Naruto's Antics

Naruto sat cross-legged on a large, floating iron gate, swaying to the rhythm as he sang the theme song from Journey to the West.

"You carry the load and I hold the horse, welcoming the sunrise and sending away the sunset—"

"Tread flat..."

At that moment, Naruto imagined himself as the monk Tang Sanzang, and the iron gate beneath him as his White Dragon Horse. The thought of returning home after a month of wandering filled him with joy. He hadn't seen Hinata in days!

But Naruto's off-key singing grated on the nerves of his companions.

"Naruto, shut up!"

"You're so off-tune! It sounds just like the noise when my dad saws wood!"

"Shut up!"

Unable to bear it any longer, the trio—Sakura, Sasuke, and Kakashi—shouted in unison at Naruto, who was still perched on his floating gate.

"Come on, you can't handle this?" Naruto replied with a smirk, his voice full of mockery. "A true ninja is supposed to endure anything! You're far from that level!"

Kakashi rubbed his temples in exasperation. Though the sentiment behind Naruto's words was true, the way he interpreted it was entirely wrong.

As the group approached Konoha's gates, a collective sigh of relief washed over them. Even Kakashi's usually lazy, half-lidded eyes brightened with the thought of finally getting some peace.

In the past month, Kakashi had barely rested. Every day, he either heard Sasuke's maniacal laughter while training with his lightning techniques, or the constant banging of Naruto practicing with his iron gate late into the night. The exhaustion was unbearable.

Kakashi couldn't wait to return to the village and, hopefully, enjoy a few days of quiet. He sighed, thinking, When will Jiraiya-sama return to the village?

As they neared the gates, several Konoha guards caught sight of the returning Team 7. Two of the guards quickly ran back into the village, spreading the word of their return.

"Not good! Team 7 is back from their mission!"

"Quick! Inform the Nara and Hyuga clans!"

The moment they stepped through the gates, Naruto hopped off the floating iron gate, storing it away, and greeted the guards cheerfully. "Hello, uncles!"

The guards' responses were awkward and stiff. They looked at Naruto with expressions of barely concealed fear, their eyes avoiding his as they mumbled a response. It was clear that the villagers held a deep grudge against Team 7, and especially Naruto.

Kakashi noticed the tension but didn't dwell on it. After all, he thought, my Team 7 has already become a notorious group. A few more upset villagers won't make a difference.

"Let's head to the Hokage Building and report the mission," Kakashi instructed, hands in his pockets as he walked ahead.

Sakura, Sasuke, and Naruto obediently followed. Sakura was eager to see her parents, still haunted by the thought of how close she had come to becoming a traitor. Sasuke, on the other hand, was focused on finding a quiet spot to continue studying the Fire Style techniques he had been practicing. Naruto, naturally, was thinking about visiting Hinata.

As they walked through Konoha's streets, the villagers they passed reacted with visible alarm. Some quickly closed their shops, others hurriedly gathered their children and went indoors, and many slammed their doors shut, all avoiding eye contact with Naruto. Their fear was even more intense than that inspired by the Nine Tails; at least the Nine Tails would end things quickly, while Naruto's antics could drive them mad.

Kakashi pushed open the door to the Hokage's office, and the four of them walked in, immediately noticing a bald, bandaged old man sitting in a wheelchair.

Naruto stared at the old man, scratching his head as he tried to remember if he knew him. The old man looked like he was at death's door, yet he was sitting in the Hokage's office.

Who is this old guy? Naruto wondered.

The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, who was standing nearby, looked exhausted and angry, as if he had just had a heated argument with the old man.

"Kakashi, is that the mission scroll?" Hiruzen asked, visibly trying to maintain his composure.

"Yes, Lord Third," Kakashi replied, handing over the scroll.

Hiruzen barely glanced at the scroll before signing it and ordering someone to retrieve the mission reward. Just as he finished, the old man in the wheelchair began to tremble with rage, his chest heaving.

"Damn Uzumaki brat! I'm going to kill you!!!" he shouted, his voice filled with venom.

All eyes turned to Naruto, who blinked in confusion. Did I offend this old man somehow?

Naruto scratched his head, eyeing the old man up and down. After a moment, he finally spoke, his voice laced with curiosity.

"Uh... Who are you, old man? Do I know you?"

The old man's face turned an alarming shade of red, his mouth twisting in anger as he started coughing uncontrollably.

"Danzo! Calm down!" Hiruzen rushed to his friend's side, trying to calm him down while handing him various medicines. "You're in no condition to be getting this worked up!"

Naruto's eyes widened in realization. "Wait, this old guy is Danzo?! How did he end up like this?"

Kakashi, too, was shocked. The leader of the Root, reduced to this state?

Naruto, however, was still lost in thought. He muttered quietly to himself, "What did I ever do to this guy? I don't even remember offending him..."

Naruto's voice wasn't loud, but everyone in the room heard it, especially Danzo. The old man's coughing worsened, his body convulsing until, finally, his eyes rolled back, and he fainted.

"Danzo! Danzo, wake up!!" Hiruzen shouted, panic in his voice. "Get the medical ninja here, quickly!!"