He doesn't know?

They didn't tell him.

Oh no.

Hinata pokes her fingertips together nervously, and murmurs, "Naruto-sama..."

They didn't tell the kid.

She knows it's hard to figure out when's the right time to tell this sort of thing, but "the villagers are mistreating you because of it" is too late.

Angiest inkblot.

"Oh. Oh kami. Okay, they…"

…Aaand Sakura has no idea how to explain that, actually.

No one is going to save her from having to explain this. She's the one who knows what's going on other than Sakura, who isn't up for explaining it.

She flares her Byakugan for a moment, checking for any observers.

Finding none (they've stopped in an out of the way alley), she anxiously whispers, "Naruto-sama... th-this is a s-secret, they shouldn't kn-know, but they hold a g-grudge against you for what your p-passenger, the fox, did before it was s-sealed in you."

The… the fox? What fox?

…

…

…Wait, that Fox!?

"You mean… the demon fox?"

"I have the—"

Oh no Blondie's going to blow their cover this is a secret she can't let her team get in trouble—

Before she realizes what she's doing, Sable has stolen front from both Sakuras and slapped a hand over Blondie's mouth.

And then it realizes what it did and lets go of control in a flash, leaving the body back in Outer's control, hand still silencing Naruto.

{Shit shit shit I'm sorry I didn't mean to steal front.}

Woah was that a weird feeling. What just…?

Right, okay.

{Steal… front? What was that just now?}

Right, crap, that's not the sort of thing he should be yelling about.

He continues more quietly.

"I have the… the Kyuubi inside me? The demon that nearly destroyed the village?"

Right. More important things to focus on, right now.

Whatever just happened—whatever Sable just did?—Naruto is dealing with something pretty intense right now, and they need to be there for him.

"We're not entirely sure—nobody told us—but we think so, yeah.

I'm… sorry you had to find out all of a sudden like this."

Sheepish inkblot is embarrassed.

{The metaphorical "control seat" of the body is commonly called "front" in my old world, like "being in front" or "fronting". And I just grabbed control in a panic to make sure Blondie didn't keep yelling because I care about you four and can't let y'all get in trouble for this shit.}

Also poor Blondie, today is being such a day.

Hinata nods. "I w-wish someone had t-told you."

Wow, yeah, somebody should have. Even if most of the village didn't seem to already know, it's his body that has a demon apparently sealed inside it.

"Somebody should have. I… I'm going to visit the Hokage after practice today.

He had to know, and I can't—I know he's a bit of a stick-in-the-mud, but I thought he cared about me."

Talk to the Hokage?????

Blondie apparently knows the Hokage personally, noted.

Also that seems like a possible route by which Sakura and Hinata could get in trouble for telling Blondie.

Also also they were talking about problem-solving before they got derailed talking about what the problem was. Which, well. Valid.

Wait, yeah, what? Naruto knows the Hokage? Personally?

Obviously some people must know him, but her parents sure haven't ever met him, let alone someone her age!

And… right. Sable just took control of her body.

Well, their body—sorry… other Sakura (kami, do they ever need their own names).

She… kind of knew that was something it could do? But it's definitely different having it happen to her.

{Okay, that's definitely… weird, and we should talk about it later, but I wanna handle this situation first. Just… remind me?}

{Will do, sweeties. We definitely need to have a talk about plural stuff and all that tonight.}