"Iruka-sensei, leave the rest to the ANBU."
Naruto was certain that everything that had just happened was already under the Third Hokage's surveillance—along with the ANBU.
Once he left, they would arrive at the scene almost immediately.
Iruka finally seemed to come back to himself. He looked down at Mizuki lying unconscious on the ground, his eyes filled with a storm of emotions—pain, anger, and above all, deep disappointment.
He took a slow breath, forcing his voice to steady.
"Naruto… you did well. But don't do something this dangerous again. And given that the reason for your failed graduation exam was… understandable—"
He paused, then reached into his ninja pouch and pulled out a brand-new Leaf Village forehead protector.
He extended it toward Naruto, his tone solemn yet weary.
"You've already proven yourself to be an outstanding shinobi. I still have matters to deal with here. Go home and rest."
Naruto accepted the forehead protector.
As long as he demonstrated that his skill level had long surpassed graduation standards and explained his reasoning, Iruka would hardly hesitate to pass him.
Still… Iruka-sensei didn't look well.
Understandably so. Discovering that a friend of many years had been living behind a mask—anyone would struggle to accept that.
Naruto himself had also absorbed many truths he had never fully examined before. He needed time to process them.
"I'll head back, Iruka-sensei."
With that, he turned and disappeared into the forest.
---
After Naruto left, only Iruka and the unconscious Mizuki remained in the quiet woods.
Not long after, two ANBU appeared silently before Iruka.
They asked no questions, as though they had already witnessed everything. One hoisted Mizuki over his shoulder with practiced ease. The other spoke briefly:
"Do not speak of what happened tonight."
Iruka nodded numbly.
The ANBU vanished just as quietly as they had come, leaving Iruka standing alone—feeling hollow.
---
Hokage's Office.
The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, sat in his office, smoke thick in the air as he drew repeatedly from his pipe. His brows remained tightly furrowed.
Naruto's performance today had far exceeded his usual level. Not only had he defeated Sasuke decisively, he had also used medical ninjutsu proficiently—specifically the Mystical Palm Technique.
That was not something Naruto had previously been capable of.
And yet, Naruto had been under ANBU surveillance for years. Hiruzen himself observed him frequently, whether in person or through the Crystal Ball. There was no sign of outside interference.
The real concern was Mizuki's outburst—his accusations of injustice within Konoha's system.
As Hokage, Hiruzen understood better than anyone the shadows beneath the village's shining surface.
What troubled him most was whether Naruto had been influenced by those words.
He would need to speak with Naruto soon.
At that moment, the office door was pushed open without ceremony.
Danzō Shimura strode in, face dark.
"What happened to Naruto?" Danzō demanded bluntly. "Why has the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki suddenly grown so strong? He even used the Mystical Palm Technique. That level of ability is beyond what he has ever displayed."
Hiruzen looked up at the man known as the darkness of Konoha. His voice remained calm, but firm.
"A Jinchūriki growing stronger is a good thing. It means he will better control the Tailed Beast and become a greater asset to the village."
"Growth is inevitable," Danzō replied coldly, stepping forward. "But the process must be controlled. Such abnormal advancement—are you certain there are no external factors? Hand him over to Root. Only then can we thoroughly investigate and ensure absolute loyalty. Otherwise, he remains a potential threat."
"No."
Hiruzen's interruption was immediate and decisive.
"Naruto will graduate as a normal genin. He will be assigned under Kakashi. He will not enter Root."
Danzō's gaze sharpened.
"Hiruzen, your softness will one day—"
"Danzō. I have made my decision."
Hiruzen raised his voice, striking his pipe against the desk.
"Do not forget—I am the Hokage."
The room fell into heavy silence.
Danzō stared at him for a long moment before snorting coldly.
"You will regret this, Hiruzen."
With a sharp slam of the door, he left.
The echo lingered in the quiet office.
Hiruzen remained seated alone, smoke swirling around his aging, contemplative face.
---
Naruto returned home.
After washing up briefly, he lay down on his bed, staring at the dim outline of the ceiling in the darkness.
He mentally reviewed the day's events.
Deliberately failing the exam.
Defeating Sasuke.
Luring out and subduing Mizuki.
Receiving his forehead protector from Iruka.
He knew the approximate consequences of every action he had taken—the chain reactions they would likely set in motion.
So far, everything remained under control.
And even if it didn't…
It wouldn't matter.
With the accumulated combat and crisis-handling experience of countless reincarnation cycles, combined with the near-limitless chakra of the Nine-Tails within him, Naruto possessed the strength to handle any situation.
At the thought of the Nine-Tails, he turned slightly and rested his hand over the Eight Sign Seal on his abdomen.
For now, he had no intention of entering his inner world. Nor of loosening the seal.
There was no need.
As he had done in countless past cycles, he only needed to enter the mindscape at the right moment, exchange a single punch with Kurama—and their understanding would naturally be conveyed.
Kurama would comprehend his situation.
Mizuki's confession had reinforced something important.
Every action stemmed from motive.
Like a mirror, it reflected the raw, direct desire behind a person's choices.
Mizuki sought power—enough to betray friends, the village, even eliminate teammates if necessary.
This further validated Orochimaru's earlier insight: the key lay in examining the truths that had been overlooked.
So far, Naruto believed he was walking a viable path.
...
His thoughts shifted to the Hyūga clan's Caged Bird Seal.
The Caged Bird was an extremely intricate composite curse mark—interwoven with sealing techniques.
There seemed to be several possible approaches to dismantling it.
One method: disrupt or sever the control signal from the Main House. The seal required deliberate activation to destroy the bearer's brain. If the mental link could be permanently isolated, perhaps the curse could be neutralized outright.
But that method would take significant time—and would be difficult to achieve.
Another option: directly rewrite or overwrite the curse formula itself.
Naruto had studied the Uzumaki clan's sealing arts, barrier jutsus, and even curse marks extensively over countless loops. He had long mastered knowledge far beyond conventional understanding.
However, he had never deeply researched the Hyūga clan's private archives and secret transmissions.
In his previous cycles—when breaking the reincarnation was his sole objective—the internal techniques of Konoha's great clans had seemed irrelevant.
To thoroughly study them would require several cycles on their own. He had skimmed through some material before, then abandoned it.
Or perhaps…
The Hyūga clan itself possessed a method to break the Caged Bird Seal—strictly concealed by the Main House.
But that seemed unlikely.
In one previous cycle, Naruto had even infiltrated the clan compound and secretly learned how to apply the Caged Bird Seal himself.
Had he simply overlooked something?
It seemed he would need to find a way to enter the Hyūga Main House archives again in the future—and investigate thoroughly.