Konoha: Comparison of Naruto

Chapter 17: Idiotic villagers

_____

[After school...]

[Naruto walked home, unable to calm his thoughts.]

[The Fourth Hokage of Konoha Village, the legendary Yellow Flash—Namikaze Minato.]

[He had heroically sacrificed his life to save the village, though the details of his death were not described in the books.]

[However, his achievements during the Third Ninja World War were recorded in detail.]

[At just 20 years old, he single-handedly repelled the Iwagakure forces that had reached Mt. Kikyo.]

[It's worth noting that once Mt. Kikyo is crossed, Konoha Village is directly within reach.]

[But Naruto wasn't in the mood to dwell on Minato's heroic deeds or his ability to cut through enemy lines as if with a kitchen knife.]

[His mind was preoccupied with Minato's appearance.]

[A head of golden blonde hair, a pair of piercing blue eyes.]

[When Naruto first saw the image of Minato, he thought the man looked familiar. But after thinking about it carefully, he realized that Minato's appearance was identical to his own.]

[Their features were unmistakably the same.]

[Looking around all of Konoha Village, Naruto couldn't think of anyone else with golden blonde hair and blue eyes like theirs.]

[This made him question whether he might have some connection to Minato.]

[At the very least, they might belong to the same clan.]

["No… but then why is his name Namikaze Minato, and I'm Uzumaki Naruto?"]

[Naruto continued walking home, his heart heavy with questions.]

[At this point, the thought of going to the back mountain to train didn't even cross his mind.]

The sharp mind of Naruto in the other world seemed to have picked up on something unusual.

Senju Hashirama: "Sarutobi, is it true that only this father and son share such hair color and eye color in Konoha Village?"

Hashirama's question caused Sarutobi Hiruzen to sigh deeply.

Who would have thought that Naruto in another world would be so observant and thoughtful, so unlike the Naruto they knew?

Sarutobi Hiruzen: "Um..."

Shimura Danzo: "Hiruzen, what are you mumbling for? Lord First Hokage is asking you a question. If you can't answer, I'll do it for you. How do you even manage as Hokage when you don't pay attention to the villagers' basic traits?"

Shimura Danzo: "Lord First Hokage, to be honest, Naruto in that world is correct. Other than Minato and Naruto, there isn't a single person in Konoha with the same hair color and eyes."

Senju Tobirama: "Honestly, if this wasn't obvious to people, there's clearly something wrong with their minds."

Orochimaru: "The Second Hokage is right. Do you know why I defected from Konoha? It's because I realized that under the leadership of the Third Hokage, the people of Konoha Village had lost their sense of reason."

Orochimaru: "It's so clear that Naruto is the son of the Fourth Hokage, yet no one noticed?"

Yamanaka Ino: "Don't talk nonsense! We genuinely didn't know. None of us even know what the Fourth Hokage looked like."

Haruno Sakura: "Don't mind Ino; it's true. None of us ever seriously read the history books about Konoha Village."

At the time, everyone was more worried about why Uchiha Sasuke wasn't in class.

Who had the energy or interest to study Konoha Village's history back then?

Pure Land World.

Tobirama's hands trembled with anger.

Orochimaru was clearly mocking Konoha, but there was nothing Tobirama could say in their defense.

---

In hindsight, it was indeed strange.

If Konoha Village couldn't find anyone else who bore even a slight resemblance to Minato and Naruto, shouldn't the villagers have at least put two and two together?

It is understandable to exclude Jinchūriki from normal societal acceptance, but why should Naruto be blamed for the Fourth Hokage's death?

There is no logic in a son wishing for his father's death.

What's more, Naruto is just a child, barely older than a toddler at the time of the incident.

Meanwhile, watching Hiruzen and Danzo's cold war in the discussion group, Tobirama was growing increasingly furious.

Even in the face of a magical viewing system that broadcasted to the entire ninja world, these two couldn't set aside their differences to unite for the village's sake.

Onoki: "Children are naive, so it's understandable if they don't know the truth. But does everyone in Konoha Village not know? Why are there still people gossiping behind Naruto's back, blaming him for the Fourth Hokage's death?"

Sure enough, troublesome matters never come at the right time.

Before Tobirama could breathe a sigh of relief, someone else stirred up trouble in the discussion group.

Sarutobi Hiruzen: "As a Kage, I'm sure everyone here understands the heavy workload we carry on a daily basis.

This oversight is my responsibility. My intention was to use this situation to foster unity within Konoha Village.

Please, don't worry.

Once this matter is resolved, I will personally investigate it thoroughly."

As expected of Hiruzen.

Even Shimura Danzo, who was fuming in the root organization, was momentarily stunned.

Hiruzen had been Hokage for decades, and with just a few words, he had diffused the situation and shifted the focus.

But Danzo, with all his years of experience, knew that this was merely a façade.

Would such an investigation really be necessary?

When the time came, all Hiruzen had to do was find someone to take the blame.

The real question was: who would be the scapegoat?

Danzo: "What a manipulative move! Damn Hiruzen…"

Danzo clenched his fists in anger.

Before he could react, a few unwelcome voices reached his ears:

["Hey, stop looking at him. Let's go."]

["I don't understand what the Third Hokage is thinking, allowing that to go to school."]

["If he becomes a ninja, who knows what kind of terrible things he'll do."]

["Exactly. That damned fox."]

["Because of him, the Fourth Hokage died."]

["He killed the Fourth Hokage. What a disgraceful creature."]

[...]

[On his way home from school, Naruto walked down the road, feeling utterly despondent.]

[The image of the Fourth Hokage lingered in his mind. No matter how he thought about it, there was an undeniable resemblance between them, suggesting a deep connection.]

[In the past, Naruto might have ignored the cruel words of the villagers. He had grown used to their hostility.]

[But today was different. Naruto's heart was heavy with confusion and sorrow, and hearing them once again blame him for the death of the Fourth Hokage left him distraught.]

[He suddenly stopped in his tracks, his face darkening as he lowered his head.]

[He couldn't understand how the Fourth Hokage's death could possibly be his fault.]

[I'm just a child who has done nothing wrong. Why do these people treat me like this every single day?]

[At that moment, Naruto felt an overwhelming sense of grief and anger surge through him.]

"What did I do wrong?!"

["Let's go, stop talking. This kid seems a little off today."]

["Yeah, let's go. The Third Hokage prohibited us from discussing this further."]

["Let's just leave."]

[...]

[The group glanced at Naruto, who stood frozen in place, fists clenched tightly at his sides.]

[Afraid of a confrontation, they quickly dispersed, leaving Naruto standing there alone.]

[But no one noticed...]

[Not even Naruto himself realized...]

[At that moment, his eyes had turned blood red, the Six Paths texture on his face had grown more pronounced, and his teeth had elongated into sharp canines.]