Chapter 375: Public Opinion
Konoha Village, Sarutobi Clan residence.
A typical Japanese-style courtyard—main house and side buildings separated, featuring a rather elegantly maintained garden. The house's owner, at this time period, would almost impossibly appear at home, because work was heavy enough to rival a "sweatshop company," only able to drag his weary body home at bedtime.
However at this moment, the Third Hokage Sarutobi Hiruzen—having removed the Hokage's ceremonial robe and changed into comfortable casual wear—was staying in his own bedroom.
He sat on the tatami facing away from the sliding door, completely focused on staring at a crystal ball before him emitting a faint glow.
His face carried an unnatural flush, gaze intent. The crystal ball's reflected imagery showed flowing light and shadow, seemingly not any proper shinobi surveillance technique...
"Grandfather! Are you there?! Just how many things have you been hiding from me?!"
His grandson's shout carrying obvious displeasure suddenly came from the hallway outside, directly assaulting his eardrums.
Sarutobi Hiruzen jolted entirely, frantically canceling the jutsu on the crystal ball and stuffing it under the futon, quickly adjusting his sitting posture.
"Konohamaru, didn't I already tell you?" He cleared his throat, using as steady a tone as possible toward the sliding door. "Many things, when you grow a bit older, will naturally become clea—"
The sliding door was yanked open somewhat roughly with a "whoosh." Konohamaru's puffed-up little face appeared first. Behind Konohamaru followed Uzumaki Naruto with a helpless expression.
Sarutobi Hiruzen's gaze moved past his grandson, landing on Naruto, the severity on his face instantly transforming into a casual smile.
"Oh, Naruto came too." He greeted. "How is it? Are you adapting to the new identity and treatment Jiraiya arranged?"
The distress on Naruto's face was obvious. "...Honestly, I'm a bit scared. The way things are now... is there any method to make them not so 'enthusiastic,' to slightly... well, slightly not harass my normal life so much?"
Naruto had basically pieced together the full picture of how things fermented.
First, Fifth Hokage Jiraiya high-profile announced his dual identity—son of Fourth Hokage Namikaze Minato, and Fifth Hokage's direct student. This alone was enough to detonate the topic.
Second, in announcements and subsequent speeches, Jiraiya vigorously promoted Naruto's heroic performance during the recent "Konoha Crush Plan."
Single-handedly confronting the rampaging One-Tail Shukaku, saving countless villagers and shinobi, protecting the village. This perfectly bound his identity as "Hero's Son" with his achievements as "Contemporary Hero."
Then, the most critical link—spontaneously circulating "recollections" within the villager population, continuously supplemented with details. More and more people began publicly or privately discussing, recalling exactly what kind of life Naruto lived in the village before.
Strong contrast emerged from this, rapidly fermenting. The sacrificed hero's orphan not only didn't receive proper comfort and honor, but instead endured years of cold treatment and suffering amid ignorance and prejudice.
Yet this child, after learning his parentage, harbored no resentment toward the village. Instead, he chose inheriting his father's will, stepping forward in crisis, saving countless people who'd hurt or ignored him—even saving all of Konoha.
Guilt, anger toward "the hero suffering injustice"—driven by these complex emotions, some villagers who'd participated in cold violence began subconsciously seeking "reasons," attempting to excuse their past or find a "responsible party" for this enormous injustice.
The conclusion quickly pointed toward a ready-made target carrying sufficient weight. Why didn't the Third Hokage announce Naruto's "Hokage's Son" identity earlier?
If everyone had known from the start that Naruto was the Fourth's son, a hero's descendant, who would—who would dare—treat him that way? Naruto should have enjoyed treatment and honor as a hero's orphan, not grown up in loneliness.
Following this logic, "reasons" were continuously excavated and "rationalized." The Fourth Hokage sacrificed protecting Konoha, becoming a hero, yet the Third Hokage hid the hero's son's identity?
Even the parental residence Naruto should have inherited wasn't returned for a time? After the Fourth's sacrifice, the Third even returned to the Hokage position, while the hero's son remained obscure? Rumors about the demon fox even spread?
Thus, through various intentional or unintentional discussions, imagination, and emotional venting, a series of extremely unfavorable rumors about Third Hokage Sarutobi Hiruzen began spreading rampantly. These rumors even became conspiracy theories, aimed directly at the Third Hokage.
As if all his past contributions to the village, that genuine protection, were easily ignored or erased before this collective emotion targeting "the hero's son suffering injustice."
"Really now!" Konohamaru's little face flushed bright red. "Naruto-niisan just told me everything! He said you never envied the Fourth Hokage at all, and didn't deliberately make him live that kind of hard life! If that's the case, why don't you refute those people talking nonsense?! Just let them misunderstand you like this?!"
Sarutobi Hiruzen looked at his emotionally agitated grandson, face showing an apologetic bitter smile.
"Konohamaru... things... sometimes can't be explained clearly by intentional or unintentional. Regardless of reasons, the life Naruto experienced before is reality that genuinely happened. This point, I cannot deny."
"As for those rumors... implicating you, making you hear those unpleasant words—that's all my fault. I apologize."
In fact, when Jiraiya decided to high-profile announce Naruto's parentage and vigorously promote his achievements, Sarutobi Hiruzen had already foreseen his reputation might plummet sharply.
He understood human nature, especially collective psychology. When people were overwhelmed by strong guilt and sympathy for "the hero's tarnished reputation," they often urgently needed an "explanation," a "reason" that could share responsibility, making their hearts feel better.
To let Jiraiya, this new Hokage, completely have free rein, and to avoid complications, the Third Hokage had already made his decision—he was prepared to bear the accusations these rumors brought.
"Then! Then what was your reason for doing this, Grandfather?!" Konohamaru obviously wasn't convinced by this vague apology, relentlessly pursuing. "Why hide Naruto-niisan's identity? There must be a real reason! Tell me!"
"...Konohamaru, some things... you don't need to know yet."
Watching this scene from the side, Naruto couldn't help feeling a headache. Third Hokage's approach of keeping everything bottled up, bearing it alone—he didn't completely agree with it.
"Third old man... Grandfather." Naruto interjected. "What's wrong with explaining a bit? Konohamaru isn't some ignorant child anymore. He has the right to know part of the truth, at least know you're not the kind of person they're saying. Better than letting him overthink on his own or believe outside rumors."
He looked at the Third Hokage's still-silent profile, somewhat helplessly waving his hand. "...Forget it, I know convincing you is troublesome. Worst case, I'll explain to Konohamaru myself."
He changed direction, returning to his most pressing problem. "But right now, is there any method to make the villagers stop 'enthusiastically' harassing me? I brought this up with Jiraiya-sensei, and he just laughed saying 'Isn't this great!' But this is really too annoying! I don't even dare go out the door normally anymore!"
"Huh?" Sarutobi Hiruzen heard this, turning his head toward Naruto with slight surprise. "You... don't like this?"
He was indeed somewhat astonished. According to mirror technique observations, Naruto's admirer queue was quite spectacular, including many young, cute girls.
This treatment—if it were Jiraiya, he'd probably be so happy he couldn't find north, tail raised to the sky, wishing to parade through streets daily.
"This isn't about liking or not liking!" Naruto's voice involuntarily rose, rarely revealing irritation. "If this continues, I won't even be able to live or train normally in Konoha! Every time I go out I'm surrounded, my house is filled with things sent by people I don't even know that I don't need—what is this?!"
"...Naruto," seeing the genuine distress on Naruto's face, the Third Hokage finally slowly spoke. "It's not that I don't want to help you. It's just... I'm no longer Hokage now. For current villagers and most shinobi, my words already lack 'authority.' Everyone's more willing to believe the 'facts' they see with their own eyes, and announcements issued by the current Hokage."
He paused, offering a suggestion that wasn't really a solution. "This public opinion storm mainly stems from news concentrating and exploding over these two days—the momentum is fierce. Perhaps... after some time passes, everyone's enthusiasm will naturally cool somewhat, and the situation will improve? Forcibly suppressing or explaining now might have counterproductive effects."