The last time Minato had seen Naruto, he was an infant, crying his first cries upon entering the world. In the blink of an eye, he had grown up. The young man before him now was refined and gentle, much like Minato himself had been in his prime. Minato looked intently at Naruto, tears welling in his eyes. Before his death, there were so many things he had wanted to say to Naruto. He had imagined that perhaps, in the future, he would meet Naruto, who would be Konoha's "son of a hero." By then, Naruto might have grown into a handsome adult, just like him, perhaps even married with children of his own. But no matter what, he was certain Naruto would be as handsome as he was.
Now, what he had always fantasized about had finally come true. He looked at Naruto, who shared his gentle smile, and his heart swelled with gratification. With the status of a hero's son, Naruto's life must have been very smooth and happy. He's well-dressed, his temperament refined and gentle, his features handsome. The brilliant blue eyes hidden beneath those glasses are full of wisdom—he completely inherited my best traits. Though those ordinary glasses do hide the beautiful eyes he got from me... but for a boy, it's good to keep a bit of his sharpness hidden. It seems the Third Hokage fulfilled his promise and has taken excellent care of Naruto.
Thinking this, Minato smiled, affectionately taking Naruto's hand. "Naruto," he said with a chuckle, "for you, this must be the first time we've met, right?"
But to his astonishment, Naruto withdrew his hand, took a step back, his expression still gentle, yet his tone was distant. "Fourth Hokage, you're the one who sealed the Nine-Tails, aren't you?"
The touching father-son reunion Minato had envisioned didn't materialize. He was somewhat at a loss. "Naruto, I'm your father, Minato Namikaze." He seemed to recall something and turned sharply to the Nine-Tails, his gaze hardening. "Nine-Tails, could it be that you—"
Before he could finish, the Nine-Tails' sneer cut him off. "Fourth! My dear Yondaime, do you have any idea how much Naruto has suffered all these years? The villagers treated him like a monster, everyone wanted him gone! If it weren't for this old fox, he might already be dead!"
Minato: "?"
"Impossible!" Minato cried out, his eyes filled with disbelief. "I clearly entrusted the Third—" He trailed off, his expression freezing, then a flicker of realization crossed his eyes. After becoming the Fourth Hokage, he had naturally come into contact with Konoha's dark side. Beyond the ANBU, which was directly under the Hokage, there was also Root, an organization that specialized in 'sanitation.' Root was controlled by Danzo Shimura, who had committed many dirty, despicable deeds behind the scenes. Danzo Shimura was an extremely paranoid, cautious man who coveted the Hokage title. He did love Konoha, to a fanatical degree even. For Konoha, he would do anything, no matter how unethical. But he was an extremist pushed to the absolute limit; one could even call him a madman.
How could Danzo possibly allow the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki to live simply as the son of a hero? A quick review in his mind, and Minato roughly guessed the reason Naruto's identity had been concealed. After his and Kushina's deaths, Konoha's Kage-level combat strength had drastically decreased. If the Nine-Tails were to rampage again, the price Konoha would pay would be unimaginable. Under such circumstances, Konoha's leadership would have sought to gain complete control over Naruto. So, they spread rumors, plunging Naruto's childhood into darkness, so they could then 'save' him.
Minato looked at Naruto. The boy's expression was still gentle, but the alienation in his demeanor was so palpable. Bitterness welled up in Minato's heart. Indeed, I was negligent. I was wrong to trust too much in human nature, too much in the 'kindness' of those schemers.
His face contorted in pain, his lips trembled. "I'm sorry, Naruto," he choked out. Even if he had a thousand words of longing, at this moment, they could only manifest as a single, belated apology.
"Is there any meaning in apologizing now?" Yet, there was no trace of blame on Naruto's face, only that same placid smile. He was exceptionally calm. "I didn't give you a chance to appear just to hear your apology. Apologizing for the past is a meaningless act."
"That's right, Yondaime! This time, you really screwed up!" the Nine-Tails chimed in gleefully from the side. For the longest time, the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, had been the picture of success: a commoner with outstanding talent who successfully married a beautiful, high-status woman, even becoming the Fourth Hokage, reaching the pinnacle of life. The Nine-Tails, trapped within Kushina, had witnessed all of this, and it certainly hadn't been pleased. Now, seeing this culprit who had sealed it finally get his due, the Nine-Tails felt an indescribable satisfaction, and its fondness for Naruto surged.
"First, let me show you what I went through." Naruto extended a finger and tapped the empty air.
A screen of light immediately appeared before Minato, and on it began to play scenes from Naruto's childhood. From the nanny's cruelty to the vicious curses of Konoha's villagers.
"You monster, why don't you just die!" "So disgusting, just go die already!" "I really want to kill him."
In the images, a small, helpless Naruto walked the streets, enduring curses that would drive even an adult insane. His small body even had to withstand being pelted with rotten vegetables and fruit. The helpless Naruto could only bow repeatedly to those around him, repeating, "I'm sorry. I understand the harm the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox brought you, but now I am Uzumaki Naruto. I am not the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox. I'm sorry." He had done nothing wrong, yet he was constantly apologizing.
Back home, Naruto would scrub his body vigorously. The stench lingered on him, and even if clean water could wash it away, the pain brought by that malice never could. No matter how strong Naruto acted, tears would inevitably fall at night. But he would immediately wipe them away, telling himself to be strong, that a man doesn't cry.
Minato's lips trembled, his eyes bloodshot. He had never imagined his child would live such a life. If he had known all this, he would never have allowed Naruto to become the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki!
The scene shifted, now showing Naruto being bullied by other children. Those little "leaves" whom Minato had once seen as Konoha's future were kicking Naruto with all their might, spewing vicious words they had picked up from their parents. Even though Naruto's injuries would heal overnight, his body was constantly bruised.
Minato's pupils quaked, his eyes filled with disbelief and fury. He couldn't believe that the villagers who were usually so respectful towards him had such a terrifying side. He couldn't believe that the villagers he had always protected were harming his own flesh and blood. He couldn't believe, even more so, that the Third Hokage, whom he had trusted, could be so ruthless! His grandmaster, the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, had failed the entrustment of a junior, and even more so, had failed the expectations of a young Hokage.
In that moment, Minato's world collapsed. He even began to doubt the so-called Will of Fire. The Will of Fire, which had guided his entire ninja career, seemed so absurd and laughable at this moment. What was once a symbol of beauty had been reduced to a tool for politicians to manipulate hearts. Compared to them, he, the Fourth Hokage, was as naive as a fool.
The screen then showed the Third Hokage's various purposeful visits. To survive, Naruto feigned optimism, became refined and gentle, even began to diligently study "The Will of Fire," shaping himself into someone who loved Konoha.
The more Minato watched, the more his heart ached, and a murderous intent boiled within him. He was a man who had clawed his way out of the battlefields of the ninja world; his hands were long since stained with blood. Perhaps he had been gentle for too long, making others forget his decisiveness when it came to killing. Those who had been to war knew no true gentleness!
Minato took a deep breath, suppressing his killing intent towards the Third, and looked at Naruto. "I know nothing I say now has any meaning, but I will find a way to compensate you."
"Compensate?" A hint of disdain touched Naruto's gentle smile. "What can you possibly compensate with?"
"Yeah! Compensate with what, you damn fool? You've got nothing to offer!" the Nine-Tails jeered from the side.
"Yes... I'm already dead. What more can I do?" The Fourth Hokage hung his head in despair. The Yellow Flash, who once struck terror into the hearts of enemies on the battlefield, now looked like a defeated soldier, revealing an incredibly fragile side. "Then… what do you plan to do next?" The Fourth's tone was somewhat subservient, not like the imposing Hokage, but more like a father begging for forgiveness. From the bottom of his heart, he didn't want Naruto to become an enemy of Konoha, because Konoha was still the number one shinobi village in the world. For Naruto to oppose it would undoubtedly be like an egg striking a stone.
"Rest assured, I am not one of those shortsighted frogs in a well," Naruto said, shaking his head. "One sees things differently from different dimensions. I intend to obtain supreme power, to transcend everything."
"I want to stand in Heaven."
"But if Konoha obstructs my path in the future, I will destroy it without a second thought."
"That's all."
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