Late at night, in the Third Hokage's office at the Hokage Building, the Third Hokage was immersed in handling village affairs.
'I'm getting old,' he thought, sighing inwardly. 'My efficiency at managing things is declining.'
The Third Hokage silently puffed on his pipe, keenly aware that his energy wasn't what it used to be. Overtime had become increasingly frequent.
Knock, knock, knock.
A steady, deliberate knock echoed through the room. The Third Hokage's eyes narrowed thoughtfully. "Come in," he called out.
The door creaked open, and a diminutive old man entered. He wore a yellow bodysuit and square-framed sunglasses.
If Naruto were to see this man's appearance and attire, he would surely exclaim in astonishment.
For this old man was none other than Chen Baojun, the Konoha Dragon God whom Naruto had claimed to have risen from the dead just a few days prior.
"Baojun, what brings you here?" the Third Hokage asked, his eyes widening slightly in surprise.
He added teasingly, "Seeing the village's manpower shortage, are you planning to come out of retirement to lend a hand? To lay another brick in our village's reconstruction?"
Chen Baojun shook his head and chuckled wryly. "Third Hokage, you flatter me. Our village is brimming with talent now. The younger generation is more than capable of shouldering the future of the village. This old man won't hold them back."
Faced with Chen Baojun's words, the Third Hokage smiled noncommittally, then quipped self-deprecatingly, "You old-timers at least have successors ready to take over, allowing you to enjoy a well-deserved rest. Meanwhile, this old fool has to cling shamelessly to his position."
"Third Hokage, you're as vigorous as ever," Chen Baojun countered. "The villagers and shinobi alike trust and respect you deeply. The achievements our village has made under your leadership are plain for all to see."
"Getting old, getting old," the Third Hokage waved his hand dismissively, chuckling. "This Hokage seat is just a temporary placeholder. Once the village's young talents have matured, I'll entrust it to them. Then this old man can finally rest and spend time with his grandson."
"Now then, Baojun, what brings you here today?" After the customary pleasantries, the Third Hokage cut straight to the point.
Chen Baojun paused thoughtfully before replying, "I came to see you about Naruto. He sought me out."
"Naruto?" The Third Hokage's eyebrows lifted slightly, his expression turning more serious.
"How did Naruto find you?"
Chen Baojun's official records listed him as deceased—a ninja who had perished during the Third Shinobi World War.
The Third Hokage himself had personally handled the matter. In all of Konoha, only the Third Hokage knew he was still alive.
How could Naruto possibly find a dead man?
Or, more accurately, how did Naruto even know Chen Baojun?
Chen Baojun offered a wry smile. "Naruto found a scroll I left behind in the Konoha Library. Using the tombstone address recorded on it, he tracked me down. I couldn't resist teaching him a physical lesson."
"I see," the Third Hokage nodded thoughtfully. "And then?"
"Then the boy has been pestering me incessantly for the past few days, demanding that I become his teacher and teach him taijutsu."
"Given Naruto's... sensitive status," Chen Baojun hesitated, glancing at the Third Hokage's still composed expression, before continuing, "I thought it best to report this matter to you first and gauge your intentions."
The Third Hokage flicked the ash from his pipe, not answering directly. Instead, he asked softly, "Baojun, what kind of child do you think Naruto is?"
Chen Baojun pondered for a moment, then said with a headache, "He's mischievous, speaks without thinking, disrespectful, impolite, rash, and impulsive."
The Third Hokage quietly puffed on his pipe, letting him continue without interruption.
"To be honest, Naruto has given me quite a headache these past few days. But—" Chen Baojun's tone shifted, his expression becoming more serious.
"I can see the loneliness in that child's heart, his desperate longing for acceptance. Though he acts like a carefree goofball, doesn't he hide his inner anxieties behind that smile, trying not to worry others? In a way, he's not a fool at all... or perhaps, he's a genuine, wholehearted fool!"
"Moreover, that child possesses remarkable perseverance. Once he sets his mind on something, he'll pour every ounce of effort into achieving it."
Chen Baojun sighed, recalling Naruto's unwavering determination and the rigorous taijutsu training that only years of dedicated practice could produce.
He concluded, "That child will undoubtedly become an exceptional ninja, a pillar of support for our village's future."
"Hahahaha!"
The Third Hokage listened quietly until Chen Baojun finished speaking, then burst into hearty laughter, his aged face radiating deep satisfaction.
"Baojun, it seems you hold Naruto in very high regard."
After a moment of silence, the Third Hokage's expression turned utterly serious. "Baojun, do you believe Naruto is the Demon Fox incarnate, as the village rumors claim?"
"No!" Chen Baojun shook his head firmly.
"That child is a hero—a hero who has imprisoned the Nine-Tailed Beast within his own body. Just like his parents, he is a hero of Konoha!"
As a former elite Jōnin of Konoha, Chen Baojun knew that while the ignorant villagers might be misled by tales of the Demon Fox incarnate, such illusions could not deceive him.
He clearly understood the difference between a Nine-Tailed Beast Jinchūriki and a Demon Fox incarnate.
In fact, the moment Chen Baojun laid eyes on Naruto, he deduced the child's true identity.
'Blond hair... the surname Uzumaki... who else in Konoha bears that name?'
Though Chen Baojun didn't know the identity of the previous Nine-Tailed Beast Jinchūriki, he was well aware of the Fourth Hokage's wife: Kushina Uzumaki.
Combined with Naruto's striking resemblance to his parents, the child's true identity became self-evident.
"It seems you've already guessed Naruto's true identity."
The Third Hokage sighed, put down his cigarette butt, and extinguished it.
As the orphaned son of the Fourth Hokage and Kushina Uzumaki, Naruto should have grown up revered and cared for by the villagers, hailed as the son of heroes.
However, because Naruto was also the vessel sealing the Nine-Tailed Beast, revealing his identity would have placed him in constant danger from enemies and other scheming individuals.
Therefore, the Third Hokage believed the best way to protect Naruto was to conceal both aspects of his identity, allowing him to grow up like an ordinary child.
The Third Hokage had intended to do just that, but the results were disastrous.
The entire village now knew Naruto was the Demon Fox incarnate, while remaining completely ignorant of his status as the son of heroes.
What should have remained secret was exposed, while what should have been revealed was hidden.
With decades of political acumen, the Third Hokage would never have made such a foolish mistake.
After all, the identities of the previous two Nine-Tailed Beast Jinchūriki had been meticulously concealed, yet Naruto's lineage was now common knowledge.
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