On the surface, however...
Menma deliberately wore a complex expression—partly lingering anger, partly confusion.
He was still under the Third Hokage's surveillance, after all.
As someone who had "just discovered his true identity" and defeated Mizuki out of rage, his facial expressions needed to be on point.
He couldn't let Hiruzen spot anything unusual.
Also, Mizuki couldn't die.
The next act still required this key supporting character!
"A Demon Fox? Am I really... just..."
Menma deliberately pursed his lips, forcing a bitter smile. He shook his head gently, muttered the broken sentence, and let out a soft sigh.
He really had covered all the bases.
Watching from afar, Hiruzen Sarutobi naturally saw nothing wrong. The Third Hokage would never suspect that a boy not yet twelve could possess such realistic acting skills and such deep scheming.
In fact, Hiruzen was now worried about Menma's mental state.
But seeing that Menma seemed relatively stable—just confused—Hiruzen didn't rush to intervene.
Just as Hiruzen was considering whether he should do something...
Whoosh!
A figure darted into Hiruzen's field of view.
Under the moonlight...
Seeing Iruka's familiar face, the tension in Hiruzen's heart eased slightly.
With Menma's designated "guardian" arriving on the scene, and Menma's emotions appearing stable, everything seemed to be under control.
Hiruzen could see it.
And Menma could sense his teacher's arrival even earlier.
Menma had been debating whether to drag Mizuki back to the village and "turn himself in," but now that Iruka was here, it was perfect!
Of course, Menma didn't forget or skip a single beat of his performance.
He spun around!
Instantly dropping into a defensive stance.
"Menma! Don't be nervous, it's me!"
Seeing Menma's guarded posture, Iruka quickly called out to identify himself.
Menma naturally relaxed his expression.
Then, seamlessly transitioning, he looked at Iruka with a mix of guilt, anxiety, and a faint sense of distance—even suspicion.
That complex expression, coupled with the instinctive step backward, perfectly portrayed a confused adolescent whose world had just been shaken!
Iruka didn't know exactly what had happened.
But seeing Menma's expression and actions...
And seeing Mizuki unconscious on the ground, next to the giant Scroll of Seals...
Iruka felt like he could guess part of the story.
"Don't worry, Menma. I believe in you. There must be some misunderstanding here, right? Tell me everything, okay? If there's a problem, I'll help you solve it. That includes whatever happened with Mizuki-sensei. Just tell me everything, okay?"
Seeing that Menma was clearly unstable, Iruka stopped where he was. He didn't want to provoke the boy further. Using his gentlest tone, he tried to soothe Menma's turbulent emotions.
"Everything?"
Menma let out a self-deprecating laugh, looking at Iruka with an unreadable expression.
"Can I really trust you? Iruka-sensei?"
His tone sounded hollow, lacking any strength or conviction.
Iruka's heart tightened.
"Of course you can, Menma. I am..."
"Even if I'm the Demon Fox that killed your parents twelve years ago? Will you still trust me? Or will you be like Mizuki—like everyone else in the village—and see me as the village's greatest curse?"
Before Iruka could finish, Menma cut him off. He looked up sharply, speaking rapidly, his face filled with doubt and suspicion.
Unlike his performance with Mizuki, which was almost entirely acting...
At this moment, facing Iruka, Menma's words, expressions, and even his mindset weren't entirely fake. Six years of interaction, combined with knowledge from the original story, proved that Iruka truly cared about him!
Menma didn't care about this village.
His original plans and resolve wouldn't waver. Initially, the only person he might have cared about was his foolish little brother. But now, Iruka had to be factored in too.
Menma wasn't even sure what he wanted. Did he hope Iruka was a hypocrite putting on an act? Or did he truly hope Iruka saw him as a younger brother?
Even Menma didn't know!
The emotion he showed was raw and real!
Iruka froze.
"Menma, you..."
Iruka wasn't a genius, but being trusted by Hiruzen to guide Menma proved he had his strengths.
From that single sentence, Iruka could vaguely guess that the situation was very different from what he had imagined.
Mizuki!
It was highly likely that Mizuki had played a despicable role in Menma's theft of the Scroll of Seals!
That was important.
But right now...
Menma's mental state was the top priority!
That was Iruka's judgment!
"No, Menma. You are not the Demon Fox. In my heart, you are a boy named Menma Uzumaki. I don't know where you heard that, but let me tell you this: You are you, and the Fox is the Fox. You are not the same entity. In fact, you are a hero of the village. The others... they don't understand you right now. They reject you. But I believe that through your own hard work, you can earn their acknowledgment and understanding. Menma, believe in me. Believe in yourself. And believe in Lord Hokage. Come back. We can solve all of this!"
Iruka extended his right hand, looking at Menma with a serious gaze. His voice was gentle but firm.
It came from the heart.
Iruka had no intention of deceiving Menma.
He truly saw Menma as just a boy.
As he said: The Fox was the Fox, and Menma was Menma!
Menma, who had been sealed with the Nine-Tails as an infant, shouldn't be hated or isolated by the villagers. He should be treated as a hero!
This was Iruka's genuine feeling after six years of knowing Menma!