"Control Konoha…"
Naruto repeated the words slowly. The fury on his face abruptly stilled, then twisted into a faint, chilling smile—one so unfamiliar that it sent a shiver down Neji's spine.
"So the Third Hokage… Kakashi… Jiraiya… they all knew. Right?"
Danzō did not deny it. His lone eye remained fixed on Naruto.
"And if they did? It was the Third Hokage's decision."
"In his view, for the sake of the village's stability—and absolute control over the Nine-Tails' power—necessary sacrifices and concealment are the norm."
"Your father was the 'heroic Hokage.' Your mother was a 'great sealer.' And you…"
His voice was flat.
"…were meant to be an obedient container. A weapon of the village. Nothing more."
"Just as Neji's father, Hizashi Hyūga, was a sacrifice the Third Hokage deemed acceptable."
Neji's face turned deathly pale.
"Weapon… container…"
Naruto lowered his head, staring at his own hands. These were the hands that had formed the Rasengan. The hands that had extended chakra arms to protect his comrades.
So in the eyes of those above him, this was all they were meant to be.
"I fought so desperately for acknowledgment. I tried so hard to prove I wasn't a monster."
A quiet laugh escaped him.
"And in their eyes… I was just a tool begging for its master's praise."
"How pathetic."
When Naruto looked up again, the blazing anger was gone. What remained was a bone-deep calm—more terrifying than any outburst.
"So tell me, Danzō. What's your purpose in revealing all this? What do you gain? Aren't you one of Konoha's leaders as well?"
Danzō's grip tightened subtly on his cane.
This boy truly was different now.
"My goal has never changed," Danzō said slowly. "To make Konoha stand at the apex of the shinobi world with unyielding strength. The Third Hokage was too soft. His policies left too many weaknesses behind."
His gaze sharpened.
"And you… are the son of the Fourth Hokage. The Nine-Tails' Jinchūriki. You possess both the power—and the legitimacy—to change the current order."
"You deserve the truth. And I can help you claim what should have been yours."
"You now have a choice."
"A choice?" Naruto let out a faint, mocking laugh. "To remain the grateful 'hero' kept in the dark? Or to become the blade in your hand against your rivals?"
The tension snapped tight.
Through his Byakugan, Neji saw the chakra signatures of Root operatives lurking nearby shift—ready to strike at a moment's notice.
Naruto seemed oblivious. His gaze drifted once more toward Hokage Rock.
"They held me. Encouraged me. They were proud of my growth…"
His voice softened.
"Before their chakra faded, they told me to take care of myself."
He paused.
"But… they never told me to protect a leadership steeped in cold calculation. A leadership that would treat a hero's orphan as a tool—or a sacrifice. And the civilians who hurt me out of ignorance…"
It wasn't directed at Danzō. Nor at Neji.
It was a question to himself.
Danzō's eye darkened. He realized that instead of bending Naruto toward him, he might have unleashed something far more unpredictable.
"Power must be guided properly," Danzō pressed. "Hatred and injustice are powerful catalysts. Your parents' sacrifice was exploited. Your childhood was trampled. The source of it all lies in failed leadership. If you wish to change it, you must stand in the right position."
Naruto finally turned back.
His face was expressionless. But in the deepening dusk, his blue eyes shone with startling intensity.
"The right position? Yours?"
He shook his head slowly.
"No, Danzō. I'll walk my own path. As for the truth… I appreciate that you told me—even if your motives aren't pure. What I do with it is my decision."
He carefully closed the booklets and put them away.
"Become the Third Hokage's puppet?"
Naruto stopped walking but didn't look back. His voice carried a razor-edged chill.
"My name is Uzumaki Naruto. I will only ever be myself. I have never been—and will never be—anyone's puppet."
"Naruto, do you understand what you're saying?" Danzō's face darkened.
In the next instant, several figures appeared, surrounding Naruto and Neji.
Danzō silently cursed the intelligence reports that had described Naruto as predictable. The boy before him bore little resemblance to that profile.
Naruto glanced around and chuckled.
"What? You think this handful of people is enough to make a move against me?"
The air turned razor-thin.
"Oh my… it's quite lively here."
A female voice rang out suddenly—lightly teasing, yet cool beneath the surface.
Naruto. Neji. Even Danzō and his subordinates—all froze for a fraction of a second.
Two figures descended soundlessly onto the edge of the clearing.
Danzō's eye immediately locked onto Sasuke Uchiha—the last survivor of the Uchiha Clan, who had fought alongside Naruto to defeat Pain and save Konoha.
But Naruto's gaze passed over Sasuke and settled firmly on the red-haired girl beside him.
Karin.
Only Naruto and Sasuke truly understood the terrifying power—and instability—hidden beneath her seemingly harmless exterior.
Her danger far exceeded what anyone present realized.
Karin caught Naruto's intense look at once. She blinked, as if amused, and the curve of her lips widened slightly.
She looked… pleased.
"Are we continuing this?" Sasuke asked calmly.
His tone was steady—but final.
The question was directed at Danzō.
Danzō's eye flickered between Sasuke and Naruto. Continuing this standoff served no purpose—and risked provoking both the Nine-Tails' Jinchūriki and a powerful Uchiha simultaneously.
He gave a cold snort and withdrew into the shadows.
The pressure lifted, leaving only four of them.
Karin spoke leisurely, her voice sweet—but edged.
"Sasuke… you've really changed."
Tilting her head, she studied his profile.
"You made it look like you were standing up for Naruto just now."
She emphasized the next word.
"But actually… you saved that 'old man' from whatever Naruto might have done."
Her eyes gleamed knowingly.
Sasuke frowned faintly and cast her a sidelong glance, ignoring the provocation.
Then he looked at Naruto.
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