Chapter 12 — Because We're Friends!
Looking at the crowd gathered all around them, Kakashi frowned slightly as he considered how to resolve the situation. Even if the other side was just a bunch of people looking for trouble for no reason.
"Kaguya, come here at once. Do not stand with these criminals," the Emperor said as he looked at Kaguya.
Clearly, the moment they harmed the other nations minister, they've already been branded as criminals. Which also gave a convenient excuse for the Emperor to take Kaguya for himself.
Unfair as it was, what could this four outsiders do?
Kaguya did not move in the slightest, and that immediately made the Emperor's expression turn ugly.
"I knew it! You bastard definitely weren't up to any good. Kaguya would never listen to you!" Naruto Uzumaki shouted.
Hearing that, the Emperor's face darkened even further.
"Brat, are you looking to die?" The Emperor finally dropped the act. He was done pretending.
He had already held a grudge against Naruto Uzumaki for a long time. Now that the boy was openly pointing at him and accusing him, how could he possibly stay pleased? He was the Emperor!
To put it another way, anyone daring to point a finger at him already had a death wish.
"Bleh, bleh, bleh! If you've got the guts, come hit me! What's the point of hiding behind so many people? I'm telling you, I'm not afraid of you at all!" Naruto made a face at him, completely fearless.
"Hmph. Just as I thought, an ill-bred little brat. Anyone who could raise someone like you is probably no better. No, actually, an annoying brat like you probably never had parents to begin with."
Those words struck directly at Naruto Uzumaki's deepest wound.
Parents...
His face gradually darkened.
"Kaguya, come here. Do you really want to stay with them?" the Emperor said.
Kaguya still did not move, and that only made his face look worse. Her silence was already an answer.
How could this be? He was the Emperor. How could anyone dare refuse his words?
"Kaguya, in the name of the Emperor, I order you to come over to my side!" the Emperor shouted.
And yet Kaguya still did not move.
At that, the Emperor's face sank completely.
In the end, he vented all his resentment on Kakashi and the other three.
"What exactly did you do to my Kaguya?!"
They were speechless at the Emperor's roar, but Sakura coldly replied, "You don't have what it takes to win a girl over yourself, so why are you taking it out on us?"
She had already seen through him. This Emperor was nothing more than a completely useless man.
Naruto had been right. This Emperor was no good person at all.
The Emperor's expression stiffened.
Kaguya's face also turned cold. Her gaze toward the Emperor became filled with malice, and that made him feel even more shattered.
"Kaguya, everything I've done was for your sake. Do you still not understand?" the Emperor said.
Kaguya frowned and looked at him in displeasure.
For her sake?
What had he done for her?
Surrounding them like this counted as being for her sake?
"Tch!" Kaguya clicked her tongue, her face full of disgust.
That ugly look on his face was even more revolting than those people from before.
"Come here right now. I'm giving you one last chance. Don't make all of us disappointed!" the Emperor threatened.
Kaguya's face turned completely cold.
By now, she had recovered a little of her power. She could easily... kill them all.
Just as she raised her hand, intending to teach them a lesson, a palm caught her wrist and pulled her behind him.
"Kaguya isn't going with you people!" Naruto Uzumaki said.
Kaguya lowered her gaze and looked at the wrist he was tightly holding, then at the figure standing in front of her—a figure even thinner and shorter than she was by several head-lengths. She froze slightly.
Why was he standing in front of her?
She clearly had the power to handle this herself!
"You little brat again. I haven't even settled the score from last time yet. Hand Kaguya over to me right now!" The ugly expression on the Emperor's face made Naruto feel sick.
"You ill-bred little brat, running around like some wild child. One look at you and it's obvious you grew up without parents."
"Looking at you, you don't even seem human. More like some kind of monster!"
Naruto Uzumaki's face turned completely cold.
He was not a monster.
He was someone Iruka-sensei had acknowledged.
He was not some wild child.
He had companions. He had people he cherished...
He might not have parents, but... he was not an ill-bred person!!
He was...
[He is an outstanding student that I acknowledge!]
He was... an outstanding student acknowledged by Iruka-sensei!
Bang!!!!
In an instant, his anger exploded. This time, his speed surged so high that even Sasuke was startled. Then, under the Emperor's horrified gaze, Naruto's fist slammed viciously into his face!
The blow sent him flying, even knocking teeth everywhere across the ground!
"Someone like you has no right to talk about my parents teaching me anything!!!" Naruto Uzumaki stood there, his voice icy and imposing.
"That dead last's speed..." Even without activating his Sharingan, Sasuke was visibly shocked.
If it had been him... without the Sharingan... perhaps even he...
"That's it, Naruto! Just like that!" Sakura shouted excitedly.
The people around them were instantly stunned. What had just happened?
They hurried to help the Emperor up, then collectively sucked in a cold breath.
Half of his face was practically ruined, and his teeth had been scattered all over the place.
"You'd better listen carefully! I'm Naruto Uzumaki! I'm an outstanding ninja acknowledged by Iruka-sensei, and I'm the man who's going to become Hokage! I'm not the monster you say I am!" Naruto shouted as he pointed at him.
"Kaguya is my friend! I'm not handing her over to trash like you!!"
Kaguya stared blankly at the scene before her.
So this... was what it felt like to be protected?
This feeling that made her feel safe...
"Kill them... kill them all for me!!!"
Clutching his face, the Emperor pointed at them with pure murderous intent. They had actually dared to hit his face. He was the Emperor, and yet these ants dared offend him??
The surrounding men advanced aggressively toward them.
But none of them panicked.
Not even a little.
Naruto Uzumaki crossed two fingers with complete confidence and declared, "There's no way people like you can beat me. All the insults you threw at us before—I'm going to pay them back a hundredfold with my fists!"
"You little brat, acting all tough. Just wait until we—"
"Shadow Clone Jutsu!!"
A cloud of white smoke burst out, and in the next moment, hundreds of Naruto Uzumakis appeared throughout the entire residence!
Instantly, terrified screams erupted from every direction!!
The whole residence—even the surrounding yard—was filled with Narutos.
They were all frozen.
Their expressions shifted from blank shock to outright fear.
What kind of sorcery was this?!
What kind of person was he exactly??
"So? What do you think of this move? You don't have the advantage in numbers anymore, right? I told you already—I'd pay it back a hundredfold with my fists. Are you ready?"
"Judging by the look on your faces, I'd say you are. Then let's do this!"
Countless Narutos raised their fists, confidence shining on their faces, and that sight filled the people of the Ancestor Nation and the Other Nation with fear.
Bang! Bang! ————
Before long, as clone after clone dispersed, all of them were lying on the ground.
Meanwhile, Naruto Uzumaki scratched the back of his head bashfully and said with a grin, "Looks like I hit a little too hard."
In front of him, the Emperor had already been beaten into a swollen pig head by Naruto and was barely breathing.
The others were speechless, while Kaguya continued staring blankly at the boy.
Was that... a divine art?
But it didn't seem quite like one.
"Let's go. We can't stay here any longer. It's time for us to leave," Kakashi said.
Their most important mission was Kaguya.
And Kaguya had been following them this whole time. History, fate... the key to everything lay with Kaguya.
Besides, it was already deep into the night, and the people of this country would have a hard time noticing them now.
"Coming, coming!" Naruto Uzumaki said with a grin. He had finally vented his frustration.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Kakashi, Sakura, and Sasuke were the first to turn into three blurring shadows and vanish from sight...
"Let's go too!" Naruto said to Kaguya.
Kaguya still had that blank look on her face, leaving Naruto confused. Then he suddenly remembered!
"You don't seem to be a ninja, so you probably can't move like we do, right? That's kind of a problem." Naruto put on a thoughtful look.
Kaguya still stared at him blankly.
Then, without another word, Naruto scooped the stunned Kaguya into his arms.
She feigned a trace of panic, and then suddenly felt herself lifted high into the air...
Holding Kaguya in his arms, Naruto leaped from rooftop to rooftop, chasing after Kakashi and the others...
As Kaguya looked down at the ground below, she slowly calmed down.
And at that very moment—whether because the heavens were feeling generous, or because the author deliberately arranged it—Naruto's forehead protector suddenly loosened and began to slip off...
"My forehead protector!!" Naruto cried out in alarm.
Kaguya reacted with quick eyes and faster hands, catching it at once. Only then did Naruto let out a sigh of relief.
He absolutely did not want to lose the precious item Iruka-sensei had given him.
And without the forehead protector hiding part of him, it was as though some kind of seal had been undone. Kaguya could not help freezing for a moment.
"So he's not like they said at all... clearly he's..." Kaguya unconsciously muttered.
"What's wrong?" Naruto asked, puzzled.
"Nothing." Kaguya lowered her head, and for once, the tips of her ears actually turned a little red.
Although Naruto found it strange, he still looked forward. By now, they had already left the borders of the Ancestor Nation behind, entering a forest.
The stars in the sky were bright enough that Naruto could still see the road clearly.
After a long silence...
"Why did you stop me back then?"
Kaguya's sudden question left Naruto stunned for a moment. He had not heard her clearly.
"What?"
"Back then... why did you stop me?" Kaguya asked. She really had possessed the power to deal with it herself.
Naruto finally understood. So she meant that time.
Then he said, "That guy was obviously no good. There was no way I was going to let you go over there!"
"And besides, I really hated him too!"
"Why?" Kaguya asked, unable to understand.
"There's no big reason. I just didn't like looking at that Emperor. I hated the way he looked at people," Naruto said gloomily.
"The way he looked at people?"
"I don't like that kind of look. Everyone used to look at me that way too, so I hate it!" Naruto said.
Kaguya stared at him.
From his eyes, she seemed able to see grievance... and pain buried deep in his heart.
That was loneliness.
Even though he carried that kind of loneliness inside him, he had still stepped in front of her, shielding her behind him, and used his fists to strike the man who disgusted her.
Even though they had only known each other for a few days...
Even though she had deceived him like that...
"Why... did you protect me?" Kaguya asked blankly.
Naruto stopped moving forward and stood atop the crown of a great tree.
There was no silver moon in the sky, but countless stars glittered above them, illuminating the whole night.
Then he gave a bright, radiant smile. When he smiled, he looked like a fox—and also like a little sun.
"Because we're friends!"