Hmm… not bad, really not bad. Not only did you manage to master the Shadow Clone Technique without anyone guiding you, but you can even coach that Uchiha kid through his training with ease… Naruto, you really do keep surprising this old man.
Watching Naruto finally drop his guard and show himself, the Third Hokage gently stroked the beard on his chin, smiling as he quietly praised him.
"Speaking of which… kid, how do you recognize me?"
"Hmph, of course I do! I see your statue carved into the Hokage Rock every single day! There's no way I wouldn't recognize you, believe it!"
Naruto proudly scratched his nose with a finger, then stood tall with hands on his hips, squinting and grinning like a carefree goof.
"Well, I guess I've been working hard at training, but… I still couldn't fool Grandpa Third Hokage. Hehe. Just like everyone says, Grandpa Third really is the strongest ninja in the whole village!"
"Hahaha! You're still a kid, but that mouth of yours sure knows how to flatter people."
Chuckling as he puffed lightly on his pipe, the Third Hokage's eyes twinkled with amusement. He reached out with one hand to affectionately pat Naruto's head, then asked curiously as a thought crossed his mind:
"Wait a moment—you just said… 'long time no see'?"
"Yeah, of course! I don't remember it clearly, but I'm pretty sure this isn't the first time we've met, Grandpa Third."
As he answered, Naruto tilted his head slightly and let the man rub his hair like a child would. His smile didn't fade at all—if anything, the words that followed left the Third Hokage stunned.
"After my mom and dad gave their lives to protect the village, you, as the Third Hokage, must've gone to the scene to confirm things, right? So thinking about it that way, it'd be perfectly normal if we'd met before, wouldn't it?"
"Your mom and dad… sacrificed themselves… Naruto, you—?!"
The moment Naruto finished, the Third Hokage felt a chill run down his spine as if he'd plunged into icy water. His hand trembled slightly as he stared hard at Naruto's face.
"Who told you that? Naruto… do you know who your parents are?"
"Of course I do! I'm the child they gave their lives to protect. How could I not know who they were?"
Meeting the Hokage's probing gaze without flinching, Naruto looked up with confidence and spoke word by word, as if he were saying something completely ordinary:
"My mom was the previous Jinchūriki of the Nine-Tails before me—Kushina Uzumaki. And my dad was the great hero who sacrificed his life to save the village—Minato Namikaze, the Fourth Hokage."
"I'm right, aren't I? Grandpa Third?"
"…You're absolutely right, child." The Third Hokage studied the boy closely and realized that despite all the years of coldness and discrimination Naruto had faced from the villagers, he held no hatred or resentment in his eyes. Instead, those clear blue eyes were filled with warmth and trust toward him. That alone made the old Hokage breathe a massive sigh of relief. Since Naruto had figured it out on his own, it didn't count as breaking the promise he'd made with Danzo. He nodded slightly, acknowledging the answer.
"Naruto… since you already knew, why didn't you tell Grandpa earlier? That way, you wouldn't have had to suffer so much…"
"Suffer? Hehe, not at all, believe it! Ever since I was born, this place has been filled with the love of my mom and dad. All that's left is to treat the rest of it as just part of my training."
With a slight upward curve of his lips, Naruto pressed his thumb gently against his heart while subtly pointing to a thick tree root poking out from the dirt nearby.
"Besides, not even Grandpa Third could stop it from happening. That just shows the village isn't as peaceful and safe as it seems on the surface… At a time like this, a little hardship's nothing. What's important is not making things harder for you, Grandpa Third."
This wasn't some fake maturity Naruto was putting on—it was a heartfelt truth.
First, Naruto knew how ruthless Danzo Shimura could be in pursuit of the Hokage seat. So keeping the label of "demon fox" was actually the safest way to survive his fragile childhood years without being mysteriously eliminated. Second… it was because of the deep sense of familiarity and trust he felt toward the kind old man before him.
Even though Naruto harbored resentment and dislike toward Konoha's upper leadership for creating his miserable childhood, his respect for the warm and friendly Third Hokage was completely genuine.
Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Third Hokage… As one of the direct disciples of the First and Second Hokage, he mastered all five chakra natures, making him capable of using wind, lightning, earth, fire, and water jutsu all by himself. Known as the "Professor of Ninjutsu," he also mentored the famed Legendary Sannin. His power was so great in his era that people called him the "God of Shinobi," a title inherited from Hashirama Senju himself.
Beyond that, the Third Hokage was the longest-serving Hokage in Konoha's history, leading the village during its golden age. Later, when Orochimaru led the invasion alongside the Sand Village and the Sound Village, he fought alone against the First and Second Hokage—both resurrected by Edo Tensei. In order to save the village from being destroyed, he used the Dead Demon Consuming Seal, sacrificing his life to protect what he loved. He was a true shinobi who gave everything for his beloved home.
Of course, these feats alone would have earned Naruto's respect. But what made Naruto trust him so deeply was something more personal: during the years when the village shunned and blamed Naruto, the Third Hokage was one of the very few—perhaps the only—high-ranking figure in Konoha who genuinely protected and cared for him.
When young Naruto was confused and hurt by the villagers' hatred, the Third Hokage had secretly spent time with him, offering guidance and companionship to help him overcome the kind of trauma that could twist someone into a monster.
Iruka Umino, who ultimately helped Naruto turn back after stealing the Scroll of Seals under Mizuki's manipulation, was someone the Hokage had personally arranged to look after him out of concern. Kakashi Hatake, the influential teacher of Team 7, was also carefully chosen by the Third as the best mentor for Naruto.
Though all of this originally happened in the Naruto from the canon timeline, now that he had become this Naruto, he would never forget it. A drop of kindness must be repaid in full—that was a core belief he lived by.
"…Kid, just how much do you know?"
"Mm, well, just picked up a few things here and there during my spare time… I know a bit, just a bit~"
Naruto batted his eyes innocently, doing his best to look harmless and cute. But the small gesture he made earlier—pointing at the tree root—was enough to tell the Third Hokage that this little boy had far more secrets and surprises than he could've ever imagined.
"So then… after keeping it all hidden for so long, why are you suddenly telling me the truth? Are you done hiding it? Or… is there something important that made you come to this old man for help?"
Now taking Naruto far more seriously, the Third Hokage slowly pulled his hand back and asked in a calm, low voice.
"No, I plan to keep hiding it. Honestly, with my strength as it is, it's still safer to live as the 'demon fox' for now… so this will be a secret just between me and Grandpa Third."
Naruto glanced at the stream nearby, where a shadow clone was playfully tussling with a little boy holding a fan-shaped crest. After a moment's pause, he let the smile fall from his face and continued:
"But… there are a few things I really want to talk to you about, Grandpa Third."
As Naruto began calmly listing them one by one, the youthful face he wore gradually took on a maturity far beyond his years. And in that moment, the Third Hokage saw something familiar in him—something nostalgic. It was almost like seeing Minato Namikaze again, wearing the cloak of the Fourth Hokage, calm and wise with every step he took.