Chiba looked at Naruto.
He saw the boy lowering his head, his small body trembling slightly. Naruto gritted his teeth, forcing himself to be strong and not let the tears fall. His fists were clenched tightly.
At only three years old, he had already endured too much. Far too much.
The whole world seemed to stand against him.
Perhaps…
if he ever turned dark, it would only be natural.
Chiba sighed softly.
At that moment, he noticed movement behind Naruto. A flicker of chakra presence — hidden, but sharp.
Anbu.
No, not just Anbu — Root.
Those cold shadows were always watching Naruto. Their aura was faint, but even Chiba, a mere academy student, could sense it for a second. That brief exposure was enough to show how closely they monitored the boy's emotions.
Once a Jinchūriki lost control, the results could be catastrophic.
Chiba didn't step forward. Approaching now would be unwise. With both Anbu and villagers present, he could easily be accused of being a spy from another village.
And if that happened? The best result would be getting dragged into Root — brainwashed by that old relic, Danzo Shimura, and turned into a soulless tool.
He clenched his fists.
No… survival comes first.
Just then, an old man wearing a ceremonial robe and Hokage hat slowly walked toward the crowd.
"Lord Third Hokage," the villagers greeted respectfully.
"Enough. All of you, disperse."
The Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, spoke calmly, yet his words carried weight.
The villagers immediately backed away. Naruto looked around, confused.
Why?
Why did they all hate him?
Why did they call him a demon fox?
Always… always this way.
His blue eyes were empty — filled only with a desperate longing for recognition.
Somewhere deep inside him, another voice whispered, cruel and tempting—
a voice urging him to destroy everyone who looked down on him.
Naruto's little hands shook.
Chiba watched quietly. He turned to leave; he had seen enough.
At that moment, Naruto looked up and met his eyes.
Everyone else's eyes were filled with disgust and fear — but Chiba's were calm, clear, and strangely gentle.
Naruto blinked.
He didn't understand that feeling. But somehow, he knew — this boy was different.
When Chiba turned away, he gave Naruto a faint smile. Then, without another word, he walked off.
The Third Hokage sighed softly. He escorted Naruto to Ichiraku Ramen, told him stories about the Will of Fire, and sent him home.
But even as he walked away, his heart was uneasy.
If Naruto's anger had resonated with the Nine-Tails inside him, the chakra overflow could have caused unimaginable destruction. Hiruzen already bore the heavy burden of leading Konoha's recovery. He didn't need another disaster.
Looking at Naruto's small back, the old Hokage whispered to himself:
"I hope, one day… this child can forgive my weakness."
Everything he did, after all, was "for the village."
Later, in the Hokage Office, Hiruzen sat down heavily, lit his pipe, and exhaled a slow stream of smoke.
His fingers tapped rhythmically on the desk.
"Eagle."
"Lord Third Hokage."
From the shadows, a masked figure appeared and kneeled — the Anbu Captain, Eagle.
"Call the elders."
"Yes."
Eagle vanished instantly into the darkness.
Hiruzen stood and rubbed his temples, gazing out at the Hokage Rock.
The wind was cold.
Danzo again… always manipulating the village's undercurrents, pulling strings from the shadows.
He had done the same thing during the White Fang incident, turning public opinion into a weapon.
And now, he was doing it again — targeting Naruto.
Hiruzen's eyes darkened.
"Danzo… you've crossed the line."
His quiet murmur vanished into the haze of smoke filling the office.