"He can already use Wind Release: Great Breakthrough?!"
Deep within the Hokage's office, Hiruzen Sarutobi stared at his crystal orb in absolute, unfiltered shock.
Wind Release: Great Breakthrough was technically only a C-Rank technique, and its destructive capacity was relatively standard. A highly experienced Jonin could easily evade or counter it. However, the fact that Suzuki had flawlessly executed the technique just hours after being handed the scroll was terrifying.
As Hiruzen watched the brilliant flames incinerate the forest, he couldn't help but overlay Suzuki's image with the phantom memory of another brilliant, blonde-haired young man. A genius who had shone brighter than anyone else in the village, only to burn out and die like a tragic meteor.
"This time... it will be different," Hiruzen murmured, his aged eyes locking onto the crystal orb.
Watching Suzuki step out of the shadows to protect his teacher and his classmate, Hiruzen felt a sense of relief. He saw a boy who embodied the true spirit of Konoha. He refused to look away, utterly captivated by the sight of a new, magnificent tree taking root in the village's foundation.
If Suzuki knew what Hiruzen was currently thinking, he would have violently rolled his eyes.
Become a "magnificent tree" for the village? Did that mean he was expected to gloriously sacrifice his life for others, just like the First, Second, and Fourth Hokage? Absolutely not.
Truthfully, Suzuki hadn't wanted to intervene at all. He had just wanted to secure a comfortable desk job and go to sleep. Furthermore, he knew Naruto was carrying a massive, highly classified political landmine in his gut. Suzuki deeply preferred the safety of ignorance; stumbling into S-Rank village secrets was a fantastic way to end up in an ANBU interrogation cell.
But Suzuki was a pragmatist. He knew Hiruzen was watching through the Telescope Jutsu. This battlefield wasn't just a rescue mission; it was the ultimate job interview. It was a rare, perfect opportunity to solidify his image as the shining future of Konoha in the eyes of the Hokage, and he wasn't going to let this chance slip through his fingers!
Warm, friendly, and fiercely protective of his comrades.
As long as he flawlessly acted out those specific "Will of Fire" qualities in front of Hiruzen's surveillance, his future was essentially guaranteed!
Back in the clearing, Suzuki's sudden appearance felt like a literal miracle to the two wounded shinobi.
Iruka, who had been fully prepared to sacrifice his own life to shield Naruto, sagged against a tree trunk in profound relief. Thank God... If I hadn't gone to his house earlier, would he have even known to look for us?
"SUZUKI!"
Naruto was a crying, snot-nosed mess. He was overwhelmingly relieved that Suzuki—the calm, dependable older brother figure who had always treated him normally—had actually come to save him!
Naruto suddenly noticed that Suzuki was still wearing his casual cotton yukata, a loose robe hastily tied around his waist. He had literally rushed straight out of bed to dive into a lethal combat zone for them!
"Are you two okay?" Suzuki asked calmly, his dark eyes scanning their injuries.
"IT'S SO GREAT THAT YOU'RE HERE!" Naruto sobbed.
"Naruto, focus on stabilizing Iruka-sensei," Suzuki ordered smoothly. "He might bleed out if you keep shaking him like that."
"IRUKA-SENSEI!"
"...." Iruka groaned, clutching his bleeding shoulder.
"YOU LITTLE BASTARD!"
A violent roar shattered the emotional reunion. Despite suffering multiple shattered bones and severe burns, Mizuki hauled himself out of the dirt. He glared at Suzuki with bloodshot, psychotic eyes. "DON'T YOU DARE THINK YOU'VE WON, YOU... YOU..."
Mizuki didn't even have the words to express the sheer depth of his hatred for the boy standing in front of him.
This kid was a nobody! A pathetic, civilian-born orphan! Yet Suzuki always managed to be the absolute best. He effortlessly fraternized with the heirs and heiresses of Konoha's most powerful noble clans as if he belonged there. Mizuki, who considered himself a highly talented Chunin, knew that Suzuki's future was essentially paved with gold, while he was doomed to rot at the bottom of the academy's middle management!
How was this world so incredibly unfair?!
The physical agony radiating from his broken limbs was completely eclipsed by the burning, toxic envy twisting in his gut. Seeing Suzuki casually deploy a new, powerful Wind jutsu only confirmed Mizuki's worst fears: the Hokage was already grooming the brat.
HOW COULD AN ELITE CHUNIN LOSE TO A FACELESS MOB LIKE SUZUKI?!
"Are you done throwing your tantrum?" Suzuki asked, his voice deadpan. "Mizuki, you have committed high treason. I am going to apprehend you and deliver you to Hokage-sama for sentencing."
Suzuki completely understood why Mizuki hated him. Corporate jealousy was universal. But he had zero sympathy for the man. Instead of putting in the grueling, bone-crushing work to actually improve his lot in life, Mizuki just sat around cursing his lineage and blaming his fate.
Suzuki shifted his stance. He wasn't the protagonist of a shonen manga; he had absolutely no desire to waste time talking to the villain.
"Punish me? Do you honestly think you can defeat me, brat?!" Mizuki spat a wad of bloody saliva into the grass. "You have only seen a fraction of my true power! A lowly Genin like you should be cowering in the dirt, begging me to spare your miserable life!"
Suddenly, Mizuki reached into his ruined flak jacket and pulled out a small glass vial filled with a dark, glowing liquid. Without hesitating, he uncorked it and downed the entire contents.
Suzuki didn't immediately lunge forward to interrupt the power-up. Instead, he narrowed his eyes, silently engaging the Manager's analytical overlay.
[Target Acquired: Unknown Chemical Compound.]
[Analyzing ingredients, physiological functions, and projected mutation effects...]
A split second later, the Manager fed the data directly into Suzuki's consciousness. The potion was a highly volatile, cursed steroid. It forcefully mutated the user's cellular structure, granting them the explosive muscle growth and raw kinetic power of a predatory animal.
However, Suzuki also saw the horrific, fatal drawbacks written in the chemical breakdown. He lowered his kunai slightly, deciding to just let the idiot transform.
"I can feel it... I CAN FEEL THE POWER SURGING WITHIN ME!"
Mizuki completely ignored the agonizing strain tearing his body apart. A dark, jagged tattoo rapidly spread across his right arm. His muscles swelled grotesquely, ripping through his uniform as his face distorted into a monstrous, tiger-like visage. Drunk on the artificial influx of chakra, he felt like an absolute god.
"Naruto... Suzuki-kun..."
Iruka forced himself to stand, his legs trembling violently. He knew the situation had just escalated far beyond a Genin's capabilities. "You two... run away right now. I will hold him off..."
Even half-dead and bleeding out, Iruka was prepared to throw his life away to buy his students time.
"Iruka-sensei!" Naruto yelled, tears streaming down his face as he realized how helpless he truly was.
Just as despair threatened to crush them again, a calm, incredibly steady voice anchored the battlefield.
"Don't be stupid, Sensei."
Suzuki stepped forward, smoothly drawing a fresh kunai and twirling it into a lethal reverse grip. He kept his back perfectly straight, ensuring the Hokage's Telescope Jutsu had a flawless view of his heroic posture.
"I officially graduated today. I am a ninja of the Konoha," Suzuki declared, his voice ringing with absolute, manufactured conviction. "And as a ninja of Konohagakure, it is my sworn duty to protect this village and my comrades. So stay back, Sensei. Let me handle this criminal."
Time to show off for upper management, Suzuki thought, a cold, calculated smirk touching his lips as he locked eyes with the beast.