Chapter 168:
Konoha Prison.
"When I was a child, I too loved the Hidden Leaf Village. I thought it was a fascinating place, full of life—the heart of the shinobi world. Everyone around me believed the same…"
"But that was a lie. That brightness was just a mask. The village's true face is darkness… During the Third Hokage's reign, when Danzō was still alive, they forced my brother to annihilate our entire clan…"
"Do you know why they did it? Because my father accidentally uncovered the truth behind the deaths of Minato Namikaze and Kushina Uzumaki… That's right—Fox Spirit Hero. It was the Third Hokage who gave the nod, and Danzō acted as the executioner who killed Minato and Kushina."
"Light always stands out in the darkness. That's why I chose to become a criminal. Until you appeared… until the Jarlock Holmes told me about you. We lived through the same tragedy—we both witnessed the deaths of our parents with our own eyes. But while I became a criminal, you became a hero…"
"That's what made me interested in you. I wanted to understand you. But Fox Spirit Hero only pays attention to criminals. So I kept committing crimes just to get your attention. Even if it meant being your enemy, at least it brought us closer together…"
It had been a week since Sasuke, now reformed, was captured and imprisoned in Konoha Prison.
Hokage's Office.
Tsunade looked at the legendary figure of the Hidden Leaf Village standing before her—Fox Spirit Hero.
Since becoming Hokage, Tsunade had dedicated herself to changing the village. She'd become so busy that she no longer even had time for her favorite pastime—gambling.
But with Danzō's death, Tsunade could clearly feel that the village was slowly improving.
"Is there something you need, Fox Spirit Hero?"
"It's about the Clown… about Sasuke. I think it's time to let him out," Fox Spirit Hero said. "I've seen him. He's no longer wearing makeup, no longer laughing, no longer telling jokes. He really is starting to change for the better. He's just… a little down."
"…Fox Spirit Hero, you should understand. The crimes Clown committed were enough to justify spending the rest of his life in Konoha Prison."
Fox Spirit Hero knew this as well. The Clown had indeed committed many crimes and harmed many people in the village. But the part of him that was Sasuke had truly touched the part of Naruto that was Fox Spirit Hero.
"Sasuke only became the Clown because of the higher-ups in the Hidden Leaf."
"What?!" Tsunade froze, visibly confused.
It was clear she didn't know the truth—understandable, since this was one of the darker secrets from the Third Hokage's tenure, something unlikely to be recorded in official documents.
"..." As she listened to Fox Spirit Hero's explanation, Tsunade's expression gradually turned to one of shock. "How could this be… Sensei actually did something like that…"
Tsunade gently massaged her temples and sighed.
"…I understand now, Fox Spirit Hero. The Clown will be released."
Tsunade knew full well—this was a transaction.
Right now, the Hidden Leaf was beginning to improve, and she absolutely couldn't allow the villagers to lose faith in the village leadership at such a time.
Outside Konoha Prison.
Haruno Sakura smiled as she watched Sasuke walk out.
She wasn't the only one there to witness his release. Hidden in the shadows were Jarlock Holmes and Sarada Watson.
"Sasuke, congratulations on getting out."
Sakura stepped forward and gently embraced him as she spoke.
"My lord…"
Kakashi looked toward Naruto, who stood next to him. But Naruto just shook his head.
"Come on, Sasuke. Let me introduce you. This is Namikaze Naruto, head of the Namikaze Group. And this is his butler, Kakashi," Sakura said cheerfully as she took Sasuke's hand. "And this is Sasuke…"
"I know."
Naruto spoke while reaching out his right hand toward Sasuke.
Since his release, Sasuke had maintained a cold, expressionless demeanor, but now, for the first time, he smiled and firmly grasped Naruto's hand.
To be honest, Sakura felt a twinge of jealousy.
"…I once tried to run away, the night my parents were killed…"
Namikaze Estate.
While Kakashi was busy in the kitchen and Sakura had gone to help him, Naruto and Sasuke finally had a chance to talk about things no one else could know—the truth about Fox Spirit Hero and the Clown.
"The reason I was able to become Fox Spirit Hero instead of the Clown… I think I have Kakashi to thank for that. At the time, he wanted to take care of me as best he could, but having never married or had children, he was totally clueless about raising a teenager. He really wasn't cut out for it…"
Their conversation flowed naturally. Despite having no blood relation and barely any time spent together, they now felt like brothers.
Elsewhere.
Neji was practicing his Gentle Fist relentlessly on the old tree in his courtyard.
"What a joke! That Clown actually got released!"
Of course the major clans all knew that Sasuke had been the Clown. And naturally, they all knew that he'd been released.
"So what do you plan to do now?"
Yamato stood nearby.
After Danzō's death and the dissolution of the Foundation, Yamato had become Neji's subordinate.
"I won't allow the Uchiha Clan any chance to rise again!" Neji said coldly, finishing his strikes and glaring at Yamato with his Byakugan. "Spread the news that the Clown has been released from Konoha Prison. Then have your men wear Clown masks and start causing trouble."
"…Understood."
Yamato nodded.
The larger a clan, the more it cared about its image.
...
In the brightly lit Hokage's Office.
"Sakura, you can't keep associating with the Clown."
Tsunade set down her work and looked at Sakura.
The once-scrawny girl had grown into a graceful young woman. And as Tsunade's apprentice, she'd begun attracting many suitors.
"Why not?!"
"Sakura, your future path is to become the Sixth Hokage! Spending time with someone who has a criminal past will only damage your reputation!"
Tsunade spoke loudly. With no children of her own, she truly saw Sakura as a daughter.
"But Sasuke has changed!"
"So what if he's changed?! Just because someone reforms doesn't mean we can forgive their past crimes! Don't be ridiculous!" Tsunade snapped. "If you've got time to spend with that Clown, you'd be better off strengthening your bond with Naruto. With support from the Namikaze Group, your chances of becoming Hokage would be much higher."
"I'm not interested in becoming Hokage!" Sakura shouted, then turned and walked away. "And besides, Sasuke isn't the Clown anymore."
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