A new day dawned, and the Third sat in the Hokage Office.
He expertly drew the curtains, then furtively took his treasure out of a cabinet in his desk!
Ta-da!
A crystal ball!
This crystal ball was the key tool the Third used for the Telescope Technique.
With it, the Third could sit in the Hokage Office and keep track of everything in the village.
Of course, certain ninja clans had barriers around their compounds, and the Third generally refrained from looking there.
"Hmm, let me see how little Naruto is doing."
The crystal ball gave off a mysterious glow, and little Naruto, who had just gotten up and was washing his face, appeared before the Third.
"Good, washing his face. It's good to keep his face clean."
The Third cheerfully watched little Naruto wash his face, but because it was so early in the morning, he did not see him from the front.
"Hmm, next up..."
A chrysanthemum-like smile bloomed on the Third's aged face.
The image in the crystal ball began to shift, and gradually, a scene filled with steam appeared within it.
"Tsk, tsk, very nice. Here so early in the morning."
Through the steam, the figures of several women who had come to the bathhouse early that morning were hazily visible.
In the dim Hokage Office, Hiruzen Sarutobi felt an indescribable pleasure.
Unfortunately, he was old, and that thing no longer worked.
"Hey, have you heard about that demon fox's incarnation?"
As the Third enjoyed the view, a voice suddenly put him on alert.
"That demon fox with blond hair and whiskers? I know him. I even saw him on East Street yesterday."
"I say we ladies should go stake out East Street later and grab him as soon as he shows up."
"But he's the Nine-Tailed Fox. What if we can't beat him?"
"So what?"
"If he fights back, we'll go to the village leaders and have him sent straight to prison."
Hiruzen's good mood vanished.
"What on earth is going on!"
"Who leaked little Naruto's identity!"
The sound of an angry slam on the desk rang through the room, and then a familiar face surfaced in Hiruzen Sarutobi's mind.
"Someone, come here!"
An ANBU entered through the door and dropped to one knee.
"Lord Hokage!"
Hiruzen looked at the ANBU before him and issued an order in a grave tone.
"Send people to suppress all information about Naruto's identity immediately, then summon Assistant Danzo!"
"Yes!"
As the ANBU directly under the Hokage began to move, many of the places where middle-aged women exchanged information were shut down.
"You are forbidden from discussing information about the Nine-Tailed Fox in the village!"
This scene played out in every corner of Konoha, but it was already too late.
Now everyone who had been warned knew it was true. Otherwise, why would the ANBU come to impose a gag order?
An hour passed, and the door to the Hokage Office was shoved open forcefully.
"Hiruzen, what is it?"
Looking impatient, Danzo struck the floor hard with the cane he had casually picked up, his eyes passing over the Hokage's seat as though by chance.
"Danzo... you were the one who leaked the information about the Jinchūriki, weren't you?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi propped his chin on his hands and stared fixedly at Danzo.
"How could that be? As I see it, those civilians figured it out themselves."
Danzo laughed it off, denying what he had done.
"Bring him in."
Hiruzen clapped his hands, and a white-haired ANBU came forward, escorting an ANBU wearing a fox mask.
"Well? This is one of Root's men, isn't he?"
Hiruzen's accusatory tone instantly chilled the atmosphere.
"So what if I did it? Hiruzen, you know the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki is an unpredictable factor!"
"Why not hand him over to Root? I'll make him into Konoha's perfect instrument of war."
"When that happens, never mind a mere Kumogakure-the entire Five Great Nations will have to bow to Konoha!"
Danzo grew impassioned. Yes, everything he did was for Konoha!
Smack!
The heavy slam on the desk echoed through the Hokage Office.
"Shut up! A Jinchūriki is a person, not just a weapon!"
"I will never agree to your plan. I'm cutting Root's budget for this year by thirty percent."
"Hiruzen! The Nine-Tails absolutely-"
"Enough, Danzo!"
The Third's tone was stern, making it almost completely clear that Danzo's plan would get nowhere with him.
"Hiruzen! You'll regret this!"
"Danzo! I'm the Hokage!"
The Third's words became a knife, plunging straight into Danzo's heart.
Damn it!
Danzo stormed out of the Hokage Office, slamming the door hard behind him.
Bang!
Silence returned to the office.
Hiruzen rubbed his temples and let out a long sigh.
Ah, my old friend, why have you become like this?
"Kakashi, let him go."
The White Hair ANBU before him was none other than the ninja who would become renowned far and wide-Kakashi Hatake.
From that useless A-rank ninja Zabuza all the way up to Kaguya, the mother of Six Paths, he could exchange a move or two with them all.
"Yes."
Kakashi released the captured Tenzo. He had not recognized him as the Tenzo he had once encountered on a mission.
"I have a mission outside the village coming up. Get ready and come with me."
Although Hiruzen had stopped Danzo's actions against Naruto this time, the rumors that had already spread could not be taken back.
Little Naruto, Grandpa has let you down.
The Third apologized to little Naruto in his heart.
Meanwhile, back at Root, Danzo's face grew increasingly contorted.
Those words, "I'm the Hokage," had deeply wounded Danzo's twisted heart.
Why!
Why do you get to be Hokage!
Back then, I was only a few seconds slower than you!
The flames of jealousy burned in Danzo's heart, and an evil plan formed in his mind.
"When Kinoe returns, tell him I have an extremely important mission for him next."
"Completing it will allow him to atone for his offense."
The scene returned to little Naruto, who had just gotten up that morning.
When he woke up that day, he discovered that the amount of chakra in his body had increased considerably compared with when he had refined it the previous night.
Hmm, it must be like this for everyone, right?
But when little Naruto hopped onto the stool and began washing up, a very surprising sight appeared.
"Huh!!! Where are my whiskers?"
Little Naruto's fox whiskers were gone!
Why was that?
The reason was that Kurama had withdrawn the last of the Nine-Tails Chakra that had seeped out the previous night.
Naturally, the fox whiskers formed from the Nine-Tails Chakra had disappeared.
"I was merely worried that you'd discover the chakra outside and beat me up. It certainly wasn't because I was worried my chakra would interfere with Naruto refining his own!"
That was the reason the Nine-Tails had given when Hashirama asked why he had withdrawn all his chakra after Naruto left the previous night.
"Yahaha, so that's it. Don't worry."
"Kuramalala, unless you hurt Naruto, I'm very reasonable."
"It's Kurama, damn it!!!"
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