"But… I have a feeling that if I had forcibly attacked him today, then between us…"
Naruto clenched his fists, his voice heavy.
"We really would've become enemies who could never coexist."
That kind of ending was something Naruto Uzumaki could never accept—never, even if it cost him his life.
Sakura was just as unsettled. She rubbed her temples, forcing herself to calm down and think rationally.
"I understand. And I think that if we really want to help Sasuke, the most important thing right now isn't stopping him by force."
She looked up, her eyes sharp.
"It's figuring out the truth behind the Uchiha Clan Massacre. What kind of 'truth' could make him hate Konoha so much that he wants to destroy the entire village?"
Naruto's eyes lit up, as if a path had suddenly opened before him.
"That's right! The truth!"
He pumped a fist.
"I'll handle it! I'll go ask Third Grandpa directly! He has to know something!"
At that moment, Sarutobi Hiruzen, escorted by a group of ANBU, walked over.
His expression had already returned to its usual calm—there was even a trace of deliberate kindness on his face, as if the earth-shaking clash and the bloody accusations from earlier had never happened at all.
Looking at Naruto and Sakura, he asked gently:
"Naruto, Sakura, are you two alright? You really helped a lot just now. Hmm… where's Sasuke? Didn't he come back with you?"
"Third Hokage-sama," Sakura answered first, her voice low,
"Sasuke… left."
As she looked at Hiruzen, her gaze no longer carried only a junior's respect for the Hokage. There was now a layer of scrutiny mixed in.
Naruto couldn't hold back any longer. He rushed forward and grabbed Hiruzen's sleeve, his voice trembling with urgency.
"Third Grandpa! What is going on?! What did Sasuke really go through? Why does he hate Konoha so much—enough to want to destroy it?! Wasn't the Uchiha Clan Massacre done by Itachi Uchiha alone? Why would Sasuke say that the higher-ups were also involved—?!"
"Naruto."
Hiruzen cut him off.
He let out a deep sigh, his face filled with weariness and gravity. Lowering his voice so only those nearby could hear, he said:
"This matter… runs very deep. It's extremely complicated, and it's not appropriate to discuss it in public. Once the current chaos is dealt with, later on… later, I'll find an opportunity to explain what I know to you."
With that, he didn't give Naruto a chance to continue. He patted Naruto's shoulder, his tone firm despite the fatigue.
"For now, our top priority is treating the wounded and stabilizing the people. You've both worked hard—go back and rest."
Then, without lingering, Sarutobi Hiruzen turned and left under tight ANBU protection.
Watching the Third Hokage's retreating figure, Naruto clenched his fists, his face full of frustration and confusion.
"Why can't he say it now…?"
Sakura's eyes grew darker as she murmured quietly,
"Naruto… it looks like the truth is even more complicated than we imagined. The Third Hokage… is avoiding it."
Naruto scratched his head doubtfully.
"Is he? I think Third Grandpa just felt there were too many people around to talk about it."
True to his optimistic nature, he chose to believe in the good intentions of others. He quickly cheered himself up and clenched a fist.
"It's fine! I'll go ask him tonight! He'll definitely tell me then!"
Sakura nodded, saying nothing more—but the unease in her heart did not fade.
She, too, desperately wanted to know what truth lay hidden in the shadows of history.
Night fell.
Naruto went alone to the Hokage's Office.
After being announced, he was allowed inside, where Sarutobi Hiruzen was still processing documents.
"Oh? Naruto, coming so late—what's the matter?"
Hiruzen set down his brush and smiled kindly, as though the daytime confrontation had never happened.
Naruto got straight to the point.
"Third Grandpa, you said you'd tell me about Sasuke later. He said the Uchiha Clan Massacre was ordered by Konoha's higher-ups. Is that true? Did you… take part in it?"
Hiruzen seemed momentarily caught off guard by the bluntness of the question. He paused, then shook his head with a light, almost amused sigh.
"Naruto, why would you think that? I am the Hokage. I must treat every clan and every villager fairly and justly. How could I possibly authorize something as cruel and dark as the extermination of a clan?"
His eyes were calm. His tone sincere.
Naruto studied his expression carefully. The last trace of doubt in his heart instantly vanished.
He broke into a trusting smile and nodded hard.
"Yeah! I believe you, Third Grandpa!"
At that very moment—
Everyone across the shinobi world watching through the Sky Screen clearly caught it.
That fleeting, almost imperceptible stiffness that flashed across Sarutobi Hiruzen's face.
The next instant, Hiruzen smoothly changed the subject, his tone filled with just the right amount of curiosity and concern.
"Speaking of which, Naruto… Sakura's strength today was truly astonishing. That definitely wasn't ordinary taijutsu. How did she become so powerful?"
Simple-minded Naruto didn't suspect a thing and answered almost without thinking.
"Oh! That's because Sakura obtained an amazing Divine Technique! It's super strong! But—"
He suddenly remembered Sakura's warning and hurriedly added,
"She said it can't be taught to anyone else."
Hiruzen's expression didn't change. He maintained his gentle smile and nodded.
"I see. Gaining a powerful inheritance is a good thing. Since she specifically told you that, you should listen to her. It's important to respect a comrade's secrets."
His words were full of care and understanding toward a junior.
He then casually asked about Naruto's daily life—whether he was eating properly, training well, staying healthy—before personally seeing him out of the Hokage's Office with a warm smile.
The door slowly closed.
Outside, Naruto felt as though a huge weight had been lifted from his chest. He was more convinced than ever of the Third Hokage's innocence.
Inside the office, Sarutobi Hiruzen sat back down. The smile on his face gradually faded.
He lifted his pipe and took a deep puff. Amid the swirling smoke, his gaze became deep and unreadable.
"Divine Technique…"
He murmured the words softly, his fingers tapping rhythmically against the desk.
Ninja Academy!
"Thud!"
A dull impact, followed by a yelp.
In the real world, Sakura Haruno, her face flushed red with fury, slammed her fist straight into the still-scratching-his-head Naruto, sending him flying to the ground!
"Naruto! You idiot!" Sakura roared, her voice filled with lingering fear and rage.
"You're going to get me killed!!"
She didn't care about the Nine-Tails.
She didn't care that he was the Fourth Hokage's son.
Right now, she just wanted to hit someone.
That loose-lipped idiot may very well have pushed her into a point of no return.
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