Chapter 8: How to... ah, no, how to respond

...

The leaves fell like raindrops.

The two were fighting, creating a tremendous commotion.

The crowd's gaze was drawn to the scene.

"What's going on over there? That monster is fighting with the teacher?"

"He bullied a civilian not long ago, so he's probably done something else that the teacher couldn't overlook."

"It's a tragedy that such a person became a shinobi. I don't know what the Hokage was thinking."

"That's Mizuki-sensei."

Many of the teachers also had their attention drawn over, but none seemed inclined to go help.

How could a freshly graduated student possibly be a match for an experienced Chunin?

More importantly, in their eyes, this was just a case of "dogs biting dogs."

Naruto needs no further explanation.

Mizuki...

In front of the students and parents, he puts on the facade of a proper gentleman, speaking softly and kindly.

But those who teach know Mizuki's record is far from glorious - he is suspected of having killed his own teammates on a mission, and was under investigation for a long time.

A viper disguised as a harmless snake.

They truly hope Mizuki can manage to kill Naruto.

That would solve two problems at once.

The battle continued.

Naruto and Mizuki chased each other through the trees.

"I admit your recent performance has been quite impressive," Mizuki sneered cruelly, "but a child should not defy their elders."

"Remember today's lesson."

He swung his fist, showing no mercy.

Naruto dodged.

The physical gap between an adult and a twelve-year-old was enormous, making it difficult for him to handle.

Even so, he didn't give up on close-quarters combat.

Ninjutsu and Shinobi tools were not his forte.

Only in close combat could he try to seize an opportunity.

Mizuki reached back, preparing to pull out a kunai and let this annoying brat who disrupted his plan see some blood.

Naruto's eyes gleamed.

The chance!

He's found it!

He stretched out his hand, chanting an incantation.

Mizuki frowned.

Another one of those strange, handseal-less jutsu?

Recalling its previous performance, the shockwaves had struggled to even change the trajectory of a thrown kunai. Just a child's play pretend.

It can be withstood!

There won't be any harm.

His mind reached this conclusion.

He didn't defend, continuing with his current action.

But Naruto... had not used the previous ["Destruction Art"] aimed at attack and destruction, but the ["Binding Art"], a technique focused on restraint and immobilization.

["Bakudō #1: Sai"] {Restrain}

Chakra imbued with spiritual power surged, silently and invisibly striking Mizuki.

His arms suddenly became uncontrollable, twisting, his wrists tightly pressed together and bound behind his back.

Mizuki was stunned.

What kind of technique was this! Able to control his own body? His arms bound together...

Terrible, he can't use Ninjutsu now.

He struggled fiercely.

But... the adhesive strength between his hands was enormous, and the bound posture made it difficult for him to exert full force.

He couldn't break free for the moment.

Naruto delivered a kick.

Mizuki staggered and fell, crashing down from the tree.

The onlooking crowd was stunned silent.

They... saw what? Mizuki-sensei defeated?

Even if he wasn't a professional combatant, he was still a veteran Chunin, yet he was defeated by a freshly graduated Genin.

And not just any Genin, but the one acknowledged just a week ago as the "dead last."

It was almost unbelievable.

Uchiha Sasuke clenched his fists and widened his eyes.

He thought the gap between himself and Naruto wasn't that large, but... has that guy already become strong enough to defeat a Chunin?

Mizuki was still struggling.

He realized he couldn't break free through brute force.

This was likely a Genjutsu using psychological suggestion; he needed to disrupt it with a chakra surge.

But before he could try, Naruto lightly landed, standing in front of Mizuki, kunai in hand "Mizuki-sensei, you shouldn't have refused a student's invitation—"

His words were cut short.

Suddenly, he looked up.

A massive chakra presence appeared overhead, in the trees, at the location of their previous clash.

It was far stronger than Mizuki or Iruka.

It was a jonin.

Whoosh~

Naruto jumped back, looking up.

It was a shinobi wearing a "frog" mask.

"Uzumaki Naruto, stand down immediately." he spoke, his voice seemingly disguised as well.

He didn't have much malice.

Even if Naruto didn't dodge, the kunai would only embed between them.

Naruto frowned. This strange, masked jonin.

Was he... one of the shinobis from the village monitoring this "Demon Fox"?

Without waiting for the jonin to say anything more, he pointed at Mizuki and reported, "I want to see the Third Hokage."

"Mizuki said I'm the Demon Fox, and used that as a pretext to trick me into stealing the Scroll of Sealing."

Demon Fox? Scroll of Sealing?

The ANBU's eyes under the mask involuntarily narrowed.

Looking at Mizuki with a dangerous gaze. This man stirred up such trouble? Should have just let it go.

He jumped down from the tree, grabbing Mizuki and binding him with ropes "I see, then you'll come with me to see the Hokage."

They had just left when Iruka hurried through the crowd, the short-haired, pure-white-eyed, and seemingly fragile girl Hyuga Hinata following behind him.

"Where's Naruto?" he looked around anxiously.

He had just been dealing with the graduation students' affairs at the academy.

Hinata had run in saying Naruto and Mizuki-sensei had started fighting.

But... where were they?

Naruto and Mizuki were nowhere to be seen.

Hinata was the Hyuga clan's heiress, usually docile and cute, not the type to lie.

"They were taken by ANBU." one of the teachers nearby enlightened Iruka, whose relationships were quite good.

Iruka exclaimed in shock "ANBU?"

The teacher nodded "Mizuki was just beaten by Uzumaki Naruto, then the ANBU showed up. They said something, and took both Naruto and Mizuki away, looks like they're going to see the Hokage."

Iruka leaned his head back "Hokage?"

This matter has escalated to such a degree?

The light left his eyes.

Thinking of some of the rumors about "ANBU"...

Thinking of those terrible interrogation methods - "finger amputation", "branding"...

He gritted his teeth.

He also set off towards the Hokage Tower.

After all, Naruto is just a child. His recent performance has been outstanding, whether in academics or life, everything has been improving, he shouldn't...

...

Hokage Tower.

Sarutobi Hiruzen's face was grave as he looked at the thoroughly bound Mizuki, continuously puffing hard on his pipe.

He knew he couldn't hide the truth from Naruto forever.

But...

At this point of change in Naruto, letting him know this information.

It would be akin to igniting the fuse of an explosive tag.

Fortunately... Naruto brought this man here.

Compared to that, this man's goal of the "Scroll of Sealing" was hardly worth mentioning.

"Shikoro." Sarutobi Hiruzen glanced at Naruto, meeting his gaze, and waved a hand.

The ANBU in the frog mask stood at attention.

"Take him away, have ANBU interrogate and get to the bottom of this."

The frog-masked ANBU grabbed Mizuki and vanished in a flash.

"Naruto, you did great." Sarutobi Hiruzen forced a smile and praised.

Naruto's face was expressionless "He said I'm the Demon Fox, so that's why the village hates me. Is that true?"

Sarutobi Hiruzen lowered his voice as much as possible "I told you, they may have some prejudices..."

"So it's true, I am the Demon Fox?" Naruto interrupted him bluntly.

Sarutobi Hiruzen hesitated.

He didn't want to lie, or rather, he didn't dare lie.

The consequences of being caught in a lie were far more terrible than the consequences of hiding the truth.

If the lie was uncovered, an "uncontrolled outburst" of a jinchuriki could lead to unimaginable consequences.

Especially since this was Namikaze Minato's child.

"No, you are not the Nine Tails." Sarutobi Hiruzen gently shook his head, picking out the truths he could tell, "You just have a connection to it."

"It was sealed inside you."

"Common people don't understand these things much, so they have some prejudices, which is why they mistakenly thought you were the Nine Tails."

"In reality, you are a hero shouldering an important mission."

Naruto asked "Is the Nine Tails the name of that Demon Fox?"

Sarutobi Hiruzen was about to nod.

"But why did the Fourth Hokage seal the Nine Tails inside me? I was just a baby back then, twelve years ago when the Nine Tails rampaged," Naruto fired off the next question in quick succession. "Why not kill the Nine Tails? Or seal it into someone else?"

Sarutobi Hiruzen was troubled.

He was starting to miss the old "brainless" Naruto.

While the pranks were more, at least he didn't ask these kinds of difficult questions to answer.

"It has to do with your physiology," Sarutobi Hiruzen thought for a moment, picking out a good angle, "Your surname is Uzumaki, you have the powerful Uzumaki clan constitution, others couldn't be the Nine Tails' container, only you can shoulder this special, arduous, and honorable duty."

"Are my parents both from the Uzumaki clan?" Naruto asked further, "Both of them?"

Sarutobi Hiruzen shook his head "Only your mother was from the Uzumaki clan, she..."

"Then why don't I have my father's surname?" Naruto interrupted again, "Why do I have my mother's surname?"

"Where is my father?"

Sarutobi Hiruzen took a deep breath and reached up to ruffle Naruto's hair.

How should he respond?

Tell the truth, that your surname should actually be "Namikaze"?

That wasn't an appropriate answer.

...