5: Chapter 5 Truth and LiesIn the forest clearing, moonlight was cut into fragments of silver by the lush foliage.Shui Mu was already waiting there, pacing back and forth, his face revealing barely concealed anxiety.But when he saw the golden figure carrying a huge scroll run out of the forest, his anxiety was instantly replaced by ecstatic joy.
"Naruto!"
Naruto Uzumaki stopped, panting heavily, his face flushed red from the "strenuous exercise." His performance was flawless, conveying both the excitement of successfully stealing the forbidden item and the lingering fear of being chased.
"Mr.Mizuki!I.I got it!"
Mizuki rushed forward, his gaze fixed on the Book of Seals on Naruto's back.A hint of undisguised greed flashed deep in his eyes, only to be quickly masked by a gentle pretense.
"Well done, Naruto!Quick, give me the scroll.Let me see if there are any techniques on it that suit you.After I teach you, Iruka will definitely help you graduate!"
As he spoke, he reached out to take the scroll.
Naruto took a step back, a small movement that just dodged Mizuki's hand.He looked flustered and clutched the scroll even tighter.
"No, no!Mizuki-sensei, you said I only need to learn any one of these ninjutsu.I want to learn it first, and then.then I'll give it back!"
He's stalling for time.Iruka should be here soon.
Mizuki froze.He hadn't expected this foolish fox demon to try and bargain with him.He patiently coaxed, "Naruto, the forbidden techniques on this are dangerous.You can't learn them on your own without a teacher's guidance.Give them to me now."
"No!" Naruto stubbornly shook his head, vividly portraying the obsession of a child driven to the brink of despair.
Just as Shui Mu's patience was about to run out and he was about to directly take action to seize it, an angry shout rang out from not far behind them.
"Naruto!"
Iruka Umino emerged from behind the tree trunk, his chest heaving violently, clearly having chased after them at full speed.He looked at Naruto, then at the scroll behind him, a mixture of disappointment and anger making him tremble.
"Why did you do this!Why did you steal the Book of Seals!"
Naruto turned around and looked at Iruka.His blue eyes instantly filled with tears, the kind of shattering pain one feels when misunderstood by the person they trust most.
Upon seeing Iruka appear, Mizuki knew his plan had been exposed.The gentleness on his face vanished completely, replaced by a狰狞 (zhengning, meaning ferocious or hideous) and twisted expression.Since Plan A had failed, Plan B would have to be executed.
He yelled at Naruto in an almost vicious tone, "Stop pretending, Iruka!And stop being fooled by him!Naruto, do you want to know why everyone in the village hates you and calls you a monster?"
"Mizuki!Shut up!" Iruka noticed what he was about to say and shouted to stop him.
But it was too late.
Mizuki pointed at Naruto and made a cruel declaration: "Because the Nine-Tailed Fox that destroyed the village and killed Iruka-sensei's parents twelve years ago is not dead at all!It was sealed inside your body, you brat!You!You are the Nine-Tailed Fox!"
He looked forward to seeing Naruto break down, to seeing him lose his mind, so that he could take advantage of the chaos to steal the scroll and then kill the fox demon.
At the same time, in the Hokage's office.
The crystal ball clearly reflected the scene in the forest.Hiruzen Sarutobi watched silently, with Kakashi and the other Jonin standing solemnly behind him.Under the Third Hokage's command, the entire Hidden Leaf Village's ninja were quietly weaving a massive encirclement.Everyone's heart was in their throat.
[Ding!You have received 1000 [Disappointment] from Iruka!]
[Ding!You have received 800 [Rage] from Iruka!]
[Ding!You have received 2000 units of "malice" from SMTH!]
[Ding!You have received 5000 "Alertness" tokens from distant ninjas!]
[Shadow Points increased by 8800!]
A massive stream of data flashed before Naruto's eyes, but he didn't even glance at it.
Under the astonished gazes of Mizuki and Iruka, Naruto Uzumaki did not break down, did not scream, and did not even show the slightest anger or sadness.
He simply turned his head slowly, very slowly, and looked at Iruka again.
Then he smiled.
It was an incomparably radiant and pure smile.So warm it seemed unreal, so clean it could wash away all the filth of the world.
"Teacher Iruka."
He spoke, his voice steady and clear, with the unique clarity of a young man.
"Oh, I see."
He tilted his head, looked at the smug accomplice Mizuki, and sincerely added, "Thank you for telling me."
"But it's okay."
He looked at Iruka one last time, and the warmth of his smile seemed to rise even more, enough to melt ice and snow.
"No matter who I am, you are the first person I acknowledge!"
boom!
Iruka's brain completely shut down in that instant.
The words, "You are the first person I've ever acknowledged," struck him like a red-hot hammer, slamming into the depths of his soul.He recalled all his prejudices against Naruto, his earlier roar and doubt, and the longing for recognition that this always-alone child had when he looked at him.
A strong sense of guilt.
An indescribable sense of awe.
And a protective instinct that bursts forth from the depths of the chest, regardless of anything else.
These emotions overwhelmed him instantly, making him unable to even stand.
[Ding!You have received 3000 [Guilt] from Iruka Umino!]
[Ding!You have received 2500 [Shocking] items from Iruka Umino!]
[Ding!You have received 4000 [Protective Instinct] from Iruka Umino!]
[Glory Points increased by 9500 points!]
A huge profit.Naruto calmly gave his assessment.price.
Mizuki was completely bewildered by what was happening before his eyes.Looking at Iruka's distraught appearance and then at Naruto's glaring smile, an inexplicable anger surged to his head.
"Playing tricks!Since you all want to die, I'll grant your wish!"
He drew a huge shuriken from behind his back and aimed it at the dazed Iruka.
However, he hadn't had a chance to throw it yet.
Naruto Uzumaki raised his hands and formed a hand seal he had never seen before.
"Multiple Shadow Clone Technique!"
Bang!Bang!Bang!Bang!Bang!
With a series of explosions, white smoke instantly engulfed the entire forest clearing.
When the smoke cleared, Mizuki and Iruka stood frozen in place.
Hundreds, no, perhaps thousands, of identical Naruto Uzumaki appeared in every corner of the forest.Some stood on trees, some crouched in the grass, and some hung upside down from branches.
Each clone wore the same warm and pure smile as the original.
Hundreds and thousands of such smiles came together to create an eerie yet overwhelming sense of oppression.
The entire forest was completely silent.
Inside the Hokage's office.
The atmosphere in front of the crystal ball was frozen solid.
Snap.
A soft sound.
The pipe that Hiruzen Sarutobi had been holding slipped from his lips and fell to the ground.
He wasn't shocked by the Multiple Shadow Clone Technique, which was considered a forbidden art.
What shocked him was the image in the crystal ball: the person who, upon learning that she was a nine-tailed fox, showed no pain on her face, but instead radiated a smile that was almost "joyful," so bright it was chilling.
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