The office door was slightly ajar.
Naruto was just about to knock when he heard a familiar voice coming faintly from inside.
"…They're still inexperienced. Wouldn't it be too much to assign them this kind of mission?"
The voice carried genuine concern and worry. Naruto's heart stirred.
That's… Iruka-sensei?
Naruto gently pushed the door open a little more and peeked inside.
The scene before him was exactly what he had imagined.
Inside the spacious Hokage's office, the Third Hokage sat behind his desk, flipping through documents while puffing gently on his pipe. Standing before him was his academy teacher, Iruka Umino.
Iruka looked serious, clearly trying to persuade the Hokage about something.
"Everyone starts out with easy missions to gain experience," Hiruzen said calmly.
"But Hokage-sama, isn't it too soon to assign Naruto's team a C-rank mission?"
Sarutobi Hiruzen listened in silence. He slowly set down the scroll he had been reading, just as he and Iruka suddenly heard a small creak from the door.
Both of them turned to look.
They saw Naruto standing in the doorway, leaning in cautiously with half his body inside.
Now that he had been discovered, Naruto simply pushed the door all the way open and stepped in boldly.
Hiruzen was a little surprised to see the boy appear so suddenly.
He quickly waved him in with a warm smile.
"Come in. What brings you here so early this morning? Is something bothering you?"
Iruka also looked puzzled.
"Naruto, what are you doing here?"
Naruto opened his mouth but didn't answer right away.
His eyes swept past Iruka and locked directly onto the Third Hokage.
So many questions had been building up inside him they were about to spill out.
But Hiruzen had no idea what Naruto was really thinking. He assumed this was just another one of Naruto's usual surprise visits.
With that in mind, Hiruzen chuckled and said kindly,
"Actually, you've come at a good time. I have something to tell you. I've just assigned a new C-rank mission for Team 7. You'll finally get to go outside the village and prove your strength."
"A C-rank mission outside the village?!"
Iruka's expression changed the moment he heard it. He was clearly shocked that the Hokage had actually made such a decision.
He instinctively tried to dissuade him, "Hokage-sama, they really "
But halfway through his sentence, Iruka suddenly remembered that Naruto was standing right beside him. He stopped himself, swallowing the rest of his words.
Sarutobi Hiruzen noticed Iruka's conflicted expression and gave a helpless smile.
He understood that Iruka meant well and cared deeply for Naruto.
But Team 7 had already completed several D-rank missions inside the village. According to the rules, they were now eligible to take on slightly more difficult assignments.
Moreover, Kakashi had submitted a written report just yesterday stating that Naruto had been grumbling about the missions being too easy for quite some time.
As Hokage, Hiruzen wanted to give new genin meaningful training and to make Naruto happy as well.
That's why he thought this news would definitely lift Naruto's spirits.
"Didn't you always say the earlier missions were too easy and boring, Naruto?" the Third Hokage said with a gentle smile. "This time, you'll finally get to leave the village for a mission. I figured you'd be thrilled "
Naruto interrupted him with a low, dull voice.
His expression didn't show the excitement or surprise they expected. In fact, he looked... downcast.
Hiruzen and Iruka were both taken aback.
This reaction was completely unlike Naruto.
Normally, if he heard he could leave the village, he'd be jumping for joy. But now?
The mood in the office instantly became strange.
The Third Hokage held his pipe between his lips and stared at Naruto's face, silently thinking something was definitely wrong.
Today's Naruto… was acting very differently.
Frowning slightly, Hiruzen asked in a careful tone,
"Naruto… is something the matter? Do you want to talk about it?"
Naruto took a deep breath, then slowly looked up and locked eyes with the Third Hokage.
After a long silence, he finally spoke.
"Grandpa Third… I came here to ask you something."
Sarutobi Hiruzen met the boy's intense gaze, and his heart skipped a beat.
There was something in Naruto's eyes something determined, even burning. It wasn't like anything he had seen before.
"My father's identity…" Naruto stared directly into the Third Hokage's eyes and asked clearly, "Who is my father?"
As soon as the question was spoken, the room went completely silent.
The smile on Sarutobi Hiruzen's face froze.
Iruka, standing to the side, was also stunned.
He turned to Naruto with wide eyes, completely taken aback.
After the initial shock passed, a bead of cold sweat slowly formed on the Third Hokage's forehead.
So it really came to this.
Naruto had suddenly come here to ask this question… it could only mean one thing: he must have learned something from that strange dream.
Sarutobi Hiruzen groaned inwardly.
The decision to conceal Naruto's background had been made with great care. He had always planned to wait until Naruto was older more mature before telling him the truth.
But who could have predicted that these bizarre dreams would unravel so many secrets ahead of time?
Hiruzen remained silent for a moment. Then, he sighed and slowly said,
"Naruto… your identity is very complex, and extremely special. You must not speak of this to anyone "
Naruto's voice rose with emotion as he stared at the Third Hokage in disbelief. Instead of easing his confusion, the vague answer only deepened the doubts in his heart.
"Then… is my father the Fourth Hokage?!"
With those words, he finally voiced the guess that had been burning in his mind.
His eyes locked onto Hiruzen's face, waiting for the truth.
Sarutobi Hiruzen's pupils contracted slightly, and a flicker of regret passed through his eyes.
He didn't reply. But the heavy silence on his face said everything.
Iruka, who had been quietly listening beside them, was frozen in place.
He stared at Naruto in disbelief.
"Naruto, stop messing around!"
Iruka was so flustered that sweat beaded on his forehead. He asked repeatedly,
"Where did you hear that kind of rumor?"
At that moment, Iruka could only assume someone had misled Naruto into saying something so outrageous.
He waved his hands hurriedly and said,
"Naruto, stop imagining things. The Fourth Hokage… he just sealed the Nine-Tails into your body."
But the moment the words left his mouth, Iruka himself sensed something strange.
If Naruto were just an ordinary orphan, like the rumors said… then why would the Fourth Hokage choose him to bear such a burden?
And more importantly… the Third Hokage hadn't denied Naruto's words at all.
In the quiet office, Hiruzen remained silent.
He closed his eyes and sighed again, still offering no response.
Iruka looked toward the Hokage and was stunned.
His lips parted, but no words came out.
Could it be… could Naruto really be telling the truth?
Naruto, who had been watching carefully the whole time, caught every subtle change in the Third Hokage's expression.
In that moment, the last bit of hope in Naruto's heart shattered like a fragile bubble.
The emotions he had been suppressing in his chest could no longer be held back. His eyes reddened instantly.
He took a step forward, his voice rough and trembling with emotion.
"If I'm really the son of the Fourth Hokage… then why does everyone in the village hate me?! Why have they all looked at me with disgust and fear since I was a kid?!"
As he shouted, his eyes filled with tears, and his voice broke into sobs.
"I should have been… I should have been !"
Iruka couldn't bear to watch any longer. Seeing Naruto nearly break down, he rushed over and grabbed him by the shoulders.
But Naruto's heart was filled with grief and anger. His throat tightened, and he could no longer speak.
Instead, two streams of hot tears welled up in his eyes.
He bowed his head, biting down hard on his lower lip desperately trying to hold back the tears from falling.
Across from him, the Third Hokage sat frozen, as if plunged into an icy abyss.
His entire body felt stiff in his seat.
Naruto's arrival had caught him completely off guard.
He wasn't prepared he hadn't had time to think.
Faced with Naruto's outpouring of raw emotion, Hiruzen could only let out a deep, guilty sigh.
"…Naruto… I'm sorry…"
At this point, he didn't know what else he could say