms crossed, eyes closed in rest.
The two Zanpakuto hung at his waist, reflecting the pale moonlight.
A peculiar silence filled the air.
It was Sasuke who broke this silence.
He opened his eyes, recalling what the Kyubi had said, his expression serious, "Kakashi, during the Nine-Tails attack, what was the Uchiha Military Police Force, responsible for security, doing? Did they not participate in fighting the Kyubi?"
Hearing this question, Kakashi was slightly taken aback.
'He's already noticed, hasn't he...'
But Kakashi didn't explain in detail, only saying offhandedly, "They were ordered to evacuate and protect the villagers at the time."
Sasuke was silent for a moment, then pressed further.
"Who gave that order?"
---
Check out My Patreon For 40+ Advanced Chapters:
Pat reon.com/IamPoorGuyToo