As the crowd's excitement reached its peak, the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, seized the moment. He raised his voice above the cheering:
"The real reason I called everyone here today is to honor the heroes who gave everything for this village. Their sacrifice wasn't in vain! Konoha is safe because of them!"
The crowd responded right away.
"That's right, Hokage-sama!""We're living in peace because of their bravery!""I want to live well to make their sacrifice worth it!"
The atmosphere was electric—just the kind of response Hiruzen had hoped for. But then, his voice took a more serious tone:
"But..."
That single word instantly silenced everyone. You could feel the tension as the villagers leaned in, waiting for what he'd say next.
"Do you remember who was the one who truly saved us that night?" He paused and looked around the venue.
"I'm sure none of you have forgotten," he said. "It was the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze. He gave his life to protect us all."
The moment he said Minato's name, everyone turned toward the Hokage Rock, staring at the Fourth's stone face.
No one said anything at first, but you could feel the emotions in the air—gratitude, respect, pride.
Even though Minato hadn't been mentioned in a long time, no one had forgotten him. In fact, whenever visitors asked about the Hokage statues, villagers would proudly point to the Fourth and tell his story like it was a badge of honor.
Then, someone in the crowd called out, "The Fourth Hokage!"
And just like that, the whole crowd joined in, chanting his name louder and louder:
"The Fourth Hokage!""The Fourth Hokage!"
Naruto stood right in the middle of it all, stunned. His cheeks flushed red and his hands trembled. That was his father they were cheering for.
He couldn't help it—he puffed out his chest and started shouting along with them.
For the first time, he felt proud. Really proud.
But then Hiruzen spoke again, cutting through the cheers.
"But… there's something I need to confess."
The crowd went silent again.
"I feel deep guilt… because I failed to take care of the child the Fourth Hokage left behind."
Gasps rippled through the audience.
"The Fourth… had a child?""Wasn't his whole family killed that night?"
Most villagers genuinely had no idea. The truth had been hidden for years.
Hiruzen nodded and explained, "I made that up, to protect the boy. I wanted him to live a quiet life, away from attention."
Now people were buzzing with questions.
"Who is he?""Where is the Fourth's son now?"
Hiruzen looked out over the crowd.
"You've all heard the rumors over the years—about the child who supposedly was the demon fox. I think you know who I'm talking about."
All eyes turned to Naruto.
He froze.
Even though he didn't understand all of it, he could feel the weight of their stares.
He wasn't just the "weird kid" anymore. He was the one everyone believed brought disaster to the village.
And those eyes—cold, angry, accusing—felt heavier than ever.
Hiruzen saw it. He saw what his choice to stay silent had done.
He remembered every broken promise.
To Lady Mito, who begged him to protect her descendants.To Sakumo, a trusted comrade he failed to defend.To his own students—Orochimaru, Tsunade, Jiraiya—who had all walked away from him in disappointment.
And now, here was Naruto.
Just a little kid, standing alone while tens of thousands glared at him like he was some kind of monster.
Hiruzen sighed, glanced briefly toward Danzo hiding in the shadows, then turned back to the crowd.
"I've made many mistakes… but this one, I must correct now."
He took a deep breath.
"The story you've heard—the one about the demon fox turning into a child—it's not true. The truth is, the Fourth Hokage sealed the fox into a newborn baby to protect us all.
That baby… is Uzumaki Naruto.
And he is also the son of Minato Namikaze, the Fourth Hokage!"