Chapter 56 - Hiruzen bashing

And let the schedule fuckery begin. I'm sorry for the delay, I had, and still have actually, some problems that I have to solve before my recruitment, but my whole country's on holiday until a day before my enlistment so the phone centers don't work (because of course they don't). Anyway, I've got 6 days till I'm gone so maybe I'll manage to post a chapter before I enlist. Honestly, I'm a bit scared. I mean, I'm very happy and excited to enlist for sure, but as the time draws near I'm realizing just what I'm giving up for the next couple of years. Anyway, enough of my rant, enjoy the chapter.

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"But first, we need to address this situation," Ryu sighed, annoyance evident in his voice as he surveyed the area. Hiruzen had regained his footing, and the Shinobi he had "teleported" away were returning.

"Damn it..." Naruto muttered, apprehensive as the Shinobi stood before him with their weapons drawn, ready to strike him down if deemed necessary.

"Naruto, I regret to say this, but I must take you into custody. You pose too great a threat for me to allow you to roam free," Hiruzen said, his voice laden with sorrow. "Really? And how do you plan to do that?" Ryu challenged, positioning himself protectively in front of the boy.

"Ryu, it's not your place to interfere. You've seen what he can become! I let him roam free because it was his father's wish, but he's proven to be a danger to the village. We must take appropriate measures! It genuinely pains me, Naruto, but you've left me no choice," Hiruzen explained, anguish coloring his words.

"Did you just—You know what? Forget it. Hiruzen, you're unbelievable. The fact that you actually buy into the lies you're spouting is the only reason you're still standing. You claim Naruto is too dangerous, but I disagree. You know what I see? I see a neglected, wounded child who's finally reached his breaking point—a child who's had enough of your mistreatment," Ryu retorted, his frustration with Hiruzen boiling over.

"What would you have done in my place?! Give me a better solution, I dare you!" Hiruzen snapped back, his tone laced with frustration.

Ryu paused for a moment before responding. "Let's see. For starters, how about defending his reputation once Danzo began spreading lies? Announcing that he's the Fourth's son and that this was the result of his father's sacrifice would have put an end to this ridiculous situation. And don't even try to bring up the Fourth's enemies as an excuse. His godfather is an S-rank Shinobi and the best spymaster in the world. With you and the other Shinobi protecting him, he'd be safer than the Daimyō!"

"But even beyond that, a dilapidated orphanage? Seriously? What about his protection? You were well aware of the villagers' treatment towards him. Assigning even a single Shinobi as a bodyguard could have prevented that. This is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to your incompetence, but if I were to list it all, we'd be here all day! You say he'd go on a rampage or something, but as it stands, he's a perfect Jinchuriki—these rampages won't happen again," Ryu declared, his anger evident.

Silence enveloped the area as Hiruzen grasped the gravity of his mistakes, and the surrounding Shinobi realized their own part in the errors. None of them had known Naruto was the Fourth's son. Had they known, their treatment of him would have been different, as insincere as it might be. With Naruto now a perfect Jinchuriki, they could no longer afford to mistreat him.

'Hey, Naruto, take a look at this,' Kurama snickered, sharing his ability to sense emotions with Naruto. Naruto's expression contorted in disgust as he observed the Shinobi's remorse and pity morph into greed in mere moments. As soon as they recognized his potential, he became a tool to them once more—perhaps a well-treated tool, but a tool nonetheless.

"You've got your work cut out for you, future Hokage," Ryu smirked, noticing the determination in Naruto's eyes despite the loathing that painted his face. "Now, let's move. Hiruzen, inform the clans that you have a perfect Jinchuriki on your side. I'll arrange a suitable location for negotiations near my smithy. From now on, Naruto stays with me." Without another word, Ryu grabbed Naruto and disappeared in a blink, leaving Hiruzen and his Shinobi dumbfounded.

---

As soon as the clans learned that the civilians had the Nine-Tails on their side, they immediately called for negotiations. Memories of the devastating attack during which the Fourth Hokage had lost his life were still fresh, making it impossible for the clans to continue their assault in light of this new information.

The two factions argued on Ryu's property, each trying to assert their position. Although the civilians had won the war, the prideful clans viewed the negotiation table as an opportunity to salvage some semblance of success. Despite knowing they would have to make concessions, they still aimed to get the most out of the situation.

Eventually, a compromise was reached. The special status of the clans was heavily regulated, resulting in more equal treatment between them and the civilians. Furthermore, the education provided to civilians saw a significant improvement, both in regular classes and Shinobi training. Now, the path to success in the Hidden Leaf Village was open to ordinary civilians as well.

In return, the clans were granted the right to keep their Jutsus exclusive to themselves. While this may have been a single concession, losing it would have meant the complete erasure of their identity. Thus, they considered it a victory.

However, a new challenge loomed on the horizon. Due to Kurama's immense strength, Naruto was now effectively the second strongest person in the village, surpassed only by Ryu. Though he had sided with the civilians, word of the Hokage's wrongdoings spread rapidly, leading to various factions attempting to gain his favor. But as Naruto was always near Ryu, no one had made a move so far.

As for Hiruzen, he was removed from his position, leaving the village in need of a new Hokage. The council tried to elect Jiraiya, who was present at the time, but he attempted to pass the role to the missing Tsunade. Ryu, however, quickly dismissed the idea. While he wasn't particularly invested in the village, he didn't want to jeopardize the progress made by placing a gambling, alcohol-addicted individual in charge. With Jiraiya's experience as a Spymaster, Ryu insisted he was better suited for the position and ultimately forced it upon him.

Slowly, the village began to find a sense of calm once more.

---

A significant amount of time had passed since the negotiations, and life in the village had settled into a new normal. One day, as Naruto was undergoing rigorous training exercises, Ryu decided to ask him a question. "Say, Naruto, I have a question for you. When Kurama was unleashed during your fight with the Hokage, did your father happen to appear by any chance?" Ryu inquired.

"What do you mean? Why would he show up? Isn't he dead?" Naruto responded, puzzled by the question.

"Yes, he's dead, but he and your mother sealed a part of themselves within the seal on your stomach. They intended to be summoned if Kurama ever broke free. However, I thought you might not want to see them in the midst of an emotional storm, so I made some adjustments to the seal. If you'd like, I can help you summon both of them at the same time when you're ready to meet them," Ryu explained.

"...𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓?!"