This time, Black Zetsu did not resist, and with the help of Akimichi and the Nara clan ninjas, his movements were restricted in many ways.
Tenzō's hand finally touched Naruto's head, suppressing the Nine-Tails' chakra.
Of course, this was just an outward appearance; in reality, Black Zetsu actively withdrew the Nine-Tails' chakra.
Otherwise, with Tenzō's Mokuton, suppressing the Four-Tails would be the limit; it would be impossible for him to suppress the six-tailed one.
"Itachi, you were the first to arrive here, right? What exactly happened?"
While Tenzō was suppressing the Nine-Tails' chakra, Hiruzen Sarutobi came to Itachi Uchiha's side and asked him a question.
Despite Itachi's extreme caution, he managed to conceal his Mangekyō Sharingan after Hiruzen Sarutobi and the others arrived, but he still couldn't escape Hiruzen's eyes.
He saw it!
They knew that Itachi Uchiha had successfully awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan.
"Shisui, he killed him!"
Suppressing his grief, Itachi Uchiha spoke to Hiruzen Sarutobi.
He kept Shisui's words firmly in mind: he must not escalate the conflict between the village and the Uchiha clan.
Therefore, he did not mention that Uchiha Shisui was injured by Danzo beforehand, and that one of his eyes was taken away by Danzo.
Since things had come to this, it was better to let the Jinchūriki bear all the hatred, so as to prevent the clan's hostility towards the village from becoming even greater.
"What?" Hiruzen Sarutobi's expression changed. He had considered countless possibilities, such as Shisui dying at Danzo's hands, or Danzo being controlled by Shisui, or Shisui dealing with the Uchiha clan while eliminating Danzo.
But what no one expected was that Uchiha Shisui would die at the hands of Uzumaki Naruto.
"Itachi, Shisui is a junior I value highly. In fact, I want to train him to become the Fifth Hokage."
"His death is not only a loss for the Uchiha clan, but also a loss for the entire Konoha."
"However, I hope you don't hold too much grudge against Naruto. He only lost his mind and caused destruction everywhere because of the influence of the Nine-Tails."
Hiruzen Sarutobi remained silent for a moment before slowly speaking.
No matter what heinous things Naruto Uzumaki did, his status as a Jinchūriki was his best protection.
Konoha could live without Uchiha Shisui, but it absolutely could not lose its Jinchūriki.
He, Hiruzen Sarutobi, was not as incompetent as the Fourth Kazekage of Sunagakure, who would send people to assassinate a Jinchūriki for no reason.
They didn't want to lose their temper, but you forced them to.
"Yes, Lord Hokage."
Itachi Uchiha was filled with immense grief, but when he thought of Shisui's dying thoughts, he realized that all he could think about was the safety and future of the village.
His hatred for Naruto Uzumaki lessened considerably. Shisui's death was inevitable, and if Konoha lost its Jinchūriki, its strength would be greatly weakened. Not only would he not be able to seek revenge, but he would also have to protect the Jinchūriki.
"You are a smart child, and your strength and talent are no less than Shisui's."
"You must have noticed the conflict between the village and the Uchiha clan, right?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded, seemingly steering the conversation toward the Uchiha clan.
Itachi Uchiha looked troubled: "Hokage-sama, I..."
He was both a spy planted in the village by his clan and a spy used by the village to monitor the Uchiha clan.
As a double agent, Itachi Uchiha was naturally well aware of these matters.
However, he had always been confused and didn't know what to do.
Now, with Shisui's death, he had found the answer in his heart.
Personal honor or disgrace was insignificant compared to the interests of the village.
If the clan threatened the village, then they were better off without the Uchiha clan!
Let himself, like Shisui, shoulder all the darkness and contradictions, and resolve this hidden danger for the village!
"Itachi, I hope you can find some time to have a good talk with your father."
"The Uchiha clan and the village don't necessarily have to come to the point of fighting each other."
"Originally, I had entrusted this matter to Shisui, but now that he had unfortunately passed away, the connection between the village and the Uchiha clan rested entirely on your shoulders."
"As long as the conflict can be resolved, I am willing to give up my position as Hokage and support your father to succeed as the Fifth Hokage."
Upon hearing Hiruzen Sarutobi's words, Itachi Uchiha immediately knelt down before him.
"My lord, please don't say that. My father had no such intention at all."
"When I get back to the clan, I will have a good talk with my father and ask him to manage the clan members properly."
While Uchiha Itachi was shocked, he was also moved by the Hokage's selflessness.
He now finally understood why, of all the Hokage throughout history, only the Third Hokage had been able to remain in office for such a long time.
He truly had no selfish motives.
All he could think about was the village and peace. Even when the Uchiha clan was about to launch a rebellion, he wasn't thinking about eliminating them.
Instead, he relinquished the position of Hokage to quell the turmoil.
How could a Hokage who was so selfless and open-minded not be loved and respected?
If his reign was too short, the villagers of Konoha would be the first to object.
"Alright, remember to convey my message truthfully. The village will do everything possible to meet the Uchiha's demands," Hiruzen Sarutobi reminded him again.
At this moment, Naruto Uzumaki had been completely subdued, and the Nine-Tails' chakra had disappeared.
However, the shock to his mind was too great, so he was temporarily unable to get up from the ground.
"Lord Hokage, what should we do with the Jinchūriki?"
"We can't let him roam around the village any longer. We also need to ban him from the Ninja Academy. The future of the village is all there. If he suddenly goes berserk, the consequences will be unimaginable."
"Lord Hokage, if you still want him to go to the Ninja Academy, then I will have no choice but to withdraw my child from school and teach him at home myself."
After the danger was over, one ninja after another offered their advice to Hiruzen Sarutobi.
Although Naruto Uzumaki on the ground did not move at all, he was very conscious.
He heard every word these people said, not missing a single one.
"What...did I do this time?"
"Yes, I suddenly lost consciousness just now. A lot must have happened during that time, right?"
"Anyway, these people have long disliked me, so I don't care about them at all. As long as Grandpa Danzo doesn't mind me, that's enough."
Naruto Uzumaki thought to himself.
He didn't care about these people's malice towards him. Over the past four years, he had long been used to being looked at with disgust and being secretly pointed at and gossiped about.
As long as that person didn't dislike him, was willing to go fishing with him, eat ramen with him, practice ninjutsu with him, and teach him how to be a real ninja.
That's enough.
As for the rest, who cares about them?
...
"Danzō!"
Just as the Konoha ninjas were urging the Hokage to control Naruto Uzumaki, Danzo Shimura, dragging his heavily injured body, struggled to walk towards them.
"Danzo?"
How did you get injured like this?
Hiruzen Sarutobi looked at the heavily injured Danzo with an expression of disbelief on his face.
...
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