Chapter 5

The next day, Kakashi gave us the day off. The others rested, while I went to the administration to sort out the situation with the district.

After fifteen minutes of talking to the officials, I realized that Anko had catastrophically exaggerated my status. I owned more than four hectares of land on the outskirts of Konoha! Four hectares! In permanent ownership! Tax-free! This territory had access to hot springs and an intact clan library that no one had touched. Moreover, it was being guarded for free by Hyuga clan warriors, on their own initiative. I don't know why, but I felt incredibly embarrassed at this point.

Ninety-nine percent of the area was ruins. Only two buildings had survived: the library and another one that used to be a food storehouse. However, many buildings were only cosmetically damaged and didn't require major repairs. My clan had settled here quite well once upon a time, it was a rather wealthy district.

After briefly reviewing the papers, I set out to see everything with my own eyes. It was quite a wilderness, but not all that bad! Yes, the buildings were damaged, the streets overgrown with weeds, but with a bit of effort, the place could be restored fairly quickly.

I found the library. A one-story elongated building with tiny windows. A young Hyuga man sat at the entrance. Well, there was one floor above ground, but they could've easily crammed a skyscraper underground. At first, the guard didn't want to let me in, but after I showed him my identification card with my name, he calmly sat back on the steps. To him, it was like I no longer existed.

I approached the doors. Dusty wood of a grayish color, the panels looked very massive. Round, protruding handles. The gap between the doors was sealed with a paper talisman bearing the characters "closed" and "sealed." I tore the seal off the doors, pushed them open, and entered. Characters flared along the frame, a few seconds of blue light, then silence again. Walking through the long-abandoned and dusty corridors was eerie. Empty rooms, scrolls forgotten on the tables, covered in a thick layer of dirt. A deathly atmosphere. The floor creaked under my feet, and I flinched. It was too creepy to wander around alone. I created a team of clones, exactly ten. We walked in a group, splitting up was too scary. Ugh, it seems Sasuke lives alone in a similar district. No wonder he's not all there mentally. I'd lose my mind here too.

Nah, I've had enough training for now, I'll come back later. Some other time. I left, bowed to the Hyuga. I need to find out why they even decided to guard my property. I don't believe in altruism, not at all.

I created more clones (about a hundred, I didn't bother counting), and we started cleaning up. We found the clan head's house. I called out to the clones, thinking of restoring it. Basically, it only lacked a piece of the roof, along with the upper corner of the building, and restoring it shouldn't be too hard. My plans were cut short when I reached out to tear the seal off the door handles and an Anbu appeared beside me.

– Not advisable, Uzumaki-dono.

– Why not? I'm an Uzumaki, this is the house of our clan!

– I know, Uzumaki-dono. Please come with me, the Hokage will explain everything in more detail. And kindly dispel your clones.– His voice was absolutely calm and indifferent.

I complied. Staggered and grabbed my temples, but reassured the concerned Anbu that I was fine and ready to go. Shunshin.

– Hello, Naruto-kun, – The Hokage was sitting in his office as usual, with his ever-present pipe in his mouth.

– Greetings, Hokage-sama. – I bowed. I needed to show that this conversation was important to me, that I was serious.

– Well, Naruto, this conversation won't be pleasant for you. Come closer. – The Kage's face darkened.

Surprised, I moved closer and sat down opposite him.

– So, just listen for now, it's hard for me to recall those times. Your parents… were great people, Naruto-kun. – Was he really going to tell me? – Your mother's name was Uzumaki Kushina, she was a princess of the once-great and, I dare say, nearly the strongest clan of the Uzumaki. A good girl, feisty, loud, ah! She was the previous Jinchuriki of the Nine-Tails—the fox that your father, Minato Namikaze, sealed inside you. Yes, the Fourth Hokage is your father, Naruto.

– Why? Why didn't anyone tell me? – And why are they telling me so casually now? Didn't they hide this information before?

– For your protection. Only to protect you. Most people believe you're just a bastard from the Uzumaki clan, and that the fox was sealed in you out of desperation. – Now I understand the conditions of my upbringing. Bastard, no luxury allowed. – Some suspect your true heritage, but I ordered them to keep silent. Some were silenced permanently. – He smirked thoughtfully, a light smile on his lips. – You can't even imagine how much other hidden villages hate the Yellow Flash of Konoha, your father. Many would go to any lengths to see you dead. You're not ready for such a hunt.

I sat there, stunned like a gopher, blinking out of sync.

– Entering the clan head's house, – the Hokage continued, – which would undoubtedly recognize you, would've clearly declared that you belong to the ruling family. And the only ones from that family were Kushina and her only son, supposedly hidden in the Anbu. It's impossible to hide the recognition by the house. The cover story would collapse, and the hunt would begin. You'd be killed, Naruto-kun, and even if I assigned two squads of Anbu for your eternal protection, there'd be no guarantees. Become a chunin at least, and then we can think about reviving the clan.

– Then why do they hate me in the village? Why? – I asked my next question, confused. If they weren't lying to me now, I didn't even know what to believe anymore. Why the revelations? What for? Or was it just some manipulation? Like I had amnesia, and here's the kind Hokage revealing dark secrets with a kind smile. I could sense something was off, but my trust in the Hokage was growing. I couldn't help it.

– Thirteen years ago... the Nine-Tails attack. That's when the demon broke free from your mother and attacked the village. You know the story. Uzumaki Kushina and Minato Namikaze sacrificed their lives to seal it. Only, Minato didn't die immediately. He lived for a whole week with a fragment of his soul, mad with grief, having lost his wife, he himself called you a demon that stole his happiness. The people… are foolish. They believed that you weren't human, but merely the fox's new incarnation. – The Hokage sighed. – And Minato... a week later, he committed suicide. He followed his beloved wife. This incident didn't exactly win you any popularity, as you can understand.

– All because of this damn demon? – I was starting to get angry.

– Unfortunately, it's not that simple. In the demon's eyes, there was the Sharingan. It was under someone's control when it attacked the village.

– Is that somehow related to why Sasuke is the only Uchiha left in the village? – The Hokage gave a crooked smile and replied.

– No, that's a different story entirely. Uchiha Itachi, along with fifty of his followers from the clan and almost two hundred rogue ninjas, attacked the sleeping district, shouting 'For the Mangekyo!' In the massacre that followed, nearly the entire Uchiha clan perished, except for two well-known members, about fifteen hundred civilians from nearby areas, and fifty out of the two hundred Anbu who arrived on the scene. Itachi managed to escape. A shameful page in our village's history. To lose such a great clan, the police, and who knows how many missions because of one lunatic! Even the traitor's head is too low a price for that… – The mask of calm cracked. I could sense the rage behind the forced smile. The Hokage wasn't lying. Or at least it seemed like he wasn't. – And the Uchiha behaved quite well after the attack. You probably don't know, but you're somewhat connected to their clan too. For the first year, Uchiha Mikoto, Sasuke's mother, breastfed you. You and Sasuke can call yourselves brothers. – A warm smile.

– And how did hundreds of rogue ninjas end up in the center of the village? – I asked, barely digesting the news. Or rather, just noting that I should think about it later.

– The guards were put under a genjutsu at the start of their shift. There were fifteen minutes until the next patrol, an eternity for an experienced shinobi.

I pondered. Suddenly, a wild idea came to mind.

– Hmm, what if we put medical seals on the guards? You know, like ones that show if they're asleep, awake, injured, like we have on some patients in the hospital? That way, it would be impossible to quietly knock out our security!

The Hokage choked on his smoke, sitting there with wide eyes. I just hoped this wouldn't backfire on me.

Later, it turned out that communication had been maintained through radios, which not only had a limited range but were also manufactured in the Land of Lightning. They were modern, issued only to the Anbu, some jonin, and higher-level military units. It made sense that the Cloud Village would get more advanced communication devices. As for the seals, it was simply a fresh perspective on the problem. The Hokage didn't get too involved in the hospital's affairs, just skimming supply reports and necessary medications. The medical corps had its own administrative department, which didn't overlap much with intelligence. A series of coincidences, really.

– Cat! – An Anbu in a mask with whiskers appeared next to me. – Highest level of secrecy. Confiscate and destroy the stenographers' notes, erase their memories. Summon Danzo in half an hour. – Oh, no, I'm in trouble. The head of intelligence and counterintelligence, one of the most ruthless people in Konoha. 

– Naruto, – the Hokage turned to me, – the idea needs some refinement, but it's brilliant in its simplicity. Will you be able to keep quiet? Or would it be simpler to erase your memory of this incident?

Damn! What should I say now? Wouldn't promising to keep quiet be overly confident? I doubt I'd last under torture, it might be better not to know anything at all.

– Hokage-sama, I think it would be better to erase my memory of this suggestion. I doubt I could keep this knowledge to myself in the event of… interrogation.

– I'm glad, Naruto-kun, that you assess your abilities realistically. The question was just a test of your sanity. You have perfect protection against mind interference. Unfortunately, or perhaps fortunately, changes are impossible. The project will be implemented under your name. Of course, regular users and executors don't need to know that. You will receive compensation soon. Sorry for the abrupt farewell. If you have any more ideas for improving the village's defenses, come to me immediately. – The Hokage clearly pointed to the door.

– I understand, Hokage-sama. May I make one request? A photograph of my parents… – The Hokage nodded, took one of the framed photos from his desk, and handed it to me. – Permission to leave?

– Yes, go, Naruto-kun.

I spent most of that day reflecting, sitting on the roof of my house.