As Naruto finished his introduction, many students began asking the most anticipated question.
"Umm..."
"Naruto Uzumaki, is it true that your father was the Fourth Hokage?"
In that moment, all eyes in the classroom turned to Naruto, eager for a definitive answer from his lips.
Hearing the question, Naruto froze for a second.
'How am I supposed to respond to that?'
While he knew the truth about his lineage, there was no way he could just blurt it out himself. If he admitted it today, the Third Hokage would come knocking tomorrow, questioning how he found out. If he let the truth slip, he'd have to spin an ever-growing web of lies to cover it up. Given his current strength, a single misstep could lead to trouble.
Better wait until I'm stronger... Then I can let the truth come out naturally.
"I don't know who you're talking about with this 'Fourth Hokage.'"
"I lost my parents when I was young..."
"I've had to scrape by just to survive—never having enough food or clothes."
Naruto expertly dodged the question, painting a tragic picture of his past.
For a brief moment, he felt like he was performing a sob story on some reality TV show. But what he said wasn't far from the truth. That was the reality of the original Naruto's life...
Meanwhile, the Third Hokage, watching through his crystal ball, felt his head pounding.
'What is this kid talking about? Starving and lacking clothes?'
'Sure, the allowance I gave him was a little small, but that was because of his strange chakra and potential Bloodline Limit. I even checked his place before—his fridge was stocked better than my own! And as for malnourishment... Look at his height!No underfed child would be taller than his peers at this age!'
The Third Hokage couldn't bear to keep watching. Any more of this and he feared he might have a heart attack right there in his office.
In the classroom, the students were moved to tears by Naruto's story.
Even Iruka's eyes grew misty.
"Naruto! It's okay, even if you're not the Fourth Hokage's son, we still want to be your friends!"
"Wait a minute! He might actually be the Fourth's son! Maybe Naruto just doesn't know it yet!"
"Naruto, I brought an extra lunch today. You can share mine at noon."
Sympathy flooded in from all corners of the classroom. The students were determined to help their seemingly tragic classmate.
Sasuke, however, remained seated with an expression of utter disbelief.
Because...
During their previous sparring match, Sasuke had seen Naruto's breakfast. It was a feast of grilled fish and meat. Even he, a member of the prestigious Uchiha clan, was envious.
Where's the poverty in that?
"I'm not telling you this to gain your sympathy," Naruto continued, standing tall, "but to let you know that no matter what anyone says about me..."
"I am Uzumaki Naruto!"
The entire class fell silent at his declaration.
Even the Third Hokage, watching from his office, was taken aback.
For a moment, it was as if he saw the spirit of Minato Namikaze, the Fourth Hokage, standing there.
The Third Hokage walked to the window and stared at the faces carved into the Hokage Rock, lost in thought for a long time.
"This child really is just like you, Minato..."
With everyone already speculating about Naruto's true identity, the Third Hokage made a decision. It was time to reveal everything.
Besides, judging by Naruto's current demeanor, the fact that he housed the Nine-Tails didn't seem to be affecting him negatively.
The Third Hokage immediately summoned ANBU and began making the necessary arrangements to announce Naruto's true heritage.
Meanwhile, back in the classroom, Naruto's posture had already slumped. He looked like a total slacker, lying on his desk like a dead fish—a spitting image of Shikamaru just a few seats away.
The entire morning had been filled with lectures on ninja theory. Naruto had no interest in learning any of it, so he spent the first half of the day napping.
When noon came, he snuck off to a secluded corner, opened a portal, and went home for lunch. By the afternoon, he couldn't resist and slipped out to a small grove by the river to chop trees.
What could he do? Chopping trees had become a habit. If he didn't do it, he'd feel restless all day.
Hinata, sitting in class, couldn't help but feel disheartened as she noticed Naruto's seat was still empty by the final period.
Iruka had also noticed Naruto's absence. But knowing Naruto's true identity, he figured it was best not to make a fuss. After all, who was he to control the son of the Fourth Hokage?
Just thinking about how even the Third Hokage got headaches over Naruto was enough to convince him to let it slide.
But it wasn't just Iruka who noticed Naruto's disappearance. The Third Hokage himself was once again watching through his crystal ball...
This kid is going to be the death of me, the Third Hokage thought. He had hoped that school would help ground Naruto and change his solitary ways. But it seemed the boy was still as unpredictable as ever.
The worst part was...
'He's chopping trees again!'
Watching Naruto training by the riverbank, the Third Hokage could feel his blood pressure rising. He reached for the medicine in his drawer, only to realize the bottle was already empty.
At the same time, the official announcement was made: Uzumaki Naruto, the son of the Fourth Hokage, was now public knowledge.
The moment the news hit, villagers swarmed around the bulletin boards at the Hokage Tower.
Kakashi, standing on the outskirts of the crowd, looked up at the smiling image of the Fourth Hokage on the notice. His mind was flooded with memories.
"Hey, Kakashi! What are you doing here?"
Might Guy, spotting Kakashi dazing off, enthusiastically draped an arm around his shoulder. Then, his attention shifted to the bulletin.
"Ah, so that's what this is about..."
"The Third has finally revealed the truth about Naruto."
"Are you alright, Kakashi?"
Guy noticed Kakashi's silence and, for once, didn't challenge him to one of their usual competitions.
"I'm fine."
With his hands in his pockets, Kakashi turned and walked away from the Hokage Tower.
Watching his retreating figure, Guy knew exactly where Kakashi was headed...
"So, he's going to the flower shop again..."
As Naruto's identity spread through the village, less favorable reactions started to emerge.
"Wait, it was the Nine-Tails inside him that killed the Fourth Hokage!"
"This kid is cursed!"
"He killed his own parents! Who knows when he might attack the village again!"
"For the safety of everyone, we need to keep him under control!"
"Yeah! We have to make sure he's contained!"
Despite the revelation that Naruto was the son of the Fourth Hokage, many villagers remained deeply concerned about the beast sealed within him. In their minds, it didn't matter who his father was. If he posed a threat, he needed to be dealt with.
Hearing the ANBU report, the Third Hokage's face turned black as coal.
Slamming his desk, he barked out an order to the ANBU.
"Get Danzo here! Immediately!"
The moment talk of controlling Naruto started spreading, he didn't need to think twice to figure out who was behind it.
The Third Hokage was furious. He had warned Danzo before, and yet, the man still dared to make a move against Naruto.
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