Although Naruto's thoughts had matured beyond his years due to the cruel lessons of childhood—and the revelations from Kaito the night before—he still couldn't ignore the weight pressing on his chest as he stood before the aged man seated across from him. Hiruzen Sarutobi. The Third Hokage. An old fox draped in years of carefully spun lies and smiles.
In the depths of his mind, a guttural growl rumbled.
"Boy," the Nine-Tails' voice snarled, soaked in disdain and agitation. "Have you already forgotten what that Kaito brat told you? Don't let this old monkey weave his illusions around you. Keep your guard up."
Naruto inhaled deeply through his nose, steadying his breath. The subtle scent of pipe smoke lingered in the air, mingling with aged parchment and sandalwood—the scent of the Hokage's office. He reminded himself not to get caught in the warmth of that smell.
Facade. It's all a facade.
His eyes darted toward Sarutobi, their movement calculated beneath a mask of hesitance. Every motion had a purpose now. He needed to test the waters without raising suspicion.
A flicker of unease played across Naruto's face. He chewed the inside of his cheek, shifting his weight from foot to foot—a carefully performed mimicry of a child caught in doubt.
"What's wrong, Naruto?" Hiruzen's voice carried gentle concern. Too gentle. That practised grandfatherly tone, laced with feigned curiosity. But underneath, just barely, Naruto caught the glint of sharpness—a subtle edge honed over decades of manipulation.
Naruto responded with a blink and a falsely uncertain tone. "Well... I didn't see anything strange last night, but… I had this really weird dream."
"A dream?" Hiruzen's eyes narrowed ever so slightly. His expression didn't change, but Naruto noticed the almost-imperceptible hitch in his breath. "What kind of dream?"
Naruto's lips curved just slightly—an inner smile hidden beneath false innocence. Hooked.
He extended his hand toward Sarutobi as if sharing a secret.
"Look, Grandpa Third, I think I have a strange new ability!" he said, adding a layer of faux excitement to his voice.
A blood-red chakra erupted across his arm, rippling like molten silk. The air shimmered with its heat. The oppressive, malevolent aura of the Nine-Tails slithered through the room like smoke. Cracks spiderwebbed along the wood of the floor beneath Naruto's feet.
Sarutobi's pupils dilated, breath catching in his throat. "This… this is the Nine-Tails' chakra!"
The room seemed to constrict as tension solidified. Sarutobi's heart pounded behind the stillness of his face.
Naruto, sensing the break in his opponent's composure, pressed forward with childlike desperation.
"In my dream… someone told me a lot. About Konoha. About my parents. Even about the Nine-Tails inside me." He paused. The silence hung heavy. "Is it true? Is my dad the Fourth Hokage?"
Sarutobi's mask faltered.
His mind reeled. He hadn't expected this confrontation so soon. Not like this. Not from Naruto.
The boy's gaze pierced through him, heavy with emotion—genuine or not, Hiruzen couldn't tell. He had three options: eliminate Naruto here, confess everything and hope to control the aftermath, or weave a new lie so seamless it would bind the boy once again.
Konoha was weak.
They couldn't afford to replace the Jinchūriki.
With a measured breath, Sarutobi chose manipulation.
He softened his tone into something warm and fatherly.
"Yes, Naruto. You are the son of the Fourth Hokage, Namikaze Minato—a hero of this village." He smiled, the corners of his mouth trembling slightly. "He sealed the Nine-Tails within you to save us all. To give you a weapon to defend yourself… and one day, the village."
Naruto's eyes widened, his small hands trembling slightly—pure theatrics. Internally, his thoughts were blades. Cold. Sharp.
"But why… why would he do that to his child?"
Sarutobi leaned closer. He could feel the chakra still humming around Naruto, but it wasn't flaring. Not yet. He took the risk.
"Your father knew that after the Third Great War, many enemies would come for Konoha. He feared they would come for you. By placing the Nine-Tails inside you, he gave you a way to survive—a power that could one day protect the people he loved."
His voice dropped to a whisper. "You were never abandoned. You were entrusted."
A wrinkled hand settled on Naruto's shoulder with studied tenderness.
"As for the villagers… some were manipulated. Others acted out of fear. But I've always done my best to protect you."
Naruto leaned into the touch, letting his lip quiver slightly. His chakra arm faded.
"Thank you, Grandpa Third. I… I believe in you. And in my father."
Sarutobi let out a breath he hadn't realised he was holding. The tightness in his chest eased.
"Good boy, Naruto. Good boy."
He believed he had won.
But deep inside, Naruto's gaze turned to steel behind the mask of a smile.
You will pay for every lie. For every scar. I will never forgive you.