Konoha's Hero
Fujimoto Tōma finally spoke.
"What I want to tell you all is this," he said evenly. "Uzumaki Naruto has been Konoha's hero since the day he was born."
The crowd froze.
Then murmurs spread like ripples across water.
But the result was clear. Even with Tōma standing there as the Sixth Hokage, overwhelmingly powerful and undeniable, very few people agreed.
A demon fox could never be a hero.
Tōma wasn't surprised. He continued calmly.
"I understand your doubts. So let me say this clearly. Uzumaki Naruto is the only son of the Fourth Hokage."
The square fell silent.
Utter disbelief spread across countless faces. The Fourth Hokage and the Nine-Tails? The difference between those identities was too great to reconcile.
Naruto himself stared wide-eyed at Tōma. He hadn't known either.
Tōma paused briefly, giving everyone time to breathe, then went on.
"Being a hero's son doesn't automatically make someone a hero. But Naruto has earned that title."
He began to recount the Nine-Tails incident. Not the simplified version everyone knew, but the details hidden from civilians.
They knew the Fourth Hokage had sacrificed his life to stop the Nine-Tails.
What they didn't know was that he had sealed the beast into his newborn son.
Not as punishment.
As trust.
The Fourth Hokage believed his child could suppress the Nine-Tails. More than that, he believed Konoha would protect his legacy.
Tōma deliberately avoided mentioning Uzumaki Kushina. Not everything needed to be revealed today.
"You all know how Naruto grew up," Tōma continued, his voice softening. "And yet, despite everything, the number of times he's lost control and harmed someone in the village is zero."
That was the truth.
"From childhood until now, he has used his own body to contain the Nine-Tails and protect Konoha. That's why I say Uzumaki Naruto has always been a hero."
He looked out over the crowd.
"I know many of you lost family during the Nine-Tails disaster. I've never asked you to forgive the Nine-Tails."
Then his tone sharpened.
"But the Nine-Tails is the Nine-Tails. Naruto is Naruto. Naruto is not the Nine-Tails, and the Nine-Tails is not Naruto."
Silence followed.
Tōma understood. Even with the truth laid bare, not everyone could accept it immediately. The monster they had rejected for years being called a hero wasn't easy to swallow.
Some had only looked away in the past.
Others had done far worse.
Many heads lowered, shame heavy enough to pull their eyes to the ground.
Naruto stood frozen.
Son of the Fourth Hokage?
He turned slowly, staring at the stone face on the Hokage Monument. The Hokage he had admired since childhood… was his father?
It felt unreal.
But Tōma had no reason to lie.
So this was the truth.
Naruto turned back to the crowd. Many people still couldn't meet his eyes.
A rough voice echoed in his mind.
"Hmph. Brat, their hostility's fading. Looks like guilt is finally kicking in."
Naruto blinked, then smiled slightly. "Thanks."
The Nine-Tails froze.
Being thanked at a moment like this wasn't something it had expected.
After all, Naruto's suffering had started with it.
The beast's expression grew complicated as it slowly closed its eyes.
Naruto looked at the people before him.
Were they really feeling guilty?
The thought warmed something deep inside his chest.
He smiled. Brightly. Unreservedly.
"Everyone," Naruto said loudly, "I've always been happy! I had friends growing up. Like Tōma, like Sasuke, and Iruka-sensei who always looked out for me. So please, don't feel guilty for my sake!"
His eyes shimmered, but his voice stayed firm.
"And I've decided to fully accept the Nine-Tails now. That means I can speak for it."
He raised his head.
"If the Nine-Tails has committed wrongs, then I'll bear that responsibility. I promise you this. I won't let it hurt the village ever again. I'll use its power to protect Konoha!"
He clenched his fist.
"And one day, just like my father, like Granny Tsunade, and like Tōma—"
"I'll become a Hokage everyone believes in!"
"Until then," Naruto said, bowing deeply, "please watch over me."
The square was stunned.
Even Tōma hadn't expected this. Naruto hadn't just accepted the truth. He had stepped forward and taken responsibility that was never truly his.
From Tōma's perspective, the villagers' hatred had never been baseless. They had lost family, homes, and futures to the Nine-Tails. That pain was real.
The only tragedy was ignorance.
They hadn't known the truth. And some had deliberately kept it from them.
"Naruto…" Iruka whispered, eyes shining.
He hadn't known Naruto's lineage either. Hearing it now, seeing Naruto stand there like this, his chest felt unbearably full.
He'd grown up.
Both of them had.
"My most precious students," Iruka thought, smiling through tears.
Nearby, Sasuke watched Naruto with a complicated expression. Then he smiled.
That idiot really was something else.
"Brat," Tsunade muttered, annoyed, "calling me granny in front of everyone…"
Her grin betrayed her completely.
Shizune laughed softly beside her. Watching Tōma and Naruto standing there, it felt like the village was finally moving forward.
One by one, people began to raise their heads.
They were met by Naruto's smile. Open. Radiant. Unconditional.
A single clap rang out.
Then another.
And another.
Until the entire square was drowned in applause.
...
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