Ding!A sharp, long sword whistled through the air, intercepting the kunai in Aburame Ryoma's hand.
A masked, purple-haired kunoichi appeared on the trunk of a nearby tree, breathing hard.
Finally catching up, Uzuki Yugao let out a sigh of relief, though her eyes quickly took in Aburame Ryoma's battered condition—his clothes torn, his left shoulder seeping blood.
Meanwhile, the one Ryoma had been chasing all this time, Uchiha Kage, stood completely unscathed. It was hard to believe.
"Hey, fox demon, hand over the scroll…"
Mizuki, who had arrived with Naruto, stopped mid-sentence, realizing something about the scene didn't add up. In addition to Naruto carrying the forbidden scroll, there were three other uninvited guests.
A masked female ninja—most likely Anbu.
A ninja surrounded by swarms of black insects—clearly Root.
And a classmate, Uchiha Kage, who didn't seem worth worrying about.
But the pressure from the first two was enough to crush him.
Mizuki's hand brushed the large shuriken on his back. With his half-baked Chūnin strength, challenging elite Anbu and Root operatives was laughable.
Damn it…
Why are there so many people here?
Could it be that my plan to use Naruto to steal the forbidden scroll has already been exposed to the Hokage?
"Anbu… and the Nine-Tails…"
Having had his attack interrupted, Aburame Ryoma regained his clarity. Seeing Naruto with the scroll and Anbu pursuing, he realized the situation was spiraling out of control—but he was unwilling to give up just yet.
"Reinforcements from the Hokage?"
Iruka soon arrived behind Mizuki, coming upon the group. Spotting the purple-haired masked kunoichi, he assumed she was sent by the Hokage to intercept Mizuki and Naruto.
But neither Aburame Ryoma nor Uzuki Yugao had time to deal with the two hapless newcomers who had wandered into a den of wolves.
Only Uchiha Kage was secretly enjoying the drama.
Sure, this chaotic scene was his fault, but that didn't stop him from being a detached spectator.
The Third Hokage probably never imagined someone else would throw Naruto's mission into chaos, right?
Heh… I'd love to see the old man's face right now.
"Has Root sunk so low they'd go after a fresh Genin?" Uzuki Yugao couldn't fathom why Root was targeting Uchiha Kage.
It was pure madness.
"A mere Genin fresh from the Academy managed to injure a Jōnin like me. I have every reason to believe he's a spy from another village!" Ryoma's expression darkened as he moved to confirm Uchiha Kage's identity.
"Tell me—why are you hiding your true strength?"
"I'm not hiding anything. You were dumb enough to fall into my trap and got hurt for it."
Uchiha Kage openly tore away Ryoma's façade. All he needed to do now was keep provoking him until Ryoma attacked again—and then the victory would be his.
"And you call yourself a Jōnin? You're so weak you must be a spy sent to lower Konoha's Jōnin standards."
"You… you're looking for death!"
Ryoma, his composure shattered, unleashed his insects toward Uchiha Kage.
"Don't hurt Kage!"
Naruto didn't know the details, but seeing this bug-wielding ninja repeatedly attack Uchiha Kage made him step forward protectively.
"Don't worry—I've learned a really powerful jutsu. I'll definitely beat this guy!"
Forming hand seals, Naruto glared at Ryoma.
After all, the only one who knew about the demon fox and still wanted to be friends was Uchiha Kage. Sasuke… well, Sasuke was only half a friend.
"So I won't let anyone hurt my friends!"
"Naruto…"
Kage's mouth twitched at the sight of the boy standing protectively in front of him.
Uh-oh… I think I'm stepping into Iruka's role here.
"Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
A crowd of Narutos charged at Ryoma.
"The Nine-Tails knows this forbidden technique…"
Ryoma glanced at Mizuki fleeing in the distance, then back at Naruto's assault. Trouble was brewing—but there was no time to think.
"This won't work on me."
Bang! Bang! Bang!
His swarm dispersed each clone instantly, like raindrops evaporating on hot stone.
Soon Naruto himself was immobilized, trapped in a writhing mass of insects.
"What are you doing!?"
Iruka dashed in, blocking Ryoma's advance.
"What's going on here?" he demanded of Kage and the Anbu kunoichi.
"I don't know. He hunted me through the village for no reason, saying the Uchiha should be wiped out."
Kage, having spotted another observer nearby, decided to pour more fuel on the fire.
"Hmph, the Uchiha are an evil clan. You must be hiding your strength for—"
Ryoma didn't even think to deny it, intent only on catching Kage and leaving.
"Aburame Ryoma!"
A deep, aged voice froze everyone in place.
"H-Hokage-sama?"
Ryoma's strength drained away at the sound.
"Enough!"
Sarutobi Hiruzen, in full Hokage robes, arrived flanked by two Anbu and a recaptured Mizuki.
"Yes."
Ryoma stepped aside, though unwillingly.
"But Hokage-sama, this Uchiha Kage—"
"That's enough. Isn't it humiliating enough already? A Jōnin beaten by a Genin's traps, now trying to twist it into conspiracy theories… saying things that—"
—undermine unity.
Hiruzen had already examined the traps left from their fight. One glance told him the truth.
"The Uchiha are heroes of the village. If you acknowledge me as Hokage, you'll apologize to the Uchiha and to Uchiha Kage right now!"
"I…"
Ryoma wanted to deny saying the Uchiha should be wiped out, but Kage's bait had indeed led him into speaking carelessly.
"I'm sorry. I was wrong to doubt you… and to slander the Uchiha."
"It's fine. There are only two Uchiha left. Even if you kill me, no one will care much."
Kage's words stabbed again.
"So go ahead and try next time—maybe you won't even have to apologize."
"You—"
Ryoma clenched his teeth under Hiruzen's increasingly dark glare.
"I swear on behalf of the Aburame clan never to attack you again!"
That brat… I'll never give him another chance!
"Good. I'm relieved."
Kage thought to himself—if Ryoma came again, he'd make sure it wasn't just the shoulder.
"This is how it should be."
Hiruzen nodded, then turned to Naruto. "Kage, you performed well today. And Naruto, even though you stole the scroll, you faced the enemy without backing down for the sake of friendship. The future of Konoha depends on new leaves like you…"
After a lengthy speech about the Will of Fire, he had Iruka announce Naruto's graduation, then left the Forest of Death with everyone.
Clearly, Ryoma and Kage's interference had thrown off his planned conclusion, so he could only end with awkward praise for Naruto.
"This Danzo… I told him to send someone to contact Orochimaru, and he pulls something like this?"
Back in his office, Hiruzen began berating Danzo.
"I'm sorry, Hokage-sama. My lack of oversight allowed Root to—"
Uzuki Yugao, still fuming about being delayed by Moonlight Hayate, waited anxiously for her punishment.
"It's not your fault. You can go."
Hiruzen waved her off, knowing she was no match for Ryoma anyway.
"Yes."
Still heavy-hearted, she left.
"But I didn't think he could injure Ryoma…"
Uchiha Kage… dim-witted or not, he might be promising.
Lighting his pipe, Hiruzen opened the Future Notes he had obtained recently.
"If everything written here is true… has the future already shifted?"
No man—especially one who had lived as long as he—could remain unmoved knowing he had only a few months left.
"The Uchiha are never short on talent… I was mistaken."
Elsewhere, in Root headquarters—
After Ryoma's report, Danzo's expression barely shifted. The matter with Uchiha Kage no longer needed pursuing.
Still… "What is Hiruzen playing at today?"
He summoned many Anbu, only to disband them without acting. Suspicious.
And contacting Orochimaru? Could it be nostalgia for his 'good disciple'?
If so, Orochimaru's return could also benefit him.
"Ryoma, your performance was poor. I intended to punish you, but I'll give you one more chance."
Ryoma had once served under Orochimaru—making him the perfect envoy.
"If you fail the next mission, I'll enforce Root family law without mercy."
"Yes, Lord Danzo."
"Hiruzen… what are you scheming?"
But no matter how he thought, Danzo couldn't see through the Hokage's behavior.
Am I imagining things? Impossible. He's definitely hiding something.
"Uchiha Kage… Uzumaki Naruto!"
Elsewhere, a forgotten Sasuke stood in the cold evening wind, still waiting to discuss dream tactics after school.
He waited until nightfall before turning to leave with a frosty expression—
Only to spot Naruto and Uchiha Kage walking out of Ichiraku Ramen, arm in arm.
"Hey, Sasuke! You're here too? But you're late. Iruka-sensei only treated Kage and me to ramen—no seat for you!"
Naruto, rubbing his full stomach, flashed his new forehead protector.
But Sasuke only gave them a cold look before walking away.
"What's with him? Acting all high and mighty again!" Naruto muttered.
"He looked angry…"
Kage suddenly remembered—oh no, he'd completely forgotten their after-school meeting.
"Eh? You think Sasuke's been waiting for us this whole time?" Naruto realized, paling slightly.
That night's 'dream' confirmed it—Sasuke was furious. The Kaguya run ended in another spectacular failure.
Meanwhile, 'NPC Tsunade' and 'NPC Hinata' deepened their bonds with Kage… and his interactions with them grew increasingly bold.
Tsunade's scent was intoxicating; Hinata's sweetness lingered.
If only it were like this in real life…
"I wonder which Jōnin squad I'll be assigned to today?"
The next morning—same place, same routine.
Kage glanced at the blushing, white-eyed girl beside him, musing about today's Genin team assignments.