บท 542: What Happened Back Then

Earth Land, Ishgar, Kingdom of Fiore, the Village Hidden in the Leaves.

November 3, x787.

A few moments later, Alfonzo had led Naruto into his makeshift workshop. Then, he offered the young shinobi a seat. Meanwhile, he leaned on the workshop's workbench.

Naruto, on the other hand, accepted the seat he was offered while his head was still lowered. However, he did not begin speaking immediately. Alfonzo did not press him, though. He was pretty sure he knew what was bothering him, so he let Naruto go at his own pace.

Eventually, Naruto raised his head and looked at Alfonzo with uncertainty in his eyes.

"Old Man Hokage called me to his office after the academy let out." Naruto said in a shaky tone. "And when I heard about it, I thought I was in trouble. But I hadn't played any pranks since you first came to the village. So, I didn't know what I had done wrong."

Instead of replying, Alfonzo only continued to look at Naruto solemnly while urging him to continue with his gaze.

"And that made me kind of nervous. I was wondering if someone had blamed something on me… again." Naruto continued. "I mean, things like that have happened a lot. Whenever something happens that no one wants to take responsibility for, they just blame me."

Although things like that were never mentioned in Naruto's source material, Alfonzo could imagine such a scenario. And the thought was making him rather irritated. Though, he managed to hold it in.

"And when I got there, the Old Man looked really serious. So, I thought that was it." Naruto said, lowering his head again as he spoke. "But I was wrong… Really wrong…"

===Flashback===

"Naruto, my boy, please, take a seat." Hiruzen said in a grandfatherly tone after Naruto entered his office. "We have many things to discuss."

Hearing Hiruzen's tone, Naruto hesitantly took a seat in front of his desk. Then, before Hiruzen could speak again, he spoke to defend himself.

"Old Man, I don't know what anyone told you, but I didn't do it." Naruto said, beginning to defend himself. "Ever since Big Bro Alfonzo and Big Sis Elicia started helping me with my training, I haven't played any pranks on anyone. I have to be the strongest in the village if I wanna be the Hokage someday."

With that, Naruto continued to explain how much he had changed over the last ten, or so, months. Meanwhile, Hiruzen could not help feeling grateful to Alfonzo and Elicia for influencing some of the village's young talents so positively. Still, he needed to correct Naruto's misconception.

"Calm down, Naruto." Hiruzen said, interrupting Naruto's rant. "I did not call you here because you were in trouble. Like I said, we have a number of things to discuss."

Hearing that, Naruto looked at Hiruzen in confusion.

"*Sigh* I'm sure you've been wondering this for as long as you can remember." Hiruzen said in a disappointed tone. "The question of who your parents were… before they lost their lives defending the village."

Naruto's confused expression immediately turned into a sad one after hearing Hiruzen mentioned the loss of his parents. However, when he heard that they lost their lives defending the village, his expression turned to shock. He had never been told how his parents died in the past, after all.

"On the day of your birth, your mother was set to give birth to you in a secret, secure location outside of the village." Hiruzen said in a solemn tone. "And my late wife, Biwako was acting as her midwife. However, shortly after---"

"Wait! Wait! Wait!" Naruto shouted, interrupting Hiruzen's story. "Why was my m-mom having me outside of the village? Why wasn't she at the hospital?"

With Naruto's question, Hiruzen fell silent for a moment before replying.

"*Sigh* It's because she was the village's previous Jinchuriki." Hiruzen replied. "And for her, giving birth brought a certain level of danger. So, we had to move her outside the village at that time."

"Huh? A Jinchuriki? What's that?" Naruto asked. "And why was having a baby dangerous for my mom?"

"*Sigh* You've heard of the Tailed Beasts in your academy classes, yes?" Hiruzen replied with a sigh. "Well, a Jinchuriki is a shinobi who has one of the Tailed-Beasts [Sealed] inside them. And to answer---"

"Which one did she have [Sealed] inside of her?" Naruto asked in an interested tone. However, before Hiruzen could respond, his expression turned serious. "It was the Nine-Tailed Fox, wasn't it? And it must have gotten free. That's when it attacked the village, right?"

Hearing Naruto piece together the facts without needing an explanation, Hiruzen was surprised. AS previously mentioned, Naruto was not the smartest child in the village. Then again, Naruto was aware that he was born on the day the Nine-Tailed Fox attacked the village twelve years ago, so it made more sense than he originally thought.

"*Sigh* That's right." Hiruzen replied. "Your mother was the Jinchuriki of the Nine-Tailed Fox. And yes, it managed to get free shortly after you were born."

Naruto's expression fell immediately. And based on his expression, Hiruzen could tell exactly what he was thinking.

"Don't overthink things, Naruto." Hiruzen said before Naruto could fall into self-loathing. "The Nine-Tailed Fox did not get free because you were born. In fact, the village took precautions to make sure that did not happen. And the precautions worked."

"Then, how?" Naruto asked in a desperate tone.

"To answer your second question from before… During child birth, the [Seal] holding the Nine-Tailed Fox inside your mother would weaken. And an outsider to the village took advantage of that fact, extracting the beast before the [Seal] could be restabilized."

Hearing that, Naruto's anger spiked. On top of that, his blue eyes turned red and his pupils turned from round to slitted. At the same time, an ominous magic power began to leak from his body.

"Calm down, Naruto." Hiruzen said, hoping to calm Naruto before the Anbu hiding in the room determined that he was a threat. "You need to remain calm."

Hearing that, Naruto took a deep breath before calming down significantly. Though, it was obvious to see that he was still aggravated.

"Now, I'll get back to my explanation." Hiruzen said after Naruto calmed down. "During the intruder's attack, my wife was killed and you were taken hostage while he tried to extract the Nine-Tailed Fox from your exhausted mother."

Though Naruto was still aggravated, he was focused on Hiruzen's story.

"Before he could, however, your father arrived on the scene and tried to stop him." Hiruzen continued. "Unfortunately, with you in the intruder's hands, your father could not use his full force."

That caused Naruto's expression to change once again, his mood falling very quickly.

"And the intruder used that to his advantage." Hiruzen said, continuing his story. "He threw you away, forcing your father to move to catch you. And that was enough of an opening for the intruder to finish extracting the Nine-Tailed Fox."

By this point, it was obvious that Naruto was blaming himself for what happened, despite the fact that there was nothing he could do as a newborn.

"*Sigh* You can't blame yourself, Naruto." Hiruzen said in a consoling tone. "As a newborn, there was nothing you could do about it."

"I know… But it's still because of me…" Naruto replied in an irritated tone. "*Sigh* Anyway, what happened next?"

Hiruzen could not help but pity Naruto after seeing his expression. Still, he followed Naruto's request and continued the story.

"After your father recovered you, he immediately moved you to somewhere safe." Hiruzen said. "Meanwhile, the intruder left your mother to die. And not long afterwards, the Nine-Tailed Fox appeared in the middle of the village and started destroying everything in sight. We can only guess how that happened. But we suspect that it was summoned by the intruder."

"So, that's how my mother died?" Naruto asked in a downcast tone.

"no, that's not it, actually." Hiruzen replied, surprising Naruto. "But I'll get to that later. For now, let me continue my story."

Refocusing on Hiruzen, Naruto nodded his head to acknowledge his words.

"While the forces of the village tried to stop the Nine-Tailed Fox, your father went to check on your mother." Hiruzen said. "And he found that she was still alive. Though, it was clear she would not last much longer. AS you may know, once a Tailed Beast is extracted from a host, they lose their lives. But since your mother was from the Uzumaki Clan, a clan known for their immense vitality, among other things, she was able to hold on for a while."

"Wait! I've never heard of the Uzumaki Clan." Naruto interrupted loudly in a confused tone.

"*Sigh* That's because the Uzumaki Clan did not reside in the village." Hiruzen said in a downcast tone. "They were wiped out during the last war. Something Danzo planned without my knowledge."

"Danzo, the one who was arrested and executed a couple months ago?" Naruto asked. "But how, how could he plan something like that."

"it's because he was afraid that your mother would return to the Uzumaki Clan while she was hosting the Nine-Tailed Fox. And he convinced the King of Fiore that it was a good idea to keep the Nine-Tailed Fox under our control."

"Does that mean the village destroyed my mother's clan?" Naruto asked, his eyes turning red once again because of his anger.

"No, not directly." Hiruzen replied. "Before the war, we received information that the Hidden Mist, Hidden Cloud, and Hidden Stone were joining forces to attack the Village Hidden by Whirling Tides, an independant shinobi village located on an island off the coast of Fiore. And the village's greatest ally in the past. And Danzo convinced the king to stop the village from aiding them in crisis."

"Why?" Why would they want to attack them?" Naruto asked angrily. "And why would Danzo convince the king not to help them?"

"*Sigh* Because of fear." Hiruzen replied. "The Uzumaki Clan was also known for their unequivocal talent in the [Sealing Arts]. And they provided the Leaf many amazing [Seals] for a very affordable price. And as for Danzo, I already explained that. He wanted the Nine-Tailed Fox to stay in the Leaf."

By this point, Naruto was once again leaking that ominous magic power. And it took Hiruzen a while to calm him down. But when he did, he could finally continue his story.

"Back to the story… While the village's forces continued to try and contain the Nine-Tailed Fox, your father confronted the intruder, after getting you and your mother to safety, and was able to defeat him. Unfortunately, the intruder was able to escape."

Seeing that Naruto was once again invested in his story, Hiruzen continued.

"After that, your father confronted the Nine-Tailed Fox in the village." Hiruzen said. "And after a short confrontation, he teleported it away, where he tried to [Seal] it inside of your mother again, which would save her life. Unfortunately, things did not go as planned."

Hearing that, Naruto clenched his fists. However, he stayed focused on Hiruzen's following words.

"After the [Sealing] process started, the Nine-Tailed Fox attacked you, who was nearby, to try and stop it." Hiruzen said, his tone turning downcast as he spoke. "To save you, both your parents jumped in front of the attack, gaining fatal wounds in the process. But they were able to keep you safe. And because your mother was no longer a suitable host because of her injury, they decided to [Seal] the beast inside of you… Sacrificing their lives and saving the village in the process."

Hearing that the Nine-Tailed Fox was [Sealed] inside of him, Naruto did not know how to react. The only thing he could do was open his eyes and mouth wide in dumbfounded amazement.

"Is that why everyone calls me a demon?" Naruto asked in a shaky voice.

"*Sigh* Yes and no." Hiruzen replied, a bit of self-loathing leaking into his tone. "At first, I didn't know how it started, but there was a rumor floating around the village that you were the reincarnation of the Nine-Tailed Fox. And no matter how hard I tried, I could not stop it. Nor could I find its source. But no one knew you were the Nine-Tailed Fox's Jinchuriki. That was an S-Class secret. But after Danzo was brought in by Alfonzo, it all came to light that it was all Danzo's doing. He wanted you to feel despair so that he could bring you under his command with promises of making everything better. Luckily, you were a strong willed boy. And because you did not give into the despair, his plan failed."

Naruto only fell silent after that. He did not know how to process everything he heard. And Hiruzen gave him some time to think. Eventually, with his eyes red and the whisker marks on his cheeks having expanded slightly, Naruto made eye contact with Hiruzen before asking another question.

"And who were my mother and father?" Naruto asked in an eerily calm tone. "You've mentioned them a lot. But you haven't said their names even once."

Hearing that, Hiruzen looked down with a guilty expression on his face.

"Your mother's name was Kushina Uzumaki." Hiruzen replied, unable to make eye contact with Naruto. "And your father was Minato Namikaze… The Fourth Hokage of the Hidden Leaf…"

Instead of flaring up in anger like Hiruzen expected him to, Naruto was so caught off guard by the identities of his parents, more specifically, his father, that he could only look on in disbelief. In fact, his confusion and disbelief were so great that his anger disappeared completely, resulting in his eyes turning back to their usual blue color while the whisker markings on his face returned to normal, as well.

Then, surprising Hiruzen even more, without another word, Naruto stood up from his chair and left his office with a lost look on his face.

===Flashback End===

"And then I came here." Naruto said, concluding his story. "I'm not even really sure how I got here, though. The last thing I remember before running into you was hearing that my father was the Fourth Hokage."

With that, Naruto clenched his fists in frustration and anger.

"Why? Why was I treated like that for all my life?" Naruto asked, his volume rising with every word while that ominous magic power began to leak again as his eyes turned red. "I'm the son of the Fourth Hokage… The village's hero... The Yellow Flash. The man who single handedly stopped the Stone from invading Fiore in the last war. So, why!?"

As Naruto's anger rose, the ominous magic power he was emitting began forming a red magic power cloak around him. On top of that, the whisker marks on his face began to expand while his fingernails and canine teeth grew in length.

At the same time, Alfonzo tapped his right foot on the floor of his makeshift workshop, coating the entire room in metal. Then, at blinding speed, the metal was inscribed with sigils that contained magic power. As a result, the ominous magic power Naruto was releasing could not affect anything outside of the room.

In the next instant, Alfonzo's fingertips on his right hand lit up with magic power. Then, in a burst of speed, he appeared in front of Naruto before placing his fingers on Naruto's abdomen. After that, the rampaging ominous magic power began to recede inside of Naruto. At the same time, Naruto's heightened state of emotion calmed.

"Chill out, Naruto." Alfonzo said in a soothing tone. "Even though the [Seal] holding it inside of you is really strong, the Nine-Tailed Fox inside of you can influence you if you let your darker emotions get out of control. So, you have to try and keep your cool at all times. Otherwise, you might end up hurting yourself or the people around you."

Hearing that, Naruto finally looked up and made eye contact with Alfonzo.

"Does that mean you knew about all of this, too?" Naruto asked in a somewhat betrayed tone.

"*Sigh* I did." Alfonzo replied. "But not until I raided Danzo's base after he tried to kidnap Lici. I found records about it back then."

"Then, why didn't you tell me?" Naruto shouted, sounding even more betrayed.

"Because I'm not a member of this village." Alfonzo replied calmly. "And without permission from the Hokage, I didn't have the right to."

Hearing that, Naruto knew Alfonzo was right. However, he still felt betrayed that this information was kept from him.

"But I was the one who told the Hokage that you deserved to know all of this." Alfonzo continued, causing Naruto to raise his head once again. "And if he had refused, I would have told you myself, the village rules be damned. Everyone has the right to know who their parents are and what kind of situation they are in."

Hearing that, Naruto relaxed a little. The feeling of betrayal had disappeared, at least.

"And when I brought it up to him, he asked me to let him tell you everything." Alfonzo continued. "So that he could apologize for all the ways the village had wronged you."

This time, Naruto put on a sheepish expression while looking away. Meanwhile, Alfonzo, after seeing Naruto's expression, could not help but grin.

"You were in so much shock that you left before he could finish talking, huh?" Alfonzo asked in a mischievous tone.

In response, Naruto only nodded his head.

"Well, don't worry about that old man." Alfonzo said dismissively. "For letting all that happen to you, let him sweat a bit. Let him be unsure if you're gonna flip shit and go on a rampage in the village. For now, you can stay here for a few days until you get your head on straight. It's probably better if you're not alone for now. Don't want that Nine-Tailed Fox taking advantage of you while you're at your lowest."

Once again, Naruto nodded, feeling grateful for Alfonzo's offer.

"And when you get your thoughts in order, I'll help you control that power." Alfonzo added. "I know quite a bit about these Tailed Beasts. Probably more than anyone in your village, or any other village, knows. So, I should be able to help you a whole lot."

"Really?" Naruto asked, his eyes shining at the proposal.

"Yeah, don't want you losing it if you get too angry or depressed, after all.' Alfonzo said with a smile.

With that, Naruto lunged forward and wrapped his arms around Alfonzo's waist while thanking him repeatedly. Meanwhile, Alfonzo patted the young boy on his head while thinking to himself.

'*Sigh* I guess I need to try and talk to Kurama.' Alfonzo thought to himself. 'Hopefully those [Seals] I've been researching will work the way I want them to. But they worked when I tried them on Lici. So, this shouldn't be a problem.. I hope."