Is This How You Treat the Son of a Hero?

"Is that really the case, Naruto?" Iruka scratched his head.

Something felt off, though he couldn't quite put his finger on what.

Still, he believed Naruto had no reason to lie to him.

After all, he was just a child of about ten years old.

What kind of malicious intent could a child who wasn't even a genin possibly have?

"By the way, Naruto, give me the Scroll of Seals you're carrying on your back."

Iruka suddenly remembered something, his expression turning serious.

He could tolerate Naruto being mischievous or ignorant.

But when it came to the Scroll of Seals.

He would never back down!

If the Scroll of Seals were to fall into the hands of other ninja villages.

It would bring a catastrophe upon Konoha.

Iruka didn't want to gamble.

"Oh." Naruto unslung the Scroll of Seals from his back.

He tossed it into Iruka's hands.

The stuff written inside was useless to him anyway.

It would take too long to cultivate.

Why not just wait for the system to trigger options and claim rewards? Isn't that better?

Why bother with the slow, step-by-step process of cultivation?

Iruka took the Scroll of Seals, his tense face relaxing slightly.

Naruto was still Naruto; he hadn't changed.

He was still his good student.

"Iruka, stop Naruto quickly!!! He has the Scroll of Seals in his hands!"

"Don't let that brat get away!"

"Damn it, how could our village produce a ninja like that?!"

"I'm going to teach him a lesson."

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh—

Figures rushed toward them at high speed.

Hiruzen Sarutobi had arrived as well.

He followed behind the main group.

Mainly, he was afraid these guys might accidentally kill Naruto.

If that happened, what face would he have left to see the Fourth Hokage?

Besides, he would never allow such a thing to happen.

"Good grief, so that's where the kid is!"

"Iruka, tie him up quickly, don't let him run!"

"Huh? Is that Mizuki? Why is there so much blood next to him? Who did this..."

"What on earth happened here?"

The arriving ninjas clamored all at once.

Fearing they might misunderstand the situation, Iruka shouted, "Everyone, please quiet down, quiet down, please listen to me."

The crowd fell silent instantly.

Because they saw Iruka holding the Scroll of Seals.

Their hanging hearts finally settled.

"This was all Mizuki's rotten idea, intended to use Naruto..."

Iruka explained the situation clearly.

Having someone else explain things for you.

Was much more effective than saying it yourself.

Besides, Naruto couldn't be bothered to explain anything to this bunch of idiots.

If they weren't satisfied, he wouldn't mind bringing another catastrophe upon Konoha.

He already had half the power of the Nine-Tails.

If all else fails, I can just use the power of the Rinnegan to escape.

The sky is vast for birds to fly.

I can go wherever I please.

But then again.

My wife is still back in Konoha.

Not just my wife, but also my future sister-in-law, who will grow up to be a stunning beauty.

And that's not all... it seems there are plenty of kawaii girls there too.

"Ding! As the son of a hero, how can you let yourself be slandered so easily?"

"Option One: Scold this bunch of ungrateful ingrates awake and force them to re-examine the host's identity!"

"Reward: God-Level Taijutsu!"

"Option Two: Their mouths are their own; let them insult you and ignore them."

"Reward: Child of Endurance (a title with no practical use)"

"I choose one."

"Congratulations to the host for obtaining God-Level Taijutsu!"

Naruto took a deep breath, his expression turning cold in an instant.

He spoke to the crowd with indifference.

"Iruka, there's no need to explain anything to this bunch of ingrates; they're nothing but a pack of cowards."

The atmosphere fell into an eerie silence.

Iruka stared at Naruto in astonishment.

He had no idea why Naruto would say such a thing.

Naruto scanned the crowd.

Relying on his currently astonishing sensory perception.

He quickly spotted Hiruzen Sarutobi hiding in the back!

"Grandpa Third, I see you. You might as well come out; I have something to say to you."

Hiruzen Sarutobi's old face flushed red.

Good grief... I was hidden so well.

Little Naruto, how did you find me?

Awkward as it was.

He had been called out in front of everyone.

The gazes of the surrounding village ninjas snapped onto him.

Hiruzen Sarutobi had no choice but to bite the bullet and step out.

"Ahem... Naruto, what do you need from me?"

"Since the Scroll of Seals has been found, everyone should head back to the village."

Hiruzen Sarutobi said, changing the subject.

He felt that Naruto seemed different today.

If he stayed here any longer.

Something bad might happen.

"That's right... Third Hokage is correct, the Scroll of Seals is found, let's go back."

"If you ask me, Third Hokage is being too merciful. If it were me, I'd have dragged this brat who causes trouble all day back and given him a beating."

"It's a pity he's not my kid; if he were, I'd have beaten him already!"

"Exactly... exactly..."

Many people whispered among themselves.

Naruto looked at them indifferently.

As if watching monkeys perform.

His voice was neither loud nor soft.

Just enough for everyone present to hear.

"I'm asking you, is this how you treat the son of a hero?"

In an instant, the entire scene fell into dead silence.

A thick layer of shock surfaced in Hiruzen Sarutobi's usually calm eyes!

The crowd was stunned.

His mouth clamped shut instinctively.

Even Iruka, standing nearby, felt cold sweat bead on his forehead.

What the hell?!

Since when did Naruto Uzumaki know about this?

This was supposed to be a top-tier secret!

Only a handful of elite Jonin who were involved back then, along with himself, were aware of it.

Hiruzen Sarutobi had intentionally suppressed the truth, forbidding anyone from mentioning it in front of the younger generation.

The reason for this was simple.

Minato Namikaze, the Fourth Hokage, had taken out quite a few ninjas from other villages during the Third Shinobi World War.

In short, he had many enemies.

Naruto Uzumaki currently lacked the ability to protect himself.

Making his identity public would likely draw those old enemies out to assassinate him.

Even the wisest can make a mistake.

What good would it do to have powerful Anbu guarding Naruto Uzumaki twenty-four hours a day?

If they encountered a formidable assassin, or if there was a momentary lapse in vigilance, it could jeopardize Naruto Uzumaki's life!

Furthermore, Hiruzen Sarutobi harbored a selfish motive.

He wanted Naruto Uzumaki to bear the stigma of the Nine-Tails' rampage in the village during that war.

That said, how did Naruto Uzumaki figure it out?

Everyone was filled with confusion.

Naruto Uzumaki then dropped another bombshell.

It shattered their peace of mind.

It caught them completely off guard!

"If I'm not mistaken, my father was the Fourth Hokage, right? He died for the village, ultimately because of the Nine-Tails' rampage back then."

"My father is gone, and my mother is gone too... Heh. Both my parents died because they sealed the Nine-Tails inside me."

"To stop it from continuing to ravage the village..."

He paused, his tone growing colder.

"My parents sacrificed themselves so that a bunch of ungrateful people like you could live."

"And how have you treated me in return?"

Silence...

Nothing but silence.

The expressions on everyone's faces shifted again and again.

Their anger toward Naruto Uzumaki transformed into grief and unease.

It was true... that horrific attack wasn't the fault of the Fourth Hokage and his wife.

It was the fault of the Nine-Tails!

What wrong did the Fourth Hokage and his wife commit?

And what fault did their son, Naruto Uzumaki, have?

Did he enjoy living as a jinchuriki?

Had anyone ever asked for his opinion?

No! Absolutely not! Not a single person!

They had simply projected their own incompetence and ugliness onto a child who had committed no crimes and made no mistakes.

Only because this child had the Nine-Tails sealed within him.

Only because this child was the jinchuriki of the Nine-Tails.

But... the fault lay with the Nine-Tails; what wrong had Naruto Uzumaki done!!!

Wait!

Naruto Uzumaki is actually the child of the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze?!

At that moment, everyone froze.

The expressions on their faces were quite a sight to behold.