It Was You Who Forced Naruto Away
The next morning, inside the Hokage's Office, the Third Hokage exhaled a slow ring of smoke, staring at the thick stack of documents before him. His face was marked with exhaustion.
After staying up through the night and having a long discussion with Itachi Uchiha, Hiruzen Sarutobi had pieced together the sequence of events that had shaken Konoha.
First, Naruto Uzumaki had broken into the Hokage's Office, stolen the Scroll of Seals, and fled the village. Danzo's forces had attempted to intercept him but were ultimately unsuccessful.
Second, Shisui Uchiha, who had been presumed dead, had resurfaced and escaped Konoha with the remaining Uchiha survivors. His whereabouts were currently unknown.
And finally, Itachi had brought a chilling revelation: the masked man responsible for the Uchiha Clan's downfall was likely the same figure who had unleashed the Nine-Tails upon Konoha years ago. Itachi had requested permission to infiltrate the masked man's organization, on the condition that Sasuke be protected and allowed to remain in the village.
Each of these incidents alone was serious enough to warrant an emergency council meeting, but for all three to happen in a single night was beyond coincidence.
Was there an external force orchestrating all of this? Could there really be an organization capable of both Naruto's defection and the Uchiha's flight? Even rival villages like Iwagakure and Kumogakure would struggle to coordinate such a precise chain of events.
The Third Hokage sighed. The trivial paperwork before him felt meaningless now—he needed more information before he could make any decisions.
Konoha Hospital
Later that morning, Hiruzen arrived at Konoha Hospital, heading to the ward where Kakashi Hatake was recovering. According to Might Guy's testimony, Naruto had fought Kakashi before fleeing the village, and if anyone knew why Naruto had left, it would be him.
Inside the ward, Guy was passionately preaching about youth and perseverance, leaving Kakashi rubbing his temples in exasperation.
Hearing approaching footsteps, Kakashi glanced up. "Hokage-sama, to what do I owe the pleasure?"
Hiruzen offered a polite smile before cutting straight to the matter. "Kakashi, you confronted Naruto before he left. I trust you understand the reason behind his defection."
At the mention of Naruto, Kakashi's expression darkened. "…Yes, but it's not something I can say in front of everyone."
Hiruzen nodded, gesturing for the nurse and Guy to leave. Once the room was clear, he turned back to Kakashi. "Now, tell me. Was Naruto manipulated by an outside force? Was Danzo involved?"
Kakashi looked directly at Hiruzen before slowly raising a finger—pointing at him.
Hiruzen blinked, glancing over his shoulder, then back at Kakashi with a frown. "Are you implying that I am responsible? That I drove Naruto to defect?"
Hiruzen found that hard to believe. Surely, if Naruto had left, it must have been due to external influences. The masked man, perhaps. Or maybe Danzo had tried to manipulate him. But him?
Kakashi sighed. "As strange as it sounds… yes, I believe you forced Naruto away."
The Third Hokage's expression hardened. "Impossible. At worst, I kept his parentage a secret—for his own protection. He is too young to understand the burden of being a Jinchūriki."
Kakashi's tone turned colder. "You know I'm not talking about that. What if… what if Naruto had known from the very beginning that he was the son of the Fourth Hokage? That he was the child of a hero?"
Hiruzen felt a pang in his chest as Kakashi continued.
"Instead, he was treated like an outcast. A monster. The village spat on him, feared him, cursed him as the Nine-Tails incarnate. Even an adult would struggle to endure such isolation."
Silence filled the room.
Hiruzen stared at Kakashi, unable to immediately refute his words. He had believed that hiding Naruto's origins would protect him, but in reality, that secrecy had only deepened the boy's suffering. If Naruto had known his lineage, if he had been treated as Minato's son rather than a demon's vessel, would things have been different?
And yet… why did Naruto choose now to leave? Was it truly a coincidence that his defection happened on the same night as Itachi's mission?
Kakashi seemed to read his mind. "Hokage-sama… Naruto is the Jinchūriki of this village. His strength has already surpassed mine. You cannot afford to treat him like a child anymore."
Hiruzen turned toward the window, gazing at the great tree swaying outside.
Yes… Naruto had defeated Kakashi and evaded Danzo's pursuit. He was no longer just a lonely child.
Perhaps Naruto had been thinking about leaving for a long time, and last night's events simply gave him the final push.
It was his failure that had driven Naruto away.
Hokage's Office
Back in his office, Hiruzen picked up a pen and, after a long moment of hesitation, crossed Naruto Uzumaki's name off the list of traitors.
This decision, of course, did not sit well with Danzo, who soon arrived at the office, leaning on his cane.
"Sarutobi, Naruto attacked the Hokage's Office and stole a classified scroll. He is a dangerous criminal. We must treat him as an S-rank rogue ninja."
Hiruzen looked at him quietly before replying, "Then… are you going to bring Naruto back?"
Danzo fell silent.
He knew as well as Hiruzen did that labeling Naruto as an S-rank criminal was more of a warning to the village than an actual pursuit order. The reality was that Konoha could not afford to antagonize Naruto—his power made him a formidable force, and a direct confrontation could be disastrous.
Seeing Danzo's hesitation, Hiruzen pressed forward. "Naruto has not even graduated from the Academy. He is not a ninja of Konoha. Therefore, he cannot be listed as a rogue ninja."
Danzo's visible eye twitched, but Hiruzen continued. "Furthermore, Naruto is our only Jinchūriki. If word of his defection spreads, Iwagakure and Kumogakure may see it as an opportunity to reignite war. We cannot let that happen."
Danzo clenched his cane, his silence confirming his reluctant acceptance of the decision.
Instead, he shifted topics. "If Naruto is off-limits, then Sasuke Uchiha should be placed under my supervision. His entire clan was filled with traitors. It would be foolish to leave him unchecked."
Hiruzen's expression darkened. "I have already decided Sasuke's fate. You will not interfere. You, Danzo, still owe an explanation for Itachi's actions."
Danzo scowled but said nothing.
Hiruzen took another slow drag of his pipe. The consequences of last night were only beginning to unfold, but one thing was certain.
Naruto had made his choice.
And now, it was up to Konoha to decide what came next.
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