Target

"Didn't you already try it once before?"

Looking at the silent Naruto, and then at the crowd looking at them not far ahead, Danzo stopped and put him down, asking.

"Shikamaru and the others are different."

Hearing about the previous experience, Naruto finally raised his head and said softly.

Danzo shook his head and said, "But you always have to take that step."

The current Naruto still lacked some confidence when facing these people.

Naruto had not yet developed the thick skin of the original work.

"Uncle Dan, I've disappointed you." Naruto said with some loss. Danzo's shaking his head made him feel heavy.

But since he lacks confidence, then I will give it to him.

Taking Naruto's hand, Danzo squatted down and said to him seriously, "You always have to take that step. You have to tell them your thoughts loudly."

"But..." Naruto was still a little hesitant, but his eyes were obviously moved. Danzo led him to the high platform next to the Hokage Building.

"Lord Danzo, be careful, that child is a monster."

"Don't let him go up, this monster is a jinx!"

"How did that guy get up there?!"

"Get down! What are you doing standing up there, you monster?"

The actions of the two obviously made the civilians who had been paying attention to them very dissatisfied, and many ninjas from civilian backgrounds also shouted.

The people who can stand on the high platform are undoubtedly the most respected people in the village. How can that monster be qualified to stand there?

But the ninjas from those families all had embarrassed expressions.

Many people present knew Naruto's identity.

Most of them guessed based on Kushina and the Fourth Hokage's identities, and a small number knew the cause and effect of the matter.

"Nonsense!"

Sarutobi scolded angrily, wanting to step forward to stop them, but Danzo's words stopped him.

"The person you call a monster in front of you now has something to say to you." Danzo stood on the high platform, quietly watching the crowd below.

Next to him, Naruto looked a little nervous.

"Get down!"

"Monster! Get down!"

"Lord Danzo, you will affect the morale of this war!"

However, the people below ignored Danzo's words, and even scolded him.

There were even a few who wanted to rush up to the high platform.

"Uncle Dan... you'd better not be with me..."

Naruto said somewhat timidly, he wasn't afraid of being scolded.

He was used to being scolded anyway.

But this uncle was a good person, and he didn't want to implicate him.

Frowning, Danzo waved his hand.

Like ghosts, the Root ninjas wearing animal masks stood like silent stone statues.

They stood quietly beside the high platform, blocking everyone who wanted to move forward.

No one dared to step forward, all retreating from the high platform with horrified looks, watching Danzo on the platform with some fear.

"Say what you want to say, tell these people loudly, who you are, and what you plan to do."

The crowd below calmed down, and Danzo nodded in satisfaction, speaking to the dazed Naruto, "I'll back you up no matter what happens."

Naruto's eyes welled up with tears of gratitude: "Uncle Dan..."

Ding, skill points +1

On the virtual panel in front of Danzo, the prompt of skill points +1 finally appeared, indicating that Naruto recognized and respected Danzo from the bottom of his heart.

This brat is so easy to please.

Naruto's one skill point, plus the ones he had obtained from the Root ninjas these past few days, added up to ten skill points, finally enough to unlock subsequent skills.

Danzo was delighted in his heart, but on the surface, he put on a serious look: "I won't be in the village in the future, you can't let yourself be bullied. I have to let others know you're my man, Danzo's, before I leave."

Perhaps because of the Nine Tails, Naruto could clearly distinguish the kindness and malice of others.

So it wasn't easy for Danzo to gain this kid's recognition and respect.

Glancing at Uncle Dan, Naruto mustered his courage and came to the front of the high platform, looking at the dark mass of people below, he was a little dazed.

"Naruto! Say what you want to say quickly, we're all listening."

A familiar voice rang out, causing Naruto's tense emotions to stall. When he turned his head to look, he realized that his three little friends from yesterday were also below.

"Naruto, don't embarrass us," Ino said with a smile, calling out to Naruto.

Beside her were Shikamaru and Choji.

And behind them were their fathers, Nara Shikaku, Akimichi Choza, and Yamanaka Inoichi.

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

Are they father's friends?

A force emerged from his somewhat nervous heart, Naruto stood firm, took a deep breath, looked at the crowd below, and shouted loudly: "My goal is to become a great ninja like Uncle Dan."

"Even if you think I'm a monster, I'm a jinx."

"But I know very well! I'm not a monster, nor am I a jinx!"

"I will gain the recognition of all of you! And become a great ninja like Uncle Dan!"

Watching Naruto take him as his goal, Danzo revealed a gratified smile. He really had the illusion that his son had finally grown up.

"Danzo."

Watching Naruto, who was shouting and expressing his feelings, Sarutobi couldn't help but walk up to Danzo and ask, "What is your attitude towards Naruto?"

Sarutobi no longer tried to speculate about Danzo with malice. He now began to treat him like a normal person.

Naruto, as the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, could sense malice. Since he was willing to accept Danzo, it meant that Danzo was not approaching him with malice.

"What attitude?"

Danzo looked strange, then frowned and said seriously, "Naruto is a good kid. From now on, he's under my protection. Don't bully him."

Sarutobi: . . .

Shouldn't I be the one saying that?

There was a time when Danzo asked him for people, and his expression was the same.

Naruto seemed to have heard the conversation between the two and couldn't help but reach out and grab the corner of Danzo's clothes.

Seeing Naruto's small actions, Danzo was almost bursting with laughter inside.

It wasn't a waste to train this kid.

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

How did it become like I'm the bad guy now?

I was so good to this kid for nothing.

No matter how busy he was, he would take the time to chat with the kid. He didn't expect that Danzo would abduct his grand-disciple in just a few days.

Jiraiya was his disciple, Minato was Jiraiya's disciple, and Minato's son, in theory, was his Sarutobi's grand-disciple.

But this grand-disciple was now very wary of him, his grand-master.

Sarutobi glanced at Danzo and sighed inwardly. This guy's strength had declined a lot, but he was getting more and more skilled at bewitching people.

"Since that's the case, then you must take good care of him." However, Danzo no longer made things difficult for Naruto, and Sarutobi felt a lot relieved. He said seriously to Danzo.

If Danzo could sincerely treat Naruto well, he would not fail Minato's entrustment.

Danzo replied without thinking, "Do you even need to say that?"