Naruto woke up in the hospital room not long after.
"Naruto, how are you feeling?"
Before the Third Hokage could even speak, Yugao rushed over, her face filled with worry as she grabbed Naruto's hand.
If she wasn't afraid of hurting his wounds, she would have hugged him.
Naruto grinned, sucking in a breath. "It just hurts a bit, and I don't have much strength, but other than that, I'm fine."
After getting injured, he had used the unconsciousness to lessen the pain, and he hadn't felt anything while in the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox's seal space.
But now that he had to wake up, it felt quite uncomfortable.
And to further drive a wedge between Yugao and Hayate Gekko, he couldn't let his injuries heal immediately.
"You lost a lot of blood earlier, so it's normal to feel weak. I'll get you some tonics in the next few days to help you recover," Yugao said, her face filled with concern, and she touched Naruto's cheek.
However, she secretly breathed a sigh of relief when Naruto said he was just weak.
It was good that there were no other problems.
"Cough, cough!" The Third Hokage finally couldn't help but cough.
He was the Hokage, after all, and he was being ignored.
Yugao then remembered that the Third Hokage was present, her pretty face slightly flushed, and she quickly moved aside.
She whispered to Naruto, "The Third Hokage heard you were injured and came over immediately, waiting here for a while."
The Third Hokage was secretly pleased when he heard Yugao say that. With a gentle smile, he turned to Naruto and said, "Naruto, I'm relieved to see you're alright. Rest well these next few days. Tell me if you need anything; I'll do my best to provide it."
Before Naruto could speak, Yugao couldn't help but say, "Third Hokage, I will take good care of Naruto. You have nothing to worry about. But since he suffered this disaster for no reason, shouldn't there be an explanation?"
It seemed she truly cared for Naruto, even to the point of turning against her lover.
The Third Hokage was surprised but also felt more comfortable leaving Yugao by Naruto's side.
"Yugao!"
Hayate Gekko, who had been standing behind them without speaking, looked displeased. "Are you really so heartless? Are you so eager to have the Third Hokage deal with me?"
More than the truth of Naruto's injury, he cared about Yugao's attitude toward him.
Yugao opened her mouth, she wasn't a heartless woman, but Naruto's suffering was truly heartbreaking for her.
If it wasn't Hayate Gekko who intervened, she probably would have sought revenge herself, regardless of the consequences.
Handing it over to the Third Hokage was already Yugao's limit.
But Hayate Gekko had helped her a lot; there was still affection between them.
Seeing the despair in Hayate Gekko's eyes, Yugao hesitated.
"It's okay, Yugao-nee-san."
Naruto shook Yugao's hand, his voice weak. "I don't want you to be troubled because of me. I've gotten used to it over the years. I'm already satisfied that Yugao-nee-san is willing to stay by my side and be genuine with me."
A trace of surprise flashed across the Third Hokage's face. This mischievous little brat could actually say something like that?
"Naruto, you've grown up!" the Third Hokage sighed softly.
Indeed, emotions are the best catalyst for growth.
The Third Hokage didn't know how Naruto had convinced Yugao.
But he couldn't possibly be unaware that Yugao had been spending time with Naruto recently.
He just wanted to see how their relationship would develop, so he hadn't interfered.
Now it seemed that allowing Yugao to stay by Naruto's side was the right decision.
The Third Hokage was pleased. Yugao was happy that Naruto could think of her, but she felt a strange mix of emotions inside.
Had she gotten used to it over the years?
Used to what?
Naturally, he was treated with cold indifference, viewed as a monster, a demon fox!
She had initially wanted to spare Hayate Gekko the final shred of decency, but upon hearing Naruto's words, her anger towards Gekko rekindled.
"Since you call me sister, I certainly can't let you suffer in vain!"
Yugao stood up, turned, and coldly stared at Hayate Gekko, saying in a cold voice, "Hayate Gekko, I thought you were an upright and reliable person, which is why I agreed to date you. But now it seems you're just a common man."
"Naruto's identity is indeed different, but because of that, I want to be with him, care for him, and protect him so he can grow up happily; isn't this also a form of the Will of Fire?"
"However, I cannot agree with your thoughts and actions. We are not of the same mind; you don't need to look for me anymore."
The Third Hokage listened to Yugao's words and nodded with satisfaction, saying, "Yugao is right; protecting the next generation's healthy growth is the responsibility and obligation of us elders; the Will of Fire is like this. So, Gekko, you still need to study hard."
He had already understood Yugao's meaning, and connecting it to what Hayate Gekko had said to him earlier, he immediately understood the cause and effect, and now he was giving an answer to his previous words.
"Yugao, are you really going to do this to me?" Hayate Gekko stumbled backward, his face deathly pale. "For that little brat… No, I didn't even hurt him before! This is all a lie! He definitely set me up!"
Hayate Gekko finally realized what was happening and pointed at Naruto, shouting, "This brat isn't as simple as he seems! He approached you with ulterior motives, and before…"
"Enough!" Yugao shouted, her expression turning ugly, filled with disappointment. "Third Hokage, I don't want to see him anymore."
She never expected Hayate Gekko to blame Naruto. It was a truly unsightly display.
The Third Hokage also looked disappointed and sighed, "Hayate, I took you out of the Anbu Black Ops because I wanted to train you to be an elite ninja of the village, but I never expected…"
"Hayate Gekko, attacking a comrade in the village is not allowed, especially when you used such heavy force on Naruto. From this moment on, your status as a Special Jonin is revoked. You are to remain at home and reflect for one year."
The Third Hokage was very disappointed with Hayate Gekko's reaction and didn't even bother to say more, making his judgment directly.
No matter how much Hayate Gekko protested, it was useless. The Third Hokage immediately summoned two Anbu Black Ops members to escort Hayate Gekko away. They would also have someone watching him around the clock, 24 hours a day.
The punishment wasn't too severe for Hayate Gekko, but it wasn't exactly light either.
Whether he could return to his previous position after a year depended on his performance.
"Naruto, the village will cover your medical expenses. In addition, I will teach you a technique that is very suitable for you. How does that sound?"
The Third Hokage smiled and handed over a scroll containing a ninjutsu.
Naruto opened it and saw the Multiple Shadow Clone Technique!
As expected, this old man had planned this all along.
Unfortunately, Naruto stated that he had already learned the Shadow Clone Technique.
Helpless, the Third Hokage had to change his offer, and so he gave him the Shuriken Shadow Clone Technique.
....
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