The sound of a weapon piercing flesh echoed. Naruto stared blankly at the figure standing in front of him, shielding him, and unconsciously tightened his grip on the scroll.
"Iruka-sensei..."
"Hey, Naruto, are you hurt?!" Iruka suppressed the pain in his back and reached out to ruffle Naruto's hair. He had just arrived in time to see Mizuki hurling a Fuma shuriken at Naruto. Worried Naruto might be hurt, he hadn't even hesitated—he jumped in front to block the attack.
"I'm fine, Teacher. You're the one who's hurt."
Naruto quickly pulled the Fuma shuriken out of Iruka's back and helped him sit down. A flash of killing intent flashed in his eyes.
"Don't worry, this is just a minor wound!" Iruka gasped heavily, yet still wore a smile on his face.
"So it's you, Iruka. Never thought you'd actually help the Demon Fox," Mizuki sneered from atop a tree branch, thoroughly enjoying seeing Iruka wounded—as though he'd finally defeated an old rival.
"Mizuki? Why? Why would you do something like this?"
Iruka glared at Mizuki, filled with anger.
"Why? Of course it's so Lord Orochimaru will finally recognize me!" Mizuki laughed sinisterly. "If I can earn Lord Orochimaru's favor, I will gain greater power. Then both you, and all those jonin in the village who've looked down on me, will become nothing but insects beneath my feet!"
"What?! Mizuki, you're actually betraying Konoha?"
Iruka had imagined many possibilities, but never expected Mizuki to have ties with someone like Orochimaru—Orochimaru, a rogue ninja infamous for his brutal human experiments.
"Hahaha! And why shouldn't I betray Konoha?" Mizuki scoffed coldly. "That senile old Third Hokage trusts you so much, giving all the good students to your guidance. But what about me? I've always been better than you, yet no one has ever paid attention to me. All these years, they wouldn't let me pass the jonin exam—not even as a teacher was I as popular as you. How could this be fair?!"
"Iruka, since you love playing the nice guy, today I'll make your wish come true!"
Mizuki refused to listen further. In his heart, he believed the Third Hokage had intentionally targeted him all along, keeping him stuck as a chunin. Only under Lord Orochimaru would his true talent shine through. That was right—Orochimaru's side was truly where he belonged.
Chapter 94: When Conspiracy Meets the Production Team [End]
"Today, you and the Demon Fox will die together!"
So saying, Mizuki pulled two Fuma shuriken from behind his back.
"Naruto, hurry and run! I'll hold him off!" Iruka struggled to get up, but the wound on his back left him with no strength.
"Don't you dare harm Teacher Iruka, or else—I'll kill you!" Naruto stood in front of Iruka, glaring coldly at Mizuki.
"Oh? You'll kill me? Don't make me laugh. You're just a pathetic little demon fox brat. Come to think of it, there's something you probably still don't know—why so many people in the village call you a demon fox." Mizuki grinned maliciously. "Twelve years ago, the Nine-Tails suddenly appeared, causing enormous casualties in Konoha. Countless villagers and ninja died during that incident—including Iruka's parents. In other words, you—the Nine-Tails' human form—are the murderer who killed Iruka's parents."
"Mizuki, shut up!" Iruka's face burned with anger. "The one who killed my parents was the Nine-Tails Demon Fox. It has nothing to do with Naruto whatsoever. He is my student, Naruto Uzumaki from Konoha, not some Nine-Tails vessel!"
"Am I really the incarnation of that demon fox who killed so many people?!" Naruto lowered his head, his expression hidden beneath his bangs, fists clenched tightly as his body trembled slightly.
"That's right," Mizuki sneered. "Because of you, Konoha suffered great losses twelve years ago, and even the Fourth Hokage sacrificed his life at your hands. Do you really think someone like Iruka could ever truly care for his parents' killer? He's only waiting for a chance to eliminate you. Oh, and speaking of which, didn't you have a crush on that girl from the Ninja Academy, Sakura Haruno? How do you think she'd treat you if she found out you were actually the Nine-Tails Demon Fox who nearly destroyed the village back then?"
"Not well at all."
A sudden dramatic beat of music erupted into the air as Sakura and her group stepped out from the forest. Watching the scene unfold through the crystal orb in the Hokage Office, Hiashi remained expressionless while inside he was ready to flip a table. His proper lady—how had she turned into such a delinquent?
"Pfft, that entrance was actually pretty badass!" Anko said, eyes sparkling with excitement, nearly bouncing on her feet as if itching to join in herself.
"To each their own taste. Where had their gentle, lovely daughters gone?" Both Hiashi and Inoichi inwardly winced simultaneously, their brows furrowed in concern. How were they going to explain this transformation to the mothers?
Meanwhile, Iruka stared stunned at the group emerging from the shadows.
"Sakura? Sasuke? Hinata? What are all of you doing here?!"
"We've been here the whole time. We witnessed every bit of Mizuki-sensei's plot!" Sakura explained briefly before walking over and patting Naruto on the shoulder. "Come on, don't look so sad. Didn't I tell you already—you aren't any demon fox. You are simply Naruto, Naruto Uzumaki, our good friend. That's all. Look, everyone's waiting for you to come over."
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