"Coming back to the present from the future... something like that is just too unbelievable. I still can't believe it."
"But this enemy leaves us no choice but to believe it..."
After a long silence in the meeting room, Kakashi said, "But if everything really is as Naruto said, then his unusual behavior since the battle with Pain makes perfect sense."
"..." Quite a few of those present lowered their heads.
Kakashi finished his thought. "If that's the case, Konoha... owes Naruto an apology."
Just then, a dissenting voice rang out. "Does that give him an excuse to slaughter his fellow villagers?"
Everyone froze.
Another person said, "Mitaraishi Anko, Tokuma Hyuga, Muta Aburame, and Yawara. On the day Naruto Uzumaki defected, the village sent Anko's four-person squad to persuade him to return. Not one of them survived!"
Kakashi said, "There were plenty of suspicious details about that incident to begin with. It happened right when Danzo took power, and he used it to whip up public outrage, accusing the Fifth of failing in her oversight. There's a very good chance Root was behind it. That would also fit the way they've always operated..."
A third person spoke up. "Even if that's true, everyone in Root is already dead, aren't they? With no surviving witnesses, there's no way to prove Naruto Uzumaki's innocence!"
Many people in Konoha were deeply prejudiced against Naruto. Even now, they were unwilling to look favorably on him.
At that moment, Shikaku took a deep drag on his cigarette and finally revealed the truth he had concealed for so long. "Mitaraishi Anko is still alive... in Amegakure."
"What!?"
Everyone's eyes lit up, especially the ninja who were close to Anko.
The first speaker asked impatiently, "Shikaku, how do you know that!!!"
Shikaku said, "At this point, there's