(Bonus Chapter)
Thump.
Hiruzen Sarutobi's sudden kneeling stunned everyone present.
All the ninja in the room—and even Minato Namikaze—were momentarily frozen in shock. But Minato was no longer the naive young man he once was. He recovered almost instantly.
This was nothing more than a bitter-meat tactic—moral coercion disguised as repentance.
Uchiha Ran twitched the corner of his mouth.
Good. Very good, Hiruzen Sarutobi. Truly worthy of being the Third Hokage—someone who knew exactly when to bow his head and when to stand tall.
Whether the apology was sincere or not didn't matter. That single kneel was enough to shake the villagers' hearts and dissolve much of their resentment.
Sure enough, the villagers' expressions shifted. They glanced at one another, mouths opening, yet no one knew what to say.
Minato Namikaze looked down coldly at the kneeling Hokage.
"What is the meaning of this?" Minato said. "Do you really think kneeling can make up for what you owe Naruto after all these years?"
Inside Naruto's consciousness, Naruto was already in tears and about to fight for control of his body—but Kurama hooked a claw into his clothes and yanked him back.
"Idiot," Kurama said flatly. "Your real father is venting your anger for you. Don't interfere. This man named Hiruzen Sarutobi is not a good person. The moment he knelt just now, I sensed killing intent toward both you and your father."
Naruto froze, staring at Kurama in disbelief.
"That's impossible… I feel like Old Man Third has already realized his mistake."
Kurama looked at him as if he were hopeless.
"I have to say," Kurama replied, "your personality really reminds me of an old acquaintance."
Naruto was distracted. "Who?"
Kurama glanced at him. "An idiot."
With that, Kurama took control, closed its eyes, and focused on listening to the conversation outside.
Unable to break free, Naruto could only stop struggling and watch.
Hiruzen Sarutobi knelt upright, his back straight.
"Minato," he said solemnly, "this is all my fault. If you hate me, then take my head. If I, Hiruzen Sarutobi, flinch even once, then I am unfit to be Hokage."
His posture was resolute, filled with a sense of tragic righteousness, forcing Minato into a passive position.
Minato sighed inwardly.
As expected of a veteran—he slipped into the role instantly, perfectly aware of how to advance and retreat.
Minato's tone softened slightly.
"In that case, return what belongs to Naruto, and we'll end this matter here. However, I will take Naruto away from Konoha."
Hiruzen's expression changed.
"The property can be returned," he said, "but the Nine-Tails cannot leave Konoha. Our military strength is declining. Without the Nine-Tails, we won't be able to withstand pressure from other villages."
"Minato," Hiruzen said through clenched teeth, staring at him, "you were the Fourth Hokage. You should understand this."
The room erupted into discussion.
No one cared about property ownership—but if the Nine-Tails' jinchūriki was tied to Konoha's survival, then this concerned their own lives.
"That's right! Fourth Hokage-sama, the Third Hokage has already agreed to return the property. Why push it further?"
"Yes! Harmony is what matters—we're all villagers of Konoha!"
Minato saw everything clearly: Hiruzen's shamelessness, and the villagers' selfishness.
He didn't truly want to leave Konoha either—but if he wanted the inheritance back, he had to raise the stakes.
"In that case," Minato said calmly, "Third Hokage, draw up a written agreement. Within three days, I want full ownership of the commercial street that belonged to Kushina. Otherwise, I will take Naruto and leave Konoha to live in seclusion."
He placed a document on the table.
Under the pressure of countless gazes, Hiruzen had no choice. Suppressing the pain in his heart, he signed his name and pressed his thumbprint onto the paper.
Minato took the document, sneered, and stepped aside.
If he didn't deal with Hiruzen now, others would do it later.
Just as Hiruzen stood up, Kakashi rushed into the room.
His eyes were bloodshot. His right arm hung limply at his side, blue lightning flickering around his hand. Chakra surged violently.
"Hokage-sama," Kakashi demanded, "my father's death—was it done with your tacit approval of Danzo?"
His Sharingan spun into three tomoe. The lightning in his hand condensed, crackling violently.
Hiruzen's head throbbed.
He had barely dealt with one problem when another arrived.
After a moment of thought, he looked at Kakashi.
"Kakashi, your father was a hero of Konoha. I, too, deeply regret his death. Konoha's White Fang was one of our most reliable and powerful ninja. I was proud that he belonged to this village—"
Before he could finish, Kakashi interrupted sharply.
"Don't dodge the question. I asked whether you allowed Danzo to spread rumors, force my father into despair, and drive him to suicide."
"Tell me—what matters more? Comrades, or missions?"
"Did the First Hokage believe a companion's life was worth less than completing a mission?"
"Or did the Second Hokage teach you that a ninja who fails a mission is worse than trash?"
Every word struck like a blade.
Kakashi's killing intent surged, his red eyes filled with fury and tears as he stared at Hiruzen.
For the first time, fear crept into Hiruzen's heart. He cursed Danzo Shimura inwardly. If not for that decision back then, he would not be facing this backlash now.
Hiruzen looked at Kakashi and said firmly, "Kakashi, rest assured. I will clear White Fang's name immediately. I will never allow a hero to be wronged."
He reached out and patted Kakashi's shoulder.
Kakashi didn't react.
"Then what about Danzo Shimura?" he asked coldly. "How do you plan to deal with him? Protect him? Or execute him?"
"Orchestrating the death of a Konoha hero—do you think this can simply be brushed aside?"
"Just because he's high-ranking and has contributed to the village, does that mean his merits outweigh his crimes?"
Killing intent burned in Kakashi's gaze as he stared at Hiruzen.
Hiruzen's expression finally darkened. He took a step back and spoke slowly.
"This happened many years ago. Besides, the content in that newspaper may be fabricated."
"The Uchiha sell such irresponsible publications with no evidence whatsoever. I urge everyone to think carefully and not be misled."
"The Uchiha have always coveted the position of Hokage. Perhaps this is their conspiracy."
He swept his gaze across the room.
"You are all villagers of Konoha. You should be able to distinguish right from wrong."
As he spoke, Hiruzen's eyes narrowed toward Uchiha Fugaku, deliberately shifting the conflict onto the Uchiha clan.
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