Iruka and Mizuki's heads snapped toward Naruto—but before Mizuki could even blink, Naruto vanished in a blur of motion and reappeared right in front of him, his fist crackling with lightning chakra. With a satisfying crack, Naruto drove his punch square into Mizuki's face. The older shinobi was launched into the air, smashing into a tree with a sickening crunch before collapsing into a heap on the forest floor.
The lightning crawling up Naruto's arm fizzled out with a faint hiss. It wasn't anything fancy—no Chidori or high-level technique. Just raw chakra, molded into lightning and pumped through his fist to give it a bit more bite. Simple, but effective.
Mizuki groaned, staggering to his feet. Blood dripped from the corner of his mouth, and he spat a red glob onto the dirt with a snarl. "You'll pay for that, brat! Once I'm done with you, your family will have to scrape what's left of you off the ground!"
Naruto rolled his eyes. "Really? Save the threats for someone who's actually scared of you. You're just a washed-up Chūnin who steals forbidden scrolls 'cause you're too weak to earn power the real way."
"Naruto!" Iruka called out from the side, still down on one knee. He clutched his bleeding arm, his face pale with pain. "Don't provoke him! He's a Chūnin—he could kill you! You need to run and warn the Hokage!"
"Listen to your teacher, brat," Mizuki sneered, wiping blood off his chin. "You've been lucky so far, but I won't slip up again. This time, you die." He reached behind his back and pulled out another massive demon wind shuriken, the blades gleaming under the moonlight.
Naruto's eyes narrowed, the humor fading from his face. He appreciated Iruka's concern—he really did—but a part of him stung at the lack of trust. Hadn't he proven himself yet? Just because he was younger didn't mean he was helpless. That kind of thinking was exactly what got people hurt.
Mizuki hurled the shuriken with frightening speed, but Naruto sidestepped it with ease. He barely had time to smirk when Mizuki suddenly appeared behind him, kunai in hand. There was a sharp pain—hot and shocking—as the blade pierced Naruto's back.
Iruka screamed.
Naruto's eyes widened, the breath catching in his throat. He twisted his head to look over his shoulder, locking eyes with Mizuki's smug, twisted grin.
"Too slow, brat. You lose," Mizuki growled, driving the kunai in even deeper.
Iruka struggled to stand, but his legs buckled.
Then Naruto smiled. Before Mizuki could process what was happening, Naruto's body burst into an explosion of blinding chakra and smoke, flinging Mizuki backward like a rag doll caught in a hurricane. He hit the ground hard, landing on his feet out of sheer luck—but he was scorched. Half his body was burned, his clothes torn, and patches of his hair were singed and smoking.
Mizuki looked up, eyes wide with disbelief. "H-How?"
Even Iruka's eyes bulged out of his head.
Just a few feet from the explosion, Naruto casually stepped out of a rift made of jagged, floating crystal shards, his hands stuffed in his pockets and a wide grin tugging at his lips. A soft breeze blew through the clearing, brushing a few stray strands of his white-and-orange dyed hair from his face.
"You really underestimated me, Mizuki," Naruto said, voice lazy but sharp. "Guess you don't practice what you preach. Rule number one of being a shinobi—never underestimate your opponent."
He stopped a few steps away from the groaning Chūnin. "And since you're a traitor—and I really hate traitors—I don't have to hold back. So let me show you a little something I've been working on."
In a blink, four clones appeared beside him—not in a puff of smoke like traditional Shadow Clones, but forming as if pieces of broken mirrors were snapping together in midair, glinting briefly before solidifying into solid copies of Naruto.
Mizuki scoffed, though his stance shifted nervously. "That's it? Shadow clones? You think that will stop me?"
"Shadow clones?" Naruto snorted. "Nah. These—" he nodded toward the clone on his left, "—are Mirror Clones. And don't let the name fool you, they're not as fragile as glass. These guys are just as strong as me. They can act independently, and they generate their own chakra, which means... they don't poof after one hit. They regenerate from damage. Continuously."
Mizuki blinked, his confidence faltering.
Iruka's jaw dropped. "Continuously?!"
"Oh, and one more thing," Naruto said with a grin, holding up a finger like he was giving a classroom lecture. "They can turn completely invisible and suppress their chakra until they're basically undetectable."
As if on cue, all four clones shimmered and vanished, melting into the air like chameleons disappearing into their surroundings.
"Not even the Inuzuka clan can sniff them out," Naruto added, casually inspecting his fingernails. "No heartbeat, no scent, no trail. Perfect stalkers."
Before Mizuki could even twitch, he was yanked backward—his arms wrenched behind him and locked in place. The clones reappeared, pinning him down with eerie precision. His body strained against the grip, but nothing budged.
"What the—?! Why can't I use my chakra?!" Mizuki shouted, panic rising in his voice.
Naruto stepped forward, his expression darkening. A soft hum filled the air as a swirling ball of blue chakra formed in his outstretched palm—its whirling energy lighting up Mizuki's terrified eyes.
"That's simple," Naruto said coolly. "I'm an Uzumaki—unfortunately." He shrugged. "But it comes with perks. Like fuinjutsu. My clones sealed off your chakra the moment they touched you. Now…"
He raised the Rasengan higher, and Mizuki squirmed, a desperate grunt escaping his throat.
"…here's your punishment for being a massive pain in my ass."
Naruto slammed the Rasengan into Mizuki's stomach.
The world exploded into blue light and violent wind. The clones scattered like leaves in a storm, but not before one of them snatched the Forbidden Scroll from Mizuki's shoulder.
With a choked scream, Mizuki was sent flying, crashing into a tree. The Rasengan carved a spiral-shaped crater into his abdomen before detonating in a last burst of chakra.
When the dust settled, Mizuki lay crumpled at the base of the tree, barely conscious, his stomach scorched with a massive spiraling wound. Blood trickled from his mouth, and his eyes were rolled halfway into his skull.
Naruto dusted off his hands.
"Yeah," he muttered. "Definitely hate traitors."
Naruto turned toward Iruka, who was still staring at him like he'd just grown a second head—or maybe sprouted wings and started breathing fire. The disbelief on his face was almost comical. Naruto gave a mental nudge to one of his clones, and it moved instantly, heading toward Iruka.
"Don't worry, Iruka-sensei," the clone said with a reassuring smile as he kneeled beside him. "We'll get you patched up real quick."
A soft mint-green glow enveloped the clone's hands as he pressed them gently against Iruka's wounds. The healing chakra seeped into the torn flesh, slowing the bleeding and easing the pain. Iruka flinched at first, more out of surprise than pain, and blinked at the clone like it had just recited poetry.
"You can… heal now?" Iruka asked hoarsely, the disbelief only deepening.
"Yup," the clone grinned. "Multitasking's kind of our thing."
Next to the original Naruto, another clone shimmered and morphed into the familiar form of Vision, dressed in sleek black ANBU gear. His golden eyes gleamed behind a unique mask. Unlike the standard animal designs used by most ANBU, Vision's mask was sleek and smooth, painted a matte white with gold and silver lines, had subtle geometric etchings—hexagonal symbols and circuit-like trails that glowed faintly when he spoke or used chakra. The eyes were sharp slits outlined in amber, giving the mask an eerie yet intelligent presence.
"Excellent work, Naruto," Vision said calmly, giving a brief nod. His gaze then slid to Mizuki's charred and crumpled form. "Although… I'd say that was slightly excessive."
Naruto rolled his eyes. "Not even. The guy tried to frame me and murder both Iruka and me. He should be counting his lucky stars; he's still breathing."
At that moment, another clone—clone number four—jogged up with the Forbidden Scroll slung over his shoulder.
"Boss!" he called out. "Got the scroll right here."
Naruto raised an eyebrow. "Why are you giving it to me? The Hokage's literally gonna show up in three... two..."
Right on cue, four ANBU operatives landed in the clearing in a flurry of leaves, flanking the Third Hokage as he descended with practiced ease. The old man's pipe was already tucked between his lips, smoke curling lazily in the moonlight. His eyes twinkled with that infuriating "I saw everything" glint.
"Excellent job, Naruto," the Hokage said with a warm smile. "You handled Mizuki well. I trust he didn't give you too much trouble?"
Naruto stared flatly at the old man. "Seriously? Don't play coy with me, geezer. We both know you've been peeking with that pervy crystal ball you're always fondling."
There was a beat of silence.
The ANBU face planted. Iruka groaned and buried his face in his hands. Even Vision raised an eyebrow, mildly scandalized. A lone sweat drop rolled down the Hokage's temple as he let out a slow sigh, pipe dangling from his lips.
"You really must learn to speak with more… tact, my boy."
Naruto just smirked. "Nah. Where's the fun in that?"
✨🟣🔵🟢🟡🔴🟠✨
Naruto stepped into the Hokage's office, his footsteps quiet on the polished floor. Behind him, Vision supported a grumbling Iruka, who was clearly not enjoying the assistance despite limping slightly with every step. The old man moved toward a small cabinet nestled between two tall bookshelves and carefully placed the Forbidden Scroll back on its pedestal.
Naruto squinted at the thing. It always struck him as kinda dumb that something so dangerous was just... out in the open. But knowing the Hokage, the scroll being "stolen" had probably been a setup all along—to smoke out Mizuki like a rat from a hole.
The Third Hokage lowered himself into his chair with a quiet sigh and motioned for Naruto and Iruka to take their seats in front of the desk. The four ANBU who'd escorted them were already gone, likely busy handing Mizuki over to the T&I department. Naruto shuddered slightly. The snake mistress of Konoha—Anko—was probably already sharpening her tools and cackling with joy.
Naruto dropped into the chair next to Iruka, whose face was still a bit pale. The older man was rubbing at his bruised ribs with a quiet grunt. Naruto had already healed the worst of it, but bruises and the slight limp would take time to fade completely. Vision stood silently behind Naruto, like a sleek, high-tech shadow.
"So… Naruto," the Hokage began, drawing in a puff from his pipe—only to realize it had already burned out. He clicked his tongue and set it aside. "It's been a hectic night for you. You have my thanks for stopping Mizuki before he could disappear with the Forbidden Scroll—"
Naruto groaned and rubbed his face. "Jiji… come on. We both know that scroll was never in danger of being actually stolen. That thing over there," he jabbed a thumb toward the pedestal, "is probably a fake. A booby-trapped version loaded with miscalculated jutsu formulas designed to backfire and fry anyone dumb enough to try using it."
Iruka blinked at him, stunned.
Naruto continued, his tone casual but sharp. "I just happened to walk into a mess you were already cleaning up. Your ANBU was tailing Mizuki from the second he touched the scroll. If anything, I probably ruined your plans by smacking him around too early. Might've even sabotaged your shot at tracking who he was working for… so honestly, I might be in trouble."
Iruka was full-on gawking at him now, jaw slightly ajar. The Hokage, however, just leaned back and smiled, a proud little twinkle in his eye.
"Who are you?" Iruka asked, disbelief coloring his voice. "You're not the knuckleheaded, loudmouthed brat I've been teaching all these years…"
Naruto chuckled and scratched the back of his head, sheepish. "Sorry, niisan," he mumbled.
Iruka froze at the word, eyes going wide. But then a warm smile broke across his face.
"I didn't mean to hide my real self," Naruto went on. "Jiji thought it'd be safer if I kept my talents under wraps, y'know? Just in case someone got ideas."
Iruka glanced at the Hokage, who gave him a knowing nod. The older man turned back to Naruto, his voice gentler now.
"It's alright, otōto," Iruka said. "You must've had your reasons."
Naruto grinned widely at that, heart swelling at Iruka calling him his little brother. There weren't many people in his life who truly cared for him—who saw him. Iruka always did.
"Jiji?" Naruto asked, glancing toward the Hokage with a serious expression. "Is it alright if Iruka's brought into the loop? I mean, if I'm gonna end up on a team with a Jōnin, they're gonna have to be informed too. Iruka might as well know now."
The Hokage leaned back in his chair, his expression unreadable as he reached for his pipe and began cleaning it with slow, practiced movements. "Very well," he said after a moment. "But let's hope Iruka's mind survives the truth."
Naruto gave a half-smile, then turned toward Iruka. "Okay, don't freak out."
And so Naruto began. He told Iruka everything—from how he found the Infinity Gauntlet and how Vision, the AI who now acted as both guide and silent protector, were apart of him. Vision, in his ANBU gear, gave a polite nod and introduced himself in his usual calm, articulate manner.
Iruka, meanwhile, just... stared.
It was one thing to find out your student wasn't a complete idiot—it was another thing entirely to find out he was bonded with six cosmic artifacts capable of rewriting the universe.
"So let me get this straight…" Iruka began slowly, his voice tinged with disbelief as he eyed the golden arm Naruto had unveiled, the embedded stones gleaming faintly in the overhead light. "Those stones... they can reshape reality? Amplify power... And control space, time, the soul, and the mind?"
His gaze drifted up to the Mind Stone embedded in Naruto's forehead. It pulsed faintly, like a heartbeat.
"Yeah, kinda wild, huh?" Naruto replied with a sheepish grin. "But they're not as powerful here. Not really. They're from another universe, so the rules are different. Still strong—but not full god-mode or anything."
Iruka's face went pale. He slowly turned toward the Hokage, then said in a very serious voice, "Hokage-sama… if it's not an intrusion… I need a strong drink."
Naruto burst out laughing, clutching his stomach as the tension in the room cracked. The Hokage chuckled into his beard, while Vision gave a soft, amused hum.
"For what it's worth," Vision added, "most people have the same reaction."
Iruka groaned and leaned back in his chair. "I thought Naruto giving Mizuki a hard time was going to be the weirdest part of my week…"