"Obvious?" Hiruzen's brow furrowed tightly, the shock and doubt in his heart deepening even further.
"Throughout the Village, from children to adults, almost everyone points at Naruto behind his back—or even to his face—and calls him a monster. They say he's the Nine-Tails in human form."
"On top of that, Naruto's age lines up perfectly with the Nine-Tails attack twelve years ago. The moment the disaster ended, the Nine-Tails supposedly disappeared, yet the Village was left with a child who was shunned, feared, and branded as the Nine-Tails by everyone around him."
"Isn't that basically the Village announcing it for everyone to see? They're practically pointing at him and saying, 'Uzumaki Naruto is the vessel carrying the Nine-Tails that attacked the Village twelve years ago.'"
Shin tilted his head slightly, spread his hands, and spoke:
"With such an obvious connection, isn't it easy to reach a conclusion with just a little observation and thought?"
Having finally shattered this seemingly absurd contradiction, Shin felt an indescribable sense of relief.
This so-called "highest-level secret" had long since become an open secret. Amid the villagers' constant scorn, fear, and rejection of Naruto, the truth was obvious to anyone willing to think about it.
The only people still pretending it was hidden seemed to be the Village's leadership, stubbornly clinging to a mask that had lost its purpose long ago.
"So... why should I be surprised to know?" Shin's final question felt like a slap across Hiruzen's face.
Hiruzen was completely stunned. He opened his mouth, wanting to refute the argument, but found himself unable to say a single word.
He had always believed Naruto's identity had been well concealed, never considering that amid the villagers' prejudice and rumors, this so-called "secret" had long become little more than a paper-thin veil, utterly transparent to anyone willing to think critically.
Shin's simple and straightforward logic shattered a long-held illusion he had unknowingly maintained.
A wave of guilt surged through Sarutobi Hiruzen's heart.
Not only had he failed to protect the child entrusted to him by Minato and Kushina, but he had also allowed Naruto to grow up in such a twisted and cruel environment, burdened by hatred and malice he should never have had to endure...
His stooped figure appeared especially old beneath the sunlight, as though all his vitality had been drained away in an instant.
After a long while, Sarutobi Hiruzen slowly raised his head and looked toward the four faces carved into Hokage Rock in the distance. His gaze finally settled upon his own younger likeness, and he murmured softly to himself:
"Perhaps... perhaps I really... should retire."
Hearing those words, Shin looked at the dejection and confusion on Sarutobi Hiruzen's face.
He offered no comfort. Instead, he nodded and expressed his wholehearted agreement: "On that point, I completely agree... Hokage-sama."
Hiruzen's breath caught.
He turned his head and looked at Shin with obvious disbelief. He actually dared to agree with him on something like this?
Shin met his gaze without flinching or looking away.
"The world, after all, belongs to the young."
As he spoke, his gaze swept toward the distant Hokage Rock before returning to Sarutobi Hiruzen.
"Just as you said... the Will of Fire. Where the leaves dance, the fire burns on. No matter how brightly the older generation burns, their flames will eventually fade. Only by making way for new leaves can the forest continue to thrive."
"If the old leaves hold on for too long, taking all the sunlight and rain, they only prevent new sprouts from growing. Sometimes, the greatest thing they can do is fall and become nourishment for the next generation."
"And isn't that exactly what you're choosing to do now, Hokage-sama?"
Upon hearing those words, Sarutobi Hiruzen was stunned.
He stared blankly at the black-haired youth standing before him, at the clarity and calmness in his eyes that far exceeded his age.
Those words not only agreed with his thoughts of retirement, but even carried a subtle sense of urging.
Yet the argument had been built entirely upon the very Will of Fire that he had devoted his entire life to upholding and passing on.
Using his own ideals to convince him to step down...
For a moment, Sarutobi Hiruzen found himself unable to refute the logic, his heart filled with complicated emotions.
There was the bitterness of being lectured by someone from the younger generation, reflection on his own years as Hokage, and... a strange feeling that he was witnessing the first signs of a new era taking shape.
Shin said nothing more and simply stood there quietly.
Hiruzen looked at him, as though he could already see Konoha's future reflected in the young man's eyes.
After a long silence, he let out a quiet sigh.
"You're right, Shin." He looked up at the sky for a moment before continuing. "Perhaps... it really is time."
Within Hiruzen's eyes, weathered by the years, the weariness and confusion gradually gave way to a peculiar brilliance, as though he had finally made a certain decision.
Hope...
Konoha's future had already arrived in such a shocking and earth-shaking manner!
Sarutobi Hiruzen leaned forward slightly and suddenly asked a startling question: "Shin... do you want to become Hokage?"
"..." The expression on Shin's face instantly froze.
Even with his composure and intellect, his mind went blank for a moment after hearing that question.
He genuinely wondered if he had misheard. Hokage?
The pinnacle of power in Konoha and the dream countless Ninjas had devoted their lives to pursuing.
And Sarutobi Hiruzen was asking him, a Genin who had only recently graduated from the Academy, such a question?
For a moment, Shin wondered if the Third Hokage had finally lost his senses.
He looked into Sarutobi Hiruzen's eyes, burning with conviction, and quickly confirmed that the old man was not joking.
Absurd...
That was the very first thought that surfaced in Shin's mind.
Seeing the fleeting astonishment and doubt on his face, Hiruzen did not withdraw his words. Instead, his expression became even more resolute.
"Do not doubt my sincerity, Shin." Hiruzen's gaze was intense. "Although I am old, my judgment of people remains sound."
"You possess strength that far surpasses your peers. More importantly... You possess a cool head and sharp insight. You can see truths that even I once overlooked.
You can point directly at accumulated problems without fear. That clarity and courage are precisely what a future Hokage needs."
The more Sarutobi Hiruzen spoke, the brighter his eyes became, as though he had discovered in Shin a completely different possibility for Konoha's future—one distinct from both his own path and Danzo's.
"I know what I'm seeing, and I won't make a mistake." Sarutobi Hiruzen's voice was firm, carrying a conviction that left no room for doubt. "If you're willing to walk this path, then I'll do everything in my power to help you succeed."
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