"Saving Hinata-chan from those bullies five years ago was the best thing I did. It led the way for her clan to gradually accept me though some still look at me with disdain. Besides jiisan, the old man and Ayame-chan, Hinata's clan became a family for me and Hinata-chan is my dearest and closest best friend. These are the very factors that helped me deal with the villagers' discrimination and prejudice against me for something that was never my fault."
"I'm happy that you have such a dear friend like Hinata in your life Naruto," Iruka said, "I really do mean that. I also want you to know that even though I knew you're the Jinchuurirki, I never looked at you as if you were the Kyuubi itself, but its jailer. You weren't the monster that attacked Konoha and killed of all of those people and my parents all those years ago
"I know as your sensei I've always been hard on you because I saw a lot of myself in you to tell you the truth. I understand what it's like to be an orphan. Like you, I made lots of jokes, even if they were on me, just so I could have attention from as many people and children as I could possibly get. But it was a lonely life and I cried many times because I had no family."
Iruka sighed and his lowered his head, "In spite of all this, as your sensei, I failed to empathize with you and instead I scolded you countless times rather helping you where you needed the most help in. Uzumaki Naruto, I'm truly sorry."
This was the first Naruto ever seen Iruka apologize to him ever so sincerely. He found no trace of hypocrisy in Iruka's speech.
"Hey Iruka-sensei," Naruto replied with his huge trademark smile, "Don't worry too much about it. I still became a Genin earlier today even though you delayed me one year. But that's water under the bridge and I managed to make Konoha safer with one less traitor to worry about."
"You did," Iruka agreed, "You helped make Konoha safer. I suppose I can reward you."
"I'm good," Naruto said, "Besides I have to get ready for tomorrow to take my ninja photo ID, and there's something personal I have to take care of before the night is over. I'll see'ya."
Iruka was about to say something to Naruto but the hyperactive blonde had already took off from the scene.
"And I used to think I had Naruto all figured out," Iruka said to himself, "I wonder what more I'm to find out about him."
(At The Hokage Tower)
Hiruzen sighed after he watched the entire scene between Iruka and Naruto from his crystal ball. He was happy that things didn't get out of hand and that the real traitor was exposed and stopped. Leaving his private quarters, he went to his office and sent out a message calling off the hunt for Naruto, stating that the true criminal was found and that the scroll was being returned with the criminal brought in for questioning.
While in his office, Hiruzen took out his pipe and filled it with tobacco and lit it before taking a poof out of it. He exhaled the smoke from his mouth as he relaxed. His time for relaxing was cut short when Naruto appeared with both the scroll and a severely injured Mizuki being brought in by his clones.
"Here's the scroll," Naruto said as he entered and placed it down on the Hokage's desk, "And one of the many trashes of this village."
His clones dropped the still unconscious Mizuki on the floor without so much of a look of remorse. Hiruzen nodded and snapped his fingers. Two ANBU ninjas appeared seemingly out of nowhere.
"Take Mizuki to Ibiki for questioning," Hiruzen ordered. The two ninjas nodded and picked up the unconscious traitor and disappeared with him. With them gone, Hiruzen turned back to Naruto.
"Well done in exposing and capturing a traitor in our ranks Naruto," Hiruzen said, "Though your first unofficial solo mission, I'll give you a B-rank pay for it. Still, it's grievous that we have those willing to betray the will of fire this village possesses."
"Tell me something," Naruto asked, "Who was Uzumaki Kushina?"
Hiruzen almost dropped his pipe from his mouth upon hearing that name being pronounced from Naruto's mouth, but his many years of experience as a ninja helped him keep his control and reaction in check.
"Naruto," Hiruzen asked, "What are you-"
"Don't play me for a fool jiisan," Naruto interjected, "She and Yondaime were married and I so happen to be their child, correct?"
Naruto reached into the pocket of his orange jacket and pulled out his green book. He tossed it onto the desk next to the scroll in front of Hiruzen.
"They named me after the very protagonist of that book," Naruto explained, "A book that was written by your student and my father's sensei, Jiraiya. And if I'm correct he's also my godfather as a result."
Now Hiruzen was nervous, very nervous. Naruto knew more than he should, Hiruzen realized and was mentally trying to figure out how he could possibly know everything he was saying.
"It makes sense really that Yondaime, Namikaze Minato would use me as a host to contain Kyuubi No Kurama," Naruto continued, "I mean, what father would ask another father to sacrifice their newborn child and their own life in the process in order to seal Kurama away? I'm sure my father as the Yondaime couldn't ask anyone to do something he himself wasn't willing do with his own son. I'm sure my mother Kushina died that same day too though I don't exactly know how, but I'm certain it wasn't through childbirth."
Hiruzen knew that there was no point in hiding the truth from Naruto anymore.
"I want answers, jiisan," Naruto said, "And I want them now."
"How were you did find out about your parents," Hiruzen asked.
"I had to do my own private investigation and research seeing how you and no one else knew exactly how I came to be part of this village," Naruto remarked cynically, "It wasn't easy but I was able to gain access to some very special files. Plus I found it remarkable that my date of birth corresponded to the very day and year Kyuubi No Kurama attacked Konoha."
"Why do you refer to Kyuubi as Kurama," Hiruzen asked.
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