SWNOVELXO Chapter 92: Chapter 102
[Descendant Chat Group (^_-)]
[Minato Namikaze]: Naruto...
But at that moment, Naruto seriously wiped his tears.
"So that's how it is…"
"Is this the kind of hardship one must endure to be the child of the Hokage?"
"It's truly… unbelievable—" Naruto was crying, yet he sounded like he was mocking himself, and also as if he had finally found release.
"Then do you still want to become Hokage?" Kitahara Kaede asked.
"..." Naruto.
Naruto wiped his face.
"Of course I do!"
"Because my father was the Fourth Hokage… I must endure all of it!"
"…My goal is to surpass all the previous Hokage, including the Fourth! I want to become someone even greater than him!" Naruto declared.
Kitahara Kaede watched him. From the moment Tobirama brought Naruto over, he knew Naruto would say exactly that.
Because this is Uzumaki Naruto.
A natural-born saint-like figure, a true master of "Talk no Jutsu".
And at the same time—
He had grown up.
Thanks to spending sixty years reading in the illusion world, he had gained maturity and depth.
So now, Naruto had a truly mature way of thinking.
Naruto handed the keys back to Tobirama.
"I'll only return here after I achieve my goal," Naruto said.
Then he ran back to his apartment to cry alone.
Even if he tried hard to act mature, he was still a child at heart.
Accepting the truth of his identity… that would take time.
The next day, the village held a public assembly for two matters:
The posthumous redemption of Kakashi's father, the White Fang of Konoha.
The sentencing of Shimura Danzō.
Danzō took all the blame and was sentenced to death by dismemberment.
Tobirama came to see Danzō beforehand, gazing at this now completely unfamiliar student of his—
A student who had angered him to no end.
Still, Tobirama kept a straight face.
"This punishment is necessary."
"But…"
"I'll bring you back with Edo Tensei after your death," Tobirama said. "I want to give you one more chance."
"..." Danzō.
"Alright."
Danzō closed his eyes. That was enough. It meant his teacher had acknowledged him in the end.
Otherwise, Tobirama wouldn't bother bringing him back.
He had finally found courage—just once.
But… he was tricked.
Even 50 years later, when Kitahara Kaede's rabbit summons had grown into a full-blown Ōtsutsuki Kaguya-tier being, Danzō still hadn't been brought back.
As for Tobirama—
"Edo Danzō?"
"Do I look like I want to make my life any harder?"
The reason he lied to Danzō? The guy had too many Sharingan. Tobirama was afraid Danzō might keep using Izanagi endlessly if revived.
Konoha Year 61: Shimura Danzō, a high-ranking official of the village, personally confessed that, out of selfishness and power struggles, he misled the Third Hokage and caused countless disasters.
Ultimately, under the ruling of the open-minded Edo Tensei Second Hokage, Danzō was sentenced and publicly executed.
It was a way to take responsibility for many past injustices and decisions.
The Root organization once led by Danzō was also restructured and officially integrated into Konoha's ANBU.
The Root agents, once tricked into joining under the pretense of serving ANBU, finally had that promise fulfilled.
They became true ANBU members—servants of the Hokage, with a future to look forward to.
And the price?
Danzō gave his life to shoulder the burden.
"..."
Looking at Danzō's dismembered body, Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Third Hokage, closed his eyes.
Because in the end, it was Danzō alone who carried the burden for everyone.
If Danzō was the "Pot King," then Hiruzen surely had to be the "Pot Lid."
Danzō made many mistakes—but so did he.
Like his double standards with Orochimaru, or his indecisiveness with the Uchiha situation.
Or even his handling of Naruto.
He, too, was responsible.
But now the scapegoat had fallen.
Hiruzen closed his eyes.
When he opened them again, Danzō's remains were already being cleaned up by Root members.
Danzō had once attempted to assassinate him—but Hiruzen had forgiven him, thinking of his strength, his abilities, and their bond as comrades.
He gave him one more chance back then.
And now…
That comrade was gone.
He took everything with him—and was gone.
Hiruzen let out a long sigh.
As he turned to leave, he saw Kitahara Kaede was also about to go. He quickly called out.
"Wait…"
"Kitahara-kun…"
Hiruzen's dry lips parted, as though he wanted to say many things, but in the end, they condensed into just a few words:
"This time… thank you."
"If it weren't for you, I would've died."
Hiruzen sighed.
"You've always treated me kindly, Grandpa Third." Kitahara Kaede said. "And in times like this, the one most suited to take the fall… is the most unpopular person."
"The most unpopular…"
That reminded Hiruzen: for all the mistakes he made, there was one thing he had done right.
In Konoha—even Naruto—still believed he was the kind and gentle Third Hokage.
Kitahara Kaede did too.
That's probably why he saved him.
He had wanted to promote the Will of Fire, and in the end, unintentionally succeeded.
"Kitahara-kun—"
Just then, as Asuma helped the exhausted but relieved Hiruzen walk away, Kakashi Hatake, who had come to witness Danzō's execution, called out to Kitahara Kaede.
This time, Danzō took a lot of blame.
Even the decision to hide Naruto's heritage as the Fourth Hokage's son… was blamed on Danzō.
(Though they did get Naruto's consent this time to keep it hidden until he proved himself.)
Meanwhile, Kakashi's father—Sakumo Hatake—was finally vindicated.
He had once been Konoha's elite, the famous White Fang, and played a vital role during the Second Shinobi War, especially against the Sand, where he killed Chiyo's son and daughter-in-law—forcing Sunagakure to retreat and giving Konoha a major victory.
But during a top-secret mission, he had to choose between completing it or saving his comrades.
He chose to save them—and failed the mission.
The resulting losses caused a public outcry.
Even those he saved turned on him.
Eventually, when Kakashi enrolled in the ninja academy, Sakumo took his own life.
Kakashi came home… to find his father's corpse.
And now, that injustice had been rectified.
The higher-ups had allowed public opinion to fester to the point it drove a hero to suicide—and someone had to be held accountable.
So Danzō took the fall.
Kakashi felt… the situation was more complex than that, but he didn't say anything for or against it.
He just knew: because of his father's death, he used to believe that mission > comrades.
Because even comrades might turn on you in the end.
But after Obito sacrificed himself and gave him the Sharingan, he had changed.
He learned that those who abandon comrades are worse than trash.
So he accepted the outcome.
At least his father's name had been cleared.
"Hmm?"
Kitahara Kaede turned to look.
"You really gave the Third another chance, huh?"
Kakashi said, "In the end, all the slips in the Second Hokage's bowl had Danzō's name, right? So from the start, you gave Tobirama no one else to choose."
"..." Kitahara Kaede.
"..." Kitahara Kaede gave him a strange look.
"What a strange thing to say."
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