Under the combined reassurance of Naruto and Hiruzen Sarutobi.
Kushina's emotions gradually stabilized.
Afterward, her Chakra was completely depleted, and she dissipated into the air.
The Hokage's office suddenly fell silent.
Hiruzen Sarutobi picked up his pipe from the floor and slowly fiddled with it.
Birdsong drifted in from outside the window, as if echoing Konoha's harmony.
Yet beneath that harmony lay the sacrifices of a small number of people.
After a while.
Hiruzen Sarutobi said to Naruto, "Little Naruto, Grandpa will do everything he can to clear up those people's misunderstandings about you, but it will take time..."
The situation was like spreading a rumor with one mouth, while refuting it ran one's legs off.
Danzo had spread the rumor that Naruto was the Nine-Tails Fox.
All he needed was for his subordinates to spread the word, and the entire village could be thrown into chaos overnight.
For Hiruzen Sarutobi to refute it.
He would need to put in ten, or even dozens of times, the effort Danzo had.
As for Hiruzen Sarutobi's words.
Naruto had a different view.
He said to Hiruzen Sarutobi, "Just as I said before, I'm doing quite well now. Third Hokage, you should focus on your work as Hokage."
After Naruto awakened his memories, his concept of the village had already become blurred, and the Will of Fire had become a political tool.
No matter what, Naruto understood that the village was neither here nor there to him.
The only people he truly cared about were the handful living in the village.
Hiruzen Sarutobi had been Hokage for half his life.
How could he fail to hear the hidden meaning in Naruto's words?
Watching Naruto leave, Hiruzen Sarutobi opened his mouth, yet failed to say a single word.
Because he truly could not bring himself to beg Naruto to love the village as Minato and Kushina had.
After Naruto left, Iruka, who had been waiting outside, rushed straight in.
"Hokage-sama! Why would someone attack Naruto?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi's pipe slipped from his hand again in surprise. The first person who came to mind was Danzo!
Hiruzen Sarutobi indeed did not continue worrying over Naruto's affairs.
At least, Naruto did not notice any results.
Only, from then on.
The ANBU assigned to watch Naruto moved from the shadows into the open.
Of course, "surveillance" was not a pleasant term.
Calling it "protection" better suited Konoha's principles.
Naruto did not care about that. He simply treated them as free babysitters.
As time passed.
As Naruto grew older, the immense potential of his bloodline began to awaken.
The Senju Bloodline and the Uzumaki Bloodline.
These two bloodlines, both possessing enormously abundant Chakra, had been fused within Naruto by the system.
Near graduation.
Naruto had already removed Kurama's seal once again.
Because Naruto's Chakra had become tremendously vast by then.
As long as Kurama remained inside Naruto's body, Naruto could suppress him through Chakra.
Over these two years.
Naruto's strength had increased at a terrifying rate.
Although the system had not issued any missions, Naruto had not gained any new abilities from it either.
On the eve of the graduation exam.
Inside an apartment building.
Naruto examined himself in the mirror.
Compared to two years ago, Naruto looked a little more mature, though only a little.
The Fourth Hokage's looks were naturally beyond question. At the very least, he was much more handsome than in the original story.
After all, those looks had been added on top of Naruto's own appearance.
And as the child of the Fourth Hokage and Kushina, both exceptionally attractive, Naruto himself had never looked bad.
It was merely that the Naruto from the original story did not dress up or pay attention to his appearance, which made him seem rather goofy...
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Naruto was currently wearing a white trench coat. Combined with his father's looks, he was basically the best-looking kid in the entire village.
As for Kumogakure's attempt to kidnap Hinata two years ago.
After Naruto saw through and stopped it, Kumogakure tried and failed to turn the tables on the Hyuga Clan, and Hiruzen Sarutobi killed quite a few of their envoys.
That envoy returned to Kumogakure and reported the situation to the Raikage.
Even now, the Raikage had made no move whatsoever.
Thus.
Kumogakure's image as a bully who feared the strong and preyed on the weak had become deeply ingrained in everyone's minds.
After Naruto finished getting ready, he left his room.
The apartment building was now inhabited entirely by ANBU.
The moment Naruto opened his door, someone noticed him.
A purple-haired woman asked Naruto, "Naruto, where are you going?"
Naruto answered casually, "The training ground."
Yugao did not ask what he was going there for. Instead, she called over her teammates and followed him.
Ever since Root had attacked Naruto.
The ANBU's protection of Naruto had reached an utterly insane level.
Naruto left the apartment building and headed for the training ground.
Konoha had quite a few training grounds.
Naruto went to the one closest to him.
After entering the training ground, he found a secluded spot.
After estimating the size of the area, Naruto muttered to himself, "Kurama, I'll give you back your freedom today."
Kurama's voice rang out. "As expected, I did not misjudge you."
Naruto did not waste words. He directly lifted his shirt and removed the sealing markings on his abdomen.
Sensing how fresh the outside air was, Kurama eagerly extended his Chakra beyond Naruto's body.
The instant Kurama's Chakra appeared.
A group of ANBU surrounded Naruto.
A white-haired ANBU shouted, "Sealing Team!"
Naruto looked at the ANBU and said, "Don't come any closer. I opened the seal voluntarily."
"What?!" The white-haired ANBU clearly had not expected the Nine-Tails' Chakra leakage to be voluntary.
Could Naruto's mind have been affected by the prejudice he suffered?
That could not be right either!
At the Ninja Academy, Naruto and Hinata showered everyone with affection every day.
He was also surrounded by a group of girls fawning over him.
His life was practically perfect.
How could he possibly have mental issues?
Seeing the Sealing Team surround him, Naruto warned, "I already reminded you. Don't come any closer."
The ANBU all watched the blond youth with his hands in his pockets in silence.
The Nine-Tails' Chakra continued pouring out of Naruto's body.
Hiruzen Sarutobi was alerted and rapidly making his way over.
But by the time Hiruzen Sarutobi arrived, the Nine-Tails' Chakra had completely emerged!
After leaving Naruto's body, that Chakra condensed into form in the open space.
The Nine-Tails...
Had completely broken free!
"ROAR!!!"
The massive roar spread throughout all of Konoha.
With a solemn expression, Hiruzen Sarutobi asked Naruto, "Little Naruto, are you really going to let the Nine-Tails go?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi knew about the deal between the Nine-Tails and Naruto.
The Nine-Tails would help Naruto locate Hinata so that Naruto could save her.
And Naruto would find an opportunity to restore the Nine-Tails' freedom.
Hiruzen Sarutobi had thought it was merely an excuse.
Yet he had not expected Naruto to be this foolish!
The tailed beast leaving his body caused a faint sheen of sweat to appear on Naruto's forehead.
But his tone remained calm as he told Hiruzen Sarutobi, "Of course."
After appearing, Kurama excitedly roared nonstop.
Naruto shook his head slightly and said, "Kurama, could you stop making so much noise? You're free now, so hurry up and leave."
Kurama sat on the ground, raised his proud head, and said to Naruto, "Naruto, do you know why Hashirama Senju distributed the tailed beasts back then?"
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