Jiraiya, standing nearby, watched the scene: Naruto's tear-filled eyes, finally relieved, and his brilliant smile, and Tsunade's domineering yet incredibly reliable back.
This man, who had weathered countless storms, couldn't help but feel his eyes moisten, yet the corners of his mouth were raised high.
He shouted silently in his heart:
Minato, Kushina... did you see this?
Your son, he can finally... truly live in the sunlight!
This is wonderful!
Shortly after Tsunade's conversation with Naruto, an announcement—issued directly by the Fifth Hokage Office, concise in wording yet earth-shattering in content—was posted on Konoha's bulletin boards at the fastest possible speed and disseminated through the Ninja system to every corner of the Village.
The core message of the announcement consisted of only a few short sentences, yet it struck the calm lake surface like a nuclear bomb:
[Effective immediately, Uzumaki Naruto is officially cleared of all charges.]
[His true identity is: the son of the Fourth Hokage Minato Namikaze and Uzumaki Kushina.]
[All past false rumors are hereby abolished. Please be informed.]
...The entirety of Konoha, the moment they read this announcement, fell into an eerie silence that lasted for several seconds.
Immediately afterward, a clamor and shock, like a volcanic eruption, swept through every corner of the Village!
"Wha... what?!"
"Am I seeing things? That Uzumaki Naruto... is the son of the Fourth Hokage-sama?"
"How is this possible? The Fourth Generation... wasn't he a sacrificing hero? How could his son... how could he be the 'Demon Fox'?"
"But Lady Tsunade issued this; it can't be wrong."
"What... what exactly have we done to that child all these years?"
"No wonder... no wonder Lady Tsunade acted so decisively the moment she took office. It turns out it was to clear the name of the Fourth Generation's orphan!"
"Oh god... we treated the son of a hero like this..."
On the streets, in the Ninja Academy, at the mission center, in every household... everyone was discussing this earth-shattering reversal of news.
Shock, disbelief, shame, confusion... various complex emotions intertwined on the villagers' faces.
Many people who had previously given Naruto the Byakugan or even spoken ill of him now felt their faces burning, their hearts filled with unbearable shame.
The "Demon Fox" they had always feared and rejected was actually the orphan of the Fourth Hokage they had always admired?
This huge contrast made it impossible for them to accept.
One must remember, Minato Namikaze was the only commoner Hokage, the pride of all commoners like them.
"I truly deserve to die..."
Countless people cried out in dismay!
The Ninja Academy was in an uproar.
"That Naruto guy... is the Fourth Hokage's son?" Kiba, holding Akamaru, felt his jaw nearly drop to the floor.
"So... he isn't the Demon Fox who brought disaster..." Hinata murmured softly, her face showing distress and a hint of relief.
"Damn it... that dead last..." Sasuke clenched his fists tightly, his emotions incredibly complicated.
He had always thought he was special, bearing the destiny of a genius and a revenger.
Yet, he never expected that the dead last he looked down upon had a background so... illustrious and tragic.
Below the Hokage Rock, countless villagers spontaneously gathered, gazing up at the stone statue of the Fourth Hokage's warm smile. Recalling the solitary blonde boy, many couldn't help but shed tears of guilt.
Konoha's public opinion underwent a massive reversal with this single announcement.
The name "Uzumaki Naruto," which had been a symbol of disaster and rejection, transformed almost overnight into an object of sympathy and admiration—a figure bearing a hero's bloodline who had suffered tremendous injustice.
Tsunade used the most direct and forceful method to forcibly reverse Naruto's miserable situation of many years.
She knew that a single announcement couldn't instantly eliminate all prejudice, and Naruto's future path still had to be walked by himself.
But at least, from this moment on, when he walked in the sunlight of Konoha, he carried not the curse of the "Demon Fox," but the glory of the "Hero's Son."
This was the "gift," long overdue, that she, as the Fifth Hokage, gave to the child, and it was her most powerful correction of the errors of the old era.
Konoha's sky seemed to become a little clearer because of this vindication.
However, following the villagers' shock, a more turbulent rage, like a volcanic eruption, immediately followed!
When people recovered from the initial shock, the chain of logic quickly became clear:
The Fourth Hokage was a hero who sacrificed himself to protect the Village!
His son should have received the love and respect of the entire Village!
But what kind of life had Uzumaki Naruto lived all these years?
Isolated, rejected, and called the "Demon Fox"!
So, who caused all of this?
The spearhead instantly and precisely pointed toward the retired Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi and the former Konoha Leadership under his command!
"Hiruzen Sarutobi! What exactly did you leaders do?!"
"Why did you conceal Naruto-sama's identity?"
"It's one thing to use power for personal gain and develop your clan, but why did you treat the hero's orphan like this?"
"Do you deserve the sacrificing Fourth Generation? Do you deserve the 'will of fire'?"
Countless questions, accusations, and even curses surged like a tide toward the Sarutobi Clan compound.
Although people could not break into the heavily guarded compound, this did not stop them from gathering outside, passionately questioning, demanding an explanation, and seeking justice!
Among them, the most emotional and inwardly tormented were the former subordinates of the Fourth Hokage Minato Namikaze, as well as the Ninja and families Minato had once saved and favored.
They had absolutely no idea of Naruto's identity!
Misled by the deliberate information blockade by the Konoha Leadership and the "Demon Fox" rumors, they had even... followed the crowd, casting cold, hateful looks at the child, or saying hurtful things to him!
When the truth was revealed, recalling their past words and actions, and contrasting them with the Fourth Hokage's past kindness and protection toward them, a gut-wrenching shame and unbearable remorse nearly consumed them!
"I... I even scolded him back then, telling him to stay away from me..."
"The Fourth Generation once saved my life! And I... I actually treated his son like this!"
"I truly deserve to die!"
This extreme feeling of guilt caused them such pain that they almost wanted to atone for their sins with death.
The immense anger caused them to turn their focus toward the former Konoha Leadership who had concealed the truth, issuing the fiercest condemnation.
The deep-seated shame, however, led them to perform another act of compensation.
Countless people bought all sorts of gifts, food, toys, and even expensive Ninja tools, and quietly, under the cover of night or when no one was around, piled them up at the entrance of Naruto's new home, quickly forming a small mountain.