Six Years Later - 5

The entire forest was too quiet and Iruka feared he had lost track of Gaara and Haku. He could only hope that they would be able to fend off Mizuki until he found them.

He was surprised when he stepped right into the crossfire between Gaara and Mizuki. Haku was nowhere to be found; he too must have been separated. Unfortunately, Iruka was unable to react in time after Mizuki had hurled his largest shuriken at Gaara, who made no move to dodge it.

"Get out of the way!" Iruka felt his voice had failed him as the enormous weapon collided with the redhead's chest. That was until the 'Gaara' he saw began to leak sand instead of blood, and then completely reformed into a mold of sand.

No doubt Mizuki was frustrated.

'A sand substitute!' Iruka was impressed and relieved at the same time, 'But where is the real one?'

"I don't have time for this!" Mizuki hissed as he evaded the wave of sand that toppled over the tree he had been using for cover. The traitor rushed ahead, with Gaara at his heels, using his sand to barrel over the trees that his foe lingered in.

'He's still after the scroll! I have to get Haku and Gaara before he finds Naruto!' Iruka bounded after them, diving through the swath of green leaves that surrounded him like an endless ocean.

Mizuki grinned to himself while watching a flash of orange dart past him through the tree tops, and then stop, exhausted. It had been easy to lose the dratted sand kid with a simple genjutsu.

'He's been running for a while, the fool...this makes it all too simple...' Mizuki crouched expertly on the branch, making sure the Uzumaki brat had not seen him, and then let a dozen shuriken fly at the boy's head.

All in a split second, Naruto turned, looking straight at Mizuki with eyes of deep anger: eyes that didn't really seem to belong to Naruto...

The chunin's breath hitched when he realized that he had been discovered, and worse, that it was not his true target that was nearby. Oh no, this was made plainly clear as senbon met the projectiles halfway, pinning each to a tree by its center.

The image of Naruto disappeared in a cloud of smoke, and where the blonde once was stood Haku, his stormy eyes darker than ever. Unable to believe he had been so easily fooled, Mizuki created a clone to distract the boy and continue his search for the scroll.

'Where the hell is that kid?' He hadn't expected Naruto to cause him so much trouble, or that his juvenile friends would show up to stall his plans. But they didn't matter, Iruka was weak and the rest of them were failures barely worth his time.

Mizuki picked his way through the woods with ease, nearing his starting point, and watched as the real Naruto stumbled while he ran, and then collapsed at the base of a tree with the scroll, trying to catch his breath.

He raised a kunai, 'There you are Naruto-kun...'

Mizuki aimed for the boy's chest this time, and felt his insides boil when a shield of sand unexpectedly surrounded him.

His target looked up, smirking, "Naruto isn't here."

Gaara undid the jutsu and let his sand surround his traitorous teacher, or at least, the substitute he had left behind to fool him. The red haired boy cursed under his breath as the tree he attacked spilt in half and crashed to the ground in a splintered heap. He was wasting time, and he still hadn't found Haku or Naruto.

Iruka leapt down from his vantage point on an oak tree after he had spotted one of his students crouched behind a thornbush.

"Haku!" The chunin barked, and the dark haired boy turned to him in surprise.

"Iruka-sensei!"

Haku hurried over to his instructor and asked, "Where's Naruto-kun? Is he alright?"

Iruka frowned, "For now, I believe. What were you thinking? Mizuki is dangerous! You and Gaara could've been killed!"

"I'm sorry sensei..."

"Fine, for now we have to find Gaara and then return that Forbidden scroll to the Hokage before-"

Iruka was interrupted as Haku plunged a kunai into his teacher's left shoulder and gave him a relentless kick in the gut, sending him tumbling to the hard ground in utter shock.

Haku smiled sweetly, "Idiot."

"Where are they Mizuki?" Iruka's voice was hoarse and he watched as Haku vanished and his fellow chunin appeared.

"It's not like you care do you? After all, they're monsters and abominations, they have no place in the world as shinobi," Mizuki shrugged and watched as Iruka struggled to stand, "They deserved every bit of pain I inflicted on them. Why don't you say 'hi' to them when you're dead Iruka?"

A few meters away and out of sight, Naruto had hidden himself behind a tree, still guarding the scroll he had stolen. He did his best to breathe quietly while he listened to the exchange between the two men.

Iruka shook his head, "No, I don't believe you. I trained those kids and they're strong...not even you could hope to defeat the three of them."

Mizuki purred while wondering if he should put a kunai in his opponent's eye or throat, "You sound so sure. They didn't put up much of a fight..."

Naruto felt his eyes burn. Were Haku and Gaara really dead?

Panting, Iruka extracted the knife from his shoulder and let it fall to the tall grass, "It's clear that they're alive, after all, you haven't found the scroll yet."

Mizuki looked irked and his voice rose a margin, "Why do their lives matter to you so much? All of them are monsters, causing pain and leaving suffering in their wake! Or have you forgotten that your parents are dead because of the Kyuubi?"

"You're right, that is how monsters act..."

Naruto cringed, 'So...sensei really does think we're monsters.'

Iruka continued fiercely, despite his injuries, "But those three aren't monsters! They're good kids; the best I've ever had the pleasure of teaching! The only thing that I see here causing pain and suffering is you Mizuki! You'll never get your hands on that scroll and they'll make sure of it!"

"We will."

Gaara and Haku leapt down on either side of Iruka, startling both chunin. From his hideout, Naruto was relieved to hear his friends' voices.

"You just don't know when to quit do you?" Mizuki was seething, "Then I guess you'll just have to learn the hard way!"

As the traitor reached for his second fuuma shuriken, Gaara and Haku tensed, preparing for another fight. Iruka wasn't in good condition and Naruto's whereabouts were still unknown.

Or were they?

The energetic blonde barreled out from the canopy and leapt at Mizuki, planting his knee solidly in the latter's face. Mizuki crumpled backwards, while Naruto landed in front of his companions, his expression determined.

'We haven't worked this hard for nothing...'

"If you ever touch my friends or my sensei again..." Naruto's voice was a snarl, "I'll kill you!"

A deranged laugh escaped Mizuki, "Is that so Kyuubi?"

Before there was a single word of protest from Haku, Gaara or Iruka, Naruto's eyes had narrowed dangerously. He formed the hand seals he had memorized earlier, and cried, "Tajuu Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!"

A thousand copies of Naruto filled the entire forest, earning a look of terror from Mizuki. The shadow clones nearest to Iruka and his friends seemed more protective than the rest of them.

Iruka was in awe, "They're not just illusions; they're solid clones!"

Gaara and Haku both looked smug.

"He wasn't able to make this many before..." Haku muttered, "I suppose this is a special occasion."

"Hey bastard!" The original Naruto spoke up, "What were you saying about knowing when to quit?"

Every Naruto in the clearing grinned triumphantly as they each got a turn to beat Mizuki's head into the ground.

Literally.

"Here sensei," After Mizuki had been knocked out, Naruto returned the scroll to Iruka, "I didn't mean to cause so much trouble."

Iruka sighed and looked at the three of his students. They had really pulled through and worked together, and Mizuki's treachery had been exposed and dealt with.

They were all silent, still trying to absorb what had transpired.

"I have to say you all did very well," The chunin confessed, "In fact..."

His words incurred hopeful looks from the three and the most prominent was the pleading expression on Naruto's face.

"Substitution, coordination, and shadow clones..." Iruka went on, "After the way you all fought today, I say you're all more than qualified to graduate! Congratulations, you pass!"

Of course they were pleased.

"Yeah! Alright Iruka-sensei!" Naruto nearly tackled their teacher to the ground when he hugged him. Haku only bowed respectfully with a word of deep gratitude, and Gaara's smirk seemed more good-natured than usual.

"I'm pretty sure we have a few hitai-ate leftover for the three of you...we can stop by the Academy later," Iruka added with a smile, "Why don't we get something to eat first?"

'Funny how we reap rewards after such an excursion...' Gaara thought to himself.

"Woo hoo! Sensei you're the best!" Naruto had labeled this the best day ever.

Oh yes, Konoha didn't know what hit it.