Hokage Chamber
The room was dim and quiet. Only a few lamps were lit. Their soft light made long shadows on the walls. Three people stood inside the chamber. The Third Hokage sat behind his desk. In front of him stood the Chief Interrogator. Beside him stood an ANBU wearing a fox mask.
Silence filled the room.
"Give me the report," the Hokage said calmly.
The Chief Interrogator stepped forward.
"There were no signs of genjutsu," he said. "No outside interference. No enemy involvement."
He paused before continuing.
"She held deep hatred toward Naruto Uzumaki. Her granddaughter was a chūnin who died during the Nine-Tails attack."
The Hokage's eyes narrowed slightly.
"For the past year," the interrogator continued, "her mental state has been unstable. She has been hallucinating. She believes her daughter's spirit is trapped and suffering. She thought killing the jinchūriki would 'free' her."
The room grew heavier.
"Anything else?" the Hokage asked.
"Her mind is broken," the interrogator replied honestly. "She keeps repeating the same sentence, 'I must kill the demon so my daughter can find peace.' She truly believes it."
The Hokage closed his eyes for a moment.
"I want a full detailed report on my desk tomorrow," he said.
"Yes, Lord Hokage."
The Chief Interrogator bowed and left the room. Now only two remained.
The Hokage slowly turned his gaze toward the fox-masked ANBU.
"Fox," he said calmly, "what were you doing near the jinchūriki?"
The ANBU stood straight.
"You are not the assigned watcher," the Hokage continued. "If I remember correctly, you returned from a mission only a few hours ago."
There was a short silence.
Fox hesitated.
Then he lowered his head slightly… before lifting it again.
"The orphanage was on my way home," he said. "I heard noise and shouting. I decided to check. That is how I ended up there."
The Hokage stared at him.
Long.
Deep.
The kind of stare that sees through excuses. After a moment, he sighed softly.
"Remove the mask, Kakashi."
The ANBU stiffened for a second.
Then he reached up and removed the fox mask.
Silver hair fell freely. One eye calm. The other covered.
Kakashi stood silently. The Hokage picked up his pipe and lit it slowly.
He took a puff. Smoke filled the air between them.
"Kakashi," he said gently, "sometimes it is okay to be honest with yourself."
Kakashi did not respond. But his visible eye lowered slightly.
The Hokage took another slow puff. "Cat will be demoted to chūnin for disobedience."
That was the official punishment for the ANBU on watch duty..
For abandoning post. For leaving assigned duty.
Kakashi remained silent.
The Hokage looked out the window toward the village..
The Hokage exhaled smoke slowly.
"This village has already lost too much," he murmured quietly.
The room fell into silence once again.
"How is young Naruto?" the Hokage asked quietly. Kakashi stood straight. His face was calm, but his visible eye was serious.
"A broken jaw," Kakashi said. "Three shattered ribs. Internal bleeding. And several bruises." He paused for a second before continuing. "Any other child would have died from that. But Naruto is… resilient. He is healing at a very fast pace."
The Hokage leaned back in his chair.
"Is it Uzumaki vitality like Kushina had?" he asked. "Or the Nine-Tails' chakra helping him?"
Kakashi slowly shook his head.
"There were no traces of the Nine-Tails' chakra," he replied. "No red chakra. No leakage from the seal."
He hesitated slightly.
"And… somehow, he fought back."
The Hokage's eyes sharpened.
"Explain."
"He cut her face," Kakashi said. "And severed her foot."
The room went silent.
"But there were no weapons," Kakashi continued. "No kunai. No blade. Nothing in the room that could cause those kinds of cuts."
The Hokage frowned.
"Are you certain?"
"Yes."
Kakashi's voice was firm. The Hokage folded his hands together. "Let us wait for the interrogation team's full report," he said calmly. "We will review everything carefully."
Kakashi nodded.
"If you do not mind, Lord Hokage… I have a question."
"Speak your mind, Kakashi."
Kakashi's eye lowered slightly.
"Sensei had many friends. He was respected. He was loved. So why was Naruto placed in an orphanage? Why not in the care of someone close to him?"
The Hokage turned his gaze toward the window. The moon hung high over Konoha.
"Because Naruto is not just a child," the Hokage said slowly. "He is the son of the Fourth Hokage."
He paused.
"The last known Uzumaki."
Another pause.
"And the jinchūriki of the Nine-Tails. The strongest tailed beast."
The weight of those words filled the room.
"He carries too much," the Hokage continued. "If we place him under the care of any clan or any powerful shinobi, he will grow loyal to them. That will shift the balance between the clans."
He looked back at Kakashi.
"The village cannot afford that imbalance."
"So," Kakashi said quietly, "it is better for him to grow up alone?"
"It is the safest option for the village," the Hokage replied.
Kakashi's hand tightened slightly.
"But it is wrong," he said. "It is wrong to Minato-sensei. And to Kushina."
The Hokage closed his eyes for a moment. "I am not saying it is not wrong," he said softly. "But sometimes, what is best for the village is not kind."
He opened his eyes again.
"I believe Naruto has a strong Will of Fire. He will endure. He will surpass these challenges."
The Hokage reached into his desk and pushed a small key and a pouch across the table toward Kakashi.
Kakashi looked down.
"What is this?"
"A key to an apartment," the Hokage said. "Naruto will move there. He will live there until he graduates from the academy."
Kakashi's eye widened slightly.
"He is only three years old."
"Yes," the Hokage said calmly. "But he will manage."
He tapped the pouch.
"This contains a monthly stipend for him."
"But he is a child," Kakashi repeated.
"Then explain the value of money to him," the Hokage replied. "Teach him how to use it."
He leaned back again.
"The boy is much smarter than he lets on, Kakashi."
Kakashi stayed silent.
"He may look like Kushina," the Hokage continued, "but he takes after Minato."
The room fell quiet.
"Dismissed," the Hokage said.
Kakashi picked up the key and the pouch.
He bowed slightly.
Then he left the chamber, the sound of his footsteps echoing softly in the silent hallway.