Naruto never bothered with polite formalities around the Third Hokage. Their relationship had long passed that stage.
The Third let out a bitter smile.
"Yes. It was my mistake. When I first became Hokage again, I barely understood the responsibilities anymore. Konoha was too large for me to manage alone, so I created the position of Hokage Advisors to help."
He lowered his gaze.
"But when I finally got used to governing again, I couldn't bring myself to abolish that position. That hesitation allowed all of this to happen."
He stared into the tea swirling in his cup, his voice dim and weary.
"Danzo secretly transplanted Hashirama's cells, stole Shisui's eye, and even kept the Sharingan of fallen Uchiha. None of that should have ever been possible. By letting them nibble away at the authority of the Hokage, I allowed Danzo to fall, and Root to rot."
His old eyes lifted to Naruto, clouded yet full of painful clarity.
"You are right, Naruto. The ones I have wronged the most were never Danzo. It is the innocent lives crushed by Root, the souls of the Uchiha, and…"
His throat tightened.
"And the village entrusted to me by those who came before. Had I been decisive as you are now, I would never have let him hollow out this village from within."
Naruto looked at the old lines on his face and sighed.
"No. It was never meant to unfold this way. After all, you chose my father as Hokage back then."
"You entrusted everything to him. But…"
The moment Minato's name surfaced, silence fell between them.
The Third knew very well that age had softened him. That was why he passed the mantle to Minato in the first place.
A young, powerful Hokage would cleanse Konoha of its accumulated problems, while he would assist from behind the scenes.
His plan had been clear.
Once Minato learned the inner workings of the village, the Third would abolish the Advisor positions himself and return all authority to the Fourth Hokage.
But Minato died unexpectedly, breaking the plan entirely.
With no successor left, the Third was forced to step up again.
And that meant Danzo and the others remained in their positions far longer than they should have.
When Tsunade later became Hokage, she immediately dismantled the Advisors' authority and let the old men retire with dignity.
But by then, time had already turned the mistake into poison.
Danzo had gone too far, beyond redemption.
Naruto watched the Third blame himself, and his voice softened.
"You don't need to carry all of it. After my father's sacrifice, the village was in chaos. Someone had to stand up and stabilize everything, and you were the only one who could."
He refilled the Third's cup. Steam rose gently as he continued,
"Danzo's fall began with his own greed for power. You had to rebuild the village, calm the clans, and remain vigilant against enemies. If you tried to purge Root back then, the village would've collapsed into civil war."
The Third's hand froze on the rim of his cup.
Naruto leaned forward.
"As you said, the lives Root destroyed are the true tragedy. But the blame doesn't rest on you alone. It is Danzo's crime, and a flaw in the system."
His blue eyes locked onto the Third's tired ones.
"Look around. Konoha has already changed. Lady Tsunade reclaimed authority. Sasuke and I are here to protect this village's future. The tree you planted is growing strong. That is the real answer to the past."
A long silence settled before the Third finally released the cup he had been gripping so tightly.
With a soft breath, relief drifted into the tea-scented air.
"You are right, Naruto. It is time for this old man to look forward."
He chuckled faintly.
"Take good care of Konohamaru. That boy has talent. With your guidance, he might even surpass you someday."
The mention of his grandson brought a rare warmth to his expression.
For an old man, there was nothing more precious than seeing younger generations thrive.
Naruto finished the last sip of tea before hesitating.
"Third Grandpa… why did Itachi have to kill the entire Uchiha clan? Even if many were extremists, not all of them wanted rebellion. Could he not have spared the innocent ones?"
The Third was silent before answering.
"My teacher, the Second Hokage, studied the Uchiha deeply. They feel emotions more intensely than most. When they lose bonds, their grief can become destructive."
"Even peaceful clansmen were connected to the extremists by blood. If only the extremists were killed, do you think their relatives would not bear hatred toward the village?"
"Sasuke awakened the Mangekyo to protect you. So imagine how the rest of the Uchiha would react upon witnessing the deaths of their loved ones."
"That is why… I am forever indebted to Itachi. To this day, I still cannot think of a perfect solution for the Uchiha dilemma."
Naruto fell quiet.
Again, everything traced back to the same chain reaction: hatred.
The Third's voice grew solemn.
"Naruto, you once told me about your plan. It is a plan no one in history has ever achieved, and maybe no one ever will again. But with your strength, perhaps it is not impossible."
He paused.
"To achieve it, you must prepare yourself. Many will lose their lives because of it. But listen carefully."
His tone sharpened, carrying the weight of decades of experience.
"You cannot show mercy when the moment calls for decisiveness. If you only do half the work, the survivors will carry hatred forward. That is foolish. Leaving behind enemies who resent you is even more foolish."
"If someone tells you to spare dangerous enemies because they are 'innocent', then that person is either foolish, malicious, or both. Such people should be ignored… or eliminated if necessary."
For a moment, he looked nothing like a frail elder.
A deadly sharpness flashed through his gaze, the same look he once had as the strongest shinobi of his time.
"I understand." Naruto replied quietly.
After comforting the Third and receiving a harsh lesson in return, Naruto left the old Hokage's home.
He stretched his arms and inhaled. He had tried to imagine what the Third must have felt.
He replaced Danzo's face with Sasuke's.
If Sasuke had walked the same dark path… could Naruto really strike him down?
The answer was obvious.
That was why he had come. Because even a former Hokage, even a legendary leader, was still a seventy-year-old man who needed reassurance.
Konohamaru was too young. Asuma had not yet returned.
So the task had fallen to Naruto.
But the Third's final lesson was carved deeply into his heart.
To eliminate weeds, you must destroy the roots.
He would remember that.
He looked toward the overcast sky and murmured,
"Next… it is time to face him."
A light drizzle pattered down from the thick clouds.
Naruto sat cross-legged in a small pavilion beside the hot springs.
Sasuke and Hinata stood beside him.
"Naruto, are you sure you want to attempt controlling the Nine-Tails now?" Sasuke asked, frowning.
"No. It's not about controlling the Nine-Tails." Naruto answered, eyes firm.
"It's about facing the darkness inside my own heart."
"Everyone has negative emotions. We just bury them deep. If I'm afraid to confront mine, how can I ever become the person I dream of being?"
A gentle smile formed on his face.
"Don't forget. I'm meant to be the man who holds the moon and plucks the stars."
Hinata bit her lip, concern flickering in her sapphire eyes, but she did not try to stop him.
Sasuke activated his Mangekyo.
"If anything goes wrong, I'll drag you out immediately."
"I'm counting on you, Sasuke."
Naruto closed his eyes.
His consciousness sank into the depths of his seal.