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"Where on earth did Naruto go?" Iruka stood panting on a path, looking around in all directions.
Elsewhere.
Mizuki was also moving swiftly through the streets, heading rapidly towards the location he had told Naruto to go.
'Once I spread this news through the village and deal with Naruto, the Scroll of Seals will be mine!'
The two of them, with different intentions, were both strenuously searching for Naruto.
However, besides those two, there were two others also looking for Naruto, and they had already found him!
In a forest.
Kagaya and Haku appeared silently on a tree branch, quietly watching Naruto, who was sitting on the ground below, panting heavily. It seemed Naruto had just finished practicing the Multiple Shadow Clone Technique.
"Is this the person Kagaya is looking for?" Haku whispered to Kagaya beside him. Haku didn't know Naruto. The reason he could find him was mainly because, in the afternoon, Kagaya had asked Haku to remember a specific chakra signature. At the time, Haku didn't know whose chakra it was, but now it seemed it belonged to the person below.
Kagaya nodded. "Yes, it's him."
Three years since they last met, Naruto. How will you react when you see me?
Thinking this, Kagaya was about to take Haku down to seize the Scroll of Seals. But just then, both Haku and Kagaya paused, stopping their movement.
'Someone's coming!'
The two did not go down, remaining quietly on the branch. The branch they stood on was surrounded by many leaves, making it impossible to tell there were two people there unless one looked very carefully. Furthermore, both were well hidden; detecting Kagaya and Haku via chakra sensing was also impossible, at least for individuals like Iruka and Mizuki.
The person who arrived was Iruka.
"Hey! Naruto!"
Iruka was bent over, sweat still on his forehead. It seemed he had run quite hard to find Naruto.
Naruto, completely unaware of the seriousness of the situation, scratched his head and laughed. "Hehehe, you found me. And I just learned one jutsu."
Iruka was taken aback. 'Practicing jutsu here?'
Stealing the Scroll of Seals to practice jutsu was something Iruka hadn't expected. Initially, Iruka thought this was just another one of Naruto's pranks, albeit one with more severe consequences.
Looking at the dirty marks on Naruto's clothes, Iruka was somewhat surprised. 'To this extent...' This time, Naruto seemed to have worked exceptionally hard.
Naruto spoke excitedly. "Um, um, next I'm going to show you a super amazing jutsu! Once I learn it, you have to let me graduate, okay?! As long as I learn the jutsu on this scroll, I can definitely graduate, right?!"
Iruka's eyes widened. He realized something was wrong. Naruto stole the Scroll of Seals to graduate?
Was someone manipulating him from behind?
"Who... who told you that?"
Naruto replied candidly. "It was Mizuki-sensei, of course! He told me about the scroll and this place!"
As he spoke, Naruto turned around, showing the scroll on his back to Iruka.
By now, Iruka was completely stunned. 'It was Mizuki!?'
Swish! Swish! Swish!
The sound of shuriken suddenly came from behind Iruka. Iruka immediately pushed Naruto away, facing the shuriken alone.
Quickly, Iruka was forced back by the shuriken, retreating to the wall of a building in the center of the forest. Although Iruka did his best to avoid the shuriken, one still deeply embedded itself in his thigh.
"You actually managed to find this place," Mizuki said, standing on a tree branch behind Iruka, looking at the injured Iruka.
Iruka looked at Mizuki and instantly understood everything. "I see..."
Clearly, Naruto stealing the Scroll of Seals was orchestrated by Mizuki. The one who truly coveted the Scroll was Mizuki!
The Scroll of Seals, being a highly forbidden object within Konoha, contained several powerful forbidden jutsu. And Mizuki had set his sights on these jutsu!
Mizuki ignored Iruka and spoke to Naruto. "Naruto, hand over the scroll!"
Naruto was so frightened he fell onto his backside. He looked at the injured Iruka, then at Mizuki who had attacked Iruka. "Wh-what's going on? What's happening?"
Iruka gasped for breath, enduring the pain as he pulled the shuriken from his thigh. "Naruto, don't hand over that scroll even if you die! It's a dangerous item sealed away because it records forbidden jutsu! Mizuki used you to get it!"
Naruto froze, then looked nervously at Mizuki.
Mizuki laughed recklessly, retorting, "Naruto, Iruka is afraid of you obtaining it!"
Naruto was stunned again, unsure whom to believe.
"What are you saying, Mizuki!? Don't be fooled, Naruto!"
Mizuki continued laughing. In his view, the Scroll of Seals was already as good as his. He wasn't worried at all, instead speaking leisurely. "Let me tell you the truth, Naruto."
Iruka instantly realized what was coming and immediately shouted, "You fool, shut up!"
Mizuki ignored Iruka and continued. "After the incident 12 years ago, the village established a certain rule."
Naruto: "A certain rule?"
"It's a secret rule that must never be revealed to you, Uzumaki Naruto, above all others."
"To me above all? What kind of rule is it?"
Iruka tried to stop him again. "Shut up, Mizuki!"
Mizuki completely disregarded Iruka.
"That rule is to never speak about your true identity—that you are the demon fox!"
Naruto's eyes widened. This... this was...
"What?"
Mizuki's smile grew even more rampant.
"In other words, you are the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox that killed Iruka's parents and destroyed the village!"
Iruka could bear it no longer.
"SHUT UP!!!"
Mizuki continued to torment Naruto's spirit.
"You've always been deceived by the villagers. Don't you find it strange? Why are you so hated?"
"Bastard! Bastard! Bastard! Bastard!!!"
A massive amount of chakra surged from Naruto's body. It was clear Naruto's emotions were extremely unstable.
Mizuki continued his taunts.
"No one acknowledges you! Even Iruka hates you!"
On the branch nearby, Kagaya looked at Mizuki as if he were an idiot.
'Is this guy looking to die?'
Kagaya's thought was factual. Since Mizuki knew about the Nine-Tails, how dare he provoke Naruto like this? What if Naruto truly lost control and unleashed the Nine-Tails? Not only Mizuki, but even Kagaya would have to flee immediately.
'Fool!' Kagaya cursed inwardly. He didn't plan to let this guy named Mizuki continue to provoke Naruto. He had no desire to face something as terrifying as the Nine-Tails.
A shuriken appeared silently in his hand. Kagaya intended to make a move and take out Mizuki!
However, at that moment, Naruto below suddenly calmed down. The erupting chakra gradually receded back into his body. He shook his head repeatedly at Mizuki.
"No! Kagaya acknowledged me! Kagaya thinks I can defeat him in the future! I'm not someone nobody acknowledges! Someone acknowledges me! Kagaya, he, acknowledged me!"