Naruto Dream Fulfillment Master!

Chapter 58 This child is just like his teacher.

"Yellow flash..."

Naruto repeated the title softly, feeling his blood boil and a surge of pride and reverence welling up in his heart.

Seeing that Naruto's expression had improved, Kakashi continued, "Back then, there was an unwritten rule circulating in the ninja world—when carrying out a mission, if you encounter the 'Yellow Flash,' the enemy can immediately retreat, and it doesn't count as a mission failure."

"Because if we don't retreat immediately, almost none of the ninjas who stay behind will live to see the next day's sun."

Naruto's eyes widened upon hearing this, and he opened his mouth in disbelief.

"W-Is it that amazing?!"

He was both shocked and proud, never imagining that his father's reputation had reached such a level.

Iruka nodded in agreement, "The Fourth Hokage back then was truly awe-inspiring..."

However, Kakashi did not show much relief. Instead, his tone was somewhat somber: "Naruto, this may sound glorious, but from Minato's perspective... it may not be entirely a good thing."

"The Fourth Hokage's formidable reputation was earned through countless battles fought amidst mountains of corpses and seas of blood. In those years, he slew countless enemies on the battlefield. Those who refused to retreat when they encountered him ultimately met their end at his hands."

Upon hearing this, Naruto held his breath.

Kakashi's deep voice continued, "In other words, your father made countless enemies in the ninja world. Many people hated the 'Yellow Flash of Konoha,' but unfortunately, they never had the chance to take revenge..."

At this point, a hint of sadness flashed in Kakashi's eyes, but he quickly concealed it so that Naruto wouldn't notice.

Naruto listened intently, his respect for his father undiminished, yet he also realized the weight behind that halo.

"Did Father...carry so much?"

Naruto murmured, for the first time gaining a deeper understanding of the word "hero".

Kakashi nodded: "After the Third Shinobi World War, Minato became Hokage. But the situation didn't completely stabilize. The year you were born, our village was attacked by the Nine-Tails."

At this point, Naruto's voice choked, and his eyes reddened again.

After all, many ninjas were killed in the Nine-Tails' attack, and the village's overall strength was severely damaged.

Iruka's parents... also tragically perished in that chaos.

Upon hearing this, Iruka lowered his head, his expression somber.

The grief of losing his parents at a young age is a permanent scar on his heart.

Naruto glanced at Iruka-sensei discreetly and saw his forlorn expression, which made him feel sad and apologetic.

With the Nine-Tails sealed within him, he felt, to some extent, that he was also inextricably linked to the tragedy of that night.

Kakashi continued:

"After the Nine-Tails incident, Konoha was severely weakened and temporarily fell into a weak position among the nations of the ninja world. If someone knew at this time that the Fourth Hokage's only son was in Konoha and had become a Jinchūriki, can you imagine what the consequences would be?"

"Whether openly or secretly, our enemies will definitely take the opportunity to attack you. Not only is the power of the Nine-Tails coveted, but the desire to take revenge on the Fourth Hokage and Konoha is enough for those enemies to eliminate you at all costs. But at that time, Konoha was riddled with holes and could hardly spare the strength to protect you, an infant, from harm around the clock."

Hearing this, Naruto was completely stunned.

He was so shocked that he couldn't speak for a moment.

Iruka, standing nearby, suddenly realized, "Come to think of it, Konoha had just lost the Fourth Hokage and so many Jonin at that time, so it was beset by internal and external troubles..."

Kakashi nodded: "The Third Hokage's decision to conceal your identity back then was out of necessity. As Hokage, he had to prioritize the safety of the village."

"Although I know this is so unfair to you... It would be hard for anyone to accept that you, the son of a hero, have to bear such a heavy burden of misunderstanding and pain. But Naruto, I hope you can understand the Third Hokage's predicament."

The long explanation finally came to an end. Naruto sat there blankly, as if waking from a dream, desperately trying to process everything that Kakashi-sensei had said.

After a long while, he slowly exhaled a breath of stale air, and his previously tense shoulders slumped down.

"So...that's how it is."

Naruto muttered to himself, the complex expression on his face slowly turning into a bitter look.

He always thought the villagers hated him only because of the Nine-Tails, but he never imagined that his father was also involved and that there were so many hidden reasons behind it.

Now that he had heard the whole story, Naruto's resentment towards the Third Hokage had lessened considerably.

Although he still felt a tightness in his chest, he understood that the Hokage did not do so out of malice.

"Naruto, are you feeling better?" Iruka finally breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that Naruto's expression had eased a little.

He had been watching Naruto's reaction intently, worried that the boy might get stuck in a rut and do something rash.

Seeing him calm down now, I felt relieved and a smile of relief appeared on my face.

Naruto looked up and gave his two teachers, who had shown him concern, a grateful smile: "Um... thank you, Kakashi-sensei, Iruka-sensei."

The worry in Kakashi's eyes lessened considerably. He patted Naruto's head and said gently, "It's good that you've figured it out."

At this moment, Iruka, who had been silent all along, suddenly sighed softly, "Kakashi-senpai, I never expected... you to have such a gentle and patient side."

His gaze toward Kakashi held a newfound respect and surprise.

"I heard about your deeds when I was in school, and I always thought of you as a cold and stern legendary ninja... But after meeting you today, I realized that you care about juniors so much."

He had just witnessed Kakashi's careful guidance of Naruto, which changed his opinion of the legendary genius Jonin.

Kakashi, after being praised like that, showed a rare hint of embarrassment, scratching the back of his head and saying, "Well, no matter what, Naruto is still my student."

The words were spoken so matter-of-factly that Naruto felt a surge of warmth in his chest.

"Naruto, you're really amazing." Iruka pressed his advantage, smiling as he patted Naruto on the shoulder. "You have such an excellent father, and you've inherited his will to protect the village. I believe that as long as you work hard, you will definitely become a great ninja like him in the future!"

Iruka paused, then continued solemnly, "When the day comes that you possess enough power to no longer fear any threat, the Third Hokage will surely reveal your identity. At that time, the entire village will know the truth, and their misunderstandings about you will naturally vanish. After all, you are the son of that hero! How can you be defeated by such a setback?"

"Teacher Iruka..."

Naruto felt a lump in his throat, his heart filled with emotion and fighting spirit.

He nodded vigorously, a long-lost smile returning to his face.

After wiping away the tear stains remaining in the corners of his eyes, Naruto straightened his back, his eyes becoming bright and sparkling.

"I understand! That's right, I am the son of the Fourth Hokage. I will inherit my father's will, become Hokage, and will never be easily defeated!"

As he spoke, he clenched his fist, waved it with high spirits, and seemed to have regained his usual sunny and cheerful demeanor.

Thinking of how great his father had been, Naruto felt an immense surge of motivation.

He must work even harder in his spiritual practice so that he can gain everyone's recognition as soon as possible and inherit his father's glory with dignity!

Seeing the blond boy regain his spirits, Kakashi and Iruka exchanged a smile, both of them letting out a sigh of relief.

This is the kind of person they know well—no matter what setbacks they experience, they can quickly recover and always remain optimistic.

Kakashi sighed inwardly.

Naruto, as expected, has the same strong heart and radiant belief as his father.

That's why he can draw strength from solitude and find light in darkness, instead of being like me...