Hokage's Office
Hiruzen's voice dropped an octave, grave and unwavering.
"We've obtained new intelligence," he said, his eyes narrowing. "Something serious."
He paused.
"It's about Naruto."
The air shifted. The room froze. The silence turned sharp, like the edge of a blade suspended mid-swing. You could hear a pin drop.
I showed concern on my face, just enough to appear genuine. But inside… something shifted. The void deepened. The monster stirred once more.
The rest of Team Ro straightened. Their expressions tightened. Eyes sharpened. The predator in all of us awakened.
Hiruzen continued, voice heavy with the weight of truth.
"We apprehended a spy. someone collecting intel on academy students. After interrogation… he confessed. The data was passed on. Specifically, information about Naruto. Someone is planning to abduct him."
I mirrored their shock, letting the question fall from my lips:
"But why? Why Naruto?"
Hiruzen sighed, rubbing his temples. In that moment, his age carved deep lines into his features. The great Third Hokage looked… tired.
"I know you're sharp, Johan," he said quietly. "You've probably already guessed why the villagers treat you and Naruto… the way they do."
I nodded, barely. Just enough to acknowledge it.
There was a pause. When he spoke again, his voice was burdened by years of guilt.
"I tried to stop it. I made it illegal to even speak of it. I forbade anyone from calling you what they used to…"
His voice cracked slightly. "But as you've seen… I failed."
Silence.
"Monsters," I said softly.
The word sliced through the room like steel through silk.
No one spoke. They didn't need to.
Hiruzen closed his eyes briefly, then opened them again, his gaze heavy with regret.
"It's time I gave you some answers."
Good, I thought. Let's see what version of the truth you've prepared for me…
He began.
"After the First Hokage founded Konoha, he captured the tailed beasts. To maintain balance, he distributed them among the great villages… hoping it would preserve peace."
He shook his head, the bitterness in his voice unmistakable.
"But peace was a dream. Instead, it led to three great ninja wars."
The room felt colder now. Each word he spoke was deliberate, carved from years of secrecy.
"The First Hokage kept the Nine-Tails and sealed it inside his wife, Mito Uzumaki. Later, for the village's safety, we continued the tradition… sealing the fox in Uzumaki children, because of their strong, resilient chakra."
He avoided my eyes as he spoke the next part.
"But something went wrong. The Nine-Tails escaped. To protect Konoha… the Fourth Hokage split the beast into two halves."
His voice dropped to a whisper.
"He sealed one half inside Naruto. And the other… inside you."
There it was.
The truth, laid bare at last.
I didn't flinch. Just a flicker of shock on my face, enough to satisfy their eyes.
But inside… there was nothing.
No tremor. No surprise.
Only the quiet, crushing weight of a truth I had long carried in silence.
A truth I already knew.
"And that," Hiruzen said, barely audible, "is why they look at you the way they do. Why they call you that… that fox."
Only half the truth. As expected.
He gives enough to maintain control. A Hokage's lie, crafted without speaking a single false word.
Hiruzen looked at me, guilt etched into his every feature.
"I'm sorry I kept this from you. But it was necessary. I always meant to tell you both… when you were older."
No need, I thought coldly. I already know more than you ever intended me to.
I gave him a small nod. Nothing more.
He took the cue, shifting back into the hardened commander.
"We don't know the full extent of the enemy. They could be from a major village… or an underground syndicate. We can't afford to wait and see."
His tone was steel now, the old warrior behind the aged mask.
"We've confirmed they believe Naruto is the only jinchūriki. They don't know about you. And tomorrow… they plan to strike."
Abduct Naruto…
So, their time has come.
"I'll take his place," I said, my voice calm, low, final.
Hiruzen studied me for a long moment, as if searching for something behind my eyes.
"Are you sure?" he asked.
I nodded. "I can do it."
He turned to the rest of Team Ro.
"Team Ro will handle this," Hiruzen said, voice firm. "You are to eliminate the group. No loose ends."
We all nodded. No hesitation.
"Prepare well," he said. "Dismissed."
We turned and left the office.
---
Aftermath – Hokage's Office
Now alone, Hiruzen stood in silence.
His eyes lifted to the wall behind his desk to the framed portraits of the Hokage. They settled on one in particular.
Minato's.
He whispered, so softly it barely touched the air.
"Forgive me, Minato… I still haven't told him everything."
He drew a deep breath. His voice, steadier now, carried a solemn oath.
"But I will. I swear… I'll tell them about you. About Kushina. About who they really are."
His gaze dropped to the mission scrolls before him.
His expression changed, his eyes now dark, distant, unreadable.
"I'll protect this village," he murmured, "no matter the cost. Even if it means erasing who I am… to ensure its survival."
---
Johan's POV – Later That Night
When I reached home, I opened the door with the spare key. The apartment was quiet.
Naruto was already asleep, curled up under the blanket, breathing softly.
I stood there, staring at his peaceful face.
So innocent. So unaware.
No one will hurt you, dear brother.
And those who try…
I'll show them what I truly am.
I turned, walked into the darkness of my room, and closed my eyes.
It's time to meet the fox.
When I opened them again, I was inside.
No warmth. No light. Only void.
Darkness stretched in every direction, dense, suffocating. Not like Naruto's watery prison. This place was different. Colder. Deeper. Silent.
A place for things left buried.
I moved forward, the echo of my own breath the only sound.
Then I saw it. the gate. Iron bars, towering.
And behind them… eyes.
Crimson. Slitted. Eternal.
They stared through me, ancient and pitiless.
The malice bleeding through the bars was palpable, thick like smoke. A miasma of death, despair, hatred… and something worse. Recognition.
He saw me, This wasn't like Naruto's Nine-Tails.
No.
This was the Yin half, the darker side of the beast. The part that didn't just hate, but delighted in it. The side that didn't roar with rage but whispered with venom. Cold, Pure malice given form.
It looked at me, and I saw no fury. No surprise, Only stillness.
I smiled, just barely.
"Hello, Nine-Tails."
He stared. Silent.
Then, at last, he spoke. Voice low, like thunder behind a veil.
"So… you're finally here. I was waiting."
"I'm here now," I said.
He narrowed his eyes. "You don't have to pretend with me. I see what lies beneath. Death. Darkness. It clings to you like a second skin."
The smile fell from my lips. My face hardened.
"I'm tired of pretending… in front of others, anyway."
He studied me for a long moment. "Why are you here?"
"I know you've stopped interfering with my chakra. I… appreciate it."
He scoffed. "Don't flatter yourself. I didn't do it for you. I was simply… entertained. You showed me something interesting."
My voice turned cold. "You liked it, then. The deaths. The chaos."
"Hmph. You're not like the others. But don't think I care. Kill them all if you want. I won't stop you. But don't expect my chakra."
I leaned in slightly. My voice dropped to a whisper.
"We'll see about that."
And then… I vanished.
---
Kurama's POV – Inside the Seal
I stared at the spot where the boy had been standing a moment ago.
Silent.
"I've never seen a human so young… with that much darkness inside."
My thoughts drifted, unbidden, to the old man, Hagoromo.
"Old man… I don't know if your prophecy about the child who will bring peace to the world will ever come true. But one thing I do know for certain…"
My voice dropped, laced with something colder. Amusement. Disbelief. A flicker of something cruel.
"This one… he'll bring only destruction."
I looked toward the shadows, and I laughed low, bitter, and hollow. The sound echoed through the vast, empty seal like a curse.
"Is this what you wanted, Minato?"
The laughter twisted, sharpened into something darker.
"You've made a mistake. A monstrous… irreversible one."
Hahahaha…