291-295

Chapter 291: The Incarnation of the Nine-Tails 

It's been a year since the Nine-Tails' attack. 

In this past year, the Hidden Leaf Village has steadily recovered its strength. Under Minato Namikaze's leadership, the village has truly thrived. 

But where there's joy, there's always someone feeling the blues. 

Minato and his allies are happy, but Danzo... not so much. 

The better Minato does as Hokage, the slimmer Danzo's chances become. It's getting harder and harder for him to find an opportunity to rise. 

After all, Danzo's getting on in years. Minato could probably just outlast him by becoming an old man himself. 

Right now, it seems like there are no openings, but Danzo is a master at creating his own opportunities. 

Danzo summoned his most trusted subordinate, Ryoma Aburame. 

"It's about time," Danzo told Ryoma. "They've spent all this time investigating that incident, and they still haven't found the source of the leak. They probably won't waste any more resources on it. Now, I need you to do something for me. Secretly spread the word that Minato Namikaze's son, Naruto Uzumaki, is the incarnation of the Nine-Tails. Stir up fear and hatred among the villagers towards Naruto. We can't let Minato have such an easy time of it." 

Ryoma accepted Danzo's orders. "Yes, sir!" 

"How are the Uchiha doing now?" Danzo continued. 

"They've been pushed to the outskirts and isolated." 

"Keep a close eye on them. Report any suspicious movements to me immediately." 

"Understood, Lord Danzo!" 

After Ryoma left, a cold smile played on Danzo's lips. 

He still had to rely on the Uchiha. Those Uchiha clan members resent both Fugaku Uchiha and Minato Namikaze, making them very useful. 

Meanwhile, Shindai was in his workshop at his shop, engrossed in his research. 

He was, of course, working on upgrading his puppets. 

Shindai wanted to make his puppets even more intelligent. Besides offering emotional support, they also needed to be skilled at everything from cooking to cleaning. 

While it sounded simple, actually doing it was pretty tough. 

The puppets' driving mechanisms, sensors, and recognition systems all required Shindai to iterate and develop. 

On top of that, Shindai was also updating Kagutsuchi's combat system and researching scientific ninja tools. 

Shindai loved the focused feeling of pouring all his energy into research; it brought him a sense of joy and relaxation. 

In the shop, Uchiha Hikari was sitting with her legs crossed, reading a book. 

She didn't need to worry about anything in the shop. When customers came in, Hikari usually just had two lines to say: 

"Sit down, fill out the form, and pay the deposit." 

"Come back in five days to pick up your puppet." 

Everything else was handled by Shindai's worker puppets, making her life quite comfortable. 

Because of this, Hikari had recently taken up reading. Currently, she was absorbed in The Pros and Cons of Transitioning from Clan Systems to Village Systems. 

Shindai couldn't quite understand it and worried that Hikari would turn into a rigid bookworm. 

So, a couple of days ago, Shindai secretly swapped her book for Jiraiya's latest release, Icha Icha Paradise. 

The result, as you can imagine, was enough for Shindai to never dare do it again. 

"Ding-a-ling..." 

The wall clock chimed, and Hikari promptly closed her book. She got up and headed to Shindai's workshop, ready to tell him it was time to leave, find Yakura, and head home together. 

When she saw Shindai's hands on a certain... unmentionable part of a puppet, Hikari's eyes turned to those of someone looking at trash. 

"Pervert! Time to go home!" 

Shindai's heart clenched. "What pervert?! Can't you think of anything but dirty stuff?!" 

Hikari hummed twice. "With that move, what do you expect me to think?" 

Shindai glanced at his hands. It really did look misleading. 

He let go and retorted, "I was just checking if there were any problems! I'm not a pervert!" 

Shindai took off his work clothes. "Alright, let's go find Yakura." 

Shindai and Hikari locked up the shop and went together to the handmade goods store, where they found Yakura. 

Yakura was also ready to clock out. Seeing Shindai and Hikari there to pick her up, she walked right over, smiling. "Let's go home." 

The three walked down the street, chatting and laughing. 

Suddenly, some chatter from the roadside caught their attention. 

"Hey, did you hear? About the Hokage's kid." 

"Of course! Can't believe he's the incarnation of the Nine-Tailed Fox." 

"So, the Hokage adopted that fox?" 

"Probably. He couldn't have actually given birth to a fox, right? The Hokage must have done it to keep an eye on the fox himself." 

"It's terrifying. Why didn't they just get rid of him?" 

"Yeah, what if there's another Nine-Tails attack? It's only been a year!" 

Hearing these discussions, Shindai, Yakura, and Hikari's expressions immediately turned serious. 

After exchanging glances, they quickly hurried towards Minato's house. 

As soon as they entered Minato's home, they heard Kushina Uzumaki angrily exclaim, "It's infuriating! Those people are saying Naruto is the incarnation of the fox! I confronted them, and they wouldn't even admit it! It's making me so mad!" 

Minato was trying to calm Kushina down. 

"Lord Minato, how did this information leak?" Shindai asked, confused. 

Minato shook his head. "I'm not entirely sure. It seems to have just spread suddenly." 

"Spread suddenly?" Hikari mused. "That means someone deliberately spread it. Looks like it's aimed at you, Fourth Hokage." 

Yakura frowned and chimed in, "Yeah, we heard it on the street too. They said Naruto is the Nine-Tails' incarnation, and that you, Lord Minato, adopted him to watch over him. Targeting Naruto directly makes no sense, so it must be aimed at you." 

Kushina's hair floated around her in anger, and she brandished a spatula. "Nonsense! Naruto was in my belly for ten months! They're the adopted ones!" 

Minato continued to comfort Kushina. 

"Lord Minato, what are you planning to do now?" Shindai inquired. 

"With Naruto's identity leaked, all we can do for now is investigate, then discuss with the Third Hokage and the others how to properly resolve this," Minato replied. "Kushina, I'll handle this." 

Kushina fiercely declared, "You have to catch the person who started this rumor! I'm going to punch them right in the face!" 

Little Naruto had already crawled to Shindai's feet and grabbed his pants. 

Naruto, who could now speak, adorably said to Shindai, "Huggie~" 

Shindai picked up little Naruto and rubbed his cheek against Naruto's. "Don't worry, little brother. Before you get all grown up, your big bro here will protect you. Then, you can protect me!" 

Chapter 292: I Have a Solution 

The next afternoon, in the Hokage's office, Hiruzen Sarutobi, Koharu Utatane, Homura Mitokado, Shikaku Nara, and Inoichi Yamanaka were all deep in discussion. They were trying to figure out who spread the rumor about Naruto being the Nine-Tails' incarnate. 

Minato Namikaze spoke up, "I sent people to investigate, and the villagers heard it from others. When we asked them what those people looked like, the descriptions they gave didn't match anyone in Konoha." 

Shikaku Nara stroked his chin, muttering, "Transformation Jutsu, then?" 

Minato nodded. "Probably. So, it'll be tough to investigate when the other party was clearly prepared." 

Koharu and Homura analyzed the situation. "What's clear is that the other party is definitely unhappy with, or even hostile towards, the Fourth Hokage. They must know about jinchūriki. Spreading rumors that Minato's child is the Nine-Tails' incarnate is meant to stir up conflict. Now, there are already calls for Minato to punish the 'Nine-Tails' incarnate.' At this point, whether we reveal Naruto's jinchūriki status or not, the gossip won't stop, because for many, a jinchūriki is basically the Tailed Beast itself." 

Minato's brow furrowed. "Who would do something like this?" 

Shikaku speculated, "First, the other party is definitely from Konoha. To spread this rumor so quickly means it's a group of people, not just one person. The question now is, did this group decide to do this because they're all dissatisfied with the Fourth, or is it one individual orchestrating their subordinates? If it's a group, we don't have much to worry about; we'll find them eventually. But if it's one person commanding their ninja, that's more problematic because it means they're organized and disciplined, and they won't leave us any clues to follow." 

Minato's expression was grim; that was his concern too. If the other party was organized, then more serious situations could arise at any time. 

Shikaku continued, "I lean more towards an organized operation. When the Fourth sealed the Nine-Tails, besides Shindai and Hikari Uchiha who were helping to suppress it, it was just us with the Third Hokage. So, the only ones who should know Naruto's identity as a jinchūriki are us. We can rule out Shindai and Hikari first. The biggest suspects are among us, but we can't rule out someone else being nearby, peeking. So, this investigation will be difficult, and there might not be any results. Fourth Hokage, you should be prepared for that." 

Minato sighed. "Perhaps this incident and the leak during Kushina's childbirth are the work of the same person. An enemy hidden in the shadows like this is truly troublesome." 

Hiruzen asked, "So, Minato, how do you plan to handle this? We need to suppress this public opinion quickly; we can't let it spread any further." 

"Let me think about it carefully." Minato had a headache. Even if they suppressed the rumors now, Naruto's identity was already widely known. People's prejudice against jinchūriki would still make the villagers fear and discriminate against Naruto. Minato worried that Naruto's growth would be affected. When it came to his child, Minato wanted to find a way to minimize the impact on Naruto. 

A Spark of an Idea 

At the puppet shop, Hikari Uchiha, who was reading, asked Shindai, who was sitting beside her, "Why aren't you in your workshop messing with your puppets today? Just spacing out here?" 

Shindai answered with his eyes closed, "Thinking about Naruto." 

"The Fourth Hokage is in charge; he should be able to handle it, right?" 

Shindai opened his eyes and shook his head. "No, this is really troublesome. Lord Minato is the Hokage, but Naruto's identity is already known to everyone. So, at most, they can make people shut up and stop gossiping openly. But who would know if they're secretly whispering?" 

Hikari shrugged, nonchalantly saying, "Then just issue an order: whoever talks about it gets severely punished. Wouldn't that work?" 

Shindai disagreed. "You're thinking too simply. Doing that would be counterproductive; it would only make those villagers even more afraid and discriminatory towards Naruto." 

Hikari looked puzzled. "Then what should we do? Everyone already knows; it seems like that's the only way to solve it." 

Shindai sighed. "Honestly, why are they so afraid of jinchūriki?" 

Hikari replied, "Jinchūriki are considered a military asset for a country, but if a jinchūriki loses control, they transform into a Tailed Beast. Tailed Beasts are symbols of disaster. People have a natural fear of disaster, like the Nine-Tails' rampage a year ago. I don't think anyone wants to experience that again. And they see Naruto as the Nine-Tails, fearing another disaster like that. So, for those with no power or very little power, having a jinchūriki around is like an unstable bomb. It's completely normal to feel fear and rejection." 

Shindai mulled over Hikari's words. Suddenly, his eyes lit up. "It seems I have a solution! I'm going to the Hokage's office to find Lord Minato." 

Shindai suddenly sprang from his chair, dashed out of the puppet shop, and ran quickly towards the Hokage's office. 

He arrived at the Hokage's office and hammered on the door. "Lord Minato! Lord Minato!" 

Minato wanted to say 'come in,' but Shindai couldn't have entered anyway. Because of past incidents, the office now had a barrier; nothing could be heard or seen from outside. Minato got up and opened the door. Shindai immediately blurted out, "Lord Minato, I've thought of a way to solve Naruto's problem!" 

Minato quite respected Shindai's clever ideas, so he asked, "What is it?" 

Hiruzen coughed. "Ahem, Minato, you two come inside." 

Only then did Shindai notice Hiruzen and the others were there. Minato brought Shindai in and then closed the door. 

Minato said to Shindai, "Shindai, go on. What's your solution to Naruto's problem?" 

Shindai replied, "In my opinion, the villagers' prejudice against jinchūriki comes from the Tailed Beasts themselves; they think jinchūriki are the Tailed Beasts. If we can find a way to change that prejudice, maybe we can solve this!" 

Koharu raised a question. "But people's prejudices are hard to change. How do you plan to change this prejudice?" 

"By educating them about jinchūriki and Tailed Beasts, making them understand the importance of Tailed Beasts to a ninja village, and shaping Naruto into a hero who sacrificed for Konoha!" 

Chapter 293: The Extra Goods 

Shindai suggested educating the public about Jinchuriki and Tailed Beasts, explaining their importance to a ninja village, and proposing that Naruto be hailed as a hero. 

Inoichi Yamanaka heard Shindai's idea and seemed puzzled. "But, don't people already generally know about the relationship between Jinchuriki and Tailed Beasts?" 

Shindai shook his head. "No way! If they truly understood, they wouldn't so simply believe that Naruto is the Nine-Tails' incarnation, or even suggest getting rid of him! The fact that they can say such things means they don't grasp the importance of Tailed Beasts to a ninja village at all. 

When the First Hokage distributed the nine Tailed Beasts equally among the Five Great Nations, it led to the Five Kage signing the first peace treaty in the ninja world, achieving comprehensive peace for the first time. 

And even now, the Five Great Nations still possess their own Tailed Beasts, creating a balance through mutual restraint. So, what the First Hokage did back then is still applicable today. 

I'd say it's not an exaggeration to call the Nine-Tails the foundation of our Hidden Leaf Village, right?" 

Hiruzen Sarutobi strongly nodded in agreement. "Not at all, that's a fact." 

Shindai continued his analysis. "Personally, I think the reason everyone in every village fears Jinchuriki is because they don't understand how crucial Jinchuriki are. First, we need them to understand what a Jinchuriki is and what losing a Tailed Beast and a Jinchuriki would mean for the village. 

Then, we need to make it clear that because the Tailed Beasts' power is so immense, they need a cage to contain them. A Jinchuriki is the Tailed Beast's prison, and a Jinchuriki makes a sacrifice for the future of the Hidden Leaf. 

Finally, we should highlight how Lord Minato, for the sake of the Hidden Leaf, had no choice but to seal the Nine-Tails within his own child. Let them know the sacrifice and greatness of Lord Minato's family. At the same time, the Jinchuriki's seal is very strong and won't easily lose control. I believe the vast majority of villagers will change their minds. 

Naruto's identity as a Jinchuriki is essentially public now. Even if we try to suppress it, they'll just stop talking about it openly, but they'll definitely still discuss it in private." 

Minato and the others began seriously considering the feasibility of Shindai's idea. 

Then, Minato said, "I agree with Shindai. Since this has already been exposed, there's no point in trying to hide it anymore." 

Hiruzen also chimed in, "Then let's come up with a plan based on Shindai's idea." 

Shindai volunteered, "Let me handle this! I guarantee I'll get it done perfectly!" 

Minato and the other five — Hiruzen, Koharu Utatane, Homura Mitokado, Shikaku Nara, and Inoichi Yamanaka — exchanged glances, and each gave a slight nod. 

Minato smiled and said to Shindai, "Then, Shindai, this mission is yours!" 

Having eagerly accepted the mission, Shindai returned to his puppet shop. 

Hikari Uchiha saw Shindai come back and asked, "How did it go?" 

Shindai confidently replied, "Who am I? With me on the job, it's absolutely solvable! Now I need to make some puppets; I'm going to do some serious promoting!" 

Full of motivation, Shindai dove straight into his workshop and began making puppets. 

Two days later. 

Shindai looked at the newly crafted eight puppets and nodded with satisfaction. 

These puppets weren't technologically advanced; they just had two advantages: plenty of battery life and loud voices! 

Shindai took the eight puppets and placed them in various locations around the Hidden Leaf Village. 

After pressing the button, the eight puppets began walking and shouting throughout the Hidden Leaf, following their programmed routes. 

The content they shouted first involved educating everyone about Tailed Beasts, ensuring everyone understood what they were. 

Then, they explained how the First Hokage, after founding the Hidden Leaf Village, convened the first Five Kage Summit and equally distributed the nine Tailed Beasts among the Five Great Nations. The goal was to eliminate war from the ninja world and achieve lasting peace. 

The ninja world did indeed experience a period of peace. Although wars eventually broke out again, the deterrence of the Tailed Beasts meant the Five Great Ninja Villages remained the Five Great Ninja Villages. The Tailed Beasts were seen as a deterrent that brought peace to the world, and it was very effective. 

However, Tailed Beasts are uncontrollable without a means to rein them in, and that's where Jinchuriki come in. 

Jinchuriki can control and utilize the Tailed Beasts' power, wielding strength that can almost decide the outcome of a war, and have always been a means of balancing the power of various nations. 

Finally, the message shifted to promoting Minato Namikaze and Naruto Uzumaki. As Hokage, Minato, for the sake of the Hidden Leaf, had no choice but to seal the Nine-Tails within his own child. Naruto was the hero of the entire Hidden Leaf, not someone to be treated as a monster. 

And at the very end, Shindai slipped in some of his own personal touches. 

"As the one who made outstanding contributions during the Nine-Tails' attack, regarded by all as a hero, the owner of Shindai's Dream Hut—I, Shindai, have a few heartfelt words to say. 

Don't believe a few words from some ill-intentioned folks. 'Incarnation of the Nine-Tails'? Believing such obvious instigation? Lord Hokage, for your sake, for the sake of the Hidden Leaf, sealed the Nine-Tails within his own child! He didn't do it so you could gossip behind his back and spread discrimination! 

Some people are so foolish as to ask why he wasn't just gotten rid of. What if other ninja villages attack, using their Jinchuriki against the Hidden Leaf? Are you going to face their Jinchuriki then? 

If Lord Hokage hadn't sealed the Nine-Tails, the Hidden Leaf would have suffered far greater losses. Would you even be living so comfortably here now? 

It's clear that we have a cancerous growth in our village, trying to stir up hatred towards the Jinchuriki. If the Hidden Leaf loses its Tailed Beast, loses its Jinchuriki, it will be in grave danger. Honestly, you should all bow down to the Hokage's child; it wouldn't be too much. 

If any of you think you can face other ninja villages' Jinchuriki and win, come find me at Shindai's Dream Hut. I'll take you to fight one of them. 

If you truly are capable, then I'll suggest to Lord Hokage that the Nine-Tails be released from his child's body, and the Hidden Leaf will no longer have the Nine-Tails. From then on, the other villages' Jinchuriki will be your responsibility, and you will be the hero of the Hidden Leaf! 

And finally, to those rumor-mongers, I wish you boils on your head, pus on your feet, may you eat through your backside, and drop dead tomorrow! 

That's how real I am! I'm the owner of Shindai's Dream Hut, and if you're interested in buying puppets, feel free to inquire!" 

Shindai's eight puppets cycled through this message all over the Hidden Leaf. 

Shindai was quite satisfied with this and went back to his puppet shop to relax. 

Hikari Uchiha looked at Shindai, who entered the shop with his chest puffed out, utterly speechless. "You really shoved in your own stuff pretty obviously, and those 'heartfelt words' of yours were basically just insults, weren't they?" 

Shindai smugly replied, "Hmmph? What's wrong with adding a little something extra? And yeah, it was meant to be insulting! Sometimes, people just don't learn unless you really lay into them!" 

Chapter 294: Hiruzen Sarutobi's Visit 

Shindai was chilling at his puppet shop, legs crossed, sitting next to Hikari Uchiha. Hikari was engrossed in a history book, while Shindai was deep into his "Make-Out Paradise" romance novel. 

"Man, Jiraiya-sensei is a genius! This writing is just too good!" Shindai exclaimed, "I've got new ideas for my next puppet upgrade now!" 

Hikari scoffed, "Disgusting!" 

Shindai retorted, "Hey, don't look at it like that! You gotta appreciate it as art! Jiraiya-sensei and I are both artists!" 

Hearing the noise from outside the shop, Hikari asked irritably, "When are you going to shut down those loud speaker puppets of yours? They've been blaring all day! Why do you even have one right outside the shop?" 

Shindai took a sip of his drink and said, "I'm advertising my shop, of course! Gotta have one right by the entrance!" 

Just then, Hiruzen Sarutobi walked into the shop. 

"Well, well, Third Hokage-sama, what brings you here?" Shindai greeted him. 

Hiruzen's voice was full of exasperation. "You ask? It's those puppets you've got on the street! Advertising is fine, but those heartfelt insults of yours? Were those really necessary?" 

Shindai shook his head. "I think they're totally necessary, Third Hokage-sama. Think about it: I'm scolding the people who fell for those rumors. They're easily manipulated, and they're the ones who spread the rumors the most fiercely. If I don't give them a good scolding, they'll just believe anything next time." 

Hiruzen pressed on, "What about you telling them to go fight jinchūriki from other villages, and saying the Nine-Tails should be removed from Naruto's body?" 

Shindai shrugged. "If they have an issue, then let them go fight other jinchūriki, right? Giving them a chance to prove themselves sounds good. If they can do it, Konoha will have incredibly strong ninja. If they can't, they should just shut up and accept Naruto as a hero. They gossip behind our backs, so what's wrong with me scolding them openly? Besides, I'm just stating facts. Every village has those people who have no strength, no brains, but love to spread rumors. Talking sense into them is useless. If they have an issue, they should go fight and prove themselves. I can't stand people who have no power but love to fabricate rumors about others. Doing this also leaves them speechless. I've given them the chance; they're just too scared to take it." 

Hiruzen sighed. "You... I don't even know what to say to you sometimes." 

Shindai then asked, "Third Hokage-sama, is it really impossible to find out who's behind all this?" 

Hiruzen nodded. "It's very difficult to investigate; the other party is hiding well." 

Shindai looked puzzled. "But this is clearly targeting Lord Minato. Lord Minato is such a great Hokage, everyone loves him. Who would hate him so much?" 

Hiruzen's eyes suddenly became a bit clouded. 

"Why am I even worrying about this? I'm sure Lord Minato will handle it," Shindai continued. "Speaking of which, Third Hokage-sama, your puppet was destroyed by Lady Biwako. Aren't you going to get another one? I can give you a massive discount and even install the new generation technology for you, you know~" 

Shindai gave Hiruzen a cheeky wink. 

"Uh..." Hiruzen definitely wanted another one. He'd been thinking about it ever since Lady Biwako Sarutobi smashed his puppet a year ago. But he just didn't dare! Even now, Biwako would sometimes give him the cold shoulder. 

Hiruzen reluctantly refused. "No, thank you. I'm not interested in those right now. Shindai, when those puppets on the street have done their job, bring them back, please. They're quite noisy." 

Shindai thumped his chest. "No problem! Don't you worry, Third Hokage-sama!" 

"I have other matters to attend to, so I'll be leaving now." Hiruzen then departed from Shindai's puppet shop. 

Danzo's Suspicions 

At Danzo's house, he looked furious. "That brat from the Sand Village! He's truly infuriating!" 

Ryoma Aburame asked, "Lord Danzo, should we destroy those puppets?" 

Danzo took a few deep breaths to calm himself. "No, don't. Someone might be watching those puppets, just waiting for us to destroy them." 

Just then, a voice from outside the door announced, "Lord Danzo, Third Hokage-sama is here to visit you." 

Danzo's eyelid twitched. He told Ryoma Aburame, "You should leave now." 

"Understood." Ryoma used the Body Flicker Jutsu and vanished from Danzo's room. 

Hiruzen entered Danzo's room. Hiruzen looked around the dimly lit room, puzzled. "Danzo, why is your room so dark in the middle of the day? Why are you lighting candles instead of turning on the lights?" 

Danzo didn't answer Hiruzen's question. His tone was stiff. "Why have you come to see me?" 

Hiruzen sat opposite Danzo and smiled. "It's been a while since I've come to see you. We are friends, after all. Isn't it only natural for me to visit?" 

Danzo scoffed. "Please. I wouldn't dare be friends with the Third Hokage. After you handed over your power to the Fourth, you stripped away all of mine. That's not what friends do!" 

Hiruzen sighed helplessly. "If you hadn't gone too far, Danzo, I wouldn't have done that. I recognize your capabilities, but Minato is the current Hokage. Your Root would only cause problems for Minato's management of Konoha." 

Danzo's voice rose slightly. "Too far? Problems? Haven't all my actions been for the sake of Konoha?" 

Hiruzen didn't want to argue with Danzo. Since Danzo wasn't interested in reminiscing, Hiruzen got down to business. "Danzo, regarding the leak during Kushina's childbirth and the recent exposure of Naruto's jinchūriki status, do you know anything about these situations?" 

Danzo's heart tightened. Just as he suspected, Hiruzen was here because of these matters. He hadn't expected Hiruzen to suspect him about the leak of Kushina's birth location and time either. However, Danzo wasn't too worried because Hiruzen clearly had no evidence. If he did, he wouldn't have had that attitude from the start. 

"I'm retired and at home now. Do you think I'd know anything? If you're just here to ask me these things, then there's no need. After Root was disbanded, I'm just a solitary man; I know nothing about anything." 

Hiruzen took a puff from his pipe, then said gravely, "Danzo, I know you hold a grudge against me, but I hope you don't do anything reckless. Remember, we are all ninja of Konoha. Everything must be for the sake of Konoha!" 

Chapter 295: You Were Never Cut Out to Be Hokage 

Hiruzen Sarutobi suspected that the exposure of Naruto's Jinchuriki identity was connected to Danzo. 

After all, if you were to ask who in the Hidden Leaf disliked Minato Namikaze the most, besides a faction of Uchiha clan members who always opposed reform, it would be Danzo. 

Based on Hiruzen's deductions, this incident probably wasn't the work of those Uchiha. In fact, if it had been a direct attack on Naruto, Hiruzen might have suspected them first. 

But for such a seemingly flawless plan, Danzo was the prime suspect. 

Danzo glared at Hiruzen, his face full of fury. "If you think I was behind the Nine-Tails' attack and now this Jinchuriki exposure, just say it directly! No need to beat around the bush!" 

Hiruzen tapped his pipe, knocking out the ashes. "I do suspect you, Danzo. You're capable of such things. And even though Root has been disbanded, those Root ninja were trained to erase their own selves. You groomed them into pawns who execute missions perfectly; your orders are still the highest... " 

Danzo tried to retort, but Hiruzen didn't give him a chance to speak. "No need to get angry. I suspect you, but I don't have concrete proof. Danzo, you have too many precedents. Don't forget all the documents found in Root. 

You know better than I do what was in those documents. I don't need to list all the things you hid and deceived me about, do I?" 

Danzo immediately fell silent, his face grim. 

Hiruzen's eyes sharpened as he warned Danzo. "Those documents were more than enough to punish you. It was me, risking my old reputation, who asked Minato to give you a pass. Danzo, don't do anything foolish. Otherwise, I won't need Minato to act; I will kill you myself! The Hidden Leaf has finally found peace, and I will not allow anyone to destroy it, to destroy this peace!" 

After giving his warning, Hiruzen stood up from his seat and walked to the doorway. "Danzo, you will never be Hokage. Give up that thought. Even if Master Tobirama hadn't chosen me to be Hokage back then, the position wouldn't have been yours, because you were never cut out to be Hokage." 

Hiruzen left Danzo's home. 

Danzo sat in his seat, trembling with rage. 

"Hiruzen! Sarutobi!" 

Furious beyond measure, Danzo angrily roared Hiruzen's name. 

"If you hadn't volunteered to be the decoy first, the Hokage position would have been mine! You merely stole my spot! If the Hidden Leaf were in my hands, it would have flourished even more!" 

Danzo simmered in his anger for a long time before finally calming down. 

Danzo's face turned cold. "Hiruzen, you said I'd never be Hokage, didn't you? Just watch. Watch how I seize that position!" 

For seven full days, Shindai's loudspeaker puppets broadcasted throughout the Hidden Leaf, giving everyone a clearer understanding of Tailed Beasts and Jinchuriki. People were no longer as prejudiced or hostile towards little Naruto; instead, a kind of admiration reserved for heroes began to emerge. 

However, fear would still linger. 

After all, a Jinchuriki could lose control, and if that happened, it would be a disaster. 

This kind of fear couldn't be wiped away with just a few words; Naruto would need to prove himself in the future. Shindai had already done everything he could. 

At Minato Namikaze's house. 

"Cheers!" 

Shindai, Yakura, Hikari Uchiha, Minato Namikaze, and Kushina Uzumaki raised their cups in celebration. 

Half a month had passed, and while many people were still discussing Naruto, the discussions were now overwhelmingly positive. 

Kushina Uzumaki laughed heartily. "It's wonderful! Everyone's stopped calling Naruto the Nine-Tails' incarnation!" 

Minato also smiled. "Indeed, Shindai's propaganda was quite effective. Though... it would have been better if he hadn't added those 'heartfelt words' at the end." 

Kushina retorted, "I think they were great! Perfectly added! If it weren't for you, Minato, I would have said a few 'heartfelt words' myself and given them a good scolding!" 

Shindai gulped down his drink and placed his empty cup in front of Minato. "Lord Minato~! Hurry up and fill it up! Even Big Sis Kushina is on my side this time!" 

Minato's eye twitched. That kid Shindai really knew how to take an inch and take a mile. 

Minato refilled Shindai's empty cup. "It's a shame though, we still don't have any clues as to who spread this information in the first place." 

Kushina grumbled, "Minato's doing such a good job as Hokage, why are people so bored they have to target him?" 

Yakura looked puzzled. "If the opponent is targeting Lord Minato, they must have something to gain. But by targeting Lord Minato through Naruto, what benefit could they possibly get?" 

Hikari offered her guess. "It's clear they want to incite conflict between the villagers and the Fourth Hokage. Right now, the villagers adore the Fourth. After Naruto's identity was exposed, some people started to question the Fourth Hokage. Maybe they want to pull the Fourth Hokage down from his position." 

"Cough, cough, cough!" 

Shindai, who was drinking, suddenly started coughing violently. 

Yakura patted Shindai's back, scolding him, "Why are you drinking so fast? Nobody's trying to take it from you!" 

Shindai grabbed a tissue and wiped his mouth, his expression a bit strange. 

Hikari's guess made Shindai think of someone. 

The Darkness of the Hidden Leaf, Danzo Shimura. 

Who hated Minato Namikaze the most? Shindai thought it might just be Danzo. 

Danzo once wanted Orochimaru to become Hokage. Orochimaru loved research and wouldn't really care about the duties of a Hokage, allowing Danzo, as the Hokage's advisor, to hold all the power. When the time was right, he'd have Orochimaru 'abdicate,' and he would take the Hokage seat himself. 

But Danzo never expected Orochimaru to decline, and Minato Namikaze became Hokage. 

Minato was doing so well as Hokage, and he even survived the Nine-Tails' attack, making Danzo's chances more and more remote. 

If things continued this way, Danzo would have no opportunities left. So, he had to cause some trouble for Minato, stirring up conflict between the villagers and Minato through Naruto. 

If that's the case... then the puppets he had shouting in the streets, cursing the rumor-mongers and wishing them boils on their heads, pus on their feet, eating through their backside, and dropping dead the next day, wasn't that basically cursing Danzo right to his face?! 

Shindai suddenly felt a little bit of panic. Would he be targeted by Danzo now? 

No way! 

Shindai felt that besides Black Zetsu, Danzo was the most troublesome. Both of them were old schemers. He, a small schemer, might not be able to outplay them!