"So Cute, It Must Be a Boy!"

Everyone kept calling him "Naruko," and Naruto was fed up. He wasn't Naruko! He was Naruto Uzumaki, a real boy—not some girl!

Even the people watching on the heavenly screen had taken to calling him "Naruko," which made him want to yell at them.

"I'm a boy! Stop calling me that!" Naruto declared for the hundredth time.

"A… boy?"

Mito froze, blinking in disbelief. She rubbed her eyes and took another good look at the child standing before her.

No matter how she looked at it, this was clearly a girl!

Could Kushina have raised her like this? No, that didn't seem possible. Kushina had been lively, yes, but surely not to the point of raising a daughter as if she were a son.

Mito studied Naruto closely again. The delicate frame, the soft features, the... noticeable curves.

"So cute… how can this be a boy?"

"Let me explain," Kakashi stepped forward, giving a brief rundown of Naruto's recent transformation due to the heavenly screen's punishment.

Mito's eyes widened in shock but soon filled with understanding.

"So that's what happened…"

Mikoto, standing nearby, was equally astonished. A transformation that could completely change someone's gender? Such a thing was beyond imagination.

"See! I told you I'm a boy!" Naruto crossed his arms and puffed up his chest indignantly.

Mito and Mikoto both smiled warmly.

"So cute!"

Unable to resist, the two women reached out, pinching Naruto's cheeks.

"Hey, stop! You're gonna ruin my face!" Naruto protested, but the two mothers just laughed, thoroughly enjoying his squirming.

"Don't worry, little one. From now on, no one will ever hurt you again," Mito said softly, her hands still holding Naruto's cheeks.

Naruto's struggling slowed. Her voice carried a warmth that he hadn't felt in a long time.

But even as his heart softened, Naruto pouted and said stubbornly, "Who's bullying me? I'm gonna be Hokage, dattebayo! No one can bully me!"

"Being acknowledged isn't something you achieve by becoming Hokage. Only those who are already acknowledged can truly become Hokage."

Itachi's calm voice broke the moment, causing Naruto to freeze.

"Is… is that true?" Naruto tilted his head, confused.

The room grew quiet as Naruto pondered Itachi's words, lost in thought.

"Naruto," Mikoto said gently, her hand brushing against his cheek, "you look so much like your mother."

Naruto blinked. His mother?

"You knew my mom?" Naruto asked eagerly.

Mikoto hesitated, glancing toward Hiruzen. The older man gave her a subtle shake of the head.

"Yes," Mikoto replied softly, choosing her words carefully. "You look like her, and your personality… well, it's very similar. But that blond hair—that's from your father."

Naruto's expression softened. "My dad… and my mom…"

He whispered their names like a question, a mixture of longing and sadness filling his voice.

"What were they like? Why… why did they leave me?"

Mikoto's heart ached at the sight of Naruto's teary eyes. She crouched down, brushing a strand of hair from his face.

"They didn't leave you, Naruto. They've always been watching over you, loving you."

Naruto's eyes widened. "They're… watching me?"

"Yes, always," Mikoto reassured him.

"What kind of people were they?" Naruto asked, his voice trembling with hope.

Mikoto hesitated again. "I can't tell you everything, Naruto. But I can tell you this: they loved you more than anything, even until the very end."

Naruto stood still, his small hands clenched. His chest felt tight, but in the best way. The warmth from Mikoto's words filled every corner of his being.

"They… loved me," Naruto repeated softly.

A smile spread across his face, bright and radiant like the sun. For the first time in a long time, he felt truly happy.

Mito and Mikoto both smiled at the sight.

Sasuke, however, crossed his arms, turning his face away to hide his own faint smile.

"Idiot," Sasuke muttered under his breath.

Naruto turned, hands on his hips. "Oi, Sasuke, I heard that!"

"I didn't say anything," Sasuke replied flatly, though the corners of his lips twitched.

"You totally did! I'm not deaf, you jerk!" Naruto shot back.

Their bickering made the room burst into laughter.

Mikoto's gaze softened even further. She silently thanked Naruto for being Sasuke's friend.

After Naruto and Sasuke left the office, Mito's expression darkened as she turned toward Hiruzen.

"Sarutobi, you owe me an explanation."

Her voice was cold, and her chakra flared, filling the room with a suffocating pressure.

Hiruzen sighed heavily, nodding. He began explaining everything: the Nine-Tails attack, Minato and Kushina's sacrifice, the Uchiha massacre, Danzo's actions, and the hardships Naruto endured.

Mito's face grew darker with every word. Her chakra raged uncontrollably, making the walls tremble.

"You've disappointed me, Sarutobi," she said, her tone cutting. "This is not the man I once knew."

Hiruzen could only bow his head, unable to defend himself.

Kakashi stood silently, awestruck by the sheer amount of chakra Mito emitted. It was far beyond anything he had seen, even from Naruto.

Outside the Hokage's Office

Naruto stretched his arms and took a deep breath, grinning.

"Finally out! That was exhausting, dattebayo!"