"The Uchiha Clan Massacre… teaming up with Orochimaru to destroy the Hidden Leaf Village… This… how could this be possible?! Are you playing a prank on your grandpa, child?!"
Even with some mental preparation, knowing the little one before him wasn't just any ordinary child, the Third Hokage couldn't help but shout in disbelief as Naruto casually recited one horrifying incident after another.
"Danzo's methods have certainly become more extreme over the years," he said, "but no matter what, he's always acted for the good of the village. There's no way he'd do something like that… Naruto, if this is just because you resent Danzo for how he treated you growing up, then starting tomorrow, Grandpa will make things right. I'll restore everything you were meant to have—your honor as the Hero's son!"
Naruto stared back calmly.
"For the good of the village?" he repeated. "Then branding me as the Nine-Tails from birth, pushing policies that turned me into a lonely, unstable Jinchūriki, and risking an emotional breakdown that could trigger another Tailed Beast rampage… did any of that actually help the village at all?"
The old man's disbelief didn't surprise him.
'Of course he doesn't believe me. If someone suddenly told you that your dearest student would one day try to kill you just to rise to power… anyone would call it nonsense. Especially someone like the Third Hokage, who's always been too kind, too forgiving.'
But Naruto had to convince him. He had to make him believe—believe the truths that were about to unfold. If not, he'd have no chance to change history before gaining the strength to rival Danzo.
'Even this gentle elder… if things go unchanged, I'll just have to watch him die… slain by the very student he cherished most… dying because of his own kindness.'
"I can't tell you how I know all this, but I swear I'm not lying," Naruto said firmly. "Third Hokage Grandpa, think about it. Ever since the Uchiha were moved to the edge of the village and given the 'honor' of being the Leaf Police Force, wasn't it just a convenient way to monitor and control them under the guise of trust?"
"And just two days ago, the Head of the Hyuga Branch Family sacrificed himself in place of the Main Family Head to satisfy a demand from the Land of Lightning and prevent war. On the surface, it looks like the village smoothed things over with minimal cost, but in reality, it only fueled the Branch Family's hatred toward the Main Family."
"And do you really think it's that simple?" Naruto continued. "With the Land of Lightning's intelligence network, do you believe they wouldn't know that the Hyuga Clan Head is still alive and walking around outside as usual? If they wanted war, they could've used that as an excuse to keep pressuring the village until they handed him over. The Branch Family Head's sacrifice meant nothing—it was just a waste."
"B-But…"
"Now look at how this all started, Grandpa. If you were a foreign ninja from the Land of Lightning, unfamiliar with the village, could you have bypassed all of Konoha's defenses—especially the Hyuga Clan's—and kidnapped the Main Family's heir without help? Without someone from within Konoha feeding you information and guiding your path?"
"And if that ninja was just trying to get the Byakugan's secrets, like you all guessed, then why not snatch a Branch Family child—someone who could awaken the Byakugan but wouldn't cause such a stir? That way, they'd avoid the risk of the Caged Bird Seal erasing the dojutsu, and they could study it at their leisure. But no—they went straight for the one person most closely watched."
Naruto's gaze sharpened.
"Lastly—and this is the most important part—if I'm not mistaken, the one who had the greatest influence over how all of this played out… was Danzo. But the one who signed the orders and bore the consequences was always you, Grandpa. In other words… you were being used."
…
As Naruto spoke, pouring out truth after truth, the Third Hokage opened his mouth several times to respond—but no words came.
'Because… he's right.'
The Third Hokage couldn't deny it. Naruto's reasoning was far too close to the truth.
He hadn't become Hokage again after the Nine-Tails attack because he was weak. He was still a brilliant and capable leader. Even back when Danzo took advantage of the power vacuum during the reappointment period and had the Elders change Naruto's guardianship plan, he had already started harboring suspicions—suspicions that now aligned with what Naruto was saying.
But unlike Naruto, who had no ties to Danzo and even loathed him, the Third Hokage had once fought beside Danzo. They had survived life-and-death battles together. He had always tried to convince himself that Danzo—despite his extreme methods—was still loyal to the village at heart.
He had been lying to himself.
"Haha… Naruto, you really aren't just any child… It's time this old man made up his mind…"
A thin glow flared and faded from the pipe in the Third Hokage's hand. After a long silence, he finally spoke again.
"Then tell me—what do you want Grandpa to do?"
"Stop suppressing the Uchiha Clan," Naruto replied. "Pay attention to Uchiha Itachi and Uchiha Shisui. They're both powerful geniuses, and more importantly, their loyalty to the village exceeds their loyalty to their clan. Give them important missions. Use them to ease the Uchiha's growing sense of isolation."
The Third Hokage's eyes narrowed thoughtfully. The haze and confusion that once lingered in his gaze faded away. What remained was a sharp clarity, reminiscent of his youthful days as Hokage.
Seeing this, Naruto felt more confident than ever.
He nodded and continued, organizing his thoughts as he spoke.
"Don't let Danzo get close to them. At a critical moment, they'll be the key to preventing the Uchiha Clan Massacre. With them, we might even bring back the days when the Uchiha stood united with the village—just like during the First Hokage's time."
"Itachi… Shisui…" the Third Hokage murmured. "It sounds like you've planned everything out, haven't you? Just like Minato's son would."
"Hehe, like father, like son. That's obvious, right?"
The Third Hokage looked at the child before him—only three years old, and yet answering so calmly and clearly. The more he listened, the more he felt like he couldn't see the limits of this child's future.
And for the first time in many years, he felt the spark of a long-lost fire.
The will to fight.
"Very well," he said. "Grandpa will believe you… I swear on the name of the Third Hokage—I won't let those tragedies come to pass."
And at that very moment, Naruto knew—
The mighty lion, who had once dulled his claws and tolerated fools in silence, was finally stirring from slumber.
The true king… had returned.