After Danzo stormed out of the Hokage's office, Utatane Koharu and Homura Mitokado did not linger.
They had come only to confirm the truth behind the rumors surrounding the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki. Now that Hiruzen had spoken plainly, their curiosity—and concern—had been satisfied. Neither of them harbored Danzo's obsession with seizing power for control's sake, nor did they wish to involve themselves more deeply in matters tied to Naruto's unstable position.
With brief nods, they took their leave.
Once the room was empty again, Hiruzen Sarutobi exhaled slowly, the tension lingering like smoke that refused to disperse. He turned to Asuma and Kurenai.
"You two may go as well," he said calmly. "Prepare your teams."
Asuma stubbed out his cigarette and nodded. Kurenai gave a short bow before leaving.
Only Kakashi remained.
Hiruzen gestured toward the door. "Come with me. There are things you need to know."
Kakashi's single visible eye narrowed slightly, but he said nothing as he followed the Hokage. Their destination was clear.
Naruto's apartment.
Meanwhile, back at the Ninja Academy classroom, the atmosphere was far less heavy—at least on the surface.
Iruka set the assignment list down on the desk and addressed the class one final time.
"Your jōnin instructors will arrive this afternoon. Don't be late."
He paused, scanning the room.
"Dismissed. Go eat."
The word dismissed was all it took.
Cheers erupted. Chairs scraped loudly against the floor as students surged toward the exits in excited clusters, talking over one another about teams, missions, and futures that suddenly felt very close.
Sakura lingered near her desk, cheeks faintly flushed. She stole a glance toward Sasuke, hesitated for half a heartbeat, then gathered her courage.
"Sasuke-kun," she said, her voice soft but eager, "we're teammates now. Maybe we should eat together and get to know each other."
Sasuke didn't even turn his head.
Without a word, he placed one hand on the windowsill and vaulted cleanly out of the classroom, disappearing from view in an instant.
Sakura froze, her expression stiffening.
Naruto, who had been hovering nearby, immediately stepped forward with an overly bright grin.
"Sakura! If he's not going, I can go with you!" he said eagerly. "We're on the same team, too, right? We should get along!"
Sakura turned toward him.
The faint blush vanished.
Her expression cooled instantly.
"Sorry," she said curtly, already moving past him. "I need to find Sasuke."
Before Naruto could respond, she was gone, swallowed by the crowd in the hallway.
Naruto stood there, staring after her, a knot forming in his chest.
"Damn it," he muttered. "It's always that annoying Sasuke."
He followed a few steps toward the door, but there were too many people. Sakura had already disappeared.
Nearby, Inuzuka Kiba had watched the entire exchange with amusement. He approached Naruto with a grin, Akamaru perched atop his head.
"That's because you're too loud and act like an idiot," Kiba said bluntly. "Girls hate that."
Naruto bristled. "Hey!"
Kiba laughed and clapped an arm around Naruto's shoulder anyway.
"But whatever. I like idiots. Makes things fun," he added. "Come eat with us. Hinata, Shino, and I were heading out."
Hinata, standing just behind Kiba, turned bright red at the mention of Naruto. She stiffened so badly she nearly lost her balance, barely catching herself against a nearby desk.
Shino adjusted his sunglasses and muttered something under his breath, his voice too quiet for anyone else to catch.
Inside Naruto's consciousness, Lock observed the scene with detached clarity.
Shino, in particular, was easy to read. His words looped endlessly in quiet repetition.
Team meals help establish trust. Eating together is efficient. I do not object to inviting Naruto. New bonds are statistically beneficial…
Lock dismissed the thought without interest.
His gaze—conceptual rather than literal—shifted instead to Sakura Haruno, disappearing down the hallway after Sasuke.
Naruto's fixation on her was obvious. Painfully so.
And pain, Lock knew, was leverage.
A slow, deliberate thought took shape.
If the person Naruto loves most were to die by his own hands…
No.
Too crude.
Lock refined the idea coldly, methodically.
Sakura alone might not be sufficient.
Iruka. Hiruzen Sarutobi. Figures Naruto trusted—anchors of his fragile emotional world.
Failing to protect them. Watching them die because he was too weak. Too slow. Too naïve.
With the right words whispered at the right moments, with carefully guided guilt and regret…
Naruto's trust and dependency would soar.
Of course, the deaths could never be traced back to Lock. The blade would have to be Naruto's own weakness, his own choices.
And at the critical moment, Naruto himself would need to be prevented from yielding control.
A perfect collapse.
A perfect takeover.
For now, it was only a preliminary outline. Execution would require patience and precision.
Lock's voice echoed calmly inside Naruto's mind.
"Refuse them."
Naruto blinked.
"Huh?"
"I have a way for you to get close to Sakura Haruno," Lock continued evenly. "Intimately."
Naruto's eyes lit up instantly.
Kiba mistook the expression for agreement and tightened his arm around Naruto's shoulders, already dragging him toward the door.
"Alright! Let's go! I'll treat everyone to barbecue!" Kiba announced loudly. "Even if my mom beats me for spending too much, it's worth it!"
The Inuzuka clan was wealthy. A barbecue feast meant nothing to Kiba.
Naruto's smile stiffened.
Barbecue.
Something he had never eaten in his life.
His stomach betrayed him with a faint growl.
Then he thought of Sakura.
He clenched his teeth and abruptly slipped out from under Kiba's arm.
"Sorry!" Naruto said quickly. "I just remembered I have something important to do! I'll treat you to ramen next time!"
Before Kiba could respond, Naruto bolted out of the classroom at full speed.
He didn't dare slow down.
If he hesitated even for a second, he might turn around and choose barbecue instead.
Outside, on the second-floor balcony of a nearby building, Sasuke sat alone, chewing on a piece of bread with more force than necessary.
His thoughts were tangled and dark.
After asking around the previous night, he had learned about the Scroll of Seals. Inspired—and enraged—by Naruto's success, he had attempted to do the same.
He hadn't even made it past the outer gate of the Sarutobi estate.
ANBU.
Dismissed without explanation. Without mercy.
Sasuke's grip tightened around the bread.
Biased village. Biased Hokage.
They were willing to give forbidden techniques to a dead last… but not to him.
Because he was an Uchiha?
Because he was related to that man?
Lost in thought, Sasuke failed to notice the shadow approaching from behind.
A rope dropped suddenly over his shoulders.
"Waaah!"
"Don't move! Stay still!"
Sasuke struggled. "Naruto! It's you, isn't it?! What are you doing?!"
"You've got the wrong guy," Naruto said quickly, forcing his voice lower. "I'm Shikamaru."
"Don't bullshit me!" Sasuke snapped. "I saw your orange clothes!"
"You saw wrong!" Naruto said cheerfully. "Just take a nap~.~"
Moments later, Sasuke's body slumped.
Naruto released the rope, panting slightly.
A second later, Sasuke—transformed into Naruto—leapt out of the window with a wicked grin.
"Dear Sakura," he muttered, "here I come!"
That afternoon, back in the classroom, Sasuke returned with a throbbing headache.
Something felt wrong.
Sakura wasn't hovering near him like usual. Instead, she sat rigidly at her desk, face red with anger.
Beside her, Naruto sat with a massive lump on his head, wearing a dazed, blissful grin.
Sasuke ignored Sakura entirely and walked straight up to Naruto.
"…You won today," he said quietly. "But this isn't over. I'll surpass you. I'll make you pay for this humiliation."
Without waiting for a reply, he turned away.
Naruto snapped out of his haze.
Because at noon, he had kissed Saku, a—while transformed into Sasuke.
He was in an excellent mood.
He opened his mouth, about to apologize—
The classroom door slid open.
A tall man with silver hair, one eye hidden beneath a slanted forehead protector, stepped inside.
"Team Seven," he said lazily, "you're with me."
Kakashi Hatake smiled behind his mask.
"Follow me."
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