"Hiruzen, don't forget what Jiraiya just said."
Danzo's face was a thunderhead as he looked at Hiruzen, then jabbed a finger at Naruto. "He said this brat is Menma—a Class-S missing-nin—and that he intends to destroy Konoha. You don't believe that even a little?"
Hiruzen's cheek twitched.
Of course he wanted to believe his disciple. But if he handed Uzumaki Naruto over to Danzo, he feared the boy would be dead before the day was out.
So Hiruzen said, firm as bedrock, "Naruto is one of Konoha's own. As Hokage, until the truth is known, I will never hand him to you."
Watching Hiruzen and Danzo argue, the surrounding shinobi formed their own ideas.
Some said Naruto should be sent to Ne (Root).
Some said he should be detained at once.
Others said the Kyūbi (Nine-Tails) should be stripped from his body.
Seeing the chaos, Naruto only felt more amused. The spent skewer hung from the corner of his mouth as he swept his gaze around.
On one side, Konoha's civilians glared at him with hatred and disgust, hurling curses as if he'd been born guilty.
On the other, shinobi bickered—everyone pushing their own agenda.
What drew Naruto's eye most was the righteous, high-minded Hiruzen, every syllable sounding so noble.
"Hahaha…"
Naruto couldn't help laughing.
All eyes snapped to him. Jiraiya snarled, "Naruto, what are you laughing at?"
Naruto spoke around the skewer, tone playful. "At a joke, obviously. None of you ever cared about me. And now you're so lofty and noble, saying you'll 'protect' me. Isn't that hilarious?"
Silence seeped through the ranks of shinobi.
Something was wrong about the boy's state. Those weren't words a normal kid could spit out. They were saturated with resentment and hate.
Linking that to what Jiraiya had said, a premonition prickled at them.
Could it be true?
Hiruzen swallowed and forced a smile. "Naruto, what are you saying?"
Naruto's lips curled. "Hokage, wasn't I clear enough?"
"Since childhood you ignored me. You let others bully me, curse me, heap the malice of all Konoha on my shoulders."
"And now you say you'll protect me? Hahaha… Isn't that a joke?"
He laughed again. "You're the Third Hokage. If you truly wanted to protect me, how could my life have been this miserable?"
"So drop that hypocritical mask already. It's disgusting."
Hiruzen felt his chest seize. Jiraiya had told the truth—this boy was the Class-S missing-nin, Menma. Watched by shinobi, abused by villagers, yet somehow he'd gained monstrous power. And now he aimed to raze the Hidden Leaf itself.
But where Hiruzen felt dread, Danzo felt delight. He clamped his right hand down on Naruto's shoulder and said, steady and sure, "You heard him, Hiruzen. The brat has admitted who he is. For Konoha's sake, I must take him to Ne—"
A crisp crack cut him off, like a branch snapping.
Danzo blinked, confused—then saw the faces opposite him: Hiruzen, Jiraiya, Kakashi, Guy… pupils blown wide, their grave stares fixed on—
Not on him.
On the blond boy at his side.
Danzo looked down—and only then noticed the hand he'd placed on Naruto's shoulder had been wrenched clean off at some point.
The motion had been too swift, the force too brutal; he hadn't even felt it.
"Graaah!!!"
Danzo screamed, wrenching, trying to rip his wrist free from Naruto's grip.
But the blond boy's hand was a vise. No matter how he strained, it didn't budge.
Crack, crack…
The splintering continued.
Naruto's fingers traveled from Danzo's wrist up his arm, bones bursting one after another; hot blood soaked through Danzo's wrappings and robe.
As he did it, Naruto's body stretched taller and taller—one meter… two. Apart from the red flare at his eyes, the god-robe, and the great scroll, he was nearly indistinguishable from Menma.
He crushed Danzo's entire arm to powder, then set his right palm on Danzo's back, voice flat as winter: "Danzo, since you know who I am, where did you find the courage to lay a hand on me? Did you think you could defeat me?"
Danzo's lone exposed eye went blood-red, veins bulging as if it might pop free of its socket. Pain wracked his body.
"I know Kawarimi no Jutsu (Substitution Technique) too. I won't give you the chance," Naruto said coolly. His palm on Danzo's back pressed just a hair deeper. "I don't know if this will kill you—but die here first."
"Rokuōgan (Six King Gun)!"
Boom!
An unseen shockwave punched through Danzo's back and tore straight through his heart.
Splurt!
Danzo vomited blood. His pupils diffused, strength evaporating as he collapsed like a puppet with its strings cut.
Naruto's head tilted, as if noticing something. He flicked Danzo's body aside with a casual slap. "Again?"
The ripple rising off Danzo reminded him of Tobi—one of those forbidden ocular arts that twisted life and death.
Sure enough, mist slicked across the corpse. Seconds later, a pristine Danzo—whole and uninjured—stood a short distance away, face black with hatred, eyes locked on Naruto.
"You damned monster…"
If he hadn't triggered Izanagi (Izanagi) in time, he'd have died at Naruto's hand. Beneath the bandages of his arm, he felt it: one of the three-tomoe Sharingan (Sharingan) had sealed forever.
The night of the clan's massacre hadn't yielded him many perfect eyes; every Sharingan he had was precious. His stock was limited to those in his arm and the one in his socket.
And just now, Naruto had burned one away.
He had also killed him—once.
(End of Chapter)
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