Sarutobi's inner burden

"Naruto-kun? He went home," Might Guy said hurriedly when he heard the question. "Were you looking for him? I was wondering why the Anbu suddenly started chasing me..."

Guy spoke so casually, as though reporting something perfectly ordinary and hardly worth mentioning, that the entire office fell into a strange silence.

Just then, another Anbu returned from outside. He was about to deliver his report when he looked up and saw how many people were gathered in the Hokage Office. The unexpected crowd left him at a loss, and he froze on the spot.

"Go ahead." The Third Hokage recognized him as the Anbu he had stationed near Naruto's home and prompted him to report.

"Yes. Lord Hokage, Naruto Uzumaki returned home just now. Our observations confirmed that no one followed him, and he is safe. Also..." The Anbu glanced at Might Guy and the two Advisors standing nearby, taking a moment to choose his words. "Members of Root appear to be searching for someone."

Someone? The Third Hokage glanced at the innocent-looking man with the bowl cut before him. They were probably looking for him and Naruto, who had already gone home. That Danzo is showing less and less regard for me as Hokage.

"Since Naruto has returned home safely, that settles the matter, wouldn't you say, Advisors?" Ignoring Guy's frantic winks and facial signals, the Third Hokage glanced at the Anbu who had just arrived behind him. "Go tell Danzo to come to the Hokage Office. And while you're at it... tell him to keep his hands to himself!"

The two Anbu left to carry out their orders, while the two Advisors slunk away, unable to hide their embarrassment. After all, they had just insisted that the Uchiha Clan was involved and spoken of some earth-shattering incident... Still, they each glanced at Might Guy as they left, their eyes full of confusion.

Once only the Third Hokage, Sarutobi, and Guy remained in the office, Sarutobi said with a hint of resignation, "Stop making faces and tell me what happened."

"Oh, Lord Hokage, here's what happened!" At the Third Hokage's words, Might Guy immediately stopped winking secret signals at him and adopted the professional, solemn expression of a Jonin. "At first, I returned from a mission and encountered members of the Hyuga Clan and Naruto Uzumaki at the training ground..."

As Guy recounted the events, the Third Hokage's brow furrowed deeper and deeper.

"...After shaking off the Anbu, I intended to bring Naruto-kun straight here to see you, Lord Hokage, but I never expected that I wouldn't be able to restrain him at all." Guy looked embarrassed as he reached this point. "No matter how I pinned him down or grabbed him, he would appear two or three meters away from me the very next moment. And it definitely wasn't anything like the Body Flicker Technique. He used the Flying Thunder God Technique with complete ease... Then I figured that, with an ability like that, there probably wasn't anyone who could give him much trouble. After that, he said he was going home. But we had barely parted ways when a whole group of Anbu suddenly sprang out along the road to arrest me. I was thinking I should hurry over here to you..."

"I understand what happened. Don't worry too much about the Hyuga Clan. It's a good thing that little girl has become friends with Naruto. But... if Naruto has mastered the Flying Thunder God Technique, that is no small matter."

Since Minato Namikaze, not a single ninja of jonin rank or above in Konoha had learned that powerful Space-Time Ninjutsu. Even he, known as the Professor of Ninjutsu, had spent an enormous amount of time gaining only a limited grasp of it. He could not use it as freely as those two had, let alone apply it in actual combat.

The Flying Thunder God Technique combined Sealing Jutsu and ninjutsu with such extraordinary difficulty that even Minato's guards during his lifetime needed three people working together to perform it.

Leaving aside who had taught Naruto, he was only a little over five years old. Such talent was unheard of.

Could this be a contingency Minato left behind?

At that thought, the Third Hokage suddenly grew a little dazed.

In truth, he had once considered the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, the perfect successor. Whether it was his methods of managing the village, his personal strength, or his character, there was nothing to fault. When Minato Namikaze had inherited the Hokage position after earning his illustrious reputation in the Fourth Shinobi World War, he had already been able to envision the village's future prosperity. Even those two old friends who had just left, and Danzo with all his complaints, had been forced to admit that Minato Namikaze's tenure as Hokage held great promise. Ah, what a shame...

The devastating loss of the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, during the Nine-Tails' attack was itself one of the fundamental reasons the village remained so wary of the Uchiha Clan.

"...You should head back too. I'll go see Naruto later." After sending Might Guy away, the Third Hokage looked out at the night beyond the window. He pondered for a moment, then removed his Hokage hat.

Some time later, the Third Hokage appeared outside Naruto's home in a simple robe. As he looked at the unlit window, his thoughts began to drift.

This was not the house where the Fourth Hokage and his family had once lived. It was a home the Third Hokage had allocated to Naruto through the orphanage, one that would not draw too much attention.

The main reason for doing so was that the Fourth Hokage's residence and identity were far too sensitive. Behind Minato Namikaze's legendary reputation in the Fourth Shinobi World War lay countless grudges and blood debts.

Kumogakure had never curbed its hostility toward Konoha, either. After the Nine-Tails' attack, Konoha had been far too weak. When Kumogakure had falsely accused the Hyuga Clan, one of Konoha's great clans, and demanded Hizashi Hyuga's corpse, they had been forced to give way. The fundamental reason was that Konoha truly lacked the strength to stand up to them at the time.

Even the Hyuga Clan had been forced to yield, let alone Minato Namikaze, who had once single-handedly driven back Kumogakure's forces. If they learned that he had left a child behind, and that the child was even the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, what would that child have to face?

I have failed this child, but as Hokage, I have no choice.

Hiruzen Sarutobi sighed inwardly. Rather than going upstairs, he turned and headed in another direction.

"Grandpa Hokage?" Before Sarutobi could get far, however, Naruto suddenly came around the corner ahead, carrying some snacks. He looked up, recognized the familiar Third Hokage, and greeted him.

"Naruto? Did you go out to buy something?" The Third Hokage was startled at first, then broke into a cheerful smile.

"There wasn't any food left at home. I met a weird old guy today who took me on a really long walk. I was so tired that I only slept for a little while after getting back before my stomach started growling," Naruto complained. Then he rummaged in his bag, pulled out a cup of instant noodles, and offered it to the Third Hokage. "Want some, Grandpa?"

Seeing Naruto's manner, the Third Hokage's smile grew even gentler. "Eating instant noodles this late isn't good for you."

"It's not like I can go catch fish in the middle of the night, right?" Naruto remarked offhandedly. He put the noodles back and rummaged around for a while before pulling out two ham sausages. A little reluctantly, he returned one to the bag and offered the other to the Third Hokage. "Then you can have this."

The Third Hokage looked at the ham sausage little Naruto held out to him. He accepted it and examined it.

"Bye, Grandpa. It's really late, so go home and get some sleep." Naruto waved goodbye to the Third Hokage, then darted toward home. His retreating figure soon vanished from the Third Hokage's sight.

Looking at the ham sausage in his hand, then in the direction Naruto had gone, the Third Hokage stood there for a long time. Suddenly, he spoke. "Have Iruka and Kakashi come to my office tomorrow... and Might Guy too."

"Yes," answered the Anbu who had remained hidden in the shadows.