Uchiha Fugaku arrived at the Hokage Building and was immediately led to the Hokage's office by an Anbu escort. Inside, the Third Hokage's expression was icy, his gaze sharp enough to cut through steel. His voice carried undisguised anger.
"Patriarch Fugaku, what exactly do you want to do?"
"Hokage-sama, I don't quite understand what you mean."
Despite the Third Hokage's fury, Uchiha Fugaku remained calm. His expression was composed, as if he neither saw the Hokage's cold glare nor heard the anger in his voice.
"Uchiha Fugaku, don't feign ignorance. Tell me, why did you have Uchiha Mikoto contact Uzumaki Naruto in private?"
The Third Hokage slammed his hand on the table, standing up abruptly as his anger surged.
"Hokage-sama, I must correct one thing. I did not come into contact with Uzumaki Naruto. The only one who did was my wife. You can verify this with the Anbu who returned with me."
Uchiha Fugaku's tone was steady, showing neither fear nor guilt. The Third Hokage's expression remained grim, and his voice turned even colder.
"What was Uchiha Mikoto's purpose in contacting Uzumaki Naruto?"
"She was a close friend of Uzumaki Kushina. When she saw Uzumaki Naruto, she naturally wanted to meet him."
"I have already issued an order that no one is allowed to contact Uzumaki Naruto privately. Don't tell me the Uchiha clan is unaware of this order?"
The Third Hokage's tone was laced with suspicion. He knew Uchiha Mikoto and Uzumaki Kushina had been close, but he did not believe for a second that Mikoto had acted on her own. He was convinced that Fugaku had instructed her, and that the Uchiha clan was trying to get close to the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki for their own purposes.
"I am aware, but Hokage-sama's order is simply too inhumane," Uchiha Fugaku responded coldly.
"It is for Uzumaki Naruto's safety. His status is special. If people were to contact him privately, it could lead to unforeseen consequences."
The Third Hokage resorted to his usual rhetoric.
"Hokage-sama, do you really expect me to believe such an excuse?"
Uchiha Fugaku smirked. This reasoning might deceive ordinary villagers, but it would never fool him. If the Third Hokage truly cared about Naruto's safety, he would have hidden him from the public eye rather than allowing him to be ostracized, abused, and labeled a 'fox demon.'
The real reason for keeping Naruto isolated was simple: the Third Hokage wanted to be the only figure in Naruto's life. He wanted to ensure that Naruto saw him as his only source of warmth and guidance, ensuring absolute control over the Jinchūriki.
"What are you implying?"
The Third Hokage's face darkened further, his gaze frosty.
"If you truly wanted to protect Uzumaki Naruto, you wouldn't have allowed the title of 'fox demon' to spread, nor would you have permitted the villagers to shun him. Instead, you should have announced his identity as the son of the Fourth Hokage. That way, the village would have loved and protected him."
Fugaku's voice was laced with mockery.
"Revealing his identity would have been reckless. It could have exposed him to spies from other villages, putting him in danger. As much as it pains me, I had no choice but to keep his identity a secret."
The Third Hokage feigned righteousness, as if his actions had been for Naruto's own good.
"Are you truly preventing other villages from discovering Naruto's identity?" Uchiha Fugaku scoffed. "If you were, you've done a poor job of it. All of Konoha's previous Nine-Tails Jinchūriki were members of the Uzumaki clan. Given that fact, along with his title as the 'fox demon' and his Uzumaki surname, anyone with a shred of intelligence could deduce that Naruto is this generation's Jinchūriki. By now, the other major villages, and even smaller ones, likely know the truth."
"That's just speculation. According to Anbu reports, Uzumaki Naruto's identity has not been exposed," the Third Hokage countered coldly.
"Oh?"
Uchiha Fugaku smirked. The Anbu were under the Third Hokage's control. Whether Naruto's identity had truly been kept secret was up to the Hokage's word alone.
The Third Hokage's brows twitched in frustration. His voice grew sharper.
"Clan leader Fugaku, from this moment onward, you, Uchiha Mikoto, and every member of the Uchiha clan are strictly forbidden from contacting Uzumaki Naruto."
"I and the other clan members can abide by this, but Mikoto cannot."
Uchiha Fugaku's expression was firm. "She was a close friend of Uzumaki Kushina. Now that she has met Uzumaki Naruto, she cannot simply pretend he doesn't exist."
"Fugaku, I am not asking. This is an order!"
The Third Hokage's eyes glowed with authority as he glared at Fugaku.
"Hokage-sama, even as the village's leader, you do not have the power to make decisions unilaterally."
Fugaku's gaze was equally unwavering. "Uzumaki Naruto is the son of the Fourth Hokage. Decisions concerning him should be made collectively by the village. The order forbidding contact with him is something you decided alone—it was never discussed or approved in a village council meeting. Strictly speaking, your order does not comply with village regulations.
"If you truly wish to enforce it, then let's hold a village meeting and have an open discussion about how Naruto, the son of the Fourth Hokage, should be treated."
The Third Hokage's face twitched violently with rage. He glared at Uchiha Fugaku with burning intensity, his jaw tightening. But beneath his fury, he felt a twinge of fear.
He couldn't afford a village meeting on this issue.
If a formal discussion were held, the Fourth Hokage's former subordinates—many of whom were now clan heads or high-ranking officials—would argue for Naruto's proper recognition. They would push for better treatment, which would directly challenge the Third Hokage's influence over the boy.
He had deliberately ensured Naruto grew up isolated, making himself the only figure in the boy's life. If that changed, he would lose the control he had carefully built.
Suppressing his anger, he studied Uchiha Fugaku intently.
"Even if a village meeting is held, the Uchiha clan will be excluded from any interaction with Uzumaki Naruto. That won't benefit you at all."
The Third Hokage attempted to negotiate. He knew that the Fourth Hokage's supporters had little love for the Uchiha. After all, Minato's death was suspected to be the work of a rogue Uchiha.
"So I don't want to hold a meeting, but if Hokage-sama insists, then we will both suffer," Uchiha Fugaku stated calmly.
The Third Hokage clenched his fists.
"What are your conditions?" he finally asked.
"My condition is simple. The Uchiha clan will not interfere with Uzumaki Naruto. However, my wife will be allowed to see him freely," Uchiha Fugaku declared.
"You may take time to consider, but if I do not receive a response, I will take it as your tacit approval."
Without waiting for a reply, Uchiha Fugaku turned and walked out of the office.
As he stepped into the corridor, the sound of something crashing against the wall echoed from within the office.
A smirk played at his lips.
(End of this chapter)
Want to read 70 more chapters check out my patreon!!!
https://www.patreon.com/john_smith_
Every 300 Power Stones+1 (5 ⭐ Review) = 1 Chapter+1Chapter