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Chapter 99: The Third Hokage's Reputation Crumbles, Appointing the Head of the Anbu
🕑 Added 2024-08-22 10:03:01 +0000 UTCA child, just seven years old, growing up under the cold stares of others, with barely enough money to survive.
But the most significant issue? Even if Naruto Uzumaki had money, no one was willing to sell him food.
When he was younger, Naruto often starved to the point where he would go into the wild to gather mushrooms and cook them himself. Even after graduating from the ninja academy, he often had to drink milk that had long expired.
And birthdays? No one ever celebrated with him—lonely and cold.
Maybe things got a bit better after he learned the Shadow Clone Jutsu.
Why?
Because when no one else was there to celebrate with him, Naruto could at least create a couple of shadow clones to play cards with him and pretend he wasn't alone on his birthday.
So, in the world of Naruto, while everyone has their own struggles, Naruto Uzumaki's life was undoubtedly the hardest.
Some have even said that if anyone in the series deserved to turn evil, it was Naruto.
Yet, despite all his hardships, Naruto didn't become bitter. Instead, he remained optimistic, kind-hearted, and hopeful.
It's almost as if someone had used a genjutsu on him from a young age to make him that way.
This resilience in the face of such adversity makes Naruto's character even more remarkable.
Now, with Uchiha Akira's help, Naruto had seen his father in his own mindscape, confirming that his father was indeed the Fourth Hokage!
This realization moved Naruto deeply.
He wasn't a monster, he wasn't the Nine-Tails. He had a father, and his father was the Fourth Hokage!
“Naruto?” Iruka called out as he noticed Naruto’s tear-streaked face.
“Iruka-sensei, I really saw my father inside me. He’s truly the Fourth Hokage, and I also saw the Nine-Tails sealed within me!” Naruto said, turning to Iruka with a beaming smile despite the tears still streaming down his face.
Seeing Naruto's tearful yet radiant smile, Iruka couldn't help but feel happy for him, but at the same time, a heavy weight settled in his chest.
This was just a seven-year-old child!
“The Third Hokage... he actually...”
Hearing from Naruto that his father was indeed the Fourth Hokage, Iruka’s mind flashed back to the kindly face of the Third Hokage. But now, that image made him feel sick.
No matter how much the Third Hokage talked about the Will of Fire and how the people of the village were like family...
The true measure of a person's character isn't in what they say, but in what they do.
And in Naruto's case, no matter how you looked at it, the Third Hokage’s actions were inexcusable.
“Naruto Uzumaki... really is the son of the Fourth Hokage?”
“How is that possible? I can’t believe it!”
“But look at that golden hair—it’s exactly like the Fourth Hokage’s!”
“Yeah, besides Naruto, can you name any other child in the village with hair like that?”
“Back then, the Fourth Hokage’s wife was indeed pregnant, but no one ever said whether the child survived or died during the Nine-Tails’ attack!”
“If Naruto is really the Fourth Hokage’s child, then... then how have we treated him all these years?”
“Why? Why did the Third Hokage, knowing Naruto’s circumstances and that he was the Fourth Hokage’s son, not come forward to clear this up?”
As Naruto returned to reality from his mindscape, the surrounding ninjas and villagers began to murmur among themselves.
Originally, no one believed in Naruto’s true heritage.
But now, as the truth spread, the tide of opinion shifted, and most people started to accept that Naruto was indeed the Fourth Hokage’s son.
And this revelation became the Third Hokage’s most damning secret.
At that moment, the carefully maintained, righteous image of the Third Hokage, built over decades, came crashing down.
In contrast, the Uchiha, who had previously been seen as usurpers after staging a coup and seizing control of the village, now began to be viewed in a different light—as liberators who had slain the "evil dragon."
“Before, all the Anbu forces launched a night raid on the Uchiha clan!”
“It seems the Uchiha’s coup was really just an act of self-defense!”
“With the Senju clan already gone, if the Uchiha hadn’t fought back, wouldn’t they have ended up like the Senju?”
After the massacre, when Uchiha Akira returned to the clan’s territory, many ninjas, including Kakashi and Might Guy, followed him there.
Now that they thought about it, the battle took place in the Uchiha district. And with the Senju already extinct, many ninjas began to believe that the Third Hokage had planned to attack the Uchiha, forcing them to retaliate and kill the Third Hokage in self-defense.
As soon as one ninja voiced this opinion, others quickly followed.
In no time, this perspective started spreading among the ninja community of Konoha.
Uchiha Fugaku, now wearing the Hokage’s hat, looked at the changing sentiment during the ceremony and silently nodded to himself.
At the same time, his eyes scanned over Uchiha Akira, and he couldn’t help but marvel.
This child is only seven years old, and yet he has such a profound understanding of human nature?
Listing the Third Hokage’s seven deadly sins was indeed a brilliant move!
The Third Hokage’s image had completely crumbled, and the Uchiha had transformed from power-hungry rebels into victims forced to act in self-defense to ensure their survival.
Though, to be fair, that was the truth of the matter.
But still, the Uchiha had been under pressure for so many years—when had they ever had the chance to hold their heads high like this?
“Impressive,” murmured Shikaku Nara, observing the shift in Konoha’s public opinion. He nodded to himself.
The Uchiha’s move to list the Third Hokage’s seven sins during the Hokage inauguration was a masterstroke, a true finishing touch.
It immediately flipped the Uchiha’s image in the eyes of the public!
Furthermore, each of the seven sins addressed different groups—Hinata’s kidnapping endeared them to the Hyuga clan, the Senju clan’s demise resonated with Tsunade and Jiraiya, and the injustice done to White Fang gave Kakashi closure.
Especially the revelation about Naruto—one final, decisive blow.
The Fourth Hokage, who had sacrificed himself to seal the Nine-Tails, was a revered hero in Konoha. His legacy was held in the highest regard.
Now, with this scandal coming to light, it stirred up widespread anger among the villagers and lower-ranked ninjas against the Third Hokage.
And so, the inauguration of the Fifth Hokage ended on a triumphant note.
Though the ceremony itself might have seemed subdued, the events that took place would spread through Konoha like a hurricane.
Within a short time, the news that Naruto Uzumaki was the Fourth Hokage’s son spread throughout the village.
The Third Hokage, who had once been seen as a symbol of righteousness, was now the target of widespread scorn.
Many people quietly mocked the Third Hokage, saying that he had tried to force the Uchiha into the same fate as the Senju, only to lose his own life in the process.
As for the shifting opinions of the villagers, Uchiha Akira was vaguely aware of it, but he didn’t dwell on it.
After all, now wasn’t the time to focus on such matters.
The night of the massacre had passed, and the Uchiha had ascended to the position of Hokage—a cause for celebration, to be sure.
But this was only the beginning, not the end.
At this moment, Uchiha Akira arrived at the Hokage’s office. Fugaku sat there, looking solemn, with piles of documents stacked up beside him.
The sight of so much paperwork made Akira’s scalp tingle.
Being the Hokage was indeed a prestigious position, but it certainly wasn’t an easy job.
Thinking of the original series, where Naruto struggled to keep up with his duties as the Seventh Hokage, even with countless shadow clones, Akira couldn’t help but shudder.
“Akira, there are two things I need to discuss with you,” Fugaku said, snapping Akira out of his thoughts as he entered the office.
“Hokage-sama, please go ahead,” Akira responded, pulling his attention back to the matter at hand.
“The first is that, as of today, I am officially appointing you as the head of the Anbu. Here is your appointment letter,” Fugaku said, sliding a document across the desk.
“Are you sure, Clan Leader? Isn’t there any way to reconsider? I was kind of hoping for the role of finance minister,” Akira sighed, realizing this might be his last chance to negotiate.
The fact that Akira switched from addressing him as “Hokage” to “Clan Leader” showed they were now speaking in a more private capacity.
But Fugaku’s expression remained steady, showing no sign of relenting.
It seemed this negotiation was a lost cause.
Akira sighed in resignation and stepped forward to accept the appointment letter.
Naruto may have gone from a Genin to Hokage in one of the fastest promotions in history, but Akira wasn’t doing too bad himself—he had just jumped from Chūnin to Anbu commander.
And besides, how old was Naruto when he became Hokage?
At the age of seven, Uchiha Akira was already becoming the head of the Anbu? This would definitely be a record in Konoha’s history.
“The second thing,” Fugaku continued after Akira accepted the appointment letter, “due to the recent coup in Konoha, there have been reports of ninja movements near the borders of the Land of Fire, from the Sand, Stone, and Cloud villages.”
“So, I need you to select some personnel and conduct a patrol at the borders to demonstrate Konoha’s strength.”
“What? You want me to go?” Akira asked, surprised by Fugaku’s request.
“Akira, right now, the village’s high-level combat power is rather lacking,” Fugaku said with a heavy sigh. “Think about it—both the Third Hokage and Danzo are dead. As it stands, in terms of visible Kage-level strength, Konoha only has you and me.”
Realizing the dire situation, Akira nodded in understanding. “So, this task really does fall to me, doesn’t it?”
And so, Akira understood that with Konoha’s current state, there wasn’t much choice. If he didn’t take on this mission, there wouldn’t be anyone else capable of doing so.
