Naruto's Miserable Life, Minato Is at His Wits' End!

Tobirama Senju: I'm not too sure either...

Minato Namikaze: After the First Hokage passed away, the First Shinobi World War broke out. Then, just as we were winning, the Second Hokage died protecting the younger generation.

It was all written in the textbooks.

But...

After that came the Second Shinobi World War and the Third Shinobi World War.

Then... in the year Naruto was born, someone claiming to be Madara Uchiha attacked the Hidden Leaf Village and released the Nine-Tails.

As a result, the Hidden Leaf Village's strength was greatly diminished.

Hashirama Senju: How could this happen...

Tobirama Senju: Heh... This is the truth.

Those ninja villages only had a false peace before. They feared my brother's strength, so the moment he died, they immediately started a war.

So it was only natural that there would be countless more battles afterward.

Hashirama Senju: I'm terribly sorry. We brought so much trouble upon the younger generation. And as for Madara, I never properly dealt with him either...

Minato Namikaze: First Hokage, those things are in the past. All we can do is keep moving forward.

And although the person behind the Nine-Tails Incident called himself Madara Uchiha, I don't think he really was.

So that has always been a question in my mind. I placed a Flying Thunder God mark on that person. Perhaps we can start there and follow the clues.

Hashirama Senju: You're right. Thank you, Minato.

Tobirama Senju: Minato, have you learned the Flying Thunder God?

Minato Namikaze: Yes. It's extremely useful.

Tobirama Senju: Then that's good. I created that technique myself. Back then, I used it to kill Izuna Uchiha.

When dealing with the Uchiha's ocular techniques, speed is crucial.

Minato Namikaze: Yes! But... why did Sasuke Uchiha say just now that he was an orphan too?

Minato Namikaze: I'm puzzled by that as well... But the information I received was that six years ago, Itachi Uchiha killed his own clansmen. The Uchiha Clan was exterminated.

Tobirama Senju: Are those Uchiha brats really that evil... He exterminated the entire clan. He did what I never did.

Hashirama Senju: Tobirama, what are you saying! Is that how you've always looked at the Uchiha?

Tobirama Senju: ...

Tobirama Senju: Although I dislike the Uchiha, I never slaughtered them. Brother, you've misunderstood me.

After you died, I arranged for the Uchiha to join the Konoha Military Police.

You know what those Uchiha lunatics are like. The moment they get onto a battlefield, they awaken their eyes, go bloodthirsty from killing, and become obsessive, overflowing with negative emotions.

So, in order to protect them, I had them serve in the Military Police. That kept them farther from the battlefield, meant fewer awakenings, and reduced the danger.

Hashirama Senju: It doesn't sound too bad when you put it that way. But how did things develop into this?

Minato Namikaze: I don't know, but... there must have been some reason.

And now, Sasuke had become the Uchiha's sole survivor.

Minato Namikaze: Huh, Fugaku once discussed the Uchiha issue with me too. I never expected it would be handled this way... Wait, Kakashi, you can enter the group now?

Minato Namikaze: That's right. According to the rules, I was supposed to give them a small Bell Test. Only those who passed could officially become Genin; otherwise, they would be sent back to the Ninja Academy to continue studying.

But... they're all orphans... so I went easy on them.

Hashirama Senju: Huh...

The previous Hokage sighed. Yes, they had begun with such lofty ideals, yet... their descendants were still all orphans.

Their ideals had not been realized.

Decades had passed. Knowing this, Hashirama Senju felt deeply saddened.

[Today's observation time for Kitahara Kaede has ended. You have obtained one chance to draw a Hokage from past generations of the Hidden Leaf Village into the group.]

A notification suddenly appeared in the group.

Tobirama Senju: Then bring Hiruzen in! I want to ask him how the Hidden Leaf Village became like this!

Seeing his brother sigh made Tobirama feel terrible as well.

What he thought about was whether his brother's ideals had failed, whether his own choices had also been wrong, whether the Hiruzen he chose had failed to manage the Hidden Leaf Village and failed to pass things on.

[Ding!]

However, the system gave another notification.

[Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi cannot join the small group. Because he is unworthy.]

Huh!? x4

P.S.: The notice said the power would be out at eight, but it still hasn't gone out, so I secretly wrote another chapter.

P.S.: Darlings, please give me some support! Flowers, monthly tickets, rating tickets—I need them all!

Naruto's Miserable Life, Minato Was Numb!

[Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi cannot join the small group. Because he is unworthy.]

The four people in the group were all dumbfounded as they looked at the system notification.

Wasn't Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi still alive? How was he unworthy of joining the small group?

Tobirama Senju: What... happened?

Minato Namikaze: I'm confused too...

Minato Namikaze: ...

Hashirama Senju: Kakashi, explain it. You posted "[...]"—do you have some idea what's going on?

Tobirama Senju: Brother, you're strangely perceptive at times like this. So, Kakashi, what do you know?

Was Hiruzen's strength insufficient to reach the level of a Kage?

Or was it...

Tobirama seemed to pause here before adding.

Or was it that the things Hiruzen had done over the years... made him unfit to be Hokage?

Minato Namikaze: ...

Minato Namikaze: Actually, ten years ago, I tried to assassinate the Third Hokage.

Minato Namikaze: You assassinated the Third Hokage...

Minato had the right to speak on this matter, because he had worked alongside the Third Hokage and together they had created a system of joint rule by two Hokage.

He had seen the Third Hokage at work and thought he was meticulous and serious.

There had been no signs of neglecting his duties.

So when Kakashi said he had tried to assassinate the Third Hokage... Minato was the most bewildered of them all.

Minato Namikaze: Ten years ago, Teacher Minato had already died. Danzo deceived me into attempting to assassinate the Third Hokage. I failed, but he forgave me and allowed me to remain in the Anbu.

Then he forgave Danzo as well and continued to place great trust in him.

Hashirama Senju: Doesn't that make the Third Hokage seem pretty good?

He had the magnanimity to tolerate others.

Just like how I was once apparently assassinated by someone named Kakuzu, but I let him go too.

Tobirama Senju: Brother, "letting him go" is an exaggeration. You clearly used your ultimate move, and he got scared away before he even started.

Tobirama Senju: But that isn't how we should look at it. If his tolerance of others can't earn Hiruzen any points...

Then something else must have deducted far too many points.

For example... Kakashi, why were you deceived by Danzo?

To think Danzo actually deceived people. I used to think he was quite clever, but... he went down the wrong path.

Minato Namikaze: My father was Sakumo Hatake, known as the Konoha White Fang, but he committed suicide.

Minato Namikaze: I know about that.

Minato Namikaze: When Danzo approached me, he told me that my father's death was related to the Third Hokage.

It was the result of the Third Hokage deliberately allowing it to happen, because my father had earned many merits during the Second Shinobi World War.

His achievements had overshadowed his lord.

Tobirama Senju: Achievements that overshadowed his lord... And the Uchiha Clan was exterminated during Hiruzen's administration too, right?

Minato Namikaze: Yes.

Tobirama Senju: Huh, then I roughly understand.

Hiruzen possessed the magnanimity to tolerate others, but he was not decisive.

And decisiveness was a requirement for someone in power.

As for what happened to your father, Kakashi, I don't know enough to give you an answer.

But adding the matter of the Uchiha Clan being exterminated outright... Hiruzen truly did poorly.

Minato Namikaze: After all, the Hidden Leaf Village's internal makeup is complicated. Sigh... no one wanted things to become like this.

Minato Namikaze: But if the Third Hokage cannot join this group, then I think I may know the real reason.

Minato Namikaze: Huh? You know the reason? It isn't because of your father, Danzo, or the Uchiha?

Minato Namikaze: Yes... It should be related to Naruto.

Minato Namikaze: ...

Minato Namikaze: Huh?

Minato Namikaze: I said before that I had only just learned Naruto was the Fourth Hokage's son. Before that, the only identity Naruto had been told was that he was the Jinchuriki of the Nine-Tails.

Minato Namikaze: Huh. Then he must have suffered greatly.

Minato Namikaze: I went to Naruto's room. He had a tiny thirteen-square-meter single room.

There was food in the refrigerator too.

But it was expired. Naruto was carefree, but that didn't mean he would buy expired food.

And... he didn't have much money.

The people in the village also... wouldn't sell him things.

Even when they did sell him something, it was always that kind of... expired or awful stuff.

Minato Namikaze: So my Naruto-chan actually... had never even eaten food that wasn't expired?

Minato Namikaze: Kakashi, is everything you said true?

Minato Namikaze: Kakashi!

From Minato's earlier remarks, it was clear that he was a very kind person with a gentle heart.

But... being gentle did not mean being an idiot.

Being able to understand others did not mean... he could accept everything himself.

For example, when he had previously learned that Naruto's identity as the Jinchuriki of the Nine-Tails had been announced while his identity as the Fourth Hokage's son had been concealed, he had considered it from the village's perspective.

It was meant to intimidate the other ninja villages.

But!

Minato Namikaze: Before Kushina and I died, we asked the Third Hokage to take care of Naruto.

But.

Why did things become like this?

In his mind, he could already see little Naruto clutching his hungry stomach, able only to watch from afar as the scent of meals drifted out from other families' homes.

He could see little Naruto innocently running into a shop, only to be thrown out.