The night was thick with tension. The forest shuddered with every impact.
Iruka was thrown back again, his body colliding with a tree, bark splintering beneath him. His breathing was ragged, but his eyes stayed sharp. He refused to let go of the scroll clutched against his chest—the Sealed Book.
Mizuki landed lightly on a branch, smirking. "Still standing, Iruka? You're like one of those cockroaches that never die."
Iruka wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, forcing himself upright. "I won't let you take the Sealed Book… Mizuki." His voice trembled, not from fear, but from pain that wouldn't stop burning.
"Then don't blame me for this," Mizuki hissed. His expression twisted as he pulled a kunai from his pouch, the moonlight glinting off the blade.
Iruka read the intent in his eyes—Mizuki wasn't bluffing anymore. This wasn't about the Book now. It was personal.
He raised his own kunai, hands shaking. "You'll regret this."
"Regret? Maybe. But first, I'll kill you and walk out of this village free." Mizuki lunged.
Steel clashed. Sparks burst. The sharp clang of kunai echoed through the forest like a heartbeat. Mizuki attacked with the precision of a trained killer, each strike aimed for Iruka's vital points.
Iruka's body screamed in protest—his muscles torn, his breath shallow. But he parried, again and again, deflecting blows with sheer will.
Then—Crash.
Mizuki's kick slammed into his chest. Iruka hit the ground hard, his kunai skidding away into the shadows.
"Out of strength already?" Mizuki's voice dripped with mock sympathy. "Don't worry, I won't make it painful. We've worked together too long for that."
Iruka coughed, dragging himself backward through the dirt. "You'll… never get it."
Mizuki didn't bother answering. He lifted his weapon high, eyes glinting. "Goodbye, Iruka."
The blade came down—
Clang!
A clean metallic note rang out. Both kunai went spinning, embedding themselves deep into the ground several meters away.
"Who—?!" Mizuki shouted, staring at his empty hands.
"Looking for me, Mizuki-sensei?"
The voice came from above—light, mocking.
Naruto stood on a branch, the moon behind him, smiling like he'd been waiting all night for this.
"You—Naruto Uzumaki?!" Mizuki's eyes widened. His body tensed, scanning the trees for backup. "Where's Anbu? They sent you to stall me?"
Naruto hopped down, landing between Iruka and Mizuki. "Relax. No Anbu. Just me."
Mizuki's grin returned, though his eyes darted nervously. "Just you, huh? Then this is even easier. I should thank you, Naruto—you saved me the trouble of hunting you later."
Naruto tilted his head, smiling faintly. "Funny. I was thinking the same thing. I've been watching your little drama for a while now. You and Iruka-sensei… really going all in with that 'tragic betrayal' performance."
"Baka!" Iruka shouted, his face turning red despite the pain. "Do you ever think before you speak?!"
Naruto chuckled, shrugging. "You're still alive, aren't you, sensei?"
That infuriating grin only widened as he turned back to Mizuki. "Anyway, let's settle this. You wanted the Book, right? Then come and take it."
Mizuki snarled. "I'll kill you first!"
Naruto raised a single hand, chakra flaring faintly around him. "Then try."
He flicked his wrist. A shuriken flashed through the air—swift, silent, merciless.
Mizuki barely dodged, but the blade still nicked his forehead protector, carving a deep line through the Konoha emblem.
Naruto lowered his arm, voice calm. "That mark suits you. A ninja who turned his back on the village doesn't deserve to wear its symbol."
Mizuki's eyes burned with rage. "You brat—!"
But Naruto didn't flinch. The forest wind stirred around him, whispering through the leaves like distant applause.
This wasn't the Academy dropout everyone mocked. This was something sharper, colder.
The kind of boy who planned six years ahead just to make tonight happen.