Chapter 31: The Path the Sandaime Wants Naruto to Take
"Really..."
The rest of the class sat quietly, listening to the lesson. No one paid any attention to what was happening in the last row.
Even Iruka, who usually kept a close eye on Naruto from the podium, seemed to have momentarily forgotten his presence.
"You... you knew?"
Naruto's voice trembled as he stared at Ryosuke, stunned by his calm response and composed expression. For a moment, he seemed frozen in place—conflicted, nervous, and overwhelmed.
But then, as if something clicked in his mind, Naruto murmured, "Right... you're from the Hyuga Clan. You'd know... but still..."
He recalled what the Third Hokage had told him—about the beast sealed inside him. About the truth of the fox.
A tailed beast.
In the ninja world, the tailed beasts were monstrous forces of destruction—gods among beasts. There were nine of them in total, each distinguished by the number of tails. The one inside him, the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox, was the most powerful of them all.
Long ago, to prevent the chaos and destruction caused by these beasts, the First Hokage captured them and distributed them among the five great nations to maintain balance.
The Nine-Tails had fallen into the hands of the Fire Country.
And Naruto... was its current vessel. Its prison.
But why him? Why had it been his burden to carry? Why did Ryosuke know and say nothing? Why had the Third Hokage waited until now to tell him the truth?
A storm of questions swirled in Naruto's heart, stirring the emotional chaos that had plagued him since yesterday.
Ryosuke looked at him quietly and spoke in a soft, steady voice. "We haven't known each other long, but I get the sense you're a pretty rational person."
Naruto didn't respond, but Ryosuke understood the question in his eyes.
"Even if you usually think things through calmly, there are some situations where you let your emotions get the better of you… and that can lead to mistakes."
Naruto clenched his fists. His voice cut in, sharper this time. "So you were afraid that if I found out, I'd lose it? That I'd—what? Hurt the village?"
His body trembled. Chakra surged uncontrollably through him, stirred up by his inner turmoil. His emotions were teetering on the edge—he knew he should stay calm, but he couldn't stop the fire burning inside.
He felt alone, more than ever before. And now, in the middle of it all, the only person he could turn to was Ryosuke—his quiet, steady desk mate who always seemed to understand.
"I'm not afraid you'll harm the village," Ryosuke said, still calm, unfazed by the chakra pressure building in Naruto. "You couldn't, even if you wanted to."
That hit Naruto like a splash of cold water.
"If the Nine-Tails is sealed inside you, that means the village has methods to suppress it. You're not in control of that power yet—and they know how to keep it that way."
Ryosuke leaned in slightly, his tone steady and sincere.
"What I'm worried about… is you doing something you'll regret."
Naruto's fists slowly loosened.
He didn't fully understand what Ryosuke meant, but he could feel the sincerity behind the words—and something in Ryosuke's presence helped ground him, kept him from falling off the emotional edge.
Then Ryosuke asked, "Tell me, do you think you're... some kind of monster?"
He kept his tone light, almost casual, but his eyes were sharp. Beneath the surface, Ryosuke was on high alert.
Ever since Naruto arrived at school today, Ryosuke had felt a pair of prying eyes lingering close by. Unlike the usual distant surveillance, this time the watcher felt... near.
Sarutobi Hiruzen.
Most wouldn't notice, but Ryosuke could recognize the unique chakra signature. The Third Hokage was using the Telescope Technique—a high-level sensory ninjutsu that allowed the user to observe others from afar, provided they were familiar with the target's chakra.
Though the technique relied on special tools and had limited range, Ryosuke's Byakugan-enhanced perception let him sense it.
And having spent the past month growing familiar with the Third's chakra, Ryosuke knew exactly who was watching from the shadows.
It wasn't just observation.
Sarutobi Hiruzen was close. Probably just outside the classroom door, listening.
"Monster?" Naruto gave a bitter laugh. "Aren't I? Just look at me. Even now... isn't that exactly what I am?"
As he said that, Ryosuke felt a ripple in the Hokage's chakra from just outside the door—an unconscious leak in reaction to Naruto's words.
Now Ryosuke was sure. Hiruzen was right there, probably leaning against the wall, eavesdropping.
"It doesn't matter how others see you," Ryosuke said. "What matters is how you see yourself."
His expression softened into a gentle smile. "You can see yourself as a prison—a vessel to contain something dangerous. Or... you can see yourself as a hero, someone who willingly carries this burden for the sake of others."
"A hero?"
Naruto blinked, stunned by the word. He had never imagined that label applying to him.
He'd grown up ridiculed and hated. He thought heroes were people like the Third Hokage—admired, respected, beloved.
"Like I said," Ryosuke continued, "it's about how you choose to define yourself."
He looked directly into Naruto's eyes.
"As I recall, your dream... is to become Hokage, right?"
That simple question struck something deep within Naruto.
Outside, Hiruzen's chakra steadied—his earlier tension fading slightly. Ryosuke's words were having an effect.
"You've been carrying this burden since the day you were born," Ryosuke went on. "Others in this village live ordinary lives. They haven't done anything for the village—but you've already done something no one else could."
"The Nine-Tails is a force of nature. It could destroy a small nation on a rampage. But you've kept it contained. Thanks to you, the village is safe."
Ryosuke pointed a finger at Naruto.
"That's your achievement."
"And right now, the villagers don't even know. They don't understand the truth about the Nine-Tails. This whole thing is a secret—and I'm sure the Third Hokage reminded you how important that is."
"They mock your dream because they're ignorant. They think someone like you could never become Hokage."
"But what if they knew the truth? What if one day, they understood?"
He paused, letting the words sink in.
"Would they still laugh at you? Or would they acknowledge you?"
"I..."
Naruto's voice caught in his throat.
Ryosuke's words had pierced straight through the confusion and pain clouding his mind. For the first time in a long time, his heart felt lighter—hopeful.
His dull blue eyes now sparkled with determination. His chest swelled with something unfamiliar—pride.
He could almost picture it now—standing in the sunlight, surrounded by smiling faces, no longer hated… but recognized.
And outside the door, Sarutobi Hiruzen closed his eyes, deep in thought.
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