Chapter 143: The True Inheritor of the Will of Fire
Mizuki prided himself on having more talent than Iruka, but everyone in Konoha liked Iruka, which made him feel unappreciated. Now, another Akiyama Makoto had appeared, and dared to humiliate him to his face. Mizuki already disliked him for his handsome looks and literary talent. Now that he had served himself up, there was naturally no reason to let him go.
"Then you can die with your daydream!"
Mizuki violently threw an oversized shuriken, then followed it, charging toward him.
Makoto blocked the shuriken, but facing Mizuki and the kunai he threw afterward, he looked as if he was struggling.
"Don't even think about it!"
Iruka rushed out from the other side, barely managing to knock Mizuki away, and was about to fight him with a kunai.
But after landing, Mizuki did a kip-up and rushed towards the shadows, where Naruto was hiding.
Naruto screamed and tried to run, but was instantly pinned to the ground by Mizuki, who held a kunai to his neck.
Makoto's expression was strange. He could sense that Tenten, along with the other four girls, had already set up an ambush. He couldn't help but sigh internally. Mizuki's part in this play was over. He had wanted to see Naruto use the Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu, but it seemed he wouldn't get the chance now.
"Mizuki, let him go! Take me instead! You can hold me hostage!"
Iruka wanted to step forward, but Mizuki's kunai had already drawn a bloody line on Naruto's neck. He immediately stopped, not daring to move any further.
"Very good. It seems you're smart after all, Iruka."
"You don't want this kid to die, do you? Then how about we make a deal?"
"I'll leave with the scroll, and you and him will stop here and pretend you never saw me... No, that won't work. You'll definitely go back on your word and chase me."
He looked at Makoto, then at Iruka. "How about this? You two fight to the death. The one who lives then stabs himself, and then I'll let him go."
"One is the most respected teacher in Konoha, the other is a naive brat who believes in the First Hokage. Surely neither of you would refuse to do such a thing!"
Naruto struggled, wanting to say something, but was knocked unconscious by a punch from Mizuki.
Iruka trembled all over. He had poured so much of his heart into Naruto; to him, Naruto was truly a special student. But he couldn't just attack Makoto...
Just as Iruka was hesitating, Makoto turned his kunai on himself.
With a soft squish, the kunai plunged into his own abdomen. Blood stained his clothes, and he slumped to the ground.
His face was pale, but his spirit was not diminished in the slightest. "Is this what you wanted?"
Mizuki stared blankly at the scene, as if he couldn't believe such a person actually existed in the world. He already couldn't understand Iruka sacrificing himself for Naruto. Had this kid lost his mind?
And in the moment he was stunned, Makoto suddenly spoke. "Now!"
A silent, colorless spiritual force hit Mizuki. A volley of kunai shot towards his body. Just as they were about to hit, Ino withdrew her Mind Body Switch Technique.
A furious Sakura rushed out and sent Mizuki flying with a single punch. She was followed by Hinata, who controlled her chakra threads to bind him, and then a series of Gentle Fist strikes hit dozens of his tenketsu, beating him until he was vomiting blood.
Ino rushed up and, holding back her tears, tried to stop his bleeding. Her lips trembled. "Why are you so stupid!"
Of course it's for you guys, he thought with a sigh.
But that was only one of the reasons. The other was that he needed to start showing a little of his talent.
Wood Style and the Flying Thunder God were out of the question. That would make Hiruzen pay too much attention to him. He didn't want to become his successor. But activated cells were a different story. It was a typical symbol of the Senju bloodline.
As a master of medical ninjutsu, he was certain that this intelligence would be on Hiruzen's desk by today. As for whether the Senju bloodline could be found in his own family tree, that wasn't important. As long as it was confirmed that he was suspected of having a bloodline comparable to Hashirama Senju's, that was enough to make him a key protected person in Konoha. Especially when he had the bloodline but was still not very strong, this protection would turn into letting him live well while also having him produce more offspring. What if one day, one of his children turned out to be a Wood Style user?
Ino was barely managing to staunch the wound with her hands; she didn't know medical ninjutsu yet. The other girls also rushed over, their faces pale as they looked at his condition.
Iruka, meanwhile, went to check on Naruto. But the ridiculously tough boy had already woken up and was staring blankly at his injured form.
"Iruka-sensei... why?"
Naruto's question was a jumbled mess, but Iruka understood what he wanted to ask.
He took a deep breath. "Perhaps... this is the Will of Fire of the First Hokage."
"I still don't understand..."
Iruka patted his head. "This kind of thing isn't for us to understand. It's for influential people like Makoto-kun to consider."
"As for us, it's enough to work hard to protect the village and the people around us, to complete our missions, and to train hard."
"But Iruka-sensei, I'm going to be the Hokage!"
"Then you might have to compete with Makoto-kun."
"Ah—..." Naruto scratched his head. This was going to be difficult. Maybe he should let him be Hokage first? He was younger than him, so he could just wait a couple more years.
On Makoto's end, Tenten had already given him an emergency bandage. She looked at Iruka. "Iruka-sensei, I'm taking him to the Konoha Hospital. Can I leave this to you and Naruto?"
Just as her words fell, Kakashi, Guy, Kurenai, Asuma, and the others arrived. In reality, they had been there for a while, just following the Hokage's orders to observe. Since Naruto's life was not in danger, they naturally couldn't interfere lightly. However, Kurenai had disobeyed the order and made her appearance. The others had no choice but to show themselves as well, otherwise she might be punished.
"Leave it to me."
Kurenai looked at the bloodstains on his clothes, and a fire flickered in her red eyes. This anger was naturally not directed at him. Faced with a child who was so bravely learning from the First Hokage, she could only show concern. She was angry at herself, because he had said that in the future, he wanted to become a great hero in front of her. She was also angry at the manipulator behind the scenes, who could have stepped in at any time but had waited until now.
Compared to that manipulator's "Will of Fire," wasn't his more convincing?
Beside her, Asuma wanted to say something, but Guy spoke up. "Let Tenten and the others go with you. I don't think they'll be able to sleep tonight anyway."
"Alright. Tenten, you're with me."
Watching Kurenai leave with him in her arms, Asuma finally closed his mouth, dejected.
Kakashi and Guy ignored him. It was time for them to clean up the mess. The matter of Naruto stealing the scroll had been under the Third Hokage's watch and implicit permission, but that didn't mean the act itself was allowed. Naruto would be detained for two days, and then the Hokage's Office would pin all the responsibility on Mizuki. At that time, Naruto, a civilian who wasn't even a ninja, would be released without charge.
As for him, the Jōnin could only hope that he would be safe.
In the Hokage's Office, Hiruzen Sarutobi stopped his scrying technique.
He savored what had just happened, especially recalling Makoto's expression and actions. It was a courage without a single trace of hesitation. Such courage... although he didn't want to admit it, he had only ever seen it in the First Hokage.
Could this child really be a believer of the First Hokage?
Unfortunately, just having the conviction wasn't enough. He shook his head. The reason the First was the God of Shinobi was first and foremost because he had the strength of one. Only then were his ideals spread.
In their generation, it was already difficult enough to just patch things up and maintain Konoha's dignity. How could they possibly be as all-encompassing as the First? It was impossible.
But, although he didn't agree with his words in his heart, he had let go of all his wariness towards him. This child would not be his man, but he would not be anyone else's either. He was not a ninja, so let him, as a civilian force, lead everyone to remember the First Hokage. This was not a bad way to build unity.
Just as he was considering whether to find a medical-nin to treat his injuries, the intelligence that came from the Konoha Hospital made his eyes widen in shock.
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