"I'm doing quite well now."
Before entering the Hokage's office.
Naruto spoke softly to Kushina.
He was used to a quiet, peaceful life.
Changes in his life gave Naruto a sense of unfamiliarity.
But to Kushina, it sounded like her son was putting on a brave face and reporting only good news so she would not worry.
"Naruto, don't worry. Mom will stand up for you."
The teenage Kushina pinched Naruto's cheek and comforted him. "That old man, the Third Hokage, promised Minato!"
Naruto felt somewhat helpless.
But this was, after all, his mother's heartfelt concern.
The conversation and behavior between the two left the ANBU escorting them dumbfounded.
Because of Kushina's appearance.
No one had yet realized that she was a younger version of Kushina.
Without waiting for the ANBU to knock, Kushina pushed the door open and walked inside.
Inside the Hokage's office.
Hiruzen Sarutobi had been leisurely smoking while reading documents.
Hearing the door open, he instinctively looked toward it.
The next second.
The smoking pipe in Hiruzen Sarutobi's hand fell, and his face trembled in shock.
Kushina???
What was going on with her?
Following behind her were Naruto Uzumaki and an ANBU member.
The ANBU scolded Kushina. "Hey! Kid, don't barge into the Hokage's office!"
The moment Hiruzen Sarutobi heard that, his scalp went numb.
He hurriedly told the ANBU, "This is none of your business. You may leave first."
The ANBU was somewhat puzzled, but he did not ask further.
"Kushina, what is going on?" Hiruzen Sarutobi swallowed, his Adam's apple bobbing as disbelief colored his voice.
Kushina's face stiffened, and she said coldly, "Hiruzen Sarutobi, I remember you promised Minato something, didn't you?"
Seeing Kushina shield Naruto behind her.
Hiruzen Sarutobi understood what Kushina meant.
He gave a bitter smile and explained, "Kushina, you know how Minato earned his reputation."
"He had too many enemies. If Naruto's identity had not been hidden, combined with his status as a Jinchuriki, Naruto would have faced countless assassination attempts."
Minato Namikaze had earned his reputation by killing enemies.
Those enemies Minato had killed also had families.
So while Minato was beloved in Konoha.
Outside Konoha, the other four great nations hated Minato to the bone.
There were too many people who wanted revenge against Minato to count.
If Naruto's identity had truly been exposed while he was still weak.
Then even if Naruto stayed in Konoha, he would have encountered assassination attempts from time to time.
So this explanation was at least somewhat grounded in reality.
Kushina's expression eased slightly, but she remembered several more questions.
Hiruzen Sarutobi answered them one by one.
It made Kushina feel as though she were punching cotton...
Why hide Naruto's identity?
Answer: Fear of assassination.
Why did Naruto live in an apartment building?
Answer: Because the Fourth Hokage's house was too conspicuous and could easily make people connect him to that identity.
Why was Naruto's living allowance insufficient?
Answer: The allowance was absolutely enough. It was given to Naruto in installments from the Fourth Hokage's inheritance, but everyone deliberately sold things to Naruto at inflated prices...
Hiruzen Sarutobi had promised Minato that he would take care of Naruto.
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And Hiruzen Sarutobi had indeed taken care of him.
To prevent assassinations, to keep Naruto from spending money recklessly, and to prevent his identity from being exposed.
All of this had been Hiruzen Sarutobi's doing.
Could anyone say he had not taken care of him?
As they talked, Kushina began to feel that something was wrong.
She asked in confusion, "Why do the people in the village still equate Jinchuriki with monsters?"
If it had been during the time when she herself was a Jinchuriki.
That would have been understandable.
After all, no one had encountered a Jinchuriki before.
Hiruzen Sarutobi had understandable reasons for concealing Naruto's identity for Naruto's safety.
But why not explain that a Jinchuriki was not a monster, but a hero who sealed away a monster?
Regarding this question, the Hokage world's ultimate scapegoat king stated:
If you discovered something bad in the ninja world but could not find out who was behind it.
Then yes!
Do not doubt it, it was this old man!
Shimura Danzō!
Hiruzen Sarutobi shook his head slightly. "This was all due to my momentary negligence. Danzo deliberately spread those rumors..."
And once rumors took shape.
They left fixed impressions in people's hearts.
That was what led to everyone in Konoha detesting Naruto today.
Because Danzo had cleverly made use of the Fourth Hokage's prestige.
He said that Naruto was the Nine-Tails Fox that had killed the Fourth Hokage and destroyed Konoha.
In this way, he exploited the hatred in people's hearts and shifted their hatred for the Nine-Tails Fox onto innocent Naruto.
"Damn Danzo!" Kushina cursed first, then questioned Hiruzen Sarutobi. "You clearly knew Danzo did it, so why did you let him continue doing evil?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi had a headache. "Danzo is one of Konoha's higher-ups and the leader of Root. Even I cannot make changes rashly."
"Besides, even removing Danzo from his position would not make up for the harm done to Naruto..."
There was actually one more thing Hiruzen Sarutobi did not say aloud.
Every village had its dark side.
The taller and larger the tree, the larger the shadow it cast, and the more nourishment it required.
No village could do without higher-ups like Danzo.
Because when facing certain difficult matters, they would need Danzo's strength.
And for the village to function, some people always had to be sacrificed.
Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha were both sacrifices for Konoha's operation.
After hearing Hiruzen Sarutobi's explanation, Kushina immediately felt powerless.
She could not help but begin to miss Minato.
If Minato had been here, he would never have allowed this to happen.
Kushina was not someone without a spirit of sacrifice.
But now that her child had become a sacrifice for the village, it was even harder to accept than sacrificing herself.
"Because punishing the bad guys cannot make up for the victims, you simply won't punish them? Is that it?" Thinking of the looks those people had given Naruto on the way here, Kushina's heart twisted in pain.
She simply could not understand Hiruzen Sarutobi's way of thinking.
Hiruzen Sarutobi was silent for a while before telling Kushina, "Kushina, some matters are far too complicated. But I can try to make some changes."
That counted as a concession.
Naruto also comforted Kushina. "Yeah, don't be too upset. I have friends now, and I'm doing pretty well. If no one bothers me, I'm happy enough having some peace and quiet."
In Naruto's view, the debt Hiruzen Sarutobi owed him could be settled later.
Kushina had let Naruto experience the warmth of being cared for.
But Kushina's Chakra was running out.
Naruto did not want to see her leave filled with resentment.
Seeing Naruto be so sensible only made Kushina's heart ache more.
If she had had more Chakra, she might have made a more drastic decision.
Hiruzen Sarutobi also took the opportunity to promise Kushina, "Kushina, this was my fault. I promise that from now on, no villagers will target little Naruto again."
The old man and the young man now had only one goal.
It was to soothe Kushina's emotions. Even if she could not leave without regrets, at the very least, she could not leave filled with hatred.
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