The Sakura Legend

The day after New Year's.

Hokage's Office.

The Third Hokage, Homura Mitokado, and Koharu Utatane were gathered here. However, Danzo, whom the Third Hokage had expected to be present, was absent. The Third had anticipated Danzo would use this opportunity to pressure him into taking control of Naruto, but Danzo hadn't come. The Third Hokage had prepared responses to Danzo's arguments, but now it seemed they wouldn't be needed.

The Jinchuriki's rampage had indeed rattled the nerves of Konoha's leadership. Fortunately, the events of the previous night had been contained without the villagers' knowledge. All ninjas present had been given a gag order. As for the three enemy ninjas, they had been handed over to the Interrogation and Torture Force. The official story for the villagers was that there had been an enemy incursion last night, a mix of truth and lies to cover up the incident.

The Third still couldn't understand why Naruto had lost control. He had great confidence in the Uzumaki clan's sealing techniques, and Naruto was a descendant of the Uzumaki clan. The Eight Trigrams Seal on Naruto couldn't be opened without the key left by the Fourth Hokage. That's why Konoha's leadership hadn't been as concerned about Naruto as Sunagakure was about their Jinchuriki.

But after last night's events, even if he still trusted Naruto, it would cause anxiety among others. He needed to carefully consider his next steps.

Just then, a knock came at the door.

"Enter," the Third Hokage said.

An Anbu operative entered. Because this was a meeting, the Anbu didn't simply appear.

"Lord Third, Naruto has been under observation for a night and is now fine. The seal is intact, and there should be no further rampages. Naruto is currently recovering in Konoha Hospital," the Anbu reported.

"Yamato, take off your mask. I want you to participate in this meeting," the Third Hokage said to the Anbu. Note: The use of Yamato here pre-dates his official introduction in the canon, acting as a placeholder for his Anbu codename Tenzo, as per later canon.

"Yes, Lord Third," he said, removing his mask.

"Yamato, tell us what happened last night. No one knows it better than you," the Third Hokage said, looking at Yamato.

"Suppressing the Four-Tails was extremely difficult. After all, I'm far weaker than the First Hokage. But fortunately, the Four-Tails wasn't struggling, and its power was steadily weakening. That's how we were finally able to subdue it," Yamato reported truthfully.

"Then, what do you think caused that situation?" the Third Hokage continued to question.

"I'm not entirely sure, but I believe Naruto was resisting the Nine-Tails' power. That's why the Nine-Tails simply crouched there without struggling," Yamato said, after thinking for a moment.

"So, you believe Naruto has enough willpower to control the Nine-Tails' power?" the Third Hokage asked, his expression unchanged.

"That can't be confirmed. After all, Naruto is only nine years old. The Wood Release sealing technique is one aspect, and Naruto's willpower is another," Yamato replied cautiously.

Now was the time to discuss how to handle Naruto, so Yamato couldn't afford to be careless. He was the primary person involved in suppressing the Nine-Tails last night; the sealing team beside him had only played a supporting role.

"I see," the Third Hokage said. Then, he turned to Homura Mitokado and Koharu Utatane. "The general situation is now clear. The seal on Naruto is intact, and there are no signs of another rampage. Naruto used his own will to resist the Nine-Tails' influence, preventing damage to Konoha. But we need to wait for Naruto to wake up to inquire about why he lost control last night. Also, it will take some time for the Interrogation and Torture Force to extract information from the three enemy ninjas. Because Naruto was severely injured by the Nine-Tails' chakra, we will keep him under observation for now. Do either of you have any objections to this course of action?"

"No objections," Homura Mitokado said.

"I agree as well," Koharu Utatane added.

"Yamato, you're dismissed," the Third Hokage said to Yamato.

"Yes, Lord Third," Yamato said, leaving the Hokage's office.

"Good. Now, let's discuss the matter of Sasuke Uchiha. What are your thoughts?" the Third Hokage asked, turning the discussion to the two advisors.

"I believe we should increase protection for Sasuke Uchiha. He is now the only remaining Uchiha clan member in the village, and he will inevitably be targeted by enemy villages. We cannot allow the village's last Sharingan to fall into enemy hands," Koharu Utatane said.

"I disagree. Increasing protection for Sasuke Uchiha is necessary, but we must also keep him under strict surveillance. After all, if he learns the truth about what happened six months ago, there's no guarantee he won't do the same thing as the Uchiha clan. Third, don't forget, the Uchiha clan is a cursed clan," Homura Mitokado said.

"..."

The Third Hokage pondered for a moment, then said, "Only a few of us know the truth about what happened six months ago. The village has no records of the events. When we're all gone, this matter will be buried. And, I believe Sasuke won't do such a thing. Don't forget, he's Itachi's brother. I believe he can uphold the Will of Fire."

"Third, you're too soft-hearted. If it weren't for Itachi, he wouldn't have been spared. The Uchiha clan is always a potential threat to the village," Homura Mitokado said.

"The Uchiha were once our comrades. There were those within the Uchiha clan who transcended the clan's limitations: Kagami Uchiha, Shisui Uchiha, and Sasuke Uchiha's brother, Itachi Uchiha. If we truly want to resolve the rift between the Uchiha clan and the village, we must try to trust Sasuke. Keeping Sasuke is preserving a seed for the village. In the future, the Uchiha clan will be a pillar supporting Konoha."

"That's enough. There's no need to say more," the Third Hokage said firmly, looking at the two advisors.

"Sigh... Very well, Third. You are the Hokage; it's your decision. But if Sasuke Uchiha shows any signs of abnormality, please don't hesitate to act, Third. It would be disastrous if things turned out like they did with Orochimaru," Homura Mitokado said, conceding to the Third Hokage's firm stance, but not without a final warning.

The Third Hokage sighed, a hint of bitterness in his nod upon hearing Orochimaru's name. "Rest assured, advisors. If things truly become uncontrollable, I will make the necessary decision."

"Now, there's also the matter of Sakura Haruno. What are your opinions on her?" the Third Hokage continued.

"She should be a priority for cultivation. Although her performance in this incident was average, she has great talent, just lacking experience. If this were a time of war, she could become another Tsunade. The village is currently lacking in talent, and we should increase our investment in her training. We should also open up some ninjutsu to her. After all, that little girl has potential in chakra control and jutsu development," Koharu Utatane said.

"And your opinion?" the Third Hokage asked, turning to Homura Mitokado.

"I agree with Koharu. The village lacks talented commoners; geniuses are mostly born into the major clans. If she can grow, she could be like the Fourth Hokage, strengthening the connection between ordinary ninjas and the village," Homura Mitokado stated his view.

"Very well, it's decided then." The Third made a hand sign, and an Anbu appeared.

"Notify Jiraiya. Emergency recall. Hmm... you can reveal some information about the Jinchuriki situation to Jiraiya. Also, increase efforts to find Tsunade. Get her back to the village as soon as possible," the Third Hokage ordered. He was somewhat concerned about this incursion by enemy ninjas and felt the need to make preparations.

"Yes, Lord Third," the Anbu said before disappearing.