After walking for a while,
Kakashi led Team 7 and Tazuna.
This time, there were no unexpected battles.
They returned safely to Tazuna's home.
Tazuna's house sat near the shore, perched just above the water.
It was a large wooden building—spacious, but simply furnished, a clear reflection of their modest living conditions.
Only two people were home: Tazuna's daughter, Tsunami, and his grandson, Inari.
Tsunami warmly welcomed Kakashi and the others and made a pot of tea—the only form of hospitality their family could afford.
Kakashi, Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura thanked her politely and accepted the tea.
Tazuna, still brimming with emotion, introduced the team to his daughter.
"Tsunami! Gato is dead! Kaiza's death has finally been avenged!" he exclaimed.
He fought to hold back tears.
"We can finally finish building the bridge!"
Tsunami was stunned.
She never thought she would see the day when that tyrant Gato got what he deserved.
Kaiza...
Can your soul finally rest in peace now?
She covered her face with her hands and began to cry.
Hearing his mother sob, Inari rushed in, alarmed, thinking something had happened.
He stood protectively in front of her.
Tazuna quickly explained the situation to reassure him.
And then—
The entire family broke into tears.
Seeing this, Kakashi quietly led Team 7 out of the room,
giving the family space to grieve and heal.
Outside, Kakashi looked at his team.
Now that they were the only ones left, he began to consider their next steps.
But just as he was lost in thought,
Sasuke spoke up, breaking the silence:
"Kakashi-sensei, I already mastered tree climbing before we set out on this mission."
"Can you teach us new ninjutsu now?"
Upon hearing this, Sakura looked up, hopeful.
She still vividly remembered Naruto's Rasengan.
Even if she hadn't focused on combat training before,
she couldn't help but feel a tinge of envy.
Kakashi glanced briefly at Naruto, then back at Sasuke and Sakura.
He nodded.
Their request deserved an answer.
"Our mission is to protect Tazuna until the bridge is finished," Kakashi said.
"Even though it's unlikely any more danger will come, we still need to stay here until it's done."
He paused for a moment, thinking aloud.
"So while we remain on duty, I'll also guide you in your ninjutsu training."
It was a promise.
Sasuke and Sakura exchanged excited looks—Kakashi-sensei had agreed to personally train them.
Kakashi already had an idea of what jutsu he would teach each of them.
Then he turned his eyes back to Naruto.
His gaze was deep, meaningful.
But in the end, he said nothing.
That conversation would come later—when it was just the two of them.
Naruto met his gaze calmly.
He clearly understood the message behind Kakashi's silence.
The corners of Naruto's mouth lifted slightly.
He said nothing, only waited patiently.
Later, after the Dazuna family had let out all their emotions, Tazuna's face lit up with joy.
He announced the good news to the villagers immediately.
That night, a celebration was held in honor of Team 7.
People from across the village gathered.
When they learned it was Naruto who had defeated Gato and saved the Land of Waves, they were deeply moved.
They showered him with thanks and praise.
The atmosphere was lively and full of joy.
At the height of the party, Tazuna raised a toast.
As the bridge's chief architect, he declared:
"To honor the hero who saved us, we will name this bridge The Great Naruto Bridge!"
Naruto thanked them, and as he looked at the smiling faces of the villagers, he couldn't help but smile too.
To eat delicious food...
To have a future to look forward to...
To be surrounded by family and friends...
Wasn't this happiness?
But—
This warmth... he had never felt it in Konoha.
Even during festivals,
Naruto had never truly been part of the celebration.
Back then, to the villagers, he was nothing more than the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox.
He could remember it clearly:
When he stepped forward, eager to join the fun,
the joyful expressions of the adults would twist into disgust and fear.
They would drive him away.
Before he met Hinata,
before entering the Ninja Academy,
before he met Shikamaru, Choji, and the others—
Before he came to this world—
Naruto had always been alone.
He ate alone.
Lived alone.
Laughed alone.
Cried alone.
With no one to share anything with.
But now—
Konoha would be different.
He believed that with all his heart.
The villagers of Konoha... and those corrupt officials under the Third Hokage...
They never wanted Naruto to live a good life.
Fine, then.
He would change everything himself!
At the banquet, Kakashi stood alone, quietly observing Naruto.
For the first time in a long while, Naruto's face held a genuine smile—an innocent expression that finally matched his age, not the maturity forced upon him by years of hardship.
Kakashi felt a pang in his chest.
His thoughts drifted back to the battle with Zabuza, and the moment Naruto unleashed the Rasengan.
It was time to talk.
Where had Naruto learned such a technique? And what was the story behind it?
As the celebration wound down, people began to disperse in small groups—some drunk, others simply full and content.
Joy faded into stillness as the village gradually returned to silence.
It was late at night.
The moon hung high, casting a gentle silver glow over the small village of the Land of Waves.
Just as Naruto was about to head back inside to rest, Kakashi stopped him.
"Let's talk, Naruto," he said calmly.
Naruto didn't seem surprised. He simply nodded.
The two of them walked together to the rooftop, where they faced each other beneath the moonlight.
Kakashi stayed silent at first. But when Naruto didn't speak either, he eventually gave in and opened the conversation.
"…Naruto."
"How did you learn that jutsu?"
Naruto's lips curved into a playful smile.
"Sensei, you know that technique is called the Rasengan, right?"
"As for how I got it… Why don't you try guessing, Kakashi-sensei?"
His tone was light, teasing.
Kakashi blinked, confused by Naruto's words and his laid-back attitude.
Guess?
How was he supposed to guess something like that?
If he could guess it, would he even be asking?
Left with no choice, Kakashi pressed on.
"That Rasengan… it's a jutsu invented by the Fourth Hokage."
"Even in Konoha, very few ninja have ever mastered it."
"So Naruto…"
He trailed off, hesitant.
But Naruto didn't wait.
He cut in directly:
"Kakashi-sensei."
"I know who my real parents are."
"That's how I learned the Rasengan."
The words dropped like thunder in Kakashi's ears.
Naruto… knows?
No—that couldn't be possible.
Kakashi's eyes widened behind his mask. His heart raced.
Did Naruto mean that he knew… that the Fourth Hokage was his father?
But how? How could he possibly know?
Why had he never shown any sign of it before?
More importantly, the Third Hokage never mentioned any of this in Naruto's personal file.
If Naruto truly knew about his lineage—
Then surely the Third Hokage would've lifted the ban that strictly forbade anyone from speaking of it?
And now, if Naruto did know...
Then what did he think about the villagers? About how he had been treated all these years?
What did he think about the Third Hokage… and the role he played?
What about all the years of loneliness? The isolation?
If Naruto had seen everything with clear eyes—understanding where he came from...
Then just how much had he endured, knowing the truth?
Kakashi stood there, shaken.
Even without removing his mask, the shock on his face was unmistakable.
But there was still one possibility...
Kakashi couldn't hold back any longer. He looked at Naruto seriously and asked:
"...Naruto, can you tell me who your father is?"
He needed confirmation—from Naruto himself.
Otherwise...
This might all be a misunderstanding.
But—
The next moment, Naruto smiled.
He knew Kakashi might not believe he had discovered the truth about his own origins.
So he simply said, still smiling:
"Sensei, didn't you know? My father was the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze. And my mother… she was Uzumaki Kushina, the previous Nine-Tails Jinchūriki."
As soon as the words left Naruto's mouth—
"Naruto!!!"
Kakashi was overwhelmed.
The shock in his heart could no longer be hidden.
Naruto knew.
He had known all along.
He knew that his parents were heroes—Minato Namikaze, the Hokage who gave his life to save the village, and Kushina Uzumaki, who once held the Nine-Tails inside her.
He had known everything.
The way the villagers treated him.
The way the Third Hokage arranged his life.
The silence, the isolation…
Naruto had understood it all.
And yet… he had never shown it.
He had acted like he knew nothing.
How had he learned the truth?
How had he kept it bottled up for so long?
What was he planning?
And the Rasengan…
Could it be...
Was that also something left behind by Lord Fourth?
Had Minato foreseen Naruto's suffering—and prepared for it?
A hundred questions flooded Kakashi's mind in that instant.
But he couldn't be sure of any answer.
Meanwhile, hidden just beyond the rooftop—
Sasuke and Sakura were secretly eavesdropping.
They had been curious, suspicious even, and had followed quietly.
But what they heard left them both stunned.
Naruto…
The boy they'd known all this time...
The class clown, the so-called "Nine-Tails brat"...
Was actually the son of the Fourth Hokage.
A hero's child.
The same Naruto who had been treated like a pariah, scorned and whispered about behind his back...
Was born of two of Konoha's greatest figures.
It didn't make sense.
Or rather—it made too much sense.
Sasuke's eyes widened. "Naruto…!" he murmured, stunned. He couldn't believe it.
Naruto had always been loud, brash, annoying—but beneath it all… this?
Sakura was even more shaken.
Her heart ached with guilt.
Back when she had first entered the Ninja Academy, she hadn't truly tried to understand Naruto.
She, too, had believed the rumors—that he was dangerous, the reincarnation of the Nine-Tails.
Even though she'd stopped believing them after spending time with him…
Now, hearing the truth…
Knowing that Naruto was the child of that Hokage, that he had endured it all in silence—
Her guilt washed over her like a tide.
At that moment, both Naruto and Kakashi turned.
They had sensed it—two presences behind the rooftop wall.
"Sasuke. Sakura," Kakashi said quietly, as he saw their stunned expressions come into view.
He immediately understood:
They had heard everything.
The two of them—Sasuke and Sakura—had definitely heard what Naruto said.
They now knew about Naruto's true background.
Kakashi felt a headache coming on.
After all...
Under the current laws of Konoha, revealing Naruto's parentage to him—or to anyone—was an act that could be considered treason.
It was one thing when he alone knew.
But now... Sasuke and Sakura knew too.
Which meant they were unintentionally dragged into this.
Still, Naruto didn't seem concerned that they had been eavesdropping.
In fact, from the look in his eyes—
He had known they were there the whole time.
He had sensed their presence from the very beginning.
And yet he had spoken anyway.
Because deep down, Naruto had wanted them to hear it.
He felt the time had come for them to know the truth.
Especially Sasuke.
He needed to know not just about Naruto's past—but also the real story behind the Uchiha massacre.
After all—
This mission to the Land of Waves wasn't just about protecting a bridge builder.
Naruto had accepted it as a way to temporarily leave Konoha… so he could begin taking action.
"Sasuke, Sakura," Naruto called out.
"If you want to know, I'll tell you."
"Come here."
Hearing that, Sasuke and Sakura exchanged glances.
Then, silently, they rose from behind the rooftop and stepped forward, no longer pretending to be hidden.
Kakashi was puzzled—he didn't understand why Naruto had deliberately involved them.
But then, Naruto dropped another bombshell.
"You know about my parents now," he said. "It's time you knew something else."
"The truth... behind the Uchiha clan's destruction."
"Sasuke."
The moment those words left Naruto's mouth—
Sakura gasped, and even Kakashi's eyes widened.
No one had expected this.
Not here. Not now.
Back when they were still students at the academy, the Uchiha Massacre had been shrouded in silence.
The Third Hokage had imposed a complete information lockdown.
Only later, after some time had passed, was the news released—piece by piece.
The official story told the villagers that the powerful Uchiha clan had been annihilated by an external enemy.
But the truth?
It had never fully come to light.
What's worse…
The villagers hadn't mourned them.
In fact, many had celebrated.
The Uchiha clan, once proud and powerful, had been in charge of Konoha's police force—the village guard.
They were strict. Rigid. Uncompromising.
Many civilians had been punished harshly under their watch.
And so grudges had formed.
So when news of their destruction came, the villagers didn't grieve—they rejoiced.
They were glad the Uchihas were gone.
But what those ignorant fools never understood…
Was that the Uchiha clan was one of Konoha's founding families.
Their strength, their pride, their fire—
That was what had helped Konoha endure through the three Great Ninja Wars.
That was part of what kept the village standing.
Now, with the Uchiha gone…
Konoha had become a child flaunting gold jewelry, unaware of the wolves watching from the shadows.
Other villages hadn't attacked Konoha yet…
But only because they still feared the remnants of its past strength.
The moment that aura of power faded—
They would strike.
Just like Orochimaru, one of the legendary Sannin, had foreseen.
He saw the decay festering inside Konoha.
He knew that if things went on like this, Konoha would fall in the next war.
So, for the sake of the village's future…
He set out to eliminate the roots of corruption.
Even if it meant turning against his beloved teacher—Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Third Hokage.
Only a younger, revitalized Konoha could survive in this cruel shinobi world.
The villagers had no idea.
And back in the academy, even Sakura and the others had only heard the surface-level reports.
They knew Sasuke had changed after the massacre.
They knew his clan had been wiped out.
But no one ever told them the why.
Now, as Naruto stood before them, preparing to reveal the truth—
Sasuke's composure shattered.
The cold, stoic expression he usually wore gave way to raw emotion.
His eyes flared with rage and desperation.
"What's the truth?!" he demanded, stepping forward.
His voice trembled, not with fear—but fury.
And in his Sharingan-filled gaze—
Naruto saw the killing intent burning to life.
Directed at that man.
...
TN:
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