"First... First Hokage?!"
"And the Second Hokage!"
"Is that Lady Tsunade beside them?"
Minato Namikaze froze in place, his curiosity about the chat group instantly forgotten as his gaze locked onto the figures before him.
In that moment, everything became clear. This was the Konoha Hokage Chat Group, gathering all the Hokage throughout history, even future ones like Tsunade.
"Wait, was I pulled into this group?"
"Which era's Hokage are you?"
"You look as young as this Fourth Hokage here."
The First and Second Hokages, who had just joined the group, noticed Minato and began asking about his identity one after another. With new Hokage now gathered, the World Ranking List and Cross-World Mutual Aid function for the second meeting were finally about to unlock.
The First and Second Hokages examined Minato intently, full of curiosity, but Tsunade beside them recognized him at a glance.
"Grandfather, he's the Fourth Hokage I know, Minato Namikaze."
Tsunade explained Minato's identity, and Minato straightened his posture, the Hokage's Ceremonial Robe he wore serving as proof of his status as the Fourth Hokage.
The First and Second Hokages turned to the group administrator Aoki, waiting for a detailed introduction.
"Aoki, tell us about this Fourth Hokage."
Aoki himself was also a Fourth Hokage and was thoroughly familiar with Konoha's history, so he began explaining immediately. Everyone took their seats, and Minato's mind was filled with curiosity—he had actually glimpsed his own future within this chat group.
"Minato, what year is it in Konoha on your side?" Aoki spoke first, wanting to confirm his timeline.
Minato thought for a moment before replying, "Konoha Year 48."
Hearing this answer, the expressions of Aoki and Tsunade instantly changed, and the First and Second Hokages beside them immediately understood the key point.
"Wait, doesn't that mean this child is going to die this year?"
"The war is already over, how could this child perish?"
Aoki slowly recounted the cause and effect, explaining the entire incident of the Nine-Tails Rampage: the masked man colluded with Danzo Shimura, targeting the Fourth Hokage's child in an attempt to control the Nine-Tails. In the end, although Minato defeated the masked man, he sacrificed himself alongside his wife Kushina to protect Konoha.
After the Fourth Hokage couple passed away, Konoha's strength was depleted, forcing the Third Hokage to return and take charge of the village once more.
Upon hearing this, the First and Second Hokages were utterly shocked.
"How is this possible?"
"A mere Nine-Tails can actually take lives?"
The First Hokage's face was full of disbelief, while everyone else in the group, including Aoki, couldn't help but feel a sense of helplessness.
The world might not know, but Madara Uchiha, in order to defeat Hashirama, went so far as to transplant his cells and even awakened the Rinnegan. Hashirama's strength was unfathomable, and his cells were comparable to a cheat code like the Tailed Beasts. In the current chat group, even Aoki's abilities were far inferior to those of the First Hokage, Senju Hashirama.
The Second Hokage instantly grasped the situation, especially when he learned that Danzo Shimura was also involved, his expression growing increasingly grim.
"Tsunade, when exactly did you become Hokage?"
Tsunade understood the Second Hokage's implied meaning and replied helplessly, "More than a decade later, the Third Hokage will pass away."
Hearing this, the Second Hokage's anger grew even fiercer. He now suspected that all of this was likely another scheme orchestrated by Danzo Shimura and that masked man.
"So, I die this year."
Minato froze in place, finally learning his own fate. He had never imagined that he would perish just as his child was born. As the Hokage, he was constantly busy with duties, spending little time with his wife. Now, he would even leave his child alone in this world.
Minato's usual sunny demeanor vanished completely, and the aura around him instantly turned cold.
Aoki looked at Minato, who had fallen into despair, and understood. Fortunately, he had already taken action to deal with Sarutobi Hiruzen and Danzo Shimura; otherwise, Minato's fate would have been even worse. At that moment, he suddenly thought of Naruto.
"Minato, don't you want to know what happened to your son later?"
Aoki's words struck Minato like thunder. He snapped back to reality, his eyes filled with urgency, and bowed in earnest plea, "Group Leader, I beg you to tell me!"
Aoki spoke slowly, laying out everything that followed: Before his death, Minato sealed the Nine-Tails inside his son, Naruto. However, the Third Hokage ordered Naruto's identity as the Fourth Hokage's son to be concealed. The villagers only knew he was the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki and treated him harshly from a young age.
"The nanny taking care of Naruto would mix boiling water directly into his milk without even testing the temperature before feeding it to him."
"Some even wanted to kill Naruto outright."
"But the Third Hokage intervened to stop them, as the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki could not die."
As Aoki recounted Naruto's tragic childhood, Minato Namikaze's expression grew darker, his heart boiling with rage. The Second Hokage also looked ashamed, regretting that he had passed the title of Hokage to such a person.
"Afterward, none of the Fourth Hokage's assets were left to Naruto. He was sent to an orphanage."
"His monthly allowance was pitifully small. He drank expired milk and often went hungry."
"When he went outside, the villagers would point and whisper, calling him a demon fox. No child was willing to play with him."
"His only happiness was the brief moments when the Third Hokage visited the orphanage each month."
As Aoki finished speaking, a terrifying aura erupted from Minato Namikaze. He was no longer the cheerful young man known as the "Little Sun." He stood up abruptly, his eyes swirling with intense killing intent.
Seeing Minato like this, Tsunade fell silent. Recalling Naruto's later demeanor, she found it hard to imagine he had grown up in such circumstances. Strangely, she felt a sense of relief—this extreme anger might help Minato hold onto his true self, preventing him from falling into darkness and becoming a calamity for the Ninja World.
Understanding the overwhelming fury of a father, Aoki spoke to soothe him:
"Minato, sit down first."
"These are all events of the future, and now, you know everything."
"Will you let these things happen again?"