Kakashi Hatake: I'm Sorry, Naruto

The atmosphere at the scene was bizarre. Everyone wore strange expressions as they watched the young couple flaunt their affection in public, force-feeding them a mouthful of sweetness...

Hiruzen Sarutobi's brow twitched. For the first time, he sincerely began to wonder whether his strategy for dealing with the Uchiha Clan had gone wrong.

Perhaps all he needed was to find a group of suitable young men and women to fall in love with the Uchiha Clan, and the clan could be completely dismantled without any effort at all?

This was just ridiculous...

"Let the meeting begin. I propose that Kakashi Hatake be brought in and permitted to defend himself!"

Hyuga Hiashi eagerly guided the meeting back to the main subject. Today, it was not only the Hyuga Clan that was being proactive; as clan head, he also treasured every opportunity to demonstrate his value before Lord God.

This time, most of the Jonin raised their hands in support once again.

Soon, Kakashi Hatake was brought to the scene. Black sealing runes bound his hands and suppressed the Chakra flow throughout his body, and his face was abnormally haggard. He said nothing, merely staring fixedly at the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi.

The cold deadness and despair in his eyes gave the Jonin present an involuntary sense of sorrow for one of their own. In their hearts, they seemed to be gradually losing any sense of closeness toward the Third Hokage as well.

"Jonin Kakashi Hatake, do you know who I am?"

At that moment, Naruto Uzumaki finally rose to his feet and politely questioned Kakashi. His bearing was open and composed—not particularly elegant, perhaps, but utterly unlike the rash, noisy Naruto Uzumaki everyone remembered.

Kakashi froze and turned his head. Looking at the child some distance away, smiling gently at him, he suddenly seemed to see his teacher, Minato Namikaze, who had always encouraged him with a smile.

Their heights were vastly different, but their mannerisms and bearing truly resembled each other!

Hadn't he heard that this child's personality was supposed to be like Kushina Uzumaki's—carefree, careless, and reckless?

Had this child grown up? Changed? Had he completed this transformation during the long period when Kakashi had failed to pay attention to him? It must have been painful, hadn't it?

I'm sorry, Naruto. I'm so sorry!

Kakashi smiled bitterly and lowered his head, unwilling to let anyone see his eyes.

He had not been a good son, nor a good teammate, much less a good student.

It seemed as though he could never fulfill the responsibilities and duties he should have fulfilled.

If Kushina knew, she would surely be deeply disappointed and heartbroken by him. If it were Minato, he would probably forgive him gently after feeling the pain—but Kakashi himself could not forgive himself!

"Of course I know you, Naruto. I'm sorry."

Kakashi, forever proud, now lowered his head and answered the child in a deep voice. The only thing capable of defeating him and making him bow his head was guilt.

"You don't need to apologize. I understand you!"

Naruto Uzumaki got up and walked before him, raising his head to meet his eyes. Looking at his father Minato Namikaze's disciple, whose misery was in no way less than his own, he spoke with complete sincerity.

"I understand your pain, because I once went through the same pain. Someone struggling desperately in despair, someone who could drown or lose control at any moment, isn't suited to getting close to a child...

"When someone is immersed in excessive grief and negativity, it becomes easy to forget everything else!"

"This..."

Kakashi stared in shock. What had this child experienced? Seven years ago, he should have just been born and could not possibly remember anything! Was it because of the rumors in the village about the fox demon?

"Kakashi is here to be judged. Stop discussing irrelevant matters with unrelated people!"

Council Elder Utatane Koharu could no longer stand it and snapped coldly. So what if he had suffered? He still had to work! No matter how miserable he was, he could not disobey orders!

Naruto Uzumaki ignored her completely and continued asking Kakashi, "Could you publicly reveal my true identity to everyone in Konohagakure?"

"So you already knew."

Kakashi hesitated only briefly before nodding.

"Shut up!" "Kakashi, think this through!"... The Council Elders suddenly understood part of their intention. They wanted to stop him, but it was already too late.

Or rather, they themselves had long known that this was something they could no longer stop.

After the Uchiha Clan Downfall, two powerful survivors had completely fallen out with the higher-ups. After the Hyuga Clan had suddenly switched sides. After clans such as Ino-Shika-Cho began taking ambiguous stances.

This open secret, maintained solely through mutual understanding, could be completely exposed by someone at any moment.

Even so, they were still furious! Perhaps that was what politicians were like?

Kakashi ignored their obstruction and rebukes entirely. Turning toward everyone at the scene and every person in Konohagakure watching the live broadcast on television, he calmly stated the facts:

"Naruto Uzumaki is the son of the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze. Seven years ago, in order to save Konohagakure, the Fourth Hokage sacrificed himself to seal the Nine-Tails inside his newborn son.

"Afterward, the Fourth Hokage's wife, Kushina Uzumaki, entrusted the child to the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, before dying from her severe injuries as well.

"And then this child, who had clearly saved Konohagakure, was spread about as the incarnation of a fox demon—the culprit who killed the Fourth Hokage—and was hated and loathed by everyone in the village."

At this point, Kakashi looked up at Hiruzen Sarutobi and continued mockingly, "For the past seven years, no one knew why the Third Hokage treated the child left behind by the Fourth Hokage and his wife—who had sacrificed themselves to save Konohagakure—in such a way.

"Not until Shisui Uchiha discovered the secret Lord Hokage had hidden did I suddenly realize it. Third Hokage, you still hate my teacher, Minato Namikaze, don't you? Otherwise, it would be difficult to understand why you did this.

"At first, because you were unwilling to let Lord Orochimaru become Hokage, you nominated my teacher as the Fourth Hokage instead.

"In truth, you wanted my teacher to obediently act as a puppet, which was why you never handed the Hokage's authority over to him.

"But later, my teacher had his own views and opinions regarding Konohagakure's development, and they may have directly conflicted with yours. Especially after my teacher formed an exceptionally harmonious and friendly relationship with the Uchiha Clan.

"The children of my teacher Minato Namikaze's family and Uchiha Clan Head Fugaku's family were promised to each other before birth, or perhaps were to become sworn brothers. That may have been the greatest provocation to you!

"It was something you could not tolerate. So you killed the parents and kept the child? Then placed the enemy's child in a special environment from a young age, brainwashing and controlling him until he became a tool serving you? Is that right?"

The various clan heads all wore different expressions. In the brutal Warring States Period before the era of ninja villages, no ninja clan had actually done little of this sort of thing.

Killing the parents of one's enemies, keeping children too young to understand anything, taming and brainwashing them, then using them as tools—without feeling any heartache if they broke.

This was a tradition left behind by that cruel era. Even now, many feudal lords and nobles across the lands still retained this habit. With only a little thought, the clan heads could understand it very well.