The Fourth Hokage...was the village's great hero. He treated everyone in the village well, but singled him out—Naruto Uzumaki, the orphan.
Used as the vessel to seal the Nine-Tails, no matter how hard he tried, he could never gain the villagers' recognition. An existence unacknowledged, unwanted, unloved, and unseen—many couldn't even forgive him for simply existing.
Because deep down, they all believed he was the demon fox that caused the death of the Fourth Hokage. The Fourth Hokage, who had been kind to the entire village, was cruel to him alone.
Suppressing the bitterness inside, Naruto wanted to lash out at Inari, who had been crying and shouting at them. But he didn't. Not because he held himself back, but because two people were already angrier than him.
Thud!
The two youths slammed their palms onto the table simultaneously, their old wounds reopened! Even Naruto, who had been ready to lose his temper, was startled.
He looked up and saw none other than 'young Kakashi-sensei,' who had never quite clicked with him since their first meeting, and... that idiot Sasuke?!!
Naruto, Inari, and even Sakura and the Tazuna family had no idea. But Minato Namikaze and young Kakashi knew—Inari's words, "Do you know what it feels like to watch your own father get beaten to death?!" had deeply stirred painful memories in both Sasuke Uchiha and young Kakashi.
They... were both people who had watched their fathers die right before their eyes.
Young Kakashi merely slammed his fist on the table to vent his anger, without saying a word. That 'shameful' memory was something he didn't even want to think about.
His mask hid his expression, but even as a twelve-year-old who had gained enough experience to become a jōnin, his sheer presence was enough to make Inari—who was much younger—think twice before acting recklessly.
Sitting next to Naruto, Sasuke's fist remained tightly clenched on the table, his eyes locked onto the child across from him.
"If I were you, I'd train harder than ever, until one day I became stronger than the strongest, and then I'd get my revenge!!"
That grim expression made Inari forget his tears. He also forgot to keep shouting at Naruto. Sobbing quietly, he looked rather pitiful.
Naruto, who had been ready to explode, reluctantly ended up playing the role of calming Sasuke down. He patted Sasuke on the shoulder to soothe him, then turned to look at the sobbing Inari. His voice, usually so full of energy and cheer, was cold now—
"So keep thinking of yourself as the tragic hero, crying your eyes out every day. Keep doing that."
"Sasuke's right. We're weak now, but we'll get stronger," he said. "But you won't. You're just a crybaby, begging others to solve your problems!"
Naruto stood up, his face dark, and walked away.
Though young Kakashi and Sasuke didn't leave, neither of them wanted to say another word to the kid named Inari, not even glancing at him.
Watching his sobbing grandson, Tazuna patted him gently, his heart aching. He shot an apologetic glance toward Kakashi and Minato-sensei.
Kakashi glanced at his teacher beside him, feeling that he probably shouldn't have spoken. But whether as Naruto's teacher or as Minato-sensei's student, there were still some things he felt he needed to say.
"Naruto didn't mean any harm by what he said, and Sasuke wasn't trying to scold you either," Kakashi said. "I'm sorry to have startled you. About your father... Tazuna-san has already told us."
Inari remained silent, still quietly sobbing, but Kakashi could tell that he had heard.
"But," he suddenly shifted gears, "among us, aside from Sakura and Rin, everyone here lost both their father and mother at a younger age than you. And…"
"In a way, everyone here witnessed their father die before their very eyes." This included Naruto and Obito—they were simply too young at the time to remember.
"!!!"
The Tazuna family gasped, their eyes filled with profound sorrow as they looked at the children.
Inari roared, "Then why do you still strive? Why continue being ninjas?"
Young Kakashi couldn't hold back anymore. "Do you think retreating into your shell like a turtle guarantees a life free from danger and harm? True danger isn't always swords and guns! It could be rumors, too."
Kakashi didn't respond to Inari's question or to the words of his younger self.
He spoke directly to Inari, yet it felt like his words were meant for Minato Namikaze.
"Naruto grew up not knowing who his parents were. Because of certain circumstances, he never had a single friend."
Minato's index finger twitched slightly at Kakashi's words.
Sasuke and Sakura both knew the truth. Looking back, they couldn't explain it, but everyone around them had shunned Naruto. Even some of his former Ninja Academy teachers had deliberately avoided him.
"But even so, I've never seen Naruto cry out of despair or defeat. On the contrary, he always doubled his efforts, hoping his relentless hard work would earn others' recognition. He's risked his life countless times for his dreams, because…"
Kakashi paused, his mind drifting back to the memories of his time with the ANBU, tasked with 'monitoring the Jinchūriki of the Nine-Tails.'
"Naruto's probably cried enough already. That's why he wanted to tell you, as someone who's been through it, that crying solves nothing."
Minato stared silently at the tabletop, deep in thought.
Kakashi's mention of 'certain circumstances' sparked a hunch in Minato.