Chapter 18: The Trap Springs Shut
Hiraoka took the Scroll of Seals from Naruto's hands, his movements deliberate. He took a step towards Mizuki, whose smile widened, a predator watching its prey walk willingly into the open jaws of a trap.
But the smile froze on Mizuki's face, twisting into a mask of shock and agony.
He looked down. A kunai was buried to the hilt in his abdomen. He hadn't even seen Hiraoka move.
Before he could process the pain, a devastating kick sent him flying backward. He slammed into the trunk of a large tree with a sickening crunch, slumping to the ground, gasping for air.
"Take it back," Hiraoka said, his voice unnervingly calm as he tossed the scroll back to a stunned Naruto.
Naruto fumbled with the scroll, his mind reeling. "Hiraoka! What are you doing? Why did you attack Mizuki-sensei?!"
Hiraoka ignored him, his cold gaze fixed on the writhing form of Mizuki. "Drop the act, Mizuki. Your benevolent teacher routine is nauseating."
A guttural, pained laugh escaped Mizuki's lips. "Heh... hehe... Kamikawa Hiraoka. I didn't expect you to see through it." The pretense melted away, replaced by raw venom. "I was going to let you live a little longer, but you just had to be a hero. Fine. I'll send you to your grave right now!"
Naruto's face contorted with betrayal. "You... you were just using me!"
Before Mizuki could retort, a voice rang out from the edge of the clearing. "Mizuki! Stop this madness!" Iruka stood there, chest heaving, his face a mixture of fury and pain.
"Iruka," Mizuki spat, clutching his bleeding stomach. "Always the meddler."
With a sudden, vicious motion, Mizuki drew a giant fūma shuriken from his back and hurled it not at Hiraoka, but directly at Naruto. It was a calculated move. He knew Iruka's weakness.
"Naruto!" Iruka yelled, shoving the boy aside and taking the full force of the massive weapon on his own shoulder with a grunt of pain.
As Naruto stared in horror at the injured Iruka, Hiraoka's voice cut through the chaos, cold and assured. "Naruto, take care of Iruka-sensei. I'll handle this trash."
Iruka tried to protest, but the sheer, unshakable confidence in Hiraoka's posture silenced him.
"Ding! Host, please choose."
"Option 1: Execute Mizuki."
"Reward: Uzumaki Clan Vitality."
"Option 2: Cripple Mizuki."
"Reward: Threefold Chakra Increase."
"Option 3: Surrender to Mizuki."
"Reward: Twofold Chakra Increase."
The choice was instantaneous. The Uzumaki clan's legendary life force and chakra reserves? It was an offer he couldn't refuse.
Option one.
A wave of power, warm and immense, flooded his system. His chakra pools deepened, and he felt a vibrant, resilient strength solidify within his very cells. The wound from his previous exertions vanished, replaced by boundless energy.
Mizuki, unnerved by Hiraoka's sudden, terrifying stillness, tried to regain control. "You brat! I'll make you pay for that!" He hurled a volley of shuriken.
Hiraoka didn't even dodge. His hand became a blur, deflecting each projectile with sharp, precise flicks of a kunai. "Is that all?" he asked, his voice dripping with disdain. "Pathetic."
"Don't underestimate me!" Mizuki roared, his fear turning to rage.
"You've outlived your usefulness," Hiraoka stated flatly. He formed a single, familiar hand seal. "Let me show you what a real clone technique looks like. Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
POOF! POOF! POOF! POOF!
The clearing was instantly filled with not dozens, but hundreds of solid, physical shadow clones. The sheer number was suffocating, a sea of identical, grim-faced Hiraokas that surrounded the terrified Mizuki.
Iruka and Naruto watched, their jaws slack with utter disbelief. For Naruto, it was a glimpse of the technique's true, devastating potential.
Mizuki's courage shattered. The blood drained from his face. "W-wait...!"
Hiraoka gave a single, silent mental command.
The swarm descended.
The air was filled with the sounds of impacts and Mizuki's short, choked screams. It was not a fight; it was an execution. When the clones dispersed in a massive cloud of smoke, Mizuki lay broken and motionless in the dirt, his life extinguished.
Naruto walked over, looking down at the body. There was no pity in his eyes, only a hard-won understanding of betrayal. Iruka simply nodded at Hiraoka, a complex look of gratitude and grim acceptance in his eyes.
The next morning, a familiar, energetic knocking sounded on Hiraoka's door.
He opened it to find Uzumaki Naruto beaming, the horrors of the previous night seemingly forgotten. "Hiraoka! You gotta see this! I perfected it!"
Hiraoka raised an eyebrow. "Perfected what?"
"My new jutsu! The Harem Jutsu! It's way better than the old one!" Naruto declared, puffing out his chest with pride.
Hiraoka couldn't help but chuckle. The boy's resilience was something else. Despite the darkness they'd faced, Naruto was already charging headfirst into the next ridiculous, brilliant idea.
"Is that so?" Hiraoka said, a genuine smile finally touching his lips. "Alright then. Let's see this masterpiece of yours."
##########
Wasn't Mizuki too weak for a chunin class ninja? Like that Naruto even with just clones didn't have proper taijutsu and other ninjutsu and still he got clapped.
GIVEEE MEE STONESS