Goal

"Didn't you already try once before?"

Looking at the silent Naruto, then at the crowd watching them from not far ahead, Danzo stopped, set him down, and asked.

"Shikamaru and the others are different."

At the mention of that previous experience, Naruto finally raised his head and spoke softly.

Danzo shook his head. "But you still have to take that first step."

Naruto still lacked confidence when facing these people.

He had yet to develop the thick skin he had in the original story.

"Uncle Dan, I disappointed you." Naruto spoke dejectedly. Danzo's shaking head weighed heavily on him.

But if he lacked confidence, then I'd give it to him.

Taking Naruto's hand, Danzo crouched down and said seriously, "You always have to take that first step. You have to tell them what you think, loud and clear."

"But..." Naruto was still hesitant, though his eyes were clearly wavering. Danzo took his hand and led him to the raised platform beside the Hokage Building.

"Lord Danzo, be careful! That child is a monster."

"Don't let him go up there! That monster is a harbinger of disaster!"

"How did that guy get up there?!"

"Get down here! What's a monster like you doing standing up there?"

Their actions clearly enraged the civilians who had been watching closely, and quite a few civilian-born ninja shouted as well.

Those qualified to stand on that platform were undoubtedly people of great prestige in the village. What right did that monster have to stand there?

The clan-born ninja, however, all wore awkward expressions.

Quite a few people present knew Naruto's identity.

Most had guessed it based on Kushina's and the Fourth Hokage's identities, while a small number knew the full story.

"Outrageous!"

Sarutobi cursed and wanted to step forward to stop them, but Danzo's words halted him.

"The person before you, whom you call a monster, has something to say to you." Standing atop the platform, Danzo quietly watched the crowd below.

At his side, Naruto looked somewhat nervous.

"Get down here!"

"Monster! Get down here!"

"Lord Danzo, this will affect morale for the war!"

Yet the people below ignored Danzo's words and even cursed him along with Naruto.

Several people even tried to rush onto the platform.

"Uncle Dan... You shouldn't stay with me."

Naruto spoke timidly. He was not afraid of being cursed.

He had long grown used to it.

But this uncle was a good person. He did not want to drag him down too.

Frowning, Danzo waved a hand.

Like ghosts, Root Ninja wearing animal masks appeared, standing like silent stone statues.

They quietly took their places around the platform, blocking everyone who wanted to approach.

No one dared move forward any longer. They all retreated from the platform with horrified looks, gazing fearfully at Danzo above.

"Say whatever you want to say. Tell these people loudly who you are and what you intend to do."

As the crowd below quieted down, Danzo nodded in satisfaction and said to the stunned Naruto, "No matter what happens, I'll have your back."

Naruto's eyes filled with tears. "Uncle Dan."

Skill Points +1

A notification finally appeared on the virtual panel before Danzo's eyes: Skill Points +1. This meant Naruto had acknowledged and respected Danzo from the bottom of his heart.

That brat was really easy to win over.

With Naruto's one Skill Point, combined with those he had gained from the Root Ninja over the past few days, he now had ten Skill Points in total. He could finally unlock the subsequent skills.

Danzo was delighted inside, but he put on a stern expression. "When I'm no longer in the village, you can't let anyone bully you. Before I leave, I need everyone to know that you belong to Danzo."

Perhaps because of the Nine-Tails, Naruto could distinguish very clearly between others' goodwill and malice.

That was why earning this boy's acknowledgment and respect had not been easy for Danzo.

Glancing at Uncle Dan, Naruto gathered his courage and walked to the front of the platform. Looking at the sea of people below, he was somewhat dazed.

"Naruto! If you have something to say, hurry up and say it. We're all listening."

A familiar voice rang out, abruptly halting Naruto's nervousness. When he turned to look, he discovered that his three companions from yesterday were down below as well.

"Naruto, don't embarrass us," Ino called out to him with a smile.

Shikamaru and Choji stood beside her.

Behind them were their fathers: Nara Shikaku, Akimichi Choza, and Yamanaka Inoichi.

When Naruto looked over, the three of them gave him friendly smiles.

My father's friends?

A surge of strength rose within his nervous heart. Naruto stood firm, took a deep breath, looked at the crowd below, and shouted, "My goal is to become a great ninja like Uncle Dan!"

"Even if you think I'm a monster, a harbinger of disaster."

"I know very clearly that I'm not a monster, and I'm not a harbinger of disaster!"

"I'll earn the acknowledgment of every one of you! I'll become a great ninja like Uncle Dan!"

Watching Naruto make him his goal, Danzo smiled with satisfaction and comfort. He truly had the illusion of watching his own child grow up.

"Danzo."

Watching Naruto shout at the top of his lungs and speak his heart, Sarutobi could not help walking over and asking, "What exactly is your attitude toward Naruto?"

Sarutobi no longer viewed Danzo with malicious suspicion. He was beginning to regard him as he would any ordinary person.

As the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, Naruto could sense malice. Since he was willing to accept Danzo, it meant Danzo had not approached him with ill intent.

"What attitude?"

Danzo looked baffled, then frowned and turned serious. "Naruto is a good child. I'm protecting him from now on, so don't you bully him."

Sarutobi: ...

Shouldn't I be the one saying that?

Back when Danzo had asked him for people, Sarutobi's expression had been just the same.

Naruto seemed to have heard their conversation as well, and he could not help reaching out to clutch the corner of Danzo's clothes.

Seeing Naruto's little gesture, Danzo nearly burst into laughter inside.

I didn't raise this brat for nothing.

Sarutobi's heart, meanwhile, was filled with bitterness. Wasn't Naruto's current situation all because of you?

How had it now become as though he were the bad guy?

He had been good to this child for nothing.

No matter how busy he was, he had always made time to chat with the boy. Yet in just a few days, Danzo had lured away his grand-disciple.

Jiraiya was his disciple, Minato was Jiraiya's disciple, and Minato's son was therefore, by all rights, Sarutobi's grand-disciple.

Yet this grand-disciple was extremely wary of him, his grandmaster.

Glancing at Danzo, Sarutobi sighed inwardly. This man's strength had declined considerably, but he had become increasingly skilled at winning people over.

"Since that's the case, then you must take good care of him." Still, since Danzo was no longer making things difficult for Naruto, Sarutobi felt much more relieved and said seriously to Danzo.

If Danzo could truly treat Naruto well, then Sarutobi would not have failed Minato's request.

Danzo answered without a second thought, "Do you really need to tell me that?"