Rumors? Are we going to repeat Sakumo Hatake's tragedy?

Take a look around the village?

At Kakashi's words, Namikaze Mirai's expression grew heavy.

Had something happened in the village?

He had stayed home these past few days without going out.

Turning his head, he gazed out at Konoha beyond the courtyard.

The world in his vision shifted, as if countless twisted threads had linked everything together.

Within those threads, he could see a multitude of distinct individuals radiating outward.

Biological Magnetic Field.

Namikaze Mirai's unique perception ability.

When Root had previously cornered him, it was precisely this Biological Magnetic Field perception that let him detect them in advance.

"There are many unfamiliar Biological Magnetic Fields nearby..."

Namikaze Mirai's eyes grew even more solemn.

He needed to find out what was happening.

Konoha streets.

Villagers gathered at the mouth of an alley, chattering away, their brows and eyes full of disgust.

"That Demon Fox, why won't it just die!"

"Exactly! The Fourth Hokage and his wife were killed by it!"

"And so many villagers! The Third Hokage actually tolerates leaving that Demon Fox in Konoha!"

"If I were that Demon Fox, I'd be ashamed enough to kill myself outright, save myself all those dirty looks!"

A torrent of filthy curses poured out, as if they had to vent every ounce of their disgust.

The worst of human nature was on full display in that moment.

Only they didn't notice a figure quietly walking past them.

A fruit vendor picked out rotten fruit from his stall, tossing it into the trash with a face full of disdain.

"All because of that Demon Fox, my fruit's been spoiling like crazy lately. What bad luck!"

"Yeah, when is that Demon Fox going to die?"

The same scene played out across nearly the entire street.

Every few steps, he could hear another round of curses against the Demon Fox.

Bitter and vicious!

Namikaze Mirai walked past in silence.

Disguised by the Transformation Jutsu as someone else, he seemed like nothing more than an indifferent passerby.

But his hands couldn't help clenching into fists.

He finally understood Naruto's strangeness.

Lifting his head, he looked out at the village before him.

The noon sun was warm and comfortable, yet he felt a bone-piercing chill.

Countless twisted malevolences, like billowing black mist, rose from above the village with claws bared, coalescing into a hideous grinning face.

Shh! Kakashi jumped down from a nearby large tree.

Before he could speak, a voice laced with coldness reached him.

"When did it start?"

Kakashi's expression stiffened slightly.

Then he composed himself.

From his understanding of Namikaze Mirai, he knew—this time, he was truly angry.

"Probably the day before yesterday. At first it was just small-scale rumors. From yesterday, it intensified, and by today, almost the entire village..."

Kakashi didn't continue.

Though rumors about Naruto being the Demon Fox had always existed, they had never escalated like this before!

This scene stirred up memories buried deep in his own mind.

A past he didn't want to touch.

Namikaze Mirai's eyes slowly narrowed.

Such a widespread wave of gossip—if there wasn't someone pulling the strings behind it, he wouldn't believe it even if he were beaten to death.

This similar scene reminded him of an incident from long ago.

Hatake Sakumo, Kakashi's father, Konoha's White Fang.

A ninja who commanded even the respect of the Sannin.

Yet after a single mission failure, he was met with the scorn of nearly the entire village.

Crushed under that pressure, Hatake Sakumo's convictions shattered, and he ended his own life with the White Fang Short Sword that had slain countless enemies.

That situation back then was strikingly similar to this one.

It was as if an invisible hand was pulling strings from behind the scenes, covertly steering the direction of public opinion.

Namikaze Mirai understood the power of such public sentiment all too well.

In his past life as a corporate drone, he had seen many cases of people driven to suicide by online harassment.

This kind of village-wide bullying was even more terrifying than cyberbullying! On the way back, Namikaze Mirai's gaze was icy cold.

Those with the ability to steer villager opinion, and who stood to gain from this incident...

There seemed to be only one.

"Demon Fox! Die!"

A sudden curse interrupted his thoughts.

He looked over and saw four or five kids clutching stones, hurling them viciously at the window of Naruto's room.

Smash!

The window glass shattered into pieces.

Stones flew into the room, clattering against the items inside.

"Which brats are these?!"

Kakashi shouted as he charged forward.

"Run!"

The kids who had been throwing stones just a second ago dropped them in fright and scattered like birds and beasts.

Namikaze Mirai chose not to tangle with those brats. He quickly dashed up to the second floor, to Naruto's room.

Pushing open the door, the room was already in disarray from the stones, and cold wind poured in through the broken window.

Naruto was curled up in the corner of his bed, covering himself with the futon, only a tuft of golden hair visible.

Namikaze Mirai reached out his hand.

The moment his fingertips touched Naruto's hair, the boy flinched and burrowed deeper into the covers.

"Don't hit me, I'm not the Demon Fox!"

Namikaze Mirai's fingers froze in midair, a slight sting in his nose.

Then, gently, he placed his hand down and stroked Naruto's golden hair.

"Naruto, it's me."

"Uncle."

Naruto poked his head out from the futon, his eyes red and swollen, clearly having cried.

"Am I really the Demon Fox..."

He looked up, his clear blue eyes filled with longing and grievance.

"Why does everyone call me the Demon Fox? What did I do wrong?"

Namikaze Mirai gently tousled his golden hair.

"Silly nephew, of course you're not the Demon Fox."

"Uncle will prove it to you."

At almost the same time, in a certain hidden alley.

Two Root members knelt on one knee, reporting to the figure in the shadows.

"Lord Danzo, as you commanded, everything has been taken care of."

The face in the shadows slowly lifted, a sinister smile making the scar-covered left side of his face even more grotesque.

"Well done."

Using public opinion to attack Naruto was exactly the best form of revenge he had devised.

Namikaze Mirai was powerful; using force could easily lead to the same result as last time.

But public opinion was different.

As long as you found the weak spot, dealing with a person became very simple.

And Naruto was Namikaze Mirai's weak spot.

Stirring up a storm of public opinion was second nature to Danzo and Root.

Years ago, on that very afternoon, he had used the same method to drive Hatake Sakumo to his death.

Now, it was merely a repeat performance.

The smile on Danzo's ugly face grew even more sinister.

Now, all that remained was to wait for the outcome.

At the center of this storm of public opinion, what would Namikaze Mirai do?

"Sir, there's a situation!"

A sudden report interrupted his thoughts.

"What, has Namikaze Mirai made a move?"

"No, it's the Uchiha."